))
Arab Digest is a private members club offering expert political analysis about the Middle East and North Africa. contact email: editor@arabdigest.org
William Law, editor of the Arab Digest, in conversation with Michael Stephens, a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and co-author of ‘What next for Britain in the Middle East?’ just published by I.B. Tauris. The Gulf feud that pitted the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt against Qatar has ended but the wounds remain and polic…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Mudhawi's List and the fight for women's rights
27:12
27:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:12
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with the Kuwaiti author and academic Dr. Alanoud Alsharekh. She is a longtime advocate for the rights of women in Kuwait and the wider Middle East and the co-founder of Mudhawi's List which was established to support Kuwaiti women seeking elected office.…
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with human rights lawyer Toby Cadman co-founder and head of chambers at the London law firm Guernica 37. He represents the family of the late president of Egypt Mohammed Morsi whose death in custody the UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard has determined could "amount to a State-sanctioned arbitrary k…
Arab Digest editor William Law is in conversation with Chris Woods, the co-founder of Airwars, a London-based NGO that tracks civilian casualties caused by aerial warfare. In the ongoing wars raging in the Middle East, Airwars has documented 55000 civilians killed in air attacks launched by foreign combattants on all sides. Airwars gathers and pres…
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with the Baker Institute’s Jim Krane. Their conversation is about the world’s largest energy company Saudi Aramco: the year it has had since launching the IPO and the future it faces as the world takes on the daunting task of fighting the impact of climate change.…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Saudi Arabia: diplomatic challenges at a dangerous time
30:47
30:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:47
Arab Digest editor William Law is in conversation with Cinzia Bianco, a visiting fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations in Berlin. Their focus is on the many challenges Saudi Arabia faces as it prepares for a Biden presidency and searches for diplomatic solutions to the Qatar feud, the war in Yemen, the Iran threat and resisting norma…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
The Disconnect: MENA regimes versus the people they rule over
26:52
26:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:52
Arab Digest editor William Law welcomes back Sami Hamdi, editor in chief of The International Interest. Their conversation is about the disconnect between governments and the people in the MENA region. How wide is the gap and what role does the West play in maintaining a status quo that denies Arabs fair and open governance?…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Yemen: the people, the warriors, and the war
31:37
31:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:37
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Dr Elisabeth Kendall, Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Oxford University’s Pembroke College, on the Yemen war now into its sixth year. Dr Kendall, an expert on Yemen and jihadist organisations, looks at the background to the war, the impact it is having on the people, especi…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Young Arabs and the spirit of the revolution
26:32
26:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:32
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Dr H.A. Hellyer, author of A Revolution Undone: Egypt’s Road Beyond Revolt The revolutionary spirit that flourished in Tahrir Square in 2011 and elsewhere in the MENA region lives on and in the face of oppressive regimes young Arabs continue the struggle for accountable government. "We are talking…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
A dangerous game: Turkey and the politics of energy
24:54
24:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:54
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Dr Ali Bakeer, a MENA region political analyst and consultant, about the politics and pursuit of energy security Strategies that have isolated Turkey in its bid for energy security are driving tensions to dangerous levels in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East while outside players…
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Neil Quilliam an Associate Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at London's Chatham House on the perilous road that Iraqi prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi faces as he attempts to guide his country through the security, political and economic crises besetting it. The Iraqi prime mi…
Arab Digest editor William Law is joined by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Their conversation revolves around what a Joe Biden presidency would mean for the Middle East. How would President Biden handle the Iran deal, "Peace to Prosperity", relations with the Saudis, the ongoi…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Qatar, The Feud And The Future Of The GCC
27:30
27:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:30
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Gulf analyst Michael Stephens, a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and Associate Fellow at RUSI. It has been more than three years since a quartet of states - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt - turned on Qatar. With major geo-political shifts occuring in …
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
A new great game unfolds in the Middle East
27:22
27:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:22
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Tarek Megerisi a policy fellow with the North Africa and Middle East programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. From Libya to Qatar to Syria and beyond a new great game is playing out in MENA with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates vying to gain the upper hand and seize advantage fro…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
'The Sea is Dead': fishing and migration collide on Tunisia's shores
18:57
18:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:57
Tunis-based journalist Layli Foroudi in conversation with Arab Digest editor William Law on how the smuggling network benefits from Tunisia’s struggling fishing industry crisis. The smugglers are not hardened criminals, they are young men who see no future for themselves and no alternatives but to smuggle.…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
From Obama to Trump: US policy in the Middle East
26:22
26:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:22
Arab Digest editor William Law talks with Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program and senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Their conversation focuses on a decade of US policies in the Middle East, from 2010 to 2020, from the last six years of the Obama presidency to four years of the T…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
The trouble with normal (is it always gets worse)
25:30
25:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:30
Arab Digest Editor William Law in conversation with Sami Hamdi, editor in chief of The International Interest (https://www.intlinterest.com/) on the normalisation deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have made bold and sweeping claims but the Arab world does not share their enthusiasm.…
Founder and CEO of Washington-based Gulf State Analytics Giorgio Cafiero joins Arab Digest editor William Law for a conversation about French President Emmanuel Macron's foreign policy initiatives in the Levant, North Africa and the Sahel and the growing rivalry between France and Turkey as they compete for a pre-eminent position in the MENA region…
Author and energy expert Jim Krane @jimkrane joins Arab Digest editor William Law for a conversation about #nuclear reactors, #renewable energy, #ClimateChange and the future of #oil in the Gulf.By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
The tactics of terror: ISIS and Al Qaeda in Yemen
24:51
24:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:51
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Dr Elisabeth Kendall, @Dr_E_Kendall, a Senior Research Fellow in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Oxford University’s Pembroke College. Dr Kendall is an expert on Yemen and on the jihadist organisations operating there. As the war grinds on into its sixth year, the conversation today focusses on ISIS…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
The Great Retreat: America's diplomatic withdrawal from the Middle East
26:09
26:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:09
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Cinzia Bianco, a visiting fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations on the impact of America's diplomatic withdrawal from the MENA regions and who in the region and beyond are moving in to fill the vacuum Donald Trump's disregard has left behind @Cinzia_Bianco…
As outside players continue to use Libya as a proxy battlefield, Arab Digest editor William Law is in conversation with Libya specialist Tarek Megerisi, a policy fellow with the North Africa and Middle East programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.Is endless war the likely outcome of foreign powers' incessant meddling in Libya’s civil…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
A tangled skein of relationships: Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE
28:01
28:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:01
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Kristian Coates Ulrichsen on the difficult, challenging and complex relations between Iran and their Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Dr Ulrichsen is a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. His latest book is Qatar and the Gulf Crisis, …
Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, in conversation with Arab Digest editor William Law on the subject of young Arabs, leadership and the possibilities for change in the MENA region.By Arab Digest
After a price crash some modest gains as oil climbs back to $40. ArabDigest energy analyst Alastair Newton in a conversation with Digesteditor William Law assesses where oil is headed and what the directionof travel means for the Saudi economy.By Arab Digest
Kuwaiti author and academic Dr Alanoud Alsharekh in conversation with Arab Digest editor William Law on the impact of social media influencers in the Gulf and the wider Middle East. Dr Alsharekh is director of Ibtkar Strategic Consultancy and an associate fellow of Chatham House's MENA region programme. Her latest publication is Love or Country: A …
Arab Digest editor William Law in conversation with Karim Zidan an investigative journalist covering the intersection of sports, politics, and society for a number of outlets including the Guardian, Vox Media and HBO Real Sports. Karim discusses the Saudi attempt to purchase Newcastle United, Abu Dhabi's skillful manipulation of sport, Qatar and th…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
The Gulf States and Iran: a complex relationship that is often tense and never dull
27:57
27:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:57
Neil Partrick joins Arab Digest editor William Law to talk about the Gulf States' relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr Partrick is a freelance writer and consultant on the Gulf and the wider Middle East and the lead contributor to the book “Saudi Foreign Policy: Conflict & Cooperation” published by IB Tauris. He blogs at https://www.n…
Marc Owen Jones is Assistant Professor of Middle East Studies and Digital Humanities at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha. He scours the internet, forensically uncovering disinformation and deceit. Marc is the author of Political Repression in Bahrain published by Cambridge University Press. His latest book Disinformation in the Middle East publ…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Algeria, President Tebboune and the Hirak movement
27:34
27:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:34
Yahia Zoubir, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Centre, discusses Algeria and President Abdelmajid Tebboune.Is it a case of same old, same old or is a new Algeria emerging from the street protests known as the Hirak?By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Covid - 19, The Oil Price Crash And The MENA Region
23:35
23:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:35
Former UK ambassador to the UN Sir Jeremy Greenstock explores the impact of two massive shocks to MENA and assesses the economic and political direction the region is headed toward post-pandemic.By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
MBZ And Erdogan Go Head To Head In The Middle East And North Africa
21:24
21:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:24
Ankara based political analyst Dr Ali Bakeer discusses the growing MENA grudge match between Turkey and the UAE.By Arab Digest
Oman: a new Sultan and new challengesThe ECFR's Cinzia Bianco discusses the challenges Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarek faces in an increasingly volatile neighbourhood. Can he maintain the legacy of Sultan Qaboos and continue to steer the country's neutral path or will pressures from Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as a distressed economy force him…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Haftar Suffers Big Defeats But War Grinds On In Libya
33:06
33:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:06
A discussion with Tarek Megerisi, policy fellow with the North Africa and Middle East programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. As UAE-backed Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar suffers significant losses and Turkey ups support for the GNA, the risk the grows the proxy war will become more intense with disastrous consequences for Libyan peo…
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Post Covid-19 what is the future for political Islam in MENA?
20:10
20:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:10
Courtney Freer, research fellow at the London School of Economics Middle East Programme, discusses political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood in the MENA regionBy Arab Digest
Baker Institute fellow and associate Chatham House fellow KristianCoates Ulrichsen discusses the bitter feud that divides the GCC.By Arab Digest
How will coronavirus change the political, social and economic landscape of the MENA region?A conversation with Sami Hamdi, editor-in-chief of The InternationalInterest.By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Who blinks first? Saudi Arabia, Russia and the oil price war glutting (and gutting) the marketplace
22:27
22:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
22:27
Alastair Newton analysizes the oil price war for Arab Digest. Alastair worked as a professional political analyst in the City of London from 2005 to 2015. Before that he spent 20 years as a career diplomat with the British Diplomatic Service. He is a regular contributor to Arab Digest.By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Yemeni women's rights activist Misk AlJunaid discusses the war
13:57
13:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:57
As the 5th anniversary of the Yemen war approaches, Yemeni women's rights activist Misk AlJunaid calls on international organisations to ensure women are at the heart of the peace process.By Arab Digest
Dubai had great expectations about what Expo 2020 would deliver. As Covid-19 continues its global onslaught now is the time to rethink those expectations.By Arab Digest
A
Arab Digest podcasts
1
Libya: the Arab Digest editor and the ECFR's Tarek Megerisi discuss the war
23:57
23:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:57
The European Council on Foreign Relation's Tarek Megerisi in conversationwith Arab Digest editor William Law on the war in Libya.By Arab Digest
