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Persian Gulf Region

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The Persian Gulf region—which includes Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq—contains an estimated 50 percent of the world's oil reserves and thus plays a strategic geopolitical role. RAND has a strong presence in and focus on the region, with an office in Doha, focusing primarily on domestic and regional issues such as education and development and on assisting U.S. and allied military forces in the region.

Report
Exploration of Early COVID-19 Responses in Select Middle East Nations
Prior to the pandemic, many countries in the Middle East struggled with health care capacity and access. COVID-19 placed significant additional strain on health care delivery in the region. What common challenges did Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and Tunisia face in their pandemic responses?
Mar 24, 2022
Report
Reimagining U.S. Strategy in the Middle East
Long-standing U.S. policies in the Middle East that rely on defeating threats and keeping partners on “our side” have fallen short. What if the U.S. approach shifted from focusing on the threat of the day to a positive vision of a region supported by increased diplomatic and economic investments?
Feb 23, 2021

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Report
Smarter Power, Stronger Partners, Volume II: Trends in Force Projection Against Potential Adversaries
This book describes scenarios to test whether the anti-access and area-denial threat to U.S. force projection is growing more severe. They describe plausible U.S. and adversary military actions given current operational capabilities and approaches.
Feb 8, 2017
Commentary
The Need for a Targeted Counter-ISIL Strategy
Defeating ISIL is only possible if political conditions change in the Middle East, North and West Africa, and South Asia, and in ways that are exceedingly unlikely. The coalition should focus on reducing ISIL's ability to conduct attacks and on removing the underlying conditions that feed Sunni grievances.
Feb 5, 2017
Commentary
Is ISIS Breaking Apart?
The coalition tasked with countering ISIS has made progress, and ISIS is sure to break apart further over the next few years. Any splinter groups that result could differ from their parent organization, so counterterrorism strategies will need to adjust.
Jan 31, 2017
Commentary
Countering ISIL as a Transregional Threat
The U.S. counter-ISIL strategy must recognize the long-term nature of the global violent jihadi threat. U.S. diplomatic and military actions should focus on reducing the appeal of ISIL and disrupting the transregional network that supports it.
Jan 31, 2017
Commentary
Hezbollah Is Winning the War in Syria
Most parties have been on the losing side of the war in Syria. Meanwhile, Lebanese terrorist militia Hezbollah has cemented its status as a regional power player. The group has gained fighting experience and benefited from a growing alliance with the Assad regime, Iran, and Russia.
Jan 30, 2017
Commentary
Iran Is at Putin's Mercy
Russia and Iran have forged an unprecedented but fragile alliance in the Middle East. But there's no guarantee that Putin won't sell Iran out if he manages to forge better U.S. relations under Trump.
Jan 12, 2017
Commentary
America's Cyber Security Dilemma — and a Way Out
The United States should continue to pursue international cooperation in cyberspace, improve its ability to identify and expose the sources of attacks, and improve its oversight of the development and adoption of cyber-related technologies.
Dec 22, 2016
Report
Calculating the Gross Regional Product of the Kurdistan Region — Iraq: Arabic translation
Estimates the gross regional product (GRP) of the Kurdistan Region -- Iraq in 2012 (excluding natural resources) and describes efforts to set up a system for data collection and analysis to support future annual GRP calculation.
Dec 21, 2016
News Release
China Invests Warily in Middle East
China endeavors to protect its expanding interests in the Middle East by not taking sides in conflicts and controversies. The United States should encourage China to become more involved in efforts to improve regional stability while reassuring partners of its own commitment to the region.
Dec 5, 2016
Report
China Invests Warily in the Middle East
China endeavors to protect its expanding interests in the Middle East by not taking sides in conflicts and controversies. The United States should encourage China to get more involved in efforts to improve regional stability while reassuring partners of its own commitment to the region.
Dec 5, 2016
Commentary
What ISIS Leaves Behind in Mosul Will Reveal a Lot
The capture of Mosul, Iraq, may produce a potential trove of information about how ISIS organized itself to run a large city. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating this material will be a major effort, one of the most important as the city is liberated.
Nov 18, 2016
Blog
The Return of a Cold War Threat
The danger of blundering into a nuclear war through miscalculation or human error has returned, said former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry at RAND's Politics Aside event. No leader is seeking nuclear war, but there are new dangers that didn't exist during the Cold War that could lead to one.
Nov 15, 2016
News Release
An Independent Kurdistan Would Impact Its Neighbors
If the Kurdish region of northern Iraq were to become an independent nation the move would create important political and economic problems for the neighboring nations of Turkey and Iran, as well as for the Iraqi central government.
Nov 14, 2016
Commentary
What the Battles of Mosul and Aleppo Tell Us About Their Countries' Futures
The battle of Mosul is not just about defeating ISIS. It is about restoring Mosul to the multi-ethnic city it once was. The Syrian government's style of warfare in Aleppo, however, accepts that Syria will remain a divided country.
Nov 14, 2016
Report
How an Independent Kurdistan Might Impact Its Neighbors
The Kurds make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never formed a permanent nation state. If the Kurdish region of northern Iraq were to declare its independence, the move would create political and economic problems for Turkey, Iran, and the Iraqi central government.
Nov 14, 2016
Commentary
How Will Jihadist Strategy Evolve As the Islamic State Declines?
As ISIL experiences ongoing battlefield losses it will have to rework its strategy to sustain itself as a preeminent jihadist brand. Meanwhile, the group will likely place greater emphasis on smaller scale strikes that require less central direction.
Nov 10, 2016
Commentary
Can the Islamic State Lose Mosul and Still Win?
The loss of Mosul would be a serious blow for the Islamic State but past insurgencies suggest it is far too early to count the Islamic State out.
Oct 31, 2016
Report
Calculating the Gross Regional Product of the Kurdistan Region — Iraq: Kurdish translation
Estimates the gross regional product (GRP) of the Kurdistan Region -- Iraq in 2012 (excluding natural resources) and describes efforts to set up a system for data collection and analysis to support future annual GRP calculation.
Oct 21, 2016
Commentary
After the Battle for Mosul, Get Ready for ISIS to Go Underground
Only once ISIS's underground network is defeated will there be a real chance for enduring security and stability in Mosul.
Oct 18, 2016
News Release
U.S. Military Facing Challenges as Other Nations Improve Abilities to Deny Access to Territory
A United States military strategy based primarily on an ability to deploy troops anywhere it feels necessary will face heightened costs and risks in critical regions by 2025, owing to other nations' improved abilities to deny the U.S. access.
Oct 12, 2016

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Researcher Spotlight

Daniel Egel

Senior Economist

Daniel Egel is an economist at RAND, RAND's Department of State portfolio manager, codirector of RAND's Initiative for Economics and Security, and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Egel's research focuses on the intersection of economics and national security,…
Louay Constant

Adjunct Policy Researcher

Louay Constant is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has worked on a range of social policy issues including K–12 education reform, postsecondary education and training, labor markets, workforce…

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