On 30 September 2021, NESA Professors Dr. Michael Bell and Charles Marks delivered the preliminary design to transform the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College into the Saudi Arabian National Defense University. The NESA team presented the details of the design to our partners at the Command and Staff College and the Saudi Ministry Read More >
Saudi Arabia
Distinguished Alumni Award for MG Mohammed Al-Ruwaili
On July 26, 2021, Dr. Michael Bell, on behalf of NESA’s Director, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Terry Wolff presented Major General Mohammed Al-Ruwaili, Commandant of the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College (SAF CSC), with the NESA Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes MG Al-Ruwaili’s long and ardent support for the NESA-led transformation program at Read More >
Strategic Survey Seminar: The Middle East and U.S. National Security
From 27 to 29 July, the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies hosted a three-day webinar series to explore key political, military, and socio-economic dynamics impacting the wider Middle East and U.S. security policy. The webinar was joined by various internationally recognized scholar-practitioners, primarily intended for both U.S. and foreign military officers, Read More >
Senior Leader Engagement with the Rasanah Institute
3 August 2021 – On Tuesday, representatives from the Saudi Arabia National Defense University Strategic Implementation Office (SANDU SIO) and from the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA Center) conducted a Senior Leader Engagement with the Rasanah International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah IIIS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. SANDU SIO Provost and Read More >
Are We Facing a Shift in KSA-US Relations or is it Only a Temporary Weakening?
By: LTC Dusan Borak, CZE Air Force, CSAG CCJ5 13 July 2021 Introduction: Despite all the ideological differences between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA or the Kingdom), their partnership has so far been considered very strong, even though it was not based on a common foundation. The stopping support for Read More >
After Normalization, Why Does the Middle East Peace Process Still Matter?
By: Col Emad Elganzory, EGY Army, CSAG CCJ5 25 June 2021 Introduction: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been described as the mother of all issues in the Middle East. It is one of the most protracted and potentially dangerous conflicts in the world. After more than seven decades, resolving the conflict remains a distant dream. It Read More >
The Implications of Low Oil Prices and Economic Diversification in the Middle-East
By: LTC Meteb Almarri, QAT Air Force, US Central Command: Strategy Plans and Policy Directorate; Combined Strategic Analysis Group 21 June 2021 Introduction: The Middle East is a global producer and exporter of oil. The region enjoys high returns from oil sales to many countries around the world. The Middle East has relied heavily on Read More >
One-Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic in Yemen: An Opportunity to Refocus Foreign Powers’ Attention and End a War?
By: LtCol Michael von Normann, German Army, US Central Command: Strategy Plans and Policy Directorate; Combined Strategic Analysis Group 14 June 2021 Introduction: More than six years into the Saudi-led intervention, the situation in Yemen is no longer a concern to Yemenis alone. This conflict is a clear example of the permanent struggle between regional Read More >
From Warring Partner to Peace Broker – Impact of the New Administration’s Policy towards the War in Yemen
By: LtCol Michael von Normann, DEU A, CSAG Middle East Branch 02 Mar 2021 Introduction: In his first foreign policy speech on February 4, 2021, President Biden announced the US would end its support for the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive operations in Yemen. The new policy laid out by the President also included the suspension of Read More >
A Turkish-Saudi Rapprochement Could Promote Stability in the Region
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a NESA Alumnus and a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She holds a PhD in politics from the University of Exeter and is an affiliated scholar with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Khatib frequently Read More >