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Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Baker Institute Fellow for Kuwait, Rice University
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., is the Baker Institute fellow for Kuwait. Working across the disciplines of political science, international relations and international political economy, his research examines the changing position of Persian Gulf states in the global order, as well as the emergence of longer-term, nonmilitary challenges to regional security. Previously, he worked as senior Gulf analyst at the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies and as co-director of the Kuwait Programme on Development, Governance and Globalisation in the Gulf States at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a visiting fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre and an associate fellow at Chatham House in the United Kingdom.

Coates Ulrichsen has published extensively on the Gulf. His books include “Insecure Gulf: the End of Certainty and the Transition to the Post-Oil Era” (Columbia University Press, 2011) and “The Political Economy of Arab Gulf States” (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012). In addition, he is the author of “The Logistics and Politics of the British Campaigns in the Middle East, 1914-22” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and “The First World War in the Middle East” (Oxford University Press, forthcoming). He is currently completing a book on Qatar and the Arab Spring and has been commissioned to write a textbook on the Gulf and international political economy. Coates Ulrichsen’s articles have appeared several academic journals, and he consults regularly on Gulf issues for Oxford Analytica and the Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre. He also writes regularly for Open Democracy and Foreign Policy, and authors a monthly column for Gulf Business News and Analysis.

Coates Ulrichsen holds a doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge.

Global Geopolitics Series

Oman serves as a crucial back channel between Iran and the US as tensions flare in the Middle East

Apr 19, 2024 06:26 am UTC| Insights & Views

Prior to launching a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel on April 13, 2024, Iran reportedly got word to Washington that its response to an earlier strike on its embassy compound in Syria would seek to avoid major...

Global Geopolitics Series

Saudi plans to 'de-risk' region has taken a hit with Gaza violence − but hitting pause on normalization with Israel will buy kingdom time

Oct 19, 2023 04:16 am UTC| Insights & Views

Saudi Arabia and Israel had seemingly been edging closer to a landmark deal to normalize their diplomatic relations and then the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, happened. Since then, thousands have died in Gaza and in...

Global Geopolitics Series

As longterm partnership with US fades, Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its diplomacy – and recent deals with China, Iran and Russia fit this strategy

Mar 28, 2023 14:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The fact that Saudi Arabia entered a rapprochement deal with Iran and chose China to broker it came as a surprise to many international observers. The agreement, officially called the Joint Trilateral Statement, was...

Economy

EU and CPTPP Nations Push for Landmark Digital Trade Agreement

The European Union and member nations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have officially agreed to pursue a groundbreaking digital trade deal, marking a potentially...

Cybersecurity Stocks Tumble After Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI Leak Sparks Market Fears

Major cybersecurity stocks took a sharp hit Friday following reports that Anthropic accidentally exposed details about its next-generation AI model before its official launch. CrowdStrike fell 7%, Palo Alto Networks...

Gold Prices Rise Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Safe Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed on Friday, positioning the precious metal for a weekly gain as investors retreated from riskier assets and sought refuge in safe haven investments like bullion and the U.S. dollar. The move came amid...

Oil Prices Surge Past $100 as U.S.-Iran Peace Hopes Collapse

Global oil markets turned sharply higher on Friday as diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran appeared to unravel, pushing Brent crude above $100 per barrel for the first time in recent weeks. The escalation...

NASDAQ Tech Selloff: Correction or Collapse? What Analysts Are Saying

The NASDAQ Composite has officially entered correction territory, posting its sharpest valuation decline since the dotcom era as markets react to escalating U.S.-Iran military tensions. While the selloff has rattled...

Politics

Trump Warns "Cuba Is Next" Amid U.S. Military Posturing in the Region

Speaking at a Miami investment forum on Friday, President Donald Trump issued a striking warning toward Cuba, declaring Cuba is next while highlighting recent U.S. military operations against Venezuela and Iran. Though he...

Nepal's Ex-PM K.P. Sharma Oli Arrested Over Deadly 2024 Anti-Corruption Protests

Nepals former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli was arrested Saturday morning as authorities launched a formal investigation into his alleged negligence during violent anti-corruption protests that claimed 76 lives last...

U.S.-Iran War Update: Rubio Says Conflict Could End in Weeks as Strikes Escalate

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Friday that U.S. military operations against Iran are progressing ahead of schedule, with officials expecting the conflict to wrap up within weeks rather than months. Speaking after...

Trump Questions U.S. Commitment to NATO Amid European Tensions

President Donald Trump once again cast doubt on Americas dedication to NATO on Friday, declaring that the United States does not have to be there for the alliance remarks that have reignited global concerns about the...

Russia and Iran Explore Diplomatic Path Amid Middle East Conflict

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi on Friday, with both sides exploring the possibility of a political and diplomatic resolution to the ongoing military crisis in the...

Science

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Technology

Chinese Universities with PLA Ties Found Purchasing Restricted U.S. AI Chips Through Super Micro Servers

Procurement records reveal that four Chinese universities, two of which have direct ties to the Peoples Liberation Army, acquired Super Micro Computer servers loaded with restricted Nvidia AI chips over the past year. The...

Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon's Blacklisting of AI Company Anthropic

A federal judge has temporarily prevented the Pentagon from enforcing its designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk, dealing an early blow to the Trump administration in a growing dispute over...

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Google's TurboQuant Algorithm Sends Memory Chip Stocks Tumbling

Major memory chipmakers took a significant hit on Thursday after Google researchers introduced a groundbreaking compression algorithm that threatens to reduce artificial intelligence demand for memory chips. Samsung...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...