The Middle East has long been one of the regions importing the largest volumes of major arms. SIPRI’s latest data on international arms transfers shows that the Middle East accounted for more than a quarter (27 per cent) of global arms imports in 2020–24. … Continue reading Recent Trends in International Arms Transfers in the Middle East and North Africa
MENA-Asia defense cooperation has witnessed considerable developments over the last couple of years. Under its “Look West” policy, India has expanded its bilateral maritime defense cooperation with a number of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Signaling growing trilateral cooperation, India, … Continue reading Asia & the Middle East Beyond Energy: Towards Security and Defense Cooperation
States and regimes tend to focus more on physical and military security than human security and non-traditional threats. Many governments justify increased armament spending based on the possibility of military threats and external invasion. While the possibility of conventional military … Continue reading The Securitization of Everyday Life: Where are the People?
In January 2022, in a bid to stem a tide of violent attacks and kidnappings in north-western Nigeria, the government labelled the armed groups involved in the violence “terrorists”. The relationship between these groups and the internationally designated terrorist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State … Continue reading Violent extremism could beckon in north-western Nigeria if local dynamics are ignored
Alaa Tartir, Program Director of Al-Shabaka, Engaged Scholar, Global Citizen 