Emirates Policy Center

Emirates Policy Center
Name	Emirates Policy Center
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	Abu Dhabi
Established	2013
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba

Emirates Policy Center is an Abu Dhabi-based think tank focusing on international affairs, strategic studies, and regional policy analysis. It convenes diplomats, scholars, military officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas to discuss issues such as security, energy, diplomacy, and technology. The center is known for its annual gatherings, policy papers, and expert networks that engage with institutions, media outlets, and multilateral organizations.

Overview

The center positions itself at the intersection of policy analysis, strategic dialogue, and public diplomacy, drawing participants linked to United Nations, Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and World Bank Group initiatives. Its work interacts with scholarship associated with Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, Chatham House, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, International Crisis Group, and RAND Corporation. Collaborations and citations often reference research agendas from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Center for Strategic and International Studies, American Enterprise Institute, Council on Foreign Relations, and Royal United Services Institute. The center engages networks connected to International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, European Union External Action Service, and multilateral forums such as APEC and BRICS.

History and Development

Founded in 2013, the center emerged amid diplomatic and strategic shifts following events including the Arab Spring, the Syrian Civil War, and the transformation of regional alignments exemplified by the Abraham Accords, Gulf diplomatic crisis (2017–2021), and efforts to address the Iran nuclear program through negotiations like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Early leadership engaged figures from the United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry, former ambassadors to capitals such as Washington, D.C., London, and Paris, and drew scholars from Georgetown University, Columbia University, Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of Chicago. Over time, programming expanded to cover linkages with European Council on Foreign Relations, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Asia Society, Center for a New American Security, and regional centers like Brookings Doha Center and King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.

Research Programs and Publications

The center publishes policy briefs, white papers, and monographs addressing topics that intersect with institutions such as BP, OPEC, Saudi Aramco, Adnoc, TotalEnergies, and Shell. Research topics reference frameworks used by NATO analysts, cybersecurity work tied to Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Kaspersky Lab, and technological governance discussions involving UNESCO and International Telecommunication Union. Publications have examined maritime security in contexts named in relation to Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Suez Canal, and energy geopolitics linked to Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean. Scholarship often cites methodologies found in output from Pew Research Center, International Atomic Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Trade Organization, and World Health Organization analyses. The center’s reports engage with think tanks such as Kennan Institute, Wilson Center, Hertie School, German Marshall Fund, and Atlantic Council.

Events and Outreach

Signature events include annual summits that attract officials from White House, European Commission, Pentagon, Ministry of Defence (UK), and delegations from Japan, India, China, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Iran, and Qatar. Panels have featured names associated with UN Secretary-General, former prime ministers from United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, defense ministers from United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, and foreign ministers from Germany, Italy, and Spain. The center organizes track-two dialogues with participants from institutions like The Hague Institute for Global Justice, Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, Manama Dialogue, and regional forums such as Middle East Institute and Gulf Research Center. Media partners include bureaus of BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, Reuters, and The New York Times, while outreach involves collaborations with universities such as American University of Beirut, University of Jordan, King Saud University, Khalifa University, and Zayed University.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The organization’s leadership includes directors, advisory boards, and research fellows drawn from diplomatic services, academia, and private sector entities linked to Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Etihad Airways, ADNOC Distribution, and sovereign entities such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Funding sources have been reported to include state-affiliated institutions, philanthropic foundations similar to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, and partnerships with corporate sponsors in energy, finance, and technology aligned with Emirates Airlines, Dubai Islamic Bank, Standard Chartered, HSBC, and multinational enterprises like Google, Amazon Web Services, and Siemens. Governance structures mirror practices used by International Crisis Group and Chatham House with boards that include former ambassadors and retired military officers with experience in theaters such as Iraq War, Afghanistan conflict (2001–2021), and Libya intervention.

Impact and Reception

The center’s influence is observed in policy dialogues linked to outcomes in regional diplomacy, confidence-building tied to the Abraham Accords, and analyses cited in discussions on sanctions related to Iran, Syria, and Venezuela. Its convenings have been referenced by participants from European Parliament, US Congress, Arab Parliament, and multilateral debt negotiations involving Paris Club creditors. Reception in academic journals mirrors citations alongside work from Middle East Journal, International Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Journal of Strategic Studies, and Survival. Critics and supporters alike compare its role to that of Gulf Research Center, Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, TRENDS Research & Advisory, and Arab Center Washington DC in shaping narratives on regional security, energy policy, and technological governance.

Category:Think tanks in the United Arab Emirates