Deal or Escalation? The GCC’s Strategic Outlook on U.S.–Iran Interplay

Featured Speakers: Dr. Hind Al Ansari, Mahdi Ghuloom, Dr. Abdullah Banndar Al-Etaibi, and Dr. Hamad Althunayyan.

Bios:

Dr. Hind Al Ansari (Moderator)

Fellow, Gulf International Forum

Dr. Hind Al Ansari is a Fellow at Gulf International Forum. She is a development and global education researcher based in Washington and recently completed a one-year fellowship at the Wilson Center. Dr. Al-Ansari has published multiple articles and has been recognized for her work as a recipient of the Middle East Policy Council 40 Under 40 Award. She holds a PhD in Education from Cambridge University and a Master’s in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard.

Dr. Abdullah Banndar Al-Etaibi

Assistant Professor, Qatar University

Abdulla Banndar Al-Etaibi is an Assistant Professor at Qatar University, specializing in Foreign Policy Analysis and Gulf international relations. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the Australian National University. His research focuses on Qatari foreign policy, mediation, strategic narratives, and the role of identity in shaping state behavior. He is the author of multiple academic publications, his book (recently published) Shifting Narratives and Evolving Roles of Qatari Foreign Policy (Palgrave Macmillan), examines the transformation of Qatar’s foreign policy and its strategic use of narratives and roles in international affairs.

Dr. Hamad Althunayyan

Assistant Professor, Kuwait University

Hamad Althunayyan is an assistant professor at the Political Science Department, Kuwait University. He earned his PhD from the University of Maryland – College Park, and his Master’s from American University- Washington, DC. His main focus is on the international relations of the Middle East and security studies.

Mahdi Ghuloom

Fellow for Geopolitics, ORF-Middle East

Mahdi Ghuloom is a Fellow for Geopolitics at ORF–Middle East, focusing on Gulf States’ economic competitiveness, political institutions, and diplomacy. He previously worked as a Regional Security Analyst at Le Beck International and as a researcher at the Bahrain Prime Minister’s Office and the Bahrain Economic Development Board.