Maryam Al Kuwari is Director of Gulf Studies Center and Assistant Professor of International Relations at International Affairs Department, Qatar University. Dr. Al Kuwari holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Qatar University in 2012, a Master’s degree in Middle East Politics from SOAS, University of London and a Ph.D. from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter in 2021. Her research interests are in political sociology, state building and non-state actors (or other-used names for these clusters of states, societies and actors) in MENA and Gulf region.