Young Perspectives on Joint Cooperation

Enhancing the Saudi-German Academic Exchange

In cooperation with the Gulf Research Center, KAS brought together ten young researchers, five from Germany and five from Saudi Arabia, for an exchange of ideas about policy fields relevant to cooperation between the two countries. The result was an enlightening discussion that underlined the importance of convening representatives of the next generation of leaders in politics, academia, and culture in order to share their ideas about issues that will define international relations for years to come.

Domestic and Foreign Affairs Intertwined

German Foreign Policy in the Middle East and Implications for the Gulf States

In coordination with the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, the Regional Programme Gulf States of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung organised a workshop on the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany and its implications on the Gulf States. The expert insights delivered throughout the workshop provoked intense exchanges over differences between Saudi and German official viewpoints toward important issues and challenges facing Europe and the Middle East and North Africa. Participants from Saudi Arabia and Germany agreed on the fruitfulness of the dialogue’s frank nature, in addition to the need for the conversation to serve as a blueprint for future interactions between the two countries.

Old partners, new alliances?

The "German-Arab Gulf Dialogue" for the first time at the KAS

Amidst geostrategic shifts, economic upheavals and looming challenges of global climate and energy policy, high-ranking politicians from the Gulf states and Germany met for the fifth "German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation", the flagship event of KAS, the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) and the German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG). During two days of open and honest discussions, one question was dominating the agenda: How can the partnership between Germany and the Gulf States be strengthened?

GADR and KAS Cooperate in Hadhramaut, Yemen

The Global Aid for Development and Rights (GADR) organized with KAS’s support a workshop on food security and a capacity building training program for a number of CSOs in Hadhramaut, Yemen on fund raising.

KAS and SIG Launched the Gulf States Economic Diversification Barometer Portal

The “Gulf States Economic Diversification Barometer” was launched on November 13th, 2022 in Muscat, Oman. The launching event, held by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the Smart Investment Gateway (SIG) highlighted the importance of the barometer, not only in terms of tracking the level of diversification in the region, but also as a benchmarking tool between Gulf states and a reliable source of data and information for researchers and policy makers, as highlighted by Dr. Yousuf Al-Baloushi, founder and CEO of SIG. The barometer also adheres with KAS’s work in the Gulf regions and its commitment to supporting economic development within the framework of the social market, as emphasized by Dr. Canan Atilgan, Head of the Department of Middle East and North Africa at KAS.

Community building in the Kuwaiti desert

As part of the AWAKEN project, the closing event was held in Kuwait on 25 November 2022.

With the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), en.v - a civil society organization that aims to strengthen communities and empower youth in Kuwait - together with several other civil society organizations such as Trashtag, organized the final event of the AWAKEN project on 25 November 2022.

Sustainable Opportunities for Livelihoods, Vocations and Employment Project (SOLVE)

Funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), the Youth Leadership Development Foundation (YLDF) completed two components of its Sustainable Opportunities for Livelihoods, Vocations and Employment’s Project (SOLVE). The project created new economic opportunities for women and improved their professional and social skills.

German-Arab Gulf Dialogue on Security and Cooperation in Berlin

On 15th and 16th September 2022, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in cooperation with the German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG) and the German Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) organized the fourth German-Arab Dialogue on Security and Cooperation in Berlin.

Conference on Economic Diversification in Salalah, Oman

Under the auspices of H.E. Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousuf, Oman’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the Regional Programme Gulf States and its partners, the Smart Investment Gateway (SIG) and Al Roya newspaper, held a conference in Salalah, Oman on August 30 and 31 titled “Economic Diversification in the Gulf States: Between Reality and Prospective.” The details of this conference are in this report.

Going Local: Rethinking Approaches to Peace in Yemen

In July 2022, a group of around 15 Yemeni and international analysts met in Istanbul for two days to discuss local approaches to peacebuilding in Yemen.