A parliamentary delegation from the House of Representatives from New Zealand visited the GRC on Monday, September 20, 2010 to discuss developments in the Gulf and the changing international relations posture of the GCC states. The delegation was led by the Hon. Maryan Street, Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade for the Labour Party, Metiria Turei, Co-Leader of the Green Party and Craig Foss a Member of Parliament for the Tukituki National Party. Among others, the delegation was accompanied by Wayne Mikkelsen, Consul General and Trade Commissioner for New Zealand in Dubai. At the GRC, Dr. Christian Koch briefed the delegation and Dr. Mohammad Raouf provided an overview of the key environmental issues impacting development in the Gulf.
Alan Makovsky and Robert N. Marcus, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs and Aaron Nuutinen from the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi have visited the Gulf Research Center to meet Dr Mustafa Alani, Dr. Christian Koch and Nicole Stracke.
A delegation led by Lt. Gen. John R. Allen, Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command paid a courtesy visit to the Gulf Research Center on the 12th of May 2010. At the GRC, he was met by Dr. Mustafa Alani, Dr. Christian Koch and Nicole Stracke and engaged in wideranging discussions.
A delegation led by Dr. Jon Altermann, Director and Senior Fellow in the Middle East Program of the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC visited the GRC to discuss the current strategic enviornment in the Gulf region. In a lively discussion, most of the focus was on the implications of an Iranian nuclear program both for the external and internal security of the GCC states. Other topics included the outlook for the medium-term US presence in the region and the consequences of the global financial crisis on Dubai’s economic outlook. Briefing the delegation were Dr. Mustafa Alani, Senior Advisor and Director of the Security and Defense Program, Dr. Christian Koch, Director for International Studies and Nicole Stracke, Researcher in the Defense and Security Program.
A group of students from Sciences Po (Chaire Moyen-Orient Méditerranée) in France visited the Gulf Research Center under the auspices of the Eurogolfe Public Diplomacy & Outreach Project (EPDOP) in which Sciences Po is a participant. This is a European Commission project which aims to develop an in-depth network of relations between EU and GCC countries, focusing in particular on economic and political decision-makers, on intellectual and academic leaders, and on the young generation – students and young professionals.
GRC staff, including Dr. Mustafa Alani, Dr. Samir Pradhan, Dr. Mohammed Raouf and Dr. Oskar Ziemelis introduced the visiting students to the work of the GRC with specific focus on: the impact of the global economic crisis on business and international relations; Gulf region environmental and security issues; and the structure and functioning of GRC as an independent think tank.
A delegation from the US Air Force War College in Montgomery, Alabama visited the GRC for a briefing on regional events and developments. They were met by Dr. Mustafa Alani, Senior Advisor and Program Director for Security and Terrorism Studies; Dr. Christian Koch, Director of International Studies; and Nicole Stracke, Researcher in the Security and Terrorism Department. The group are on a study tour about the UAE and used their time at GRC to ask question related to what they had seen in the country and in the region.
