The twelfth annual Gulf Studies Forum opened today, Saturday, 13 December 2025, in Doha. The event is organized by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and runs from 13-14 December 2025. This year’s forum is structured around two parallel tracks: the first examines “Arab Gulf States and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq”, while the second addresses “Social Media in the Gulf: The Construction of the Political and Civil Sphere”. Across both tracks, 40 researchers from the Gulf and beyond are presenting their papers over a total of 16 sessions.
The opening session was introduced by Alanoud Al-Khalifa, a researcher in the ACRPS Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit. She noted that this year’s forum convenes amid an exceptionally sensitive regional moment characterized by overlapping major transformations that require a renewed reflection on the Gulf’s position and possible roles in the region’s future. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the subsequent genocidal war on Gaza, she said, inaugurated a new era in the Mashreq, with repercussions extending to Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, followed by the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Although these shifts do not appear Gulf-centred, the Gulf region has been deeply affected and occupies a central position in their trajectory. Parallel to this turbulent context, Al Khalifa highlighted another equally significant phenomenon: the use of social media in the Gulf states. Digital transformation is no longer merely technical or a shift in communication tools; it has become an infrastructure of social and political life, a platform that redefines the relationship between citizen and state, actor and institution, and knowledge and authority. The Gulf states now rank among the highest globally in digital usage, opening up new questions posed by digitization of the state, identity, privacy, law, economy, and the symbolic representation of society, with a specific focus on social media.
The Gulf States and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq
The forum opened with a first session on “Arab Gulf States and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq”, chaired by Marwan Kabalan. Abdullah Al-Shaiji presented “The Repercussions of Al-Aqsa Flood and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq for the GCC States”, arguing that Al Aqsa Flood represented a strategic turning point reshaping maps of influence and alliances. Asaad Saleh Al-Shamlan presented “GCC States and Mashreq Transformations: Determinants of Engagement and Response”, arguing for a regional order anchored in deep integration that supports developmental ambitions and strengthens resilience against challenges. Khalid Al-Khulaifi’s paper, “Gulf Minilateralism: A New Mode of Cooperation amid Mashreq Transformations” argued that the Gulf is witnessing a shift in regional cooperation patterns, with the decline of traditional blocs in favour of “minilateralism” as a pragmatic alternative for coordination.
The second session, chaired by Abdul Hadi Alajmi, focused on “Transformations in the Arab Mashreq and the Implications for the Gulf States”. Abdullah Al-Ghailani’s paper, “GCC Security amid Mashreq Transformations: Between Absent Consensus and Multiple Threats”, called for a new strategic vision that enhances Gulf autonomy, builds internal consensus, and reassesses positions on key issues – foremost the Palestinian cause – to strengthen Gulf agency and geostrategic positioning in the Mashreq. Abdullah Rashid Al-Mursel presented “The Arab Gulf States and Mashreq Transformations: From the Periphery to the Centre”, in which he argued that the Gulf states are no longer passive recipients of regional crises but have become active players reshaping regional balances, consolidating their role as central regional actors. In his paper, “Mashreq Transformations and Gulf–Great Power Realignment: A Status-Enhancement Perspective”, Sultan Al-Khulaifi noted that Gulf responses to these transformations are not driven solely by narrow security or material considerations but also by aspirations to elevate their status in an increasingly multipolar global order. He suggested that current shifts offer a “historic opportunity” for the Gulf to reconfigure its regional and international standing.
The final session of the day for the first track, held in partnership with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, was titled “Reshaping Gulf Security: The Impact of Shifts in the International Order and the Arab Mashreq”, chaired by Ibrahim Al-Sheikh. Rashid Al Naimi presented “Gulf Defence Strategy During Shifts in the Global Order”, assessing the effects of the new US administration, China’s rise, and growing Russian–Chinese cooperation. Rashed Al-Mohannadi’s paper, “Regional Conflicts and Their Impact on the Security Order in the Gulf States Yousuf Al-Balushi: Gulf Security Integration in a Context of Mashreq Transformations”, underscored the need for long-term steps towards an integrated Gulf security model with institutionalized planning and shared regional capacities. In his paper, “Gulf Security Integration in a Context of Mashreq Transformations”, Yousuf Al-Balushi called for a proactive, collective Gulf security approach that moves beyond reactive measures towards contributing to regional stability.
Identity, Asabiyya, Podcasts and Social Media
The second track opened with a session chaired by Ghanim Alnajjar, titled “Digital Gulf Societies: A General Perspective”. The first, paper, “The Gulf's Digital Communities: Influence and Cross-Border Networks” was presented by Ammar Shamaileh, Charles Harb, Fadi Zaraket, Hadi Hamoud, Mohamed Falha & Yasmine Lahnin. They analysed the discursive structures of digital communities in GCC states and their engagement with diverse themes through a study of influential networks on X. Corina Lozovan presented the second paper, “the Digital Commons: The Case of Oman”, using an ethnographic approach to explore the formation of civil discourse in Oman’s digital sphere and the way influencers act as intermediaries between citizens and commercial or institutional actors. Ahmed Al-Rawi examined Facebook’s internal archives in his paper “Social Media Policies toward the Gulf: Facebook as a Case Study”, highlighting the difficulties Meta has faced in moderating Arabic content, particularly regarding hate speech and domestic servitude.
The next session, chaired by Baqer Al-Najjar, addressed “Social Media and Identity Manifestations”. The first paper, “Reproducing Omani National Identity Through Social Media from the Perspective of Nation-Branding Theory”, by Saif Al-Maamari and Zainab Al-Gharibi, argued that identity construction has become a joint process between state and society, with both contributing to narrative-building and crafting the national brand. The second paper, “Citizenship Discourses as Strategic Acts in Omani Digital Debates: An Analytical Study of X”, Sumaiya Al Yaaqubi, examined the relationship between social media platforms as public spaces for debate and the state’s symbolic dominance over the discourse of citizen rights and duties. In his paper, “Identity and Social Media in the Arab Gulf: Symbolic Contestations and Transformations of the Self”, Ali Abdel-Wahab argued that Gulf identity is no longer anchored in traditional structures such as tribe, religion, state, gender or generation. Instead, it appears as a hybrid identity reshaped by the performative and exhibitionist logic of digital platforms.
The third session, chaired by Khalid Almezaini and titled “Social Media and Asabiyyah”, featured two papers. Shaimaa Al Essai & Safiya Ambusaidi presented “Asabiyyah in the Digital Space: Cancel Culture among Khaliji X and TikTok Users”, exploring the entrenchment of Asabiyya within Gulf digital culture and its impact on user behaviour on these platforms. Hatem Alyafei presented “The Impact of Social Media on the Reproduction of Tribalism in Dhofar Governorate: A Case Study of the 2023 Shura Elections”, examining how social media has contributed to the resurgence of tribal solidarity in Oman through a case study of the tenth Shura Council elections in Wilayat Salalah, which recorded the country’s highest voter turnout and participation.
The day concluded with the fourth special session on social media, titled “The Gulf Podcast: A Conversation with Actors from Within”, chaired by Maisa Alkhawaja, featuring three Gulf podcast hosts: Abdulla Al-Khaldi from Qatar (host of “Sanad Qanuni”), Faisal Al-Aql from Kuwait (host of “Bidoon Waraq”), and Mohammed Al-Hanaʾi from Oman (host of “Jalsat Karak”).
The Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Forum continues until 14 December, with three sessions scheduled for the first track and six sessions for the second.
