Pillar III: Middle East Economic and Energy Transformation

This pillar will explore the Middle East’s economic, energy, and technological transformations from AI and private-sector growth to regional integration and geoeconomic competition

This initiative will focus on the region’s economic and energy transformations. It will specifically explore efforts to develop vibrant private sectors, create jobs, expand economic activity to new sectors and develop new energy alternatives. The initiative will focus on artificial intelligence and potential opportunities, challenges, and implications of its growing importance in the region and globally. It will unpack the potential for economic integration or corridors both within the region and between the Middle East and other regions. It will focus on the new opportunities inherent in stabilizing Lebanon and Syria, bridging the Gulf to the Mediterranean, Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative will also deepen understanding of the region’s geoeconomics and address challenges to economic growth and security.

This initiative is made possible by general support to CSIS.

Contact Information

Featured Analysis

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images

How Does Saudi Arabia See the War with Iran?

Saudi Arabia finds itself in an unprecedented war with Iran. Not surprisingly, Saudi views of this war are complicated.

Commentary by Michael Ratney — March 18, 2026

Featured Event

Featured Project

Photo: Giles Clarke for UN OCHA/Getty Images

Photo: Giles Clarke for UN OCHA/Getty Images

Powering Recovery in the Middle East

Investigating opportunities for donors to support politically- and environmentally-sustainable power infrastructure in conflict-affected settings”

All Pillar III: Middle East Economic and Energy Transformation Content

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Goodnight, Cairo

Amid rising food costs and power rationing, Egypt faces a growing crisis.

Blog Post by Ana Eveleigh — March 31, 2026

Visualizing Iran’s Escalation Strategy

Iran is abandoning calibrated retaliation for rapid escalation—expanding the war across the region and raising stakes globally. The Middle East Program breaks down Tehran’s strategy with two new charts mapping horizontal and vertical escalation.

Commentary by Mona Yacoubian — March 27, 2026

Audio Briefs

Satellite Imagery Shows Tehran’s Accelerating Water Crisis

An audio version of "Satellite Imagery Shows Tehran’s Accelerating Water Crisis," a new Commentary by CSIS's David Michel, Will Todman, and Jennifer Jun. This audio was generated using text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by David Michel, Will Todman, and Jennifer Jun — November 25, 2025

Audio Briefs