Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Kristen Smith Diwan

Kristen Smith Diwan is assistant professor of Middle East politics at the School of International Service of American University.

MER Article

A Tale of Two Kuwaits

Elections in Kuwait are usually festive occasions, but in May 2009 Kuwaitis were frustrated. It was the third set of elections in three years, all coming after the emir dissolved the National Assembly because of confrontations between parliamentarians and the cabinet led by the ruling Sabah family.

Kristen Smith Diwan • 3 min read

MER Article

The Gulf Comes Down to Earth

Between the summer of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, oil prices plummeted from a high of $147 per barrel to a low of $33. This extraordinary reversal of fortune announced the end of the second oil boom for the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Ar

Kristen Smith Diwan, Fareed Mohamedi • 21 min read