Exhibition catalog from the Second Arab Artist Biennial, Kuwait, 1971. Courtesy of the Khalifa & Lidia Qattan Art Museum. Kuwait Exhibiting the Gulf—Kuwait’s Overlooked Role in Regional Art In February 2026, the international Art Basel festival was held for the first time in Qatar and is scheduled to return in January 2027. In November 2026, London’s Frieze art fair is due to launch Frieze Abu Dhabi. The festivals mark a growing trend—mirrored in construction of the Abdullah Al-Mutairi • 14 min read
MERIP updates The MERIP Podcast Episode 18: The MERIP Roundtable, On The Iran War Part I On the social impact and regional politics of the US-Israeli war on Iran James Ryan, Ida Nikou, Arang Keshavarzian, Sean L. Yom • 2 min read
MERIP updates The US and Israeli War on the Middle East Our recent work understanding the dynamics James Ryan • 3 min read
President Donald Trump, flanked by White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, meets with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters MER Article The Financial Ties that Bind the Arab Gulf Monarchies and the United States In July 2021, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner obtained a $2 billion investment for his newly formed private equity firm, Affinity Partners, from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Notably, the deal was approved despite opposition from the Saudi fund’s investme David Wight • 12 min read
