IKD Seminar - Iranian-Persian Gulf Relations in the aftermath of 7 October: the New Dynamics

Mahjoob Zweiri is a Professor in Contemporary Politics and History of the Middle East with focus on - Iran and Persian Gulf region- at Qatar University. He was the Director of  the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University2018-2024 and the Head of Humanities Department 2011-2016. Before joining Qatar University in 2010, Professor Zweiri was senior researcher in Middle East Politics and Iran at the Center for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan. From March 2003-December 2006 he was a research fellow and then a director of the Centre for Iranian Studies in the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham University. Professor Zweiri has around 100 publications in the areas of Iran and Contemporary Middle East History and Politics, Gulf Studies, Social Sciences in the University of the future and the Artificial Intelligence and Social Sciences. In addition to Arabic, Professor  Zweiri is fluent in Farsi and English. Mahjoob is the founder and Editor of Journal of Gulf Studies published by Intellect and the editor of Book series Contemporary Gulf States where 3 Volumes were published and 3 in  the pipeline.   

Dr Emilie Rutledge is currently Senior Lecturer and Head of Discipline, Economics at The Open University and Managing Editor of the Journal of Gulf Studies. Prior to joining The Open University, she was an Associate Professor of Economics for over a decade at the United Arab Emirates University, she has worked as an economic consultant in multiple Middle East countries (UAE, Bahrain, Syria) and has industry experience as an economist in the UK’s private and public sectors. Emilie has over 17 years’ experience in diverse Higher Education institutions and has won multiple awards for designing interactive and engaging online learning at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her research focuses on the applied economics of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, in particular the impact of hydrocarbons on the socio-economic transformation of the Gulf states and the political economy implications of the Arab Gulf Social contract for achieving economic diversification and labour market objectives in the region.  She regularly comments and writes on the political economy of the GCC states in national and international media outlets. Emilie holds a Ph.D in Economics from Durham University, a Master’s in Economics (Birkbeck College, University of London) and a Bachelor’s in Arabic and Economics (SOAS, University of London).