What Recent Peace Agreements with Israel, the End of the Qatar Blockade, and the Biden Presidency Mean for Defense Companies in the GCC Countries

On September 15, 2020, the UAE and Bahrain entered into the Abraham Accords Peace Treaty with Israel, normalizing diplomatic and other relations between these countries.  This was followed by the Israel-Morocco normalization agreement announced on December 10, 2020, in which Israel and Morocco agreed to begin normalizing relations, and by Sudan’s formal accession to the Abraham Accords on January 6, 2021.  In addition to establishing diplomatic relations, these agreements open the door for economic and trade relations between these countries.

In another significant diplomatic development, Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, signed an agreement on January 5, 2021, at the annual summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries ending the 43-month blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.  As a result of this agreement, Saudi Arabia has reopened its land border and airspace to Qatar.

These important diplomatic developments raise the possibility of significant new commercial opportunities for aerospace and defense companies seeking to do business in the GCC countries, as well as in the MENA region more generally.

Our program will feature a practical discussion by two Middle East experts on what these recent developments mean for A&D companies.  This discussion will include the likely implications on U.S. Middle East policy of the new Biden administration and what that may mean for A&D companies seeking to do business with the GCC countries.

Expert Guest Speakers

• Kirsten Fontenrose, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, who previously served as senior director for Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council, leading the development of U.S. policy toward the GCC countries, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan
• Vice Admiral (Ret.) John W. “Fozzie” Miller, an associate fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), who previously served as commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which he concurrently served as commander of Combined Maritime Forces and commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet

Howard Weissman of our Washington, D.C. office will moderate the discussion.

This event will be subject to the Chatham House Rule to encourage an open and frank discussion.

A meeting link will be forwarded to you once you complete the registration form.