For decades, academic scholars and regional political commentators have written about the “Arab order” which loosely referred to the trend line in the political economy of the Middle East. The musings about the new Arab order gained prominence with independence movements in the early twentieth century and remain in today’s discourse. The promise of past [...]  More »

Middle Eastern countries are starting to feel the pinch of the U.S. shale revolution. Even Saudi Arabia will find new competition for its liquefied petroleum gas and other feedstock exports, as the United States hikes its exports of natural gas liquids.  More »

The ins and outs of futball staffing in the oil-rich Gulf would seem at first glance to be a subject too esoteric to watch from the oil industry but writer James Dorsey’s recent comments on the fan-driven removal of royal family member Prince Nawaf Bin Feisal, former head of the Saudi Football Federation, are worth [...]  More »

Foreign policy considerations should be central to the discussion of U.S. oil and natural gas export policy. Barriers to energy trade and investment between major oil and gas rich regions and consuming countries can harm the global economy, leave the U.S. and its allies subject to energy blackmail, and create artificial shortages of vital energy [...]  More »

As the media swirls with speculation about the motivations of alleged Boston Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, I am struck by how much the discussion misses a relevant ponit for those striving for political reform in the Middle East. The more important lesson of the Boston Marathon attack and subsequent operation to capture the alleged bombers [...]  More »

Wall Street is unhappy with the performance of ExxonMobil’s share price. In the race of Big Oil share prices, Chevron is clearly winning. The discussion of relative share price performance is recently focusing on two things that distinguish the two oil giants. Unlike ExxonMobil, Chevron opted to stay out of Iraq and hasn’t yet purchased [...]  More »

The first signs are emerging that key Persian Gulf members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are adjusting their strategies to cope with the growing threat that North American shale oil is making to their long-term dominance in global energy markets.  More »

Earlier this month, the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on US natural gas exports. Republicans championing exports say LNG exports will create jobs and raise revenue for the federal government. Democrats worry that exports will undercut the resurgence in US manufacturing. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) led the charge arguing [...]  More »

Chávez extracted high rents from oil companies, investment in the sector has fallen and production in the oil-rich Orinoco Belt has stagnated. A government shakeup could bring positive change.  More »

This blog was written by Dr. Amber Mace,  Associate Director, Policy Institute for Energy, Environment & The Economy, University of California, Davis. Prior to joining UC Davis, Dr. Mace served as assistant secretary for coastal matters at the California Natural Resources Agency. Soon President Obama will release his final National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan. With [...]  More »

The Saudi royal family has long been noted for its practical resilience and the recent replacement of the long-standing governor of the East Province, Prince Muhammad Bin Fahd, is a case in point. The change in governors came in the aftermath of a renewed wave of protests set in motion by the shooting of an [...]  More »

It has long been speculated that oil can be a driver for civil conflict, and one needs to look no further for evidence than the sectarian power politics that is threatening the possible devolution of the Iraqi state.  More »