The Washington Institute's Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy embodies the Institute's long-term research focus on the conservative Arab Gulf states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman -- and the key role these countries play collectively as a primary source of the world's oil and natural gas.
Given the often interwoven mix of regional politics, economics, and religion in the post-September 11 world, and the unique challenges that the region poses to decisionmakers in Washington, the program contributes significantly to policy debates about democracy, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.
Under the guidance of Institute Baker fellow Simon Henderson, the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy identifies strategies that will best promote U.S. regional interests in the face of threats to Middle Eastern stability and oil supply.