The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC marks one of the most significant shifts in Gulf energy politics in recent years. While the move is partly rooted in oil production and market strategy, it also reflects much deeper changes taking place across the Middle East and the international system itself. Why the UAE Left…
Dania Thafer is the Executive Director of the Gulf International Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank focused on political, economic, social, and security developments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, as well as Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. She also serves as a Professorial Lecturer at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Center for…
The Gulf is entering a period of profound geopolitical and economic uncertainty. As tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue and global energy markets face mounting pressure, the United Arab Emirates has taken the extraordinary decision to leave OPEC, raising major questions about the future of energy coordination, regional alliances, and global economic stability. Today…
James joined HALO in April 2024 as Global Head of Policy and Advocacy, and became Director of Strategy in August 2025. He has spent more than 20 years working on and in the Middle East, including time living in Syria and Lebanon. Prior to joining HALO, he worked at Chatham House, MAP, Crisis Action and…
Episode 365: After the Fighting Stops: Landmines, Recovery and the Cost of Conflict with James Denselow and The HALO Trust In this episode we explore the lasting impact of landmines. Across Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and dozens of other conflict-affected countries, landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to kill, injure, and displace civilians long after wars…
Wars do not end when the shooting stops. Across Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and dozens of other conflict affected regions, communities continue to live with the hidden legacy of violence buried beneath their feet. Landmines, unexploded artillery shells, cluster munitions, and improvised explosive devices remain active long after ceasefires, peace agreements, or military withdrawals. In…
For years, disinformation has been framed primarily as a political or media problem, associated with election interference, bot networks, and foreign influence campaigns. It is often treated as something external to core systems. It is portrayed as an issue for platforms, regulators, or communications teams to manage. Yet this framing obscures a more complex and…
Thomas serves as Executive Director of the CCOD, where he oversees the organisation’s management and strategic direction. In this role, he is responsible for shaping the Council’s policy positions and representing its members in engagements with key stakeholders. He is also the founder and CEO of Polis Analysis, established in October 2019, which specialises in…
This episode with Thomas Barton, founder of the Council for Countering Online Disinformation (CCOD), explores the growing threat of online disinformation, examining how it has evolved from a political and media issue into a systemic risk for markets, institutions, and businesses. We discuss the often-overlooked domestic drivers of disinformation, how false narratives spread through financial…
AI is rapidly becoming a central axis of economic transformation, corporate strategy, and geopolitical risk. What began as experimentation with generative tools has evolved into a full-scale reconfiguration of how firms invest, operate, and compete. In a recent episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen spoke with Craig Unsworth, a portfolio Chief Product…
