A thread on imagining impacts of the #Metaverse on “my” world. How will the job of a #geopolitics analyst be different? How will this new platform change international relations in general and the #Gulf in particular? Feel free to add your take, it’s simply thinking out loud. 1/
First, meetings & events. #Zoom events are here to stay, alongside in-person ones. But a digital event on #Metaverse could be so much better and closer to a real-life experience, enhanced by instant access to resources 2/
Then, outputs. Will it make sense to write papers when you can produce an interactive output combining texts, recordings, images/videos in the form of a meta-research on #geopolitics on #Metaverse? 3/
Analysis will look different. I believe experts will become chiefly content-creators for #scenario-s on #Metaverse. Why analyze #geopolitical reality in words when you can re-create an enhanced #meta version? Stakeholders will want #simulation-s of the past, present, future 4/
Finally, quick thoughts on how #Metaverse will impact international relations. If our world become even more #energy-intensive, will energy producers, such as in the #Gulf, gain relevance? I think with #metaverse energy consumption will skyrocket! 5/
#Metaverse provides opportunity to re-imagine #political and #economic realities in infinite ways. This could put into questions existing assumptions and structures in the relations among states. 6/
First-mover states on #metaverse, ie those who are now into very advanced #tech, will incur higher risks of unknown impacts on their politics, society & economy. But they could also be rule-setters, as #metaverse interactions (among people & states) will have to be regulated 7/
It’s a very sci-fi conversation today but I believe #Metaverse is coming and will disrupt “our” world of #geopolitics analysts even more than social media did! 8/8
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Good that #SaudiArabia & #UAE have pledged #NetZero but #GCC total domestic emissions are only 2.4% of world’s. The #EU needs to focus on the emissions they export, mostly to #China, I argue how: bit.ly/2XOK8bG 2/
#EU Foreign Ministers meet today for #Gymnich. They will discuss #Afghanistan. But then they will discuss the #Gulf. This is a rare occurrence - EU Ministers have discussed #JCPOA often but very rarely regional geopolitics between the #GCC, #Iraq & #Iran. They do now because… ⬇️
…because of the #Baghdad_summit last week and #France’s involvement in it. Most in #EU that #Iraq can be the hub for regional diplomacy in the #Gulf, building on talks btwn #SaudiArabia & #Iran. Reality is that with no progress on #Yemen these talks are shallow but ⬇️
…but I welcome choice to discuss #Gulf geopolitics at a #EU level. Hope there is some realism in acknowledging this is a security matter, not a diplomatic misunderstanding. #US retrenchment will inevitably lead to more #Russia & #China in the Gulf. It is already happening. So ⬇️
The moment we were waiting for has come. New #Kuwait Emir, #SheikhNawaf, nominates his brother Mishal Al-Ahmad as Crown Prince. He is a security person, w/past experience in the Interior Ministry and Deputy Chief of the Kuwaiti National Guard since 2004. Some thoughts. 1/
The National Assembly (NA) has to confirm Mishal al-Ahmad as #Kuwait CP with 2/3 majority. As @bmalsaif said, Emir prolonged term of the outgoing NA to Oct 20 coz it was the safer option - new Parliament likely to have more opposition members & elections vulnerable to meddling 2/
That #Kuwait Emir chose his brother Mishal al-Ahmed as CP, is in continuity w/agnatic seniority - he was also appointed CP by his brother #SheikhSabah. #GCC old generation thinking. Mishal was the only to accompany Sabah in the US for medical treatment, they were very close. 3/
#SaudiArabia FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan has been quite busy these days! Today in #Italy, right after #Cyprus and, before, a North Africa tour. On geopolitics, Riyadh and Rome have two major things to talk about: #Libya and #EastMed. Both have to do with #Turkey.
#Italy and #SaudiArabia do not traditionally have an in-depth, serious geopolitical engagement. This is for many reasons, many of which are common to other continental #Europe-an countries, excluding #France. I have analysed those in my @ECFRMena paper: ecfr.eu/publications/s…
This same paper is part of a wider effort, done within @ECFRMena, to provide ideas to the #EU and #Europe-an countries on how to engage geopolitically w/#GCC monarchies, who are now impactful players in the entire #MENA, including the #Mediterranean. ecfr.eu/publications/s…
While I recognize #Europe is not really a security/geopolitical player today, I also believe there is a space if Europeans can do serious diplomacy. Other players now how to fight not really how to solve conflicts... m.soundcloud.com/arabdigest/the…