The Gulf Research Center (GRC)
Forums, think tanks & standards · Strategic research on the Gulf region
The Gulf Research Center is an independent think tank focused on the strategic, political and economic significance of the Arabian Gulf — a region whose choices shape the wider Islamic world.
At a glance
| Founded | 2000 (by Abdulaziz Sager) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Saudi Arabia (Jeddah/Riyadh) |
| Offices | also in Europe and beyond |
| Focus | the strategic significance of the Gulf |
Founded in 2000 by the Saudi businessman Abdulaziz Sager, the GRC is based in Saudi Arabia and maintains offices abroad, including in Europe. It produces research and analysis on the security, energy, economics and international relations of the Gulf states, and convenes the Gulf Research Meeting, an annual academic gathering that has become a fixture for scholars of the region.
Because the Gulf's oil wealth and geopolitics weigh so heavily on the foreign policy and economies of the broader Muslim world, work on the region — of the kind the GRC produces — bears directly on questions far beyond the Arabian Peninsula. The centre engages both regional and international audiences and partners with universities and institutes worldwide.
The GRC is one of the most established of the independent research centres focused on the Gulf, complementing the more media-linked analysis of bodies such as the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the intergovernmental work of the GCC.
Related in Chronicle
Curated reference on Islamic belief and thought. On matters where traditions differ, positions are attributed rather than adjudicated; verify points of doctrine with qualified scholars.