Searching for Stability in a Rearranged Middle East
In-person, Members-only
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
The Middle East is changing rapidly, as some states adopt bold policies that are altering the geopolitical landscape. Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear agreement with the United States in July, allowing the country to enrich uranium under American provision for civilian use. In August, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, deepening their cooperation and possibly committing to collective defense, with Egypt as a potential signatory as well. The United Arab Emirates has left OPEC amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, adding to its strained relationship with Saudi Arabia. These shifts have occurred all in the shadow of the war between the United States and Iran and the stalled peace process in Gaza.
How has the war in Iran changed the calculations of regional powers? Will Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan truly defend one another? Is a Saudi nuclear weapon in the future? What does the future balance of power look like in the region?
Join us on Wednesday, September 23, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM ET for an in-person discussion on these and related concerns with former Egyptian diplomat Karim Haggag, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.
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SPEAKER:
Karim Haggag
Karim Haggag is the Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading global independent institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. He is a former career Egyptian diplomat with over 25 years of service in Egypt’s diplomatic corps serving in numerous positions focusing Middle East regional security, arms control and non-proliferation, and Arab-Israeli diplomacy. Prior to joining SIPRI he was a Professor of Practice at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) and Director of the Global Affairs program at the American University in Cairo, and a visiting professor at the Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies National Defense University in Washington DC (2011-2013). He is currently a non-resident fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a graduate of The American University in Cairo, and has earned an MA in war studies from King’s College in London.
In January 2026, Haggag was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to serve as a member of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM). Established in 1978, the ABDM provides guidance to the secretary-general on issues related to arms limitation and disarmament, including studies and research undertaken within the UN system.
THIS SESSION IS FREE FOR NETWORK 20/20’s MEMBERS AND DONORS
NOT YET A NETWORK 20/20 MEMBER?
Apply today to enjoy all exclusive briefings with high-profile speakers
Image credit: Photo by John Smith on Unsplashmiddle
