The Gulf Research Center with its office at the University of Cambridge will be holding the first annual Gulf Research Meeting starting on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 with an opening ceremony featuring H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Professor Dame Alison Richard, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

The Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) is a new initiative by the Gulf Research Center to foster Gulf studies and promote scholarly and academic exchange among scholars working with or interested in the Gulf region. Following the opening session, the meeting features 12 twelve parallel workshops focusing on topics such as: The Impact of Migration on Gulf Development and Stability; Population, Labor Markets and National Identity; Formal and Informal Mechanisms of Political Participation in the Gulf; GCC-China Relations; Higher Educational Policies in the Gulf; The Role of the Private Sector in Promoting Economic and Political Reforms; Islamic Politics in the Gulf; GCC-EU Relations; The GCC Banking and Financial Sector; Developing a Security Agenda for the Gulf Region; Natural Resources, Accountability and Democracy; and Environmental Policies in the Gulf.

In total, nearly 300 persons will attend the first Gulf Research Meeting, thus making the event one of the largest gatherings specifically dedicated to the contemporary Gulf region. In conjunction with the event, GRC Chairman Abdulaziz Sager stated that “It is more urgent than ever to expand knowledge about the region through promoting scholarly and balanced research about the GCC states and the wider Gulf. The Gulf Research Meeting will address the existing shortcomings, provide correct and insightful information about the region and promote mutual understanding between the region and the rest of the world.â€‌ Mr. Sager also said he was particularly encouraged by the strong participation of young scholars, in particular from the GCC countries. In addition, the partnership between the Gulf Research Center and the University of Cambridge is an example of the strong commitment by the university to foster mutually beneficial cooperation.

The 2010 Gulf Research Meeting is made possible through the generous support of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Kuwait Program at Sciences Po - Paris, Dallah Albaraka and KAB Holding.