Source: Yonsei Journal of International Studies, Spring/Summer 2017 Issue

Abstract: Arab regional think tanks are often confronted with similar issues because of their common history, languages, and races. This paper takes the Gulf countries, the Sham region, and the North African countries (Egypt and the Maghreb) as examples to analyze the characteristics of Arab regional think tanks. The Gulf think tanks enjoy a good economic environment and rich cultural background. They give priority to building bridges between knowledge and power, playing active roles in promoting regional countries’ foreign policy, in state economy, in mass media, and in education. The Sham think tanks are mostly independent institutions; they make full exchanges on the key points of the reform and unify their thoughts to optimize government decision-making processes using conferences and meetings. In North African countries, Egyptian think tanks have a high degree of internationalization, having close contacts with think tanks and research institutions in other countries. The Maghreb think tanks are always concerned with the regional situation and focus on studying it. In short, the Arab think tanks serve their governments by providing intellectual support and political suggestions for the development of their countries.