About us

Center for International Policy Research (CIPR) is a research center with focus on economic, political, energy and security issues in the GCC region. Based in Doha, CIPR specializes in political risk analysis, government and corporate advisory, conflict advisory, track II diplomacy, humanitarian/development advisory, and event management in the GCC region and beyond. The GCC region, at the crossroads of the strategic geography of Arabian Peninsula and, wider Middle East and Eurasian region, is increasingly becoming a crucial area of global interest with its rich natural resources, geopolitical rivalry and economic development. The CIPR aims at becoming a primary research and debate platform in the region with relevant publications, events, projects and media productions to nurture a comprehensive understanding of the intertwined affairs of this geography. With an inclusive, scholarly and innovative approach, the CIPR presents a platform where diverse voices from academia, business and policy world from both the region and the nation’s capital interact to produce distinct ideas and insights to the outstanding issues of the region. CIPR’s multi-disciplinary and international team provides local solutions-oriented intelligence and strategy for private and public sector institutions. We use applied research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, data mining and analysis, and field studies to produce practical policy advice to help meet our clients’ needs.

Our Team

Dr. Majed Al Ansari

Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Official Spokesperson to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dr. Al-Ansari is Advisor to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of State of Qatar. He is also President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the CIPR. He worked as the Director of the Policy Department at the Institute of Social and Economic Survey Research at Qatar University (QU).

During his time at the university, he also worked as an assistant professor at QU’s Department of International Affairs from 2005 to 2019. This position was preceded by a researcher position in international relations at the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2005. He also took various roles at different civil society, governmental and semi-governmental institutions.

Dr. Al-Ansari has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Leeds University in the UK as well as a MA and PHD in Social Transformation from the Cathy Marsh Institute at the University of Manchester. He specializes on GCC foreign and security policies, MENA regional issues, development/humanitarian aid, international security and conflict resolution. He is author of A Minority of Citizens published by Lambert Press in 2020. He wrote on “The Unbridgeable Gulf: Applying Bennett’s Model of Analysis to the 2017 Gulf Crisis” in Journal of Balkans and Near Eastern Studies in 2021, “The New Gulf Order: Crisis, Mediation, and Reconciliation” in Middle East Policy in 2021 and “Qatar’s Foreign Aid and Least Developed Countries” in Alternatives: Global, Local, Political in 2022. He has forthcoming articles on the issues of Qatar’s development aid, Qatar’s relations with Palestine, among others in the journals of Disasters and Third World Quarterly.

He specializes on GCC foreign and security policies, MENA regional issues, development/humanitarian aid, international security and conflict resolution. He is author of A “Minority of Citizens” published by Lambert Press in 2020. He wrote on “The Unbridgeable Gulf: Applying Bennett’s Model of Analysis to the 2017 Gulf Crisis” in Journal of Balkans and Near Eastern Studies in 2021, “The New Gulf Order: Crisis, Mediation, and Reconciliation” in Middle East Policy in 2021, “Qatar’s Foreign Aid and Least Developed Countries” in 2022, “The Mideast after Covid‐19: Governance and Geopolitics” in 2022, and “Standing tall like Caesar? Qatar’s unwavering voice for Palestine at the United Nations” in 2024. He has forthcoming articles on the issues of Qatar’s development aid, Qatar’s relations with Palestine, among others in the journals of Disasters and Third World Quarterly.

Dr. Al-Ansari has appeared as a political analyst on several media outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic, Russia Today, Al Araby TV, and Qatar TV. He also writes a weekly column for the Qatari daily newspaper Al Sharq.

He also sits on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Qatar Armed Forces and the Advisory Board of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Dr. Bulent Aras

Research Director of CIPR

Bulent Aras is Research Director of Center for International Policy Research. He is also Visiting Professor at Qatar University, Senior Scholar and Coordinator of the Conflict Resolution and Mediation stream at Istanbul Policy Center, and Research Professor of International relations at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As a leading expert on Turkish foreign policy, Middle Eastern politics, and Central Asia, he has worked as a consultant for numerous organizations, such as Oxford Analytica, Microsoft, and Human Rights Watch. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies form 2011 to 2014.

Aras was chairman of Center for Strategic Research (SAM) and Diplomacy Academy between 2010 and 2013 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. He taught in the Department of International Relations at Sabanci University and the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Istanbul Technical University. In 2010, he was Senior Visiting Professor of Turkish Studies at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford. He was a research scholar at the Paris-based European Union Institute of Security Studies in the summer of 2004, at Oxford University’s St. Anthony’s College in 2003, and at Indiana University’s Center for Eurasian Studies in 1998.

Aras has published 13 books both abroad and at home. His writings include Turkey’s State Crisis (Syracuse, 2021), Palestinian- Israeli Peace Process and Turkey (Novascience, 1998), New Geopolitics of Eurasia and Turkey’s Position (Frankcass, 2002), Turkey and the Greater Middle East (TASAM, 2004) and, as co-editor, Arab Spring, Turkey and Beyond (Routledge, 2016), Oil and Geopolitics in the Caspian Sea Region (Praeger, 1999), and September 11 and World Politics (FUP: 2004).

His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers and have been translated into several languages, such as Persian, Russian and Arabic. His articles have appeared in Middle East Policy, Journal of Third World Studies, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Third World Quarterly, Political Science Quarterly, International Journal, Futures, Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, Mediterranean Quarterly, Nationalism and Ethnic Policy and Central Asia/Caucasus. He wrote a weekly column on foreign policy at Turkish daily Sabah daily in 2009 and 2010. He served on the editorial boards of Turkish Studies, Journal of Balkans and Near Eastern Studies, Insight Turkey, Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, and Central Asia/Caucasus, International Law and Politics, Orta Asya ve Kafkasya Arastırmaları, Ortadogu Etudleri, Stratejik Ongoru, Perceptions.

Aras received his B.A (1994), MA (1996) and Ph.D. (1999) in Political Science and International relations at Bogazici University.

Dr. Khalid Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi

Senior Expert

Dr. Khalid Al-Khulaifi is a diplomat and an academic specializing in international relations, with a particular focus on small states studies. Since 2016, he has been a part of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he has worked in several key positions, including Head of the Section of International Organizations and Specialized Agencies in the International Organizations Department. Currently, he serves in the Office of the Special Envoy to the Foreign Minister.

Dr. Al-Khulaifi earned his PhD in International Relations and Political Science from the Australian National University. His research explored the strategic role of small states and the utilization of smart power. His academic work included lecturing at Qatar University, teaching and developing courses on International Relations, Gulf Studies, Security and International Law. Dr. Al-Khulaifi has actively participated in international conferences and global forums, presenting papers and sharing insights on topics central to his areas of expertise. Dr. Al-Khulaifi’s unique blend of diplomatic experience and academic scholarship positions him as an expert in his field, offering valuable perspectives on the complex interplay of global politics, security, and the strategic behavior of small states.