David B. Roberts

PhD student

School of Government and International Affairs,
University of Durham

Contact Details:

d.b.roberts@durham.ac.uk or
davidbroberts@gmail.com

Current Activities:

Thesis title: Qatar and the Search for Security

Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Davidson

Experience consulting on Saudi Arabian politics and UAE business culture.

Available for comment or consultation on Gulf politics and international relations. 

Consulting

• Quotes in The National, Abu Dhabi, 4th October 2010 – Al Jazeera and Qatar’s foreign policy
• Quoted in The Atlantic, Washington D.C., 25th September 2010 – Qatar’s foreign policy
• Quoted in The National, Abu Dhabi, 15th April 2010 – Domestic Qatari policies
• Thompson Reuters, Doha & Dubai – Qatari international relations and domestic politics
• Paris based security and intelligence consultancy – Qatari and Kuwaiti oil policies
• London based security and intelligence consultancy – Saudi Arabian politics
• Chinese Ambassador to Qatar – International relations of the Gulf
• Qatar National Food Programme/Clearcast Digital Media – Social media in the Gulf
• Chronicle of Higher Education, US – Higher education in Kuwait
• Taiwanese private University – Business practices in the UAE

Qualifications:

• MA (Merit), Nottingham University (2006)
  
• MA Hons (2:1), St. Andrews University (2004)

Publications/Papers:

Book Chapters

• ‘Arab Monarchies’ The Arab Almanac ed. Omer Ali (expected publication 2011)
• ‘The History of Qatar: Beyond the Empire’. An Alternate Imperialism: Britain’s Legacy in the Arabian Gulf eds. J Bristol-Rhys & CK Brown (expected publication 2011)
• 'Kuwait’ International Relations of the Gulf ed. C Davidson (expected publication 2011)
• ‘The Transformation of Society on the Arabian Peninsula’ Society and Change in the Contemporary Gulf eds. A.K. Ramakrishnan & M.H. Ilias. (expected publication 2011)
• ‘Qatar and the Search for Security’ The State of Qatar (Polish translation) ed. R Czulda. Published January 2010

Articles & Papers

• ‘Qatar considers sponsorship system’ MigrantRights.org (29/10/2010)
• ‘A Rentier Coup in a Rentier State’ Daily News Egypt (27/06/2010)
• ‘Rhetoric and Fishermen Belay the Reality of Myth of GCC Unity’ Daily News Egypt (25/06/2010)
• ‘Arabian Tribes and Voting Issues’ Infinity Journal (23/04/2010)
• ‘Saudi and Abu Dhabi in Naval Skirmish, Newspapers in Denial’ Daily News Egypt (31/03/2010)
• ‘Plotting the Trajectory of Airline Terrorism’ Daily News Egypt (29/12/2009)
• ‘The Structure of Iranian Politics’ Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) (21/12/2009)*
• ‘Qatar’s Search for Security’ Plymouth Postgraduate Symposium (December 2009)*
• ‘Answering the Food Security Colonial Conundrum?’ Daily News Egypt (11/11/2009)
• ‘Explaining Qatar’s (many) contradictions Infinity Journal (21/10/2009)
• ‘Saudi’s New High-Tech University’ Daily News Egypt (28/09/2009)
• ‘Joined-up Piping’ Open Democracy (25/09/2009)
• ‘The Swiss, Qatar and Neutrality’ Daily News Egypt (13/09/2009)
• ‘Qatar’s Increasing International Profile’ The Kuwait Times (17/07/2009)
• 'Tracking Trajectories: Differences in development, FDI in the Gulf' The Kuwait Times (15/07/2009)
• ‘The Darker Half of Kuwait’ Daily News Egypt (12/07/2009)
• ‘Iranian Nukes and the Gulf’s Balance of Power’ The Kuwait Times (12/07/2009)
• ‘UAE Torture, the Divine Right of Kings and Qatar’ Daily News Egypt (08/05/2009)
• ‘Explaining Qatar’s schizophrenic foreign policy’ Daily News Egypt (28/04/09)
• ‘Examining the links between religion and violence’ Infinity Journal (February 2009)
• 'Reform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?' Infinity Journal (January 2009)
• 'History haunts Saudi strategy with Syria' Asia Times Online (10/12/2008)
• 'Saudi attempt to diversify their dependency' Daily News Egypt (31/07/08)
• 'Saudi interfaith dialogue: a means to a different end' Daily News Egypt (06/06/08)
• 'China's soft power filling a moral void' Asia Times Online (14/02/08)

Book Reviews

• Transnational Shia Politics: Religious and Political Networks in the Gulf” by Laurance Louër (2008) Millennium Journal of International Studies (August 2009)
• “The Arab State and NeoLiberal Globalization” eds. Laura Guazzone & Daniela Popppi The Association for the Study for the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) (October 2009)
• “Hybrid Sovereignty in the Arab Middle East: The Cases of Kuwait, Jordan, and Iraq” by Gokhan Bacik (2008) Political Studies Review vol.7, no.3 (September 2009)
• “Great Powers and Regional Orders: The United States and the Persian Gulf” by Markus Kaim (Ed.) (2008) Political Studies Review vol.7, no.3 (September 2009)
• “Building Moderate Muslim Networks” by Angel Rabasa et al (2007) Millennium Journal of International Studies vol.38, no.1 (August 2009)
• “The Ethics of Foreign Policy” by David MacDonald et al (2007) Political Studies Review vol.6, no.2 (May 2009)
• “Security and the War on Terror” by Paul Rogers Political Studies Review vol.6, no.2 (May 2009)
• “Contesting the Saudi State: Islamic Voices from a New Generation” by Madawi Al Rasheed (2006) Association for the Study for the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) (January 2009)
• “Understanding Global Terror” edited by Christopher Ankersen (2007) Political Studies Review vol.6, no. 3 (September 2008).
• "The History of Terrorism: From Antiquity to Al Qaeda” by Gérard Chaliand and Arnaud Blin (Eds.) (2007) Political Studies Review vol.6, no. 3 (September 2008).

Papers Presented

• ‘Qatar as US-Iranian Interlocutor?’ World Congress of Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES). Barcelona, Spain. 24th July 2010.
• ‘Qatar’s International Relations.’ Gulf and the Globe II, UK Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, U.K. 22nd July 2010.
• ‘Qatar’s International Mediation.’ Gulf Research Meeting: Cambridge University/Gulf Research Centre. Cambridge, U.K. 9th July 2010.
• ‘Qatar as U.S.- Iranian Interlocutor?' Exeter Gulf Studies Conference. Exeter, UK. 3rd July 2010.
• ‘International Relations in the Gulf.’ Gulf Roundtable, Durham University, Durham, UK. 26th June 2010 – Chair of session.
• ‘Qatar™ and the Changing Conception of Security.’ Graduate BRISMES. Exeter, UK. 3rd September 2009 – Chair of session.
• ‘Qatar and the Search for Security.’ Plymouth Graduate Symposium. Plymouth, UK 15th May 2009.
• ‘The Branding of Qatar and the Search for Security.’ CASAW Research Workshop. Manchester, U.K. 31st March 2009.