The Arab Gulf States Institute

Name

The Arab Gulf States Institute

Legal name

The Arab Gulf States Institute

Website

https://agsi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Analysis (Think Tank Services)

NAICS

International Affairs (928120)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Policy research
• Geopolitical analysis
• Regional affairs research
• Public diplomacy events
• Think tank services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: As a nonprofit institution, AGSI operates primarily through grants, donations, and support from foundations, governments, and individuals committed to advancing understanding of U.S.-Gulf relations.
2. Event Sponsorships and Partnerships: AGSI generates revenue through co-hosting events with partner institutions and may receive sponsorship support for conferences and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Arab Gulf States Institute is an independent, nonprofit policy research institution that provides expert analysis, publications, and programs on the Gulf Arab states and their relations with the United States. Its core activities are publishing in-depth analysis articles, hosting public events and conferences (notably the annual Petro Diplomacy conference now in its 12th year), running scholar and fellow programs, and engaging with media to inform policymakers, legislators, businesspeople, academics, and the public on the economic, energy, security, political, social, and cultural dimensions of the Gulf region.

Product overview

The Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) is an independent, nonprofit policy research institution that operates as a single unified offering centered on expert analysis and scholarly research on Gulf Arab states. The institute provides analysis publications, hosts events and conferences, maintains a scholars program with resident and visiting fellows, engages with media outlets, and runs a culture program. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, AGSI functions as a traditional think tank offering a portfolio of interconnected research, dialogue, and educational services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Analysis and Research Publications Expert analysis and publications covering economic, energy, environmental, security, social, cultural, and political dimensions of Gulf Arab states and their relations with the United States and other countries. Targeted at policymakers, academics, business leaders, media, and the informed public.
• Events and Conferences In-person and hybrid events, roundtables, and high-level dialogues featuring scholars, diplomats, and policymakers discussing Gulf region issues, including the annual Petro Diplomacy conference now in its 12th consecutive year (as of June 2026), book talks, panel discussions, and roundtables.
• Scholars Program Fellowship and scholar positions including resident scholars, visiting scholars, non-resident fellows, distinguished diplomatic fellows, and distinguished military fellows who contribute to the institute's research and policy mission.
• Media Engagement Expert commentary and media appearances by AGSI scholars in outlets including The New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, Al Arabiya TV, and Radio Free Europe, showcasing analytical perspective on Gulf affairs.
• Culture Program Coverage of arts and culture topics in and about the Gulf region, including Venice Biennale participation, film screenings, and cultural exchange initiatives, co-hosted with cultural and educational institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12th consecutive Petro Diplomacy conference in 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and flagship.

• Middle East Political and Economic InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026Robert Mogielnicki spoke at the conference 'Middle East: Countering Fragmentation and Exploring the New Balance of Power' in Bucharest, Romania.
• Middle East Institute SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026AGSI co-hosted a roundtable on U.S. investment in Syria with Middle East Institute Switzerland and Università Ca' Foscari, bringing together experts to discuss policy and operational execution of investments.
• Università Ca' FoscaricoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026AGSI partnered with Università Ca' Foscari to co-host a roundtable on U.S. investment in Syria, combining academic and policy expertise on regional economic issues.
• Institute for International Cooperation, Technological Diplomacy and CommunicationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Robert Mogielnicki spoke as panelist and moderator at the conference 'Quo Vadis Middle East' in Bonn, Germany, organized by this institute.
• New Lines Institute for Strategy and PolicysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Tim Callen participated in a panel on 'The Political Economy Dimensions of the Four Seas Initiative', discussing Gulf capital's role in expanding energy infrastructure.
• National Museum of Asian ArtsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026AGSI and the National Museum of Asian Art co-hosted a screening of the Iraqi film 'The President's Cake', combining cultural programming with policy discussions.
• Institute of International FinancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Tim Callen presented views on the economic outlook for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf at the IIF's 'Virtual Investor Trip to the Gulf'.
• Global and National Security InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman and Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Ambassador Karen Sasahara spoke about careers in U.S. Foreign Service at this institute combined with the Florida Center for Cybersecurity.
• Council on Foreign RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGSI scholar Robert Mogielnicki spoke on a Council on Foreign Relations panel titled 'The Gulf After the Iran War', marking ongoing collaboration between the two institutions.
• Florida Center for Cybersecurity, University of South FloridasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCombined with Global and National Security Institute to host an event on Foreign Service careers for students, congressional staffers, and Washington-based diplomats.
• U.S. Embassy/UAEflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerH.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the president of the UAE, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for AGSI's new office in May 2025, symbolizing strong UAE support for the institute.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Chatham House: London-based international affairs think tank (Royal Institute of International Affairs) with deep Gulf programming through its Middle East and North Africa programme. Directly comparable in policy depth to AGSI but operates primarily in UK and European policy ecosystems rather than Washington.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foreign Relations: Premier U.S. foreign-policy institution with broad international mandate; publishes analysis across all regions including the Gulf. AGSI already co-hosts programming with CFR, indicating partnership rather than pure competition, but CFR's scale dwarfs AGSI's.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Major bipartisan policy research organization with significant Gulf and energy programming including a longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia. Competes for the same policymaker, media, and corporate audience as AGSI.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Established global-affairs think tank with regional programming on the Middle East and Gulf political economy. Operates multiple centers including a longstanding Middle East program that overlaps directly with AGSI's research scope.
• Brookings Institution: One of the largest U.S. think tanks with established Center for Middle East Policy covering Gulf economics and security. Operates at materially larger scale than AGSI and competes for the same foundation and corporate funding pools.

Direct peers

• The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Washington-based policy institute focused on U.S. interests in the Middle East, with deep programming on Gulf security, Iran, and Arab-Israeli issues. Competes directly with AGSI for Gulf-policy funding, congressional engagement, and media commentary slots.
• Atlantic Council: Major Washington-based international affairs think tank with a dedicated Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East covering Gulf political economy, energy, and security. AGSI's former Iraq Program director (Abbas Kadhim) was a resident senior fellow at Atlantic Council, evidencing direct talent overlap.
• Middle East Institute: Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1946 focused on Middle East policy research, public education, and convening. Direct competitor for Gulf-related analysis, donor attention, and event audiences; AGSI's Gulf-only mandate is a sharper specialization within MEI's broader Middle East scope.

Emerging players

• Baker Institute for Public Policy (Rice University): Rice University's policy research center with an Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East that hosts Gulf-focused non-resident fellows (including AGSI's Justin Alexander). Comparable academic-policy hybrid model, though smaller Gulf footprint than AGSI.
• New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy: Washington-based think tank focused on foreign policy with emerging Gulf programming. AGSI scholar Tim Callen participated in New Lines' 'Four Seas Initiative' panel, evidencing direct partnership and overlapping audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agsi-washington
• Instagraminstagram.com/agsi_washington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Arab Gulf States Institute