Doha, December 13 (QNA) - ​The 12th annual Gulf Studies Forum, organized by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS), commenced on Saturday, and will run for two days.

In a statement, the ACRPS said that this year's forum is structured around two parallel tracks: the 1st examines "Arab Gulf States and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq", while the 2nd addresses "Social Media in the Gulf: The Construction of the Political and Civil Sphere".

Across both tracks, 40 researchers from the Gulf and beyond are presenting their papers over a total of 16 sessions.

In her opening speech, Researcher in the ACRPS Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit Dr. Alanoud Al Khalifa noted that this year's forum convenes amid an exceptionally sensitive regional moment characterized by overlapping major transformations that require a renewed reflection on the Gulf's position and possible roles in the region's future.

Operation Al Aqsa Flood and the subsequent genocidal war on Gaza, she said, inaugurated a new era in the Mashreq, with repercussions extending to Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, adding that although these shifts do not appear Gulf-centred, the Gulf region has been deeply affected and occupies a central position in their trajectory.

Dr. Al Khalifa highlighted the use of social media in the Gulf states, saying that digital transformation is no longer merely technical or a shift in communication tools; it has become an infrastructure of social and political life, a platform that redefines the relationship between citizen and state, actor and institution, and knowledge and authority.

The forum's 1st session on "Arab Gulf States and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq", was chaired by Director of the Unit for Political Studies at ACRPS Dr. Marwan Kabalan.

Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Dr. Abdullah Alshayji, presented the session's 1st paper titled "The Repercussions of Al Aqsa Flood and Transformations in the Arab Mashreq for the GCC States".

For his part, Head of the European Studies Centre at the Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies Dr. Asaad Saleh Al Shamlan presented the 2nd paper titled "GCC States and Mashreq Transformations: Determinants of Engagement and Response", arguing for a regional order anchored in deep integration that supports developmental ambitions and strengthens resilience against challenges.

In turn, Diplomat and academic specializing in international relations Dr. Khalid Abdullah Al Khulaifi presented the 3rd paper "Gulf Minilateralism: A New Mode of Cooperation amid Mashreq Transformations", in which he argued that the Gulf is witnessing a shift in regional cooperation patterns, with the decline of traditional blocs in favor of "minilateralism" as a pragmatic alternative for coordination.

Chaired by academic specializing in Islamic history Dr. Abdulhadi Al Ajmi, the Forum's 2nd session focused on "Transformations in the Arab Mashreq and the Implications for the Gulf States," and saw three papers presented.

Researcher in GCC strategic affairs Dr. Abdullah Al Ghailani presented the 1st paper on "GCC Security amid Mashreq Transformations: Between Absent Consensus and Multiple Threats", in which he discussed GCC countries' security in light of the transformations in the Mashreq and the complex, interconnected threats they have produced.

Researcher in political and legal sciences Abdullah Rashid Al Mursel presented the 2nd paper titled "The Arab Gulf States and Mashreq Transformations: From the Periphery to the Centre", in which he argued that the Gulf states are no longer passive recipients of regional crises but have become active players in reshaping regional balances based on long-term interests.

In the 3rd paper, "Mashreq Transformations and Gulf–Great Power Realignment: A Status-Enhancement Perspective", senior researcher at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies Dr. Sultan Al Khulaifi noted that Gulf responses to these transformations are not driven solely by narrow security or material considerations but also by aspirations to elevate their status in an increasingly multipolar global order. He suggested that current shifts offer a "historic opportunity" for the Gulf to reconfigure its regional and international standing.

The final session of the day for the 1st track, held in partnership with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, was titled "Reshaping Gulf Security: The Impact of Shifts in the International Order and the Arab Mashreq", chaired by humanitarian media consultant Dr. Ibrahim Al Sheikh.

This session saw Commander of the Strategic Studies Center affiliated to the Qatar Armed Forces Dr. Rashid Al Naimi presented "Gulf Defence Strategy During Shifts in the Global Order".

The session also saw nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs Rashid Al Mohanadi present a paper titled "Regional Conflicts and Their Impact on the Security Order in the Gulf States," which addressed the concept of strategic unity in the Gulf region following the Iranian–Israeli war.

Chairman of the Muscat Policy Council Yousuf Al Bulushi concluded the session with his paper "Gulf Security Integration in a Context of Mashreq Transformations".

The 2nd track opened with a session chaired by Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Dr. Ghanem Alnajjar, titled "Digital Gulf Societies: A General Perspective".

The session's 1st paper, "The Gulf's Digital Communities: Influence and Cross-Border Networks" presented by Ammar Shamaileh, Charles Harb, Fadi Zaraket, Hadi Hamoud, Mohamed Falha and Yasmine Lahnin, analyzed the discursive structures of digital communities in GCC states and their engagement with diverse themes through a study of influential networks on X.

PhD candidate and researcher in Political Science and International Relations at the Catholic University of Portugal Corina Lozovan presented the 2nd paper, "the Digital Commons: The Case of Oman", using an ethnographic approach to explore the formation of civil discourse in Oman's digital sphere and the way influencers act as intermediaries between citizens and commercial or institutional actors.

In turn, Associate Professor of News, Social Media, and Public Communication at the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University Dr. Ahmed Al Rawi presented the 3rd paper, examining Facebook's internal archives in his paper "Social Media Policies toward the Gulf: Facebook as a Case Study", highlighting the difficulties Meta has faced in moderating Arabic content.

Chaired by Member of the Advisory Board of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit at the ACRPS Dr. Baqer Al Najjar, the session addressed "Social Media and Identity Manifestations".

The 1st paper in this session was titled "Reproducing Omani National Identity Through Social Media from the Perspective of Nation-Branding Theory", by professor of social studies at Sultan Qaboos University's College of Education Dr. Saif Al Maamari and Educational expert at the Ministry of Education of the Sultanate of Oman Dr. Zainab Al Gharibi.

In the 2nd paper titled "Citizenship Discourses as Strategic Acts in Omani Digital Debates: An Analytical Study of X", researcher in press and media studies Sumaiya Al Yaqoubi, examined the relationship between social media platforms as public spaces for debate and the state's symbolic dominance over the discourse of citizen rights and duties.

The 3rd paper in the session "Identity and Social Media in the Arab Gulf: Symbolic Contestations and Transformations of the Self" was presented by data analyst and policy researcher Ali Abdel Wahab.

The 3rd session titled "Social Media and Asabiyyah," was chaired by Member of the Advisory Board of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Unit at the ACRPS Dr. Khalid Almezaini.

The day concluded with the 4th special session on social media, titled "The Gulf Podcast: A Conversation with Actors from Within", chaired by Visiting Associate Professor in the Comparative Literature program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Dr. Maisa Alkhawaja, featuring three Gulf podcast hosts: Director of the Ministry of Justice's Legal and Judicial Studies Center (LJSC) Dr. Abdullah Hamad Al Khaldi, Kuwaiti entrepreneur and media personality Faisal Al Aql and Omani content creator Mohammed Al Hana'i. (QNA)