Senior Researcher @IRISmideast | PhD Candidate in International Relations @StAndrewsIR

Joined April 2012
Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
Our first policy brief for our @XCEPT_Research on trade infrastructures linking Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Thanks to co-authors @jobahout and @yeghig from @ifi_aub, and IRIS colleagues @Akalisy and @ZmkanSaleem, in addition to collaborators at @OmranDirasat.
NEW PUBLICATION: With the Strait of Hormuz closed, Iraqi oil began crossing into Syria in April 2026. A new policy brief, published by IRIS and @ifi_aub, draws on interviews across Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon to map the infrastructure priorities for the emerging “Levant Corridor.” Research supported by @XCEPT_Research, and in collaboration with @OmranDirasat. Click below to read the full publication: auis.edu.krd/iris/publicatio…
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Glad to have contributed to this new XCEPT brief, which explores how a geography long analysed through a security lens is becoming a commercial corridor. Drawing on interviews across Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, we map the infrastructure decisions determining whether the shift holds
NEW PUBLICATION: With the Strait of Hormuz closed, Iraqi oil began crossing into Syria in April 2026. A new policy brief, published by IRIS and @ifi_aub, draws on interviews across Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon to map the infrastructure priorities for the emerging “Levant Corridor.” Research supported by @XCEPT_Research, and in collaboration with @OmranDirasat. Click below to read the full publication: auis.edu.krd/iris/publicatio…
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
How do climate change, conflict, and health shape displacement patterns in Iraq? Yesterday, IRIS released the results of new research on this topic, conducted in partnership with @Humanit_Health at Johns Hopkins University. The launch featured a panel discussion with the KRG Prime Minister’s Climate and Foreign Relations Advisor @KRGClimate, @BayanRahman, @IOMIraq Chief of Mission @Preyntjens, and IRIS Director @mac_skelton. Watch the full recording of the event here: youtube.com/watch?v=3NsUS0Uc…
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It was an honor to join @IRISmideast to discuss on the economic implications of the Hormuz crisis and where I was able to share my humble perspective on what this means for the broader GCC economies alongside the esteemed panelists: Ambassador @MAShummary, @dianakaissy, and Dr. Mohammed Hassan Al Najjar. Many thanks for Dr. @BilalWahab, President of @auisofficial for the kind invite and Dr. @mac_skelton, Executive Director of IRIS for managing and moderating. Also, a major appreciation to the IRIS team @shvannajm, @Akalisy for all the hard work. @IRISmideast provides excellent research on the region's energy, economic, and geopolitical developments. Full link: youtu.be/nDKRyr32Wqg?si=rzrm…
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Happy to share that I have joined Fiker Institute as a non-resident Senior Fellow. I have admired the Institute's work for some time, and I’m excited to contribute and engage with such an esteemed group. Looking forward to the conversations and collaborations ahead.
Fiker Institute is proud to announce its 2026–2027 Fellows, a group of experts & researchers from seven countries across the Arab world. This cohort’s expertise spans foreign policy, development, & literary studies, reflecting the breadth of inquiry at the heart of our mission.
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
Out now! The 14th edition of the Iraq Economic Review (IER) examines the future of Iraq–GCC economic relations amid regional disruptions. Read the latest insights from IRIS researchers @z_alkinani and @Akalisy auis.edu.krd/iris/publicatio…
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
IRIS hosted a roundtable discussion in Baghdad entitled “Iraq’s Regional Economic Integration: Towards Strengthening Cross-Border Trade,” bringing together the Economic Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, and officials from the Ministries of Trade and Planning, as well as representatives from academia, the private sector, civil society organizations, and foreign diplomatic missions. This research initiative, spanning Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, is supported by the @XCEPT_Research programme.
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
Great to meet Ambassador @MAShummary, Dean of the Foreign Service Institure at the Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today in Baghdad to discuss collaboration with @IRISmideast at @auisofficial. @Akalisy
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Some thoughts on developments in Iraq’s regional integration as a result of the war - looking closely at overlooked and perhaps under appreciated sectors that connect Iraq-GCC at the local level
Beyond oil and high-level diplomacy, how is the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz affecting Iraq-GCC trade? A new IRIS report by @Akalisy explores how rising logistics costs and shipping delays are straining low-margin sectors. This is driving Iraqi traders toward alternative corridors and supply chains, reimagining a core component of Iraq’s regional economic integration. 🔗 Read the full analysis: auis.edu.krd/iris/publicatio… #Iraq #GCC #Trade #MiddleEastEconomy #PolicyAnalysis
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
Beyond oil and high-level diplomacy, how is the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz affecting Iraq-GCC trade? A new IRIS report by @Akalisy explores how rising logistics costs and shipping delays are straining low-margin sectors. This is driving Iraqi traders toward alternative corridors and supply chains, reimagining a core component of Iraq’s regional economic integration. 🔗 Read the full analysis: auis.edu.krd/iris/publicatio… #Iraq #GCC #Trade #MiddleEastEconomy #PolicyAnalysis
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
An IRIS delegation, including @mac_skelton and @Akalisy conducted a series of meetings in Damascus under the project "The Levant Corridor: Cross-border Trade between Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon," supported by the @XCEPT_Research programme. IRIS held discussions on Syria’s regional economic strategy with officials from the Syrian Ministries of Finance, Transport, and Foreign Affairs, alongside representatives from the Border Ports Authority and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce. This research initiative is conducted in partnership with the @ifi_aub and, as well as the @OmranStudies. We are grateful to the @OmranStudies for making this trip possible.
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A short piece with my thoughts on the way the Iraqi football team and their accomplishments are celebrated, and what this tells us about evolving state-society relations
'Football has shown, once more, that national accomplishment in the eyes of the public does not hinge on identity, only on a shared desire to better the country.' @Akalisy examines what football reveals about state-society relations in Iraq. Read on Kalam ⤵️ kalam.chathamhouse.org/artic…
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Abdulla Al-Kalisy retweeted
With Iraq on the World Cup stage, @Akalisy writes on why football continues to unite where politics so often struggles to, offering a timely reflection on state and society.
'Football did not require perfect harmony among players or a well-run association to produce national unity – simply a shared goal and the suspension, however temporary, of the corrupt and sectarian logic that divides Iraqi politics. If football can achieve this, the question now emerging for Iraq's political elite is why they cannot.' In a new article for the Iraq Initiative, @Akalisy examines what football reveals about state-society relations in Iraq. Read on Kalam: kalam.chathamhouse.org/artic…
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By looking at Al-Suwaydi’s memoirs I find different ways in accessing Iraq’s regime hybridity during the Monarchy Era. Political memoirs offer conceptual frameworks that can dictate the manipulation of otherwise democratic systems. It’s Open Access, please feel free to share!
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🔴 صور من فعاليات الجلسة الثامنة المتعلقة بمناقشة أبحاث قدمها طلبة الدكتوراه ضمن أعمال اليوم الثاني لـ #مؤتمر_طلبة_الدكتوراه: • مبارك الجري: يقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "نحو فهم ديناميات الحركات الاجتماعية في الكويت: الطبيعة والأهداف والتأثير". المعقب: زرقاء برويز. • معز حياة: يقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "مسارات هجينة للأمن والاستقلال الذاتي: مقارنة بين دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية ورابطة أمم جنوب شرق آسيا". المعقب: عماد منصور. • أحمد أبو أحمد: يقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "سياسات نقاط التّماس اللغوية والثقافية في الأدب والفيلم الفلسطينيَين". المعقب: إسماعيل ناشف. • عبد الله الخالصي: يقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "دراسة العراق: عدسات "تشرين" الجديدة لبناء مفهوم المواطنة". المعقب: حارث حسن. • سينتيا غاريوس: تقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "الزراعة في إمارات الساحل المتصالح: المشاريع الزراعية البريطانية بين التنمية والتخيلات البيئية والطموحات السياسية". المعقب: سحر يوسف. • دعاء بيومي: تقدم بحثًا بعنوان: "مكانة أهل الكتاب: الآخر الديني بين القرآن وكتابات المسلمين الأوائل". المعقب: زهية جويرو. #مؤتمر_طلبة_الدكتوراه_العرب_الرابع
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Delighted to see that @YousifKalisy15 is finally getting the recognition he deserves. A really talented youngster who’s been overlooked by many because of the lack of coverage given to AUS and NZ leagues.
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