Sectors

Ambit provides regional perspectives on issues impacting the security and resilience of the Middle East

Public Health

Public Health is one of the cornerstones of resilient and sustainable societies. Countries and communities across the Middle East contend with underdeveloped public health services and institutions, which impacts the security of countries and citizens in the region, regardless of their socioeconomic status. COVID-19 has exposed vulnerabilities to biological and public health safety and security risks and emphasized the multitude of ways in which public health impacts regional security and development.

Public Health Focus Areas include:

  • Biosafety and Biosecurity
  • Refugees and Migration
  • Pandemics
  • Preventive Health
  • Antimicrobial Resistance
  • Emergency Response

Nuclear Security and Nuclear Nonproliferation

Nuclear nonproliferation has been a pervasive facet of security in the contemporary Middle East, and the evolving security landscape and regional dynamics have highlighted the need to refocus efforts toward this end. Nuclear security, similarly, while still slowly gaining traction as a priority area of concern, will increasingly factor into states’ agendas as they explore nuclear power to meet energy demands while satisfying requirements for the safety and security of critical infrastructure and material. Borders in the Middle East also suffer from the dual plight of being both dense and porous, which means that weak border controls can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and have significant implications for nuclear and radiological security.

Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation Focus Areas include:

  • Arms Control Arrangements
  • Nuclear Safety and Security
  • Illicit Trafficking
  • Non-State Actors
  • Trade Controls

Energy and Climate Security

The Middle East is already a climate change hotspot with resource pressures likely to be a further driver of conflict, competition and displacement. Compounding this problem is growing regional demand and a global energy transition away from fossil fuels, changes that will have profound implications on regional security and development.

Energy and Climate Security Focus Areas include:

  • Climate security
  • Nuclear energy
  • Green Economies
  • Climate-induced Migration
  • Anthropogenic Stresses

Cross-Cutting Themes

There are a number of cross-cutting themes relevant to Ambit's portfolio. These include:

  • Disruptive technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomy, dual-use technologies, cyber, outer space and remote learning
  • Non-state actors including private enterprises, criminal and terrorist organizations