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Arhama Siddiqa


Research Fellow

Areas of Research:

Iranian foreign policy, GCC politics, and wider Middle East geopolitics

Ms Arhama Siddiqa is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and a PhD candidate in International Relations at Quaid-e-Azam University. She holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Political Science & Economics from LUMS (2013), an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Warwick (2014), and an MPhil in International Relations from QAU (2023).

Her research focuses on geopolitics, regional security, and international political economy, with publications in peer-reviewed journals and contributions to leading outlets such as The Express Tribune, South Asian Voices, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, and the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies. She has presented papers at major international forums, including the Gulf Research Meeting at Cambridge University (2024) and the Gulf Studies Symposium at Georgetown University (2025).

In addition to her research, she has editorial experience with volumes on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s strategic frontiers, and Middle Eastern affairs. She is also a Commonwealth Professional Fellow (2017) and an active participant in global policy dialogues, including the Tehran Dialogue Forum and Doha Forum.

 

Mail arhama.siddiqa@issi.org.pk

Issue Brief on “Yemen’s Elusive Peace Puzzle”

Recent high-profile visits indicate that talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen are progressing, albeit slowly. The conflict began in March 2015...

Issue Brief on “Unpacking the Ongoing Conflict in Palestine”

On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict reached another turning point with an unprecedented assault led by the Al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas's military wing. The...

Issue Brief on “The India – Middle East – Europe Corridor (IMEC): A Complex...

On 10 September 2023, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, alongside representatives from...

Issue Brief on “BRICS’ MENA Odyssey: A Promising Expansion”

The 15th meeting of the BRICS (an abbreviation representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) leaders, convened in Johannesburg on 22 August 2023,...

Issue Brief on “Israel’s Judicial Transformation Amidst Escalating Protests”

Since the start of 2022, weekly demonstrations have transpired in Israel, led by individuals who oppose the government's proposed reforms, particularly those related to...

Issue Brief on “The First GCC-Central Asia Summit: Fostering Collaboration and Economic Integration”

The first-ever summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) took place...

Issue Brief on “Enhancing Pakistan-Iran Economic Relations: Exploring Prospects in Trade and Connectivity”

On May 18, 2023, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated the first border market at the Mand-Pishin crossing-point of the...

Issue Brief on “Saudi-Iran Rapprochement: Opportunities for Pakistan”

Recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations and economic ties is the latest development in the geopolitical shifts in the...

Issue Brief on “Lebanon-Israel Maritime Deal”

On 27 October, 2022, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered agreement to end a long-running dispute over their maritime border by officially laying out...

Issue Brief on “Food Security in MENA amidst the Russian-Ukraine Crisis”

From the richest to the poorest countries, rising food prices continue to be the cause of much destruction, especially in the aftermath of Covid-19....