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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 “The G20 Summit in Riyadh”

On November 21, Saudi Arabian aircraft flew over Riyadh to mark the start of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. For the Kingdom, hosting this year’s...

Report – Inauguration “Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA)”

The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) held the inauguration of its Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA) today. Mr. Sohail Mahmood, Foreign...

Report – Webinar on “Evolving Situation in the Middle East: Implications for the Region”

The Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA) in collaboration with Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), University of Peshawar organized a webinar titled “Evolving...

Issue Brief on “Assessing The Economic Crisis in Lebanon”

On August 17, 2020 a  UN-backed tribunal in the Hague found a member of the militant Hezbollah group, guilty of the 2005 assassination of...

Issue Brief on “Vision 2030, Saudi Economy and Covid-19: An Assessment”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an evident bearing on Saudi Arabia's economy. The amalgamation of low oil prices and lockdown measures has led to...

Report – Webinar on “Iran, Pakistan and South Asia under the Pandemic”

As part of the 16th ISSI-IPIS Dialogue, the Institute of Strategic Studies of Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with the Institute for Political and International...

Pakistan: The Economy of an Elitist State, Husain, Ishrat. Oxford University Press, second Edition,...

Dr. Ishrat Husain’s book “Pakistan: The Economy of an Elitist State” is based on the thesis that a small group of elites have...

Issue Brief on “US Caesar Act and Syrian Economic Despair”

The Syrian economic woes have been made worse by the promulgation of US Caesar Act. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, also known as the...

Report – Webinar “Celebrating Africa Day”

The Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a WebCelebration to commemorate Africa Day on May 20,...

Issue Brief on “Covid-19 and Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Challenges”

Following and even before the World Health Organization (WHO) formally declared Covid-19 as a pandemic, restrictive measures such as lockdowns have been declared all...