Podcast host Meia Nouwens is joined by IISS experts Air Marshal (Retd) Martin 'Sammy' Sampson, Dr Hasan Alhasan, Wolf-Christian Paes and Asna Wajid to reflect on the IISS Manama Dialogue 2025, which took place in the Kingdom of Bahrain on 31 October–2 November 2025. 

Together they discuss how the Dialogue reflected shifting regional alignments, the implications of global power competition for Middle Eastern security, and new avenues for cooperation on defence, technology and economic stability. The conversation also examines how the Gulf’s strategic priorities are evolving in light of ongoing conflicts, energy transition pressures, and emerging great-power dynamics.

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Date of Recording: 05 November 2025

The podcast is recorded and produced by the IISS. 

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