Maritime piracy attacks have plagued the Middle East for the past decade. Operating out of the Horn of Africa, they have posed serious problems to maritime shipping and the safety of maritime navigation. In this talk, Professor Milena Sterio discusses the legal aspects of maritime piracy in the Middle East.

Dr Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman challenges us to rethink what traditional Islam means in South-east Asia through exploring the shifting boundaries of Sunni Islam in this region. What are some of the current trends in Muslim political mobilisation in South-east Asia? Find out more about the new spectrum of Islamism in Malaysia and Indonesia in this lecture of the ME 101 series held on 2 October.

For the past half-century, Saudi Arabia has engaged in a wide range of activities to propagate globally its distinctive brand of Islam. In this lecture, Dr Peter Mandaville discusses the impact and evolution of Saudi transnational proselytisation, and future trends in light of new Saudi leadership.

With the rise of Asia in the 21st century, Arabia is becoming ever more engaged with the rest of Asia. In this lecture, Dr Zoltan Pall discusses the potential trends in transregional connections, focusing on religious ties, and using Gulf charities in Cambodia as a case study.

Three aspects differentiate the Middle East from other regions—foreign interests, religion and ideology, and competing visions to identity and socio-political organisation, Dr Fanar Haddad argues. How do these factors interplay? How do Middle Powers play a role in the geopolitical scene? Find out about geopolitical competition in the Middle East with Dr Haddad and Ms Susan Kurdli in this lecture of the ME 101 series held on 18 September.