Middle East, Regional Expert

About ACLED
ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) is an independent, impartial conflict and protest monitoring organization providing real-time data and analysis on violent conflict and protest in all countries and territories across the world.

The Role
ACLED seeks a Regional Expert on Gulf security politics who will assess how regional conflict dynamics shape the security politics and policy decisions of the Gulf states, and what those decisions mean for national security and business interests, including critical infrastructure, supply lines, trade corridors. The role covers the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman — and their security relationships with Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, the Horn of Africa, and other theaters where Gulf states project influence or face security challenges. This is an opportunity to shape ACLED’s analysis of one of the world’s most consequential security environments.

The Regional Expert analyzes how conflict dynamics and security policy affect these interests, and how these interests in turn shape security policy. The role covers conflict and security analysis only; the Regional Expert will not model trade data, map supply chains, or assess investments directly.

You will work with ACLED’s industry-leading conflict data and alongside a dedicated regional team of conflict monitors who produce daily event data and context information. This frees you to focus on analysis rather than raw collection. You will combine these data with your own knowledge of the region and your network in policy circles to analyze conflict developments, make risk assessments, and inform government policymakers, private-sector clients, and international media. The analyses you create will be clear, concise, timely, and informed by locally grounded information, and will speak directly to the concerns of the governments, business sector and organizations who rely on it. 

Analysis is the core of the role. Your work with clients and stakeholders will also surface new opportunities, and you will have the chance to develop these alongside the revenue and regional team. As one of ACLED’s public voices on the Middle East, you will feature frequently in international media and represent ACLED at high-level venues in the region.

As Regional Expert you are located within the Middle East regional team of the Global Data Collection department and report to the Middle East Regional Team Lead. You will work together with other regional experts on the Middle East and with experts and monitors on the Africa team regarding the Horn of Africa. Your work also intersects with ACLED’s Risk Centre, External Affairs, Global Engagement, and Revenue teams who you directly engage with for risk outputs, client briefings, media commentary and commercial opportunities.

ACLED is a fully remote organization, and this position offers the flexibility to work from anywhere. You will work with clients and colleagues across time zones, typically US mornings, Europe afternoons, and Asia evenings, and will travel to the Gulf states and the wider region to meet clients and stakeholders in person.

Analysis and risk assessment

• Monitor conflict and political developments affecting the Gulf states and assess their consequences for Gulf national security policy and for business interests in and linked to the region.
• Explain how regional conflict dynamics shape Gulf security decisions, including threat perceptions of Iran and its partners, the Houthi movement and Red Sea maritime security, Iraqi armed groups, the Israel–Iran confrontation, and instability in the Horn of Africa.
• Analyze Gulf states’ security policy choices and their drivers, such as defense partnerships and basing arrangements, de-escalation and normalization diplomacy, hedging between major powers, and direct or proxy involvement in regional conflicts.
• Explain how these dynamics affect, and are affected by, Gulf states’ economic interests, including attacks on energy and port infrastructure, threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, sanctions-related escalation, and spillover from conflicts where Gulf states hold interests, for example those in the Horn of Africa.
• Produce forward-looking risk assessments for countries, critical sites, and maritime corridors, built on evidence and observed trends, with clear indicators, thresholds, scenarios, and stated confidence levels behind each judgment.
• Produce other regular and ad hoc outputs, including risk briefs, crisis alerts, regional outlooks, and contributions to ACLED’s thematic reports.

Data and methodology

• Work with data collection, risk, and data science teams to strengthen ACLED coverage of conflict relevant to Gulf security, including cross-border, maritime, and long-range strike activity, and conflict that matters for critical infrastructure and economic risk.

Client and stakeholder engagement

• Brief government policymakers and private-sector clients and partners on Gulf security and conflict risk in writing and in meetings, remotely and in person.
• Build and maintain a network of contacts in Gulf and international policy circles, including government, security, diplomatic, and research communities.
• Develop opportunities that arise from client and stakeholder contact with the revenue team, contributing to demonstrations, tailored briefings, and product development.
• Provide expert commentary to international media and represent ACLED at conferences, policy forums, and other high-level events in the region and beyond.

Project development

• Support develop new products and projects on Gulf security, critical infrastructure, and economic risk.
• Contribute to proposals and partnerships.

Requirements ( Skills and Experience)

• A master’s degree in international relations, political science, security studies, Middle East studies, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least five years of professional experience in political or security risk analysis, conflict research, or policy analysis focused on the Gulf or the wider Middle East, in a consultancy, government, research, or in-house role.
• In-depth knowledge of Gulf security politics, the foreign and defense policies of the GCC states, and the regional conflicts that shape them.
• An established network in Gulf or international policy circles.
• A record of published or client-facing analysis, such as risk assessments, policy briefs, or forecasts.
• Fluency in English, with excellent writing and briefing skills.
• Fluency in Arabic is necessary.
• Ability and willingness to travel to the Gulf states.
• Ability to work across time zones, with flexibility during crises.

What you bring

• Sound judgment grounded in evidence and reason, and the confidence to make clear assessments without fear of being proven wrong.
• Rigor in assessing the reliability of sources and the validity of information, and the ability to draw insight from large volumes of data and reporting.
• The ability to turn complex regional dynamics into concise, actionable analysis for both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Comfort engaging with senior government and private-sector stakeholders, and an instinct for spotting where ACLED analysis can meet client needs.
• An understanding of how businesses and governments use risk analysis to make decisions.
• Familiarity with conflict event data, ideally including ACLED data, and an interest in strengthening data-driven analysis.
• Independence and good time management in a remote team, alongside a collaborative approach across departments.

Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is 50,000-60,000 (USD) annually, depending on previous experience and seniority. Other benefits vary according to local legislation in the country of employment. 

Terms

Start Date: January 2027, Type of Position: Remote, Full-Time Employment.

Applications

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter detailing your qualifications, experience, salary expectations and home of record.

Further information on ACLED is available online at acleddata.com. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are advised to apply early.

For more information, please review the Applicant FAQs