During the meeting, Dr. Ahmed Sager emphasized the centuries-old historical ties between Central Asia and the Gulf region, noting that nearly one-third of medieval Arab scholars hailed from Central Asia. He highlighted that this shared intellectual and cultural legacy provides a strong foundation for renewed collaboration in today’s context.

As both parties noted, the agreement aims to foster a long-term partnership focused on joint research initiatives, expert exchanges, and the co-organization of conferences and roundtables addressing critical regional and global issues — from sustainable development and climate policy to deepening Central Asia–Gulf cooperation.

In turn, the Director of IICA underscored that this legacy of intellectual exchange serves as a solid basis for advancing research collaboration, opening new horizons for knowledge-sharing and building a common platform for dialogue among expert communities.

Both sides expressed confidence that the agreement will contribute to effective and meaningful cooperation between the think tank communities of the two regions.

The Gulf Research Center is one of the leading think tanks in the region, playing a key role in shaping expert approaches to sustainable development policy, security, and international relations across GCC countries.