Al Jazeera Centre for Studies hosted a delegation from Doshisha University in Japan led by Professor Masanori Naito on Monday, 25 March 2019 to discuss key issues in the region, particularly the Gulf crisis; its impact on interstate dynamics within the Gulf Cooperation Council member states; and its regional and international strategic implications. Professor Naito elaborated on the decline of water resources and desertification in the Arab world that he had observed during field visits to a number of Arab countries. He explained that he had diagnosed the reasons and presented a solution over 20 years ago; however, his recommendations have been ignored by Arab governments; and thus, the situation only worsened.
The Japanese delegation also attended AJCS researchers’ assessments of the Arab uprisings eight years on, with a focus on the current developments in Algeria and Sudan. Both sides discussed the potential of research cooperation in the future, and agreed to convene joint conferences on issues of mutual interest.