Shifting sands: The geoeconomic triumphs of the Gulf
Mark Leonard welcomes Cinzia Bianco, Agathe Demarais, and Camille Lons to discuss the geoeconomics of the Gulf
Experts & Staff
Camille Lons
Deputy Head, Paris Office
Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
Middle East geoeconomics; China – Gulf relations; Gulf region; Red Sea geopolitics
Languages
French, English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese
Biography
Camille Lons is a policy fellow and deputy head of the Paris office at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she works on geoeconomics and relations between China and the Gulf countries. Prior to joining ECFR, Lons was a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), based in Bahrain and Taiwan, where she worked on Gulf-Asia relations and co-authored the report “Gulf Bailout Diplomacy: Aid as Economic Statecraft in a Turbulent Region” (2023). Before that, she was the coordinator of the Middle East and North Africa programme at ECFR and project editor of the policy paper “China’s great game in the Middle East” (2019). She was also a Schuman Fellow at the European Parliament, focusing on Middle East policy.
Lons holds an MSc in population and development from the London School of Economics, an MA in international relations from Sciences Po Aix, and an MA in middle eastern studies from Aix-Marseille University.
19 Feb
The security situation in the Red Sea
In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of global sea trade to external shocks. A year later, the Suez Canal blockage sounded the alarm on…
National interests and regional turmoil: The Gulf states’ view on Gaza and the Red Sea
The Gulf states have loudly condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. But beneath the rhetoric – and amid unfolding regional escalation – many Gulf capitals are hesitant to put their national interests at risk
Troubled waters: How Europeans should respond to rising Red Sea tensions
After weeks of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has now threatened to target all Israel-bound vessels in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza, threatening freedom of navigation and regional security
How the Israel-Hamas war is testing China’s diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East
Amidst the Israel-Hamas war, Beijing sees an opportunity to differentiate itself from the West’s unconditional support for Israel and gain favour in the global south. But the conflict has revealed China’s lack of political weight in the region – and an opportunity for European engagement
Torn apart: How the Israel-Hamas war is dividing French society
The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is tearing apart an already polarised French society, resonating with some of the country’s deepest divisions
China’s great game in the Middle East
Europeans should monitor China’s influence on regional stability and political dynamics, especially in relation to surveillance technology and arms sales
Towards a new Saudi hyper-nationalism?
Le podcast de notre discussion du mardi 9 juillet « Vers un nouvel hyper-nationalisme saoudien ? », en présence de Eman Al-Hussein, chercheuse associée à…
Onshore balancing: The threat to Oman’s neutrality
Oman's decision to grant the US Navy access to strategically important ports reflects intensifying global rivalry between the US and China. Europe can work to keep Oman a neutral mediator.
Irak : quels enjeux pour l’Europe ?
Podcast de notre BCM du 5 février « Irak : quels enjeux pour l'Europe ? » en présence de Delphine O, députée La…
Publications
China’s great game in the Middle East
Europeans should monitor China’s influence on regional stability and political dynamics, especially in relation to surveillance technology and arms sales
Articles
National interests and regional turmoil: The Gulf states’ view on Gaza and the Red Sea
The Gulf states have loudly condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. But beneath the rhetoric – and amid unfolding regional escalation – many Gulf capitals are hesitant to put their national interests at risk
Troubled waters: How Europeans should respond to rising Red Sea tensions
After weeks of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has now threatened to target all Israel-bound vessels in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza, threatening freedom of navigation and regional security
How the Israel-Hamas war is testing China’s diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East
Amidst the Israel-Hamas war, Beijing sees an opportunity to differentiate itself from the West’s unconditional support for Israel and gain favour in the global south. But the conflict has revealed China’s lack of political weight in the region – and an opportunity for European engagement
Torn apart: How the Israel-Hamas war is dividing French society
The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel is tearing apart an already polarised French society, resonating with some of the country’s deepest divisions
Onshore balancing: The threat to Oman’s neutrality
Oman's decision to grant the US Navy access to strategically important ports reflects intensifying global rivalry between the US and China. Europe can work to keep Oman a neutral mediator.
Oman: between Iran and a hard place
Oman has historically been careful to balance its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, allowing it to play a useful role mediating regional disputes. However, as the region’s anti-Iran rhetoric is ramping up and the Sultanate is having to deal with its own domestic issues, neutrality is becoming harder to maintain.
Podcasts
Shifting sands: The geoeconomic triumphs of the Gulf
Mark Leonard welcomes Cinzia Bianco, Agathe Demarais, and Camille Lons to discuss the geoeconomics of the Gulf
Towards a new Saudi hyper-nationalism?
Le podcast de notre discussion du mardi 9 juillet « Vers un nouvel hyper-nationalisme saoudien ? », en présence de Eman Al-Hussein, chercheuse associée à…
Irak : quels enjeux pour l’Europe ?
Podcast de notre BCM du 5 février « Irak : quels enjeux pour l'Europe ? » en présence de Delphine O, députée La…
Events
19 Feb
The security situation in the Red Sea
In 2020, the covid-19 pandemic laid bare the vulnerability of global sea trade to external shocks. A year later, the Suez Canal blockage sounded the alarm on…
In the media
These recent deals speak to a broader trend in Gulf bailout diplomacy
Camille Lons comments on the foreign policy of Gulf states towards the Egyptian economy
It is crucial that the EU finds “a response to the maritime security threats we are seeing, because it directly targets its security and economic interests
Camille Lons explains that a joint EU response is necessary to face the crisis in Yemen
Camille Lons on the EU’s response to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
Houthi groups have an agenda that is fairly detached from Iranian influence, and this is where there is the greatest risk of regional escalation
Camille Lons was invited to Christine Ockrent’s program “Affaires étrangères” to discuss recent Houthis attacks on the Red Sea
The American military response, however, was calibrated to avoid any slippage and possible escalation
Camille Lons comments on British and American responses to Houthi attacks on the Red Sea and the risk of regional escalation