The third edition of the Hili Forum opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday under the theme “Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction,” convening policymakers, diplomats, academics and international experts as the region confronts overlapping security, economic and technological pressures.
Organizers say developments in the region carry implications far beyond the Middle East © Mena Today
The third edition of the Hili Forum opened in Abu Dhabi on Monday under the theme “Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction,” convening policymakers, diplomats, academics and international experts as the region confronts overlapping security, economic and technological pressures.
The two-day gathering, jointly organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), is being held at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort on September 7–8. Organizers expect more than 1,000 participants, over 75 speakers and representatives from more than 35 countries.
Long viewed mainly through the lenses of energy security and regional geopolitics, the Gulf has become a strategic crossroads where military competition, economic interdependence, technological change, connectivity corridors and geopolitical realignment now intersect.
Organizers say developments in the region carry implications far beyond the Middle East, as shown by the recent Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict, which quickly affected international security, energy markets, trade flows and strategic decision-making worldwide.
The agenda is built around three pillars: geopolitics, geoeconomics and geotechnology. Sessions are examining the future of regional security architectures and deterrence, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the resilience of critical trade and energy corridors, the convergence of technology and geopolitics, and the role of middle powers in a shifting international order.
In opening remarks, AGDA Director General Nickolay Mladenov said the global order is under unusual strain, with successive conflicts testing the world’s capacity for stability and cooperation. He argued that the forum’s purpose is to create space for frank debate about available options and to test ideas that could strengthen partnerships in the region and beyond.
Featured speakers include Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President; Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council; Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt; and former Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremić.
A Qatari official told the forum that alliances with the United States and other international forces remain important but are not sufficient, and that greater Gulf self-sufficiency in security is required.
Organizers frame the theme as a call to rethink assumptions about security, cooperation and global governance.
The United Arab Emirates, they argue, is well placed to host that conversation. Like the ancient settlement of Hili in Abu Dhabi during the Bronze and Iron Ages, the country sits at the intersection of East and West and presents itself as a platform for convening diverse perspectives.
The forum aims to serve as a venue for strategic partnerships, cross-sector dialogue and scenario-building as Gulf states seek to manage risk, strengthen resilience and shape a more stable regional order. Day one focuses on regional security, strategic deterrence and the Gulf’s place in a changing global system; discussions continue through Tuesday.
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Iran said it will announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, along with maps of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, as a weekend exchange of strikes on shipping sent oil prices higher on Monday.
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