14 to 15 September 2021, The NESA Center hosted a two-day workshop on security challenges in the waters of the Middle East with a specific emphasis on the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. NESA was assisted in this effort with support from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). Esteemed representatives from regional countries and professionals in the maritime community gave lectures and contributed to valuable discussion about maritime security.

Issues discussed in this workshop included information sharing, countering maritime criminality, maritime domain awareness, and the necessity of enhancing trust among regional states. Key recommendations developed during the workshop were the need to routinize information sharing through fusion centres and similar efforts, how international maritime law provides avenues to better interdict maritime crime, and how maritime domain awareness can become a more visible policy issue for national leaders. NESA Academic Dean, Dr. Roger Kangas, kicked off the workshop with welcome remarks and NESA Director, LTG (ret.) Terry Wolff provided final remarks and farewell thanks. Dr. Catherine Kelly of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies moderated a session focusing on African viewpoints on the Red and Arabian Seas. The event was led by NESA’s Mr. Jeff Payne.

Speakers from top left: Mr. Jeffrey Payne (NESA Center for Strategic Studies), Dr. Roger Kangas (Academic Dean, NESA Center for Strategic Studies), Dr. Gulbin Sultana (Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses), Dr. Joshua Tallis (CNA), Dr. Catherine Kelly (Africa Center for Strategic Studies), Mr. Abdul Mohammed (Chief of Staff and Senior Political Advisor, African Union High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan, and South Sudan), Mr. Timothy Walker (Maritime Project Leader and Senior Researcher at Institute for Security Studies), Mr. Jay Benson (Stable Seas), Mr. Martin Cauchi Inglott (Head of Project, CRIMARIO II), Dr. Ian Ralby (I.R. Consilium), Mr. Blake Herzinger (Pacific Forum), VADM Pradeep Chauhan (National Maritime Foundation), LTG (ret) Terry Wolff (Director, NESA Center for Strategic Studies)

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