Al-Ubaydli, O., and J. List (2024). “Will it scale?” Issues in Science and Technology, 41(1): 34-36.

During the bloodiest battles of the First World War, a young French sergeant named André Maginot was injured in the fighting, earning him a medal for valor. He later rose to the position of French minister of war and became famous for building a series of defensive fortifications along the Franco-German border. The design of the Maginot Line, as it came to be known, was not the result of abstract musings. Instead, it was deeply informed by Maginot’s own experience—particularly his assessments about optimal military tactics in the fierce, close-quarters combat of the Great War. Continue

Al-Ubaydli, O. (2024). “How Palestinians can benefit from the charter cities approach to public administration,” Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics, and Culture, 29(2).

This essay examines how lessons from the charter cities approach can help the Palestinian Authority combat nepotism in its civil service. While recognizing that external constraints explain most governance difficulties, it identifies opportunities for internal reform. Drawing on the Charter Cities Institute’s Governance Handbook and experiences across the Global South, it proposes meritocratic recruitment, rigorous interviews, managerial autonomy, and more flexible employment practices supported by independent arbitration. It emphasizes institutional partnerships with Dubai, including scholarships and exchanges involving the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government. These recommendations seek to improve public administration while accommodating Palestine’s distinctive political and institutional circumstances. Continue

Al-Ubaydli, O. (2023). “The Potential Drawbacks Associated with Domestic Military Manufacturing in the GCC Countries,” PRSIME SALAM memo.

This paper examines the potential economic and security drawbacks of domestic military manufacturing in the Gulf Cooperation Council, focusing on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It argues that limited indigenous innovation, dependence on foreign technology and components, and weak knowledge spillovers may constrain both strategic autonomy and economic diversification. Localization of simpler weapons offers limited security gains, while advanced capabilities require sustained investment and scarce skills. Assessing these initiatives through opportunity cost, the paper emphasizes complementary reforms in education, finance, and university–industry collaboration, while acknowledging that confidential security information precludes definitive judgments about their overall desirability or prospects. Continue