Máté Szalai is a Research Fellow at the Conflict Research Unit of Clingendael. As a member of the Middle East group, he specializes in the international relations and the domestic political economic systems of the broader Gulf region. With a background in academic and policy research, Máté has experience in conducting both theory-driven and practical analysis of the geopolitical tendencies and political economic developments in the Middle East. Between 2022 and 2024, he was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice focusing on the influence-building of Gulf states. He is the author of the book ‘The Foreign Policy of Smaller Gulf States – Size, Power, and Regime Stability in the Middle East’ (Routledge) available in both English and Arabic.
With a decade-long experience in conducting research on local-regional dynamics in the Middle East, Máté is skilled in qualitative and mixed methods and working with a diverse set of partners and clients. Besides his native Hungarian, he speaks English, Italian, and Arabic. He continues to teach at Corvinus University of Budapest where he received his PhD in International Relations.
