Arabian Gulf Center for Iranian Studies named first top think tank in Saudi Arabia

DUBAI: The Arabian Gulf Center for Iranian Studies (AGCIS) has been ranked the first top think tank in Saudi Arabia for regional studies under the latest Global Go To Think Tank Index report of the Lauder Institute of Pennsylvania University.
AGCIS, which was founded by Dr. Mohammed Alsulami only two years ago, also placed 10th among leading think tanks in the Middle East and North Africa – including Arab states, Israel, Turkey, Iran and Cyprus – and second in the Gulf states.
ADCIS achieved the feat without going through the categorization stage of new think tanks, Pennsylvania University’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) announced earlier this week.
TTCSP was launched in 1989 to examine the evolving role and character of public policy research organizations through its Global Go To Think Tank Index, where international survey of experts, donors, policymakers and journalists ranked more than 7,800 think tanks worldwide using a set of criteria including the ability to manage and recruit prominent intellectuals and analysts, academic performance and reputation, access to decision-makers and impact on steering policies.