The 13th Annual Gulf Research Meeting was held from July 11-13, 2023 at the University of Cambridge, UK. Scholars from various countries discussed the political, security, diplomatic, economic, financial, and energy situations in the Gulf region, as well as the linkages between the Gulf region and the outside world.

Professor Ding Long, Researcher Niu Song, and Associate Researcher Qian Xuming from the Middle East Studies Institute (MESI) of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) participated in the discussion of the 12th sub-forum 'The Gulf and the Horn of Africa: Trans-Regional Competition and Cooperation' at the annual conference. Professor Ding Long spoke on 'The Evolution of the Role of the Gulf States in the Horn of Africa', Researcher Niu Song spoke on 'The Hajj Factor in the Relationship between Saudi Arabia and Somaliland', and Associate Researcher Qian Xuming spoke on 'Great Power Competition in the Red Sea Region and its Impact on Energy Security'. The three scholars participated in the discussion of all the papers presented in Sub-forum 12 and also acted as critics of the papers presented by other scholars. During the meeting, Professor Niu Song also exchanged views with Professor Tim Niblock, one of the conveners of Sub-forum 12 and co-editor-in-chief of the Asian Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, a quarterly journal of SISU.

MESI attaches great importance to the international development of talent teams, academic research, and journal construction. The MESI team participated in the 13th Annual Gulf Research Meeting at the University of Cambridge, which conveyed the voices of Chinese scholars and strengthened the interaction with the international academic community in the field of Gulf Studies.