This Extractivism Policy Brief 02/2026 shows:
- Gulf capital is reshaping Maghreb extractivism: renewable megaprojects are negotiated top-down, with weak transparency and limited public scrutiny.
- “Green” investment can deepen authoritarian neoliberalism: bypassing parliaments, unions, and local consultation while concentrating power around executive networks.
- A new dependency triangle is emerging: EU decarbonization agendas risk locking in Gulf-financed infrastructures—and the politics that come with them.
The Author: Youssef Cherif is a political analyst and the director of the Columbia Global Centers Tunis. He is pursuing a Ph.D. at the Institute for Area Studies at Leiden University, where he examines the geopolitical and economic relations between the Arab Gulf, Europe, and the Maghreb. With interdisciplinary training in Classical Archaeology, History, and International Relations.
Link to PDF: Download Extractivism Policy Brief 02/2026 (ENGLISCH)
