Nicolai Due-Gundersen
@nicolaiofarabia.bsky.social
Author of Defending Dictatorship @palgravemacmillan and Covidocracy @Bloomsbury #MiddleEast analyst focused on Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the GCC
Pinned
#Covidocracy to preorder in paperback and hardback with a 10% discount. Relevant to #NigelFarage and #populism, I discuss how #BorisJohnson led #Brexit leading up to #Covid and got rid of rival mps by framing them as disloyal to Brexit and the will of the people: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
When crisis hits, power shifts.
Covidocracy asks an urgent question: do pandemics strengthen dictatorships while putting democracies under strain?
The politics of emergency didn’t end with COVID.
Available from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social and Amazon www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
Covidocracy asks an urgent question: do pandemics strengthen dictatorships while putting democracies under strain?
The politics of emergency didn’t end with COVID.
Available from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social and Amazon www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
September 23, 2026 at 7:17 PM
When crisis hits, power shifts.
Covidocracy asks an urgent question: do pandemics strengthen dictatorships while putting democracies under strain?
The politics of emergency didn’t end with COVID.
Available from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social and Amazon www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
Covidocracy asks an urgent question: do pandemics strengthen dictatorships while putting democracies under strain?
The politics of emergency didn’t end with COVID.
Available from @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social and Amazon www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
Looking forward to joining a conversation on community, belonging and resilience this Thursday.
I’ll be reflecting on what COVID taught us about trust, social cohesion and how communities respond to crisis — and what those lessons mean today.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-conversa...
I’ll be reflecting on what COVID taught us about trust, social cohesion and how communities respond to crisis — and what those lessons mean today.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-conversa...
A Conversation on Community, Belonging and Resilience
Bringing people together to explore community, belonging and resilience through meaningful conversation and connection.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Looking forward to joining a conversation on community, belonging and resilience this Thursday.
I’ll be reflecting on what COVID taught us about trust, social cohesion and how communities respond to crisis — and what those lessons mean today.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-conversa...
I’ll be reflecting on what COVID taught us about trust, social cohesion and how communities respond to crisis — and what those lessons mean today.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-conversa...
Excellent discussion in London on the #UAE and the widening Gulf conflict.
Interesting to hear different perspectives on how Abu Dhabi is navigating a complex regional security environment — and what a widening conflict could mean for the Gulf and beyond.
Thanks to Emirates Wire for hosting
Interesting to hear different perspectives on how Abu Dhabi is navigating a complex regional security environment — and what a widening conflict could mean for the Gulf and beyond.
Thanks to Emirates Wire for hosting
September 10, 2026 at 11:20 AM
Excellent discussion in London on the #UAE and the widening Gulf conflict.
Interesting to hear different perspectives on how Abu Dhabi is navigating a complex regional security environment — and what a widening conflict could mean for the Gulf and beyond.
Thanks to Emirates Wire for hosting
Interesting to hear different perspectives on how Abu Dhabi is navigating a complex regional security environment — and what a widening conflict could mean for the Gulf and beyond.
Thanks to Emirates Wire for hosting
A change of scenery for today’s filming: Hampton Court.
I’m exploring monarchy, history and political power — and the extraordinary world of Henry VIII.
New short coming soon
I’m exploring monarchy, history and political power — and the extraordinary world of Henry VIII.
New short coming soon
August 30, 2026 at 5:06 PM
A change of scenery for today’s filming: Hampton Court.
I’m exploring monarchy, history and political power — and the extraordinary world of Henry VIII.
New short coming soon
I’m exploring monarchy, history and political power — and the extraordinary world of Henry VIII.
New short coming soon
Reposted by Nicolai Due-Gundersen
1st Syrian Airlines passenger flight in over 1.5 years arrives in Moscow
1st Syrian Airlines passenger flight in over 1.5 years arrives in Moscow
A Syrian Airlines passenger plane arrived in Moscow from Damascus on Sunday, marking the first such flight between the two capitals in more than 1.5 years, Anadolu reports. The aircraft landed at 6…
www.middleeastmonitor.com
August 16, 2026 at 11:11 AM
1st Syrian Airlines passenger flight in over 1.5 years arrives in Moscow
How did #covid impact #democracy and #dictatorship? Did #Brexit influence our response to #Covid? Find out
Based on case studies from China, Saudi Arabia, the UK and US, 'Covidocracy' uses novel analysis of public discourse to measure whether pandemics favor authoritarianism and erode democracies.
📘Out now: https://bit.ly/4txuUkq
@nicolaiofarabia.bsky.social
📘Out now: https://bit.ly/4txuUkq
@nicolaiofarabia.bsky.social
July 21, 2026 at 12:15 PM
How did #covid impact #democracy and #dictatorship? Did #Brexit influence our response to #Covid? Find out
Can a leader’s watch affect political legitimacy? Luxury can be political communication as much as personal taste. I explored the intersection of power, symbolism and luxury in this piece for @albawabanews.bsky.social #PoliticalScience #MiddleEast #Horology
www.albawaba.com/news/luxury-...
www.albawaba.com/news/luxury-...
Luxury Wardrobes for the Rulers, Austerity for the Masses? | Al Bawaba
By Dr. Nicolai Due-Gundersen and Dr. Francis Owtram
www.albawaba.com
July 18, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Can a leader’s watch affect political legitimacy? Luxury can be political communication as much as personal taste. I explored the intersection of power, symbolism and luxury in this piece for @albawabanews.bsky.social #PoliticalScience #MiddleEast #Horology
www.albawaba.com/news/luxury-...
www.albawaba.com/news/luxury-...
Honoured to be featured by the #unitednations following the 3rd UNITAR International Research Conference, discussing global governance, pandemics and AI. Watch here: youtu.be/qIWg20Mjtwk?...
From Knowledge to Action: Dr Nicolai Due-Gundersen at the 3rd UNITAR Research Conference
YouTube video by United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
youtu.be
July 11, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Honoured to be featured by the #unitednations following the 3rd UNITAR International Research Conference, discussing global governance, pandemics and AI. Watch here: youtu.be/qIWg20Mjtwk?...
I’m pleased to see my latest article republished by the Euro-Burma Office.
It explores why Khun Sa’s legacy still matters for understanding Myanmar’s borderlands, where armed groups continue to combine territorial control with illicit economies.
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
It explores why Khun Sa’s legacy still matters for understanding Myanmar’s borderlands, where armed groups continue to combine territorial control with illicit economies.
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
June 27, 2026 at 10:44 PM
I’m pleased to see my latest article republished by the Euro-Burma Office.
It explores why Khun Sa’s legacy still matters for understanding Myanmar’s borderlands, where armed groups continue to combine territorial control with illicit economies.
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
It explores why Khun Sa’s legacy still matters for understanding Myanmar’s borderlands, where armed groups continue to combine territorial control with illicit economies.
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
Jordan isn’t just Petra.
It’s one of the best places to understand the Arab world through history, hospitality, politics and culture.
I wrote about 7 reasons to visit Jordan 🇯🇴
www.albawaba.com/editors-choi... @albawabanews.bsky.social
It’s one of the best places to understand the Arab world through history, hospitality, politics and culture.
I wrote about 7 reasons to visit Jordan 🇯🇴
www.albawaba.com/editors-choi... @albawabanews.bsky.social
7 Reasons to Visit Jordan to Understand the Arab World | Al Bawaba
I can still remember Amman's airport before its 2013 expansion. Twice did I land or depart from its crowded walls. There were no restaurants per se, onl
www.albawaba.com
June 27, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Jordan isn’t just Petra.
It’s one of the best places to understand the Arab world through history, hospitality, politics and culture.
I wrote about 7 reasons to visit Jordan 🇯🇴
www.albawaba.com/editors-choi... @albawabanews.bsky.social
It’s one of the best places to understand the Arab world through history, hospitality, politics and culture.
I wrote about 7 reasons to visit Jordan 🇯🇴
www.albawaba.com/editors-choi... @albawabanews.bsky.social
Khun Sa was once accused of controlling a large share of the world’s heroin trade. Unlike Escobar, he wasn’t killed. Unlike Noriega, he wasn’t captured. He retired.
My article explores what his legacy can tell us about Myanmar today:
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
#Myanmar #OrganizedCrime
My article explores what his legacy can tell us about Myanmar today:
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
#Myanmar #OrganizedCrime
In Myanmar, a Retired Drug Lord is Laughing in His Grave
Khun Sa's legacy continues to shape Myanmar's civil war as militias expand criminal economies and China emerges as the key power broker.
intpolicydigest.org
June 23, 2026 at 6:12 AM
Khun Sa was once accused of controlling a large share of the world’s heroin trade. Unlike Escobar, he wasn’t killed. Unlike Noriega, he wasn’t captured. He retired.
My article explores what his legacy can tell us about Myanmar today:
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
#Myanmar #OrganizedCrime
My article explores what his legacy can tell us about Myanmar today:
intpolicydigest.org/in-myanmar-a...
#Myanmar #OrganizedCrime
I lived in Amman for several years. One thing that often surprises visitors is that beneath the headlines, it’s a city of ordinary lives, ambitions, culture and community.
Jordan deserves to be known for more than regional turmoil.
#Jordan #Amman #MiddleEast #Travel #Politics
Jordan deserves to be known for more than regional turmoil.
#Jordan #Amman #MiddleEast #Travel #Politics
June 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I lived in Amman for several years. One thing that often surprises visitors is that beneath the headlines, it’s a city of ordinary lives, ambitions, culture and community.
Jordan deserves to be known for more than regional turmoil.
#Jordan #Amman #MiddleEast #Travel #Politics
Jordan deserves to be known for more than regional turmoil.
#Jordan #Amman #MiddleEast #Travel #Politics
Reposted by Nicolai Due-Gundersen
If Muslims or members of the Asian and Black community had set fire to white people’s homes with children running for their lives, do you think we would be discussing legitimate concerns or focussing on who radicalised them and ideological and contributing cultural factors?
June 11, 2026 at 7:54 AM
If Muslims or members of the Asian and Black community had set fire to white people’s homes with children running for their lives, do you think we would be discussing legitimate concerns or focussing on who radicalised them and ideological and contributing cultural factors?
Yesterday at Oxford Brookes University discussing migration, climate change and conflict at a UN-partnered roundtable.
A reminder that today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into a single policy box.
A reminder that today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into a single policy box.
June 11, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Yesterday at Oxford Brookes University discussing migration, climate change and conflict at a UN-partnered roundtable.
A reminder that today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into a single policy box.
A reminder that today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into a single policy box.
At #Oxfordbrookes today for a UN-linked discussion on climate change, migration and conflict.
A key theme: these crises increasingly reinforce one another. Environmental pressure, displacement and instability rarely exist in isolation.
#ClimateChange #Migration #Conflict #Oxford #GlobalGovernance
A key theme: these crises increasingly reinforce one another. Environmental pressure, displacement and instability rarely exist in isolation.
#ClimateChange #Migration #Conflict #Oxford #GlobalGovernance
June 10, 2026 at 8:24 PM
At #Oxfordbrookes today for a UN-linked discussion on climate change, migration and conflict.
A key theme: these crises increasingly reinforce one another. Environmental pressure, displacement and instability rarely exist in isolation.
#ClimateChange #Migration #Conflict #Oxford #GlobalGovernance
A key theme: these crises increasingly reinforce one another. Environmental pressure, displacement and instability rarely exist in isolation.
#ClimateChange #Migration #Conflict #Oxford #GlobalGovernance
Follow me on YouTube for commentary on #covid #narcotics and #dictatorship: youtube.com/@drnicolaiwr...
Nicolai Due-Gundersen
Middle east analyst & author of power, watch collector. Diplomacy. History. Timepieces.
Twitter: @nicolaiofarabia. See ndgmena.com for more info or contact me via twitter or [email protected]
youtube.com
June 8, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Follow me on YouTube for commentary on #covid #narcotics and #dictatorship: youtube.com/@drnicolaiwr...
Follow me on #Tiktok for exclusive videos and insights: www.tiktok.com/@dr.nicolai....
Dr Nicolai Writes's Creator Profile
www.tiktok.com
May 30, 2026 at 8:31 PM
Follow me on #Tiktok for exclusive videos and insights: www.tiktok.com/@dr.nicolai....
World’s toughest job interview. One candidate. The world watching. #UN #Geopolitics The next Secretary General #Iran #IAEA
May 28, 2026 at 8:32 PM
World’s toughest job interview. One candidate. The world watching. #UN #Geopolitics The next Secretary General #Iran #IAEA
Honoured to have been elected as a Councillor.
Looking forward to meeting residents, listening to local concerns, and contributing constructively to our community here in Kingston.
Public service begins with listening.
Looking forward to meeting residents, listening to local concerns, and contributing constructively to our community here in Kingston.
Public service begins with listening.
May 28, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Honoured to have been elected as a Councillor.
Looking forward to meeting residents, listening to local concerns, and contributing constructively to our community here in Kingston.
Public service begins with listening.
Looking forward to meeting residents, listening to local concerns, and contributing constructively to our community here in Kingston.
Public service begins with listening.
13.64 billion Covid vaccine doses by 2024.
One of the largest coordinated campaigns in human history — reshaping politics, trust, technology and state power across the world.
We are still living in the aftermath.
#Covid19 #Geopolitics #History #Pandemic #Reels @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
One of the largest coordinated campaigns in human history — reshaping politics, trust, technology and state power across the world.
We are still living in the aftermath.
#Covid19 #Geopolitics #History #Pandemic #Reels @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
May 27, 2026 at 4:29 PM
13.64 billion Covid vaccine doses by 2024.
One of the largest coordinated campaigns in human history — reshaping politics, trust, technology and state power across the world.
We are still living in the aftermath.
#Covid19 #Geopolitics #History #Pandemic #Reels @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
One of the largest coordinated campaigns in human history — reshaping politics, trust, technology and state power across the world.
We are still living in the aftermath.
#Covid19 #Geopolitics #History #Pandemic #Reels @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
Quiet evening with Covidocracy.
Strange how crises linger long after the headlines disappear.
#books #politics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social
Strange how crises linger long after the headlines disappear.
#books #politics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social
May 26, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Quiet evening with Covidocracy.
Strange how crises linger long after the headlines disappear.
#books #politics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social
Strange how crises linger long after the headlines disappear.
#books #politics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social
1.3 billion people under lockdown.
The largest lockdown in human history.
#Covidocracy #India #Politics #Geopolitics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
The largest lockdown in human history.
#Covidocracy #India #Politics #Geopolitics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
May 26, 2026 at 6:43 PM
1.3 billion people under lockdown.
The largest lockdown in human history.
#Covidocracy #India #Politics #Geopolitics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
The largest lockdown in human history.
#Covidocracy #India #Politics #Geopolitics @bloomsburypol.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/covidocra...
Reposted by Nicolai Due-Gundersen
The Malaysian government is prepared to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the alleged kidnapping and torture of activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, local media reported Monday, Anadolu reports.
www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260525-mal...
www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260525-mal...
May 25, 2026 at 1:48 PM
The Malaysian government is prepared to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the alleged kidnapping and torture of activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, local media reported Monday, Anadolu reports.
www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260525-mal...
www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260525-mal...
My latest for #manandculture: assessing António #Guterres’ legacy as UN Secretary-General — from #COVID and #AI to private power, war, and the limits of global cooperation.
The UN can warn and convene. States still decide whether to act.
manandculture.com/2026/05/asse...
The UN can warn and convene. States still decide whether to act.
manandculture.com/2026/05/asse...
Assessing António Guterres’ legacy as UN Secretary General - Man & Culture Magazine
“AI must belong to everyone. We must replace hype and fear with sharing evidence,” insisted UN Secretary General António Gutteres at India’s AI Impact Summit this February. “The future of AI cannot be...
manandculture.com
May 20, 2026 at 2:55 PM
My latest for #manandculture: assessing António #Guterres’ legacy as UN Secretary-General — from #COVID and #AI to private power, war, and the limits of global cooperation.
The UN can warn and convene. States still decide whether to act.
manandculture.com/2026/05/asse...
The UN can warn and convene. States still decide whether to act.
manandculture.com/2026/05/asse...
At the United Nations in Brussels discussing AI, financial crime, and the changing role of Gulf states.
AI is compressing the time they have to react to crises and risk.
Power belongs to systems that can adapt fastest.
@unitar.bsky.social
#AI #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #UAE #FinancialCrime
AI is compressing the time they have to react to crises and risk.
Power belongs to systems that can adapt fastest.
@unitar.bsky.social
#AI #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #UAE #FinancialCrime
May 18, 2026 at 5:18 PM
At the United Nations in Brussels discussing AI, financial crime, and the changing role of Gulf states.
AI is compressing the time they have to react to crises and risk.
Power belongs to systems that can adapt fastest.
@unitar.bsky.social
#AI #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #UAE #FinancialCrime
AI is compressing the time they have to react to crises and risk.
Power belongs to systems that can adapt fastest.
@unitar.bsky.social
#AI #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #UAE #FinancialCrime