Jessie Moritz

Dr. Jessie Moritz is a Lecturer at the Australian National University (ANU), specifically within the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies. She holds a PhD from ANU and has been recognized with the 2017 Dissertation Prize from the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies. Her research focuses on Gulf political economy, state-society relations, renewable energy transitions, and climate policies in oil-rich states. She co-convenes the Security research cluster at ANU’s Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions and serves on the board of the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies.

Education:

• PhD in Political Economy of the Middle East (ANU)

Research Interests: Jessie explores the political economies of Gulf states, emphasizing energy transitions, rentierism, and societal dynamics. Her work bridges theoretical analysis with empirical fieldwork across Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. She critiques traditional rentier state theory and examines how Gulf monarchies navigate economic diversification and climate change challenges.

Awards:

• 2017 Dissertation Prize (Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies)

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD/Masters students on Gulf political economy and state-society relations. Co-leads the ANU’s GCC-Australia Summit on Decarbonising Energy and Agriculture (2023–2025), focusing on sustainable energy strategies in Gulf nations.

Labs/Teams: Active in ANU’s Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions Institute and collaborates with global institutions like Princeton University’s Transregional Institute and Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Program.