Jean-Loup Samaan is an associate professor in strategic studies for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Defense College. His research focuses on Middle Eastern strategic affairs, in particular the evolution of the Gulf security system, and the Israel-Hizbullah conflict. Prior to taking up his position in the UAE, he was a researcher for the Middle East Faculty at the NATO Defense College in Rome between 2011 and 2016. He was a policy advisor at the French Ministry of Defense from 2008 to 2011. Dr Samaan has authored four books and several articles for various international academic and policy journals such as the RUSI Journal , Survival , Orbis , Comparative Strategy , Politique Etrangère and Internationale Politik .