Charles Phillips is an independent researcher and consultant focusing on sustainable development in the Middle East. He has an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in International Relations from the University of Exeter. His research has focused on energy and climate change policy in the Arab Gulf States. He is also particularly interested in the emerging tourism, heritage, and culture sectors in Saudi Arabia. He has worked and traveled across Africa and the Middle East, including extended periods of in-country field research in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria.