Dr David B Roberts is a Reader at King’s College London where he leads the twin-track Arabic and English Master of Research (MRes) programme in the School of Security Studies. Additionally, Dr Roberts is Adjunct Faculty at Science Po’s Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), a Non-Resident Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute Washington and at the Middle East Policy Council (Washington DC), and the founder and commissioning editor for Cambridge University Press’s book series Elements in Middle East Politics. Previously, David taught for King’s at the Qatar Defence Academy, and he was the Director of the Gulf office of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security studies think-tank (RUSI Qatar). He obtained his PhD from Durham University.

Research Interests

• Middle East security
• Security studies
• International relations
• Foreign policy analysis

Dr Roberts’ primary research interest focuses on the politics, foreign affairs, and international security of so-called Middle Powers, and particularly those in the Gulf region and the wider Middle East. David’s book 'Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies' was published by Columbia University Press in 2023. A secondary research focus uses Foucault’s dispositif concept, which prompts analysts to look for overt and covert factors underpinning and supporting ongoing endeavours in any given field, to enhance understanding of military capability development and innovation.

PhD Supervision 

Dr Roberts is currently supervising: 

• Sara Al Mahri
• Ali Al-Maadeed 
• Hessa Al Dosari 
• Juhaina Al-Ali    

Selected Publications

• Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies: Continuity Amid Change. New York: Colombia University Press https://cup.columbia.edu/book/security-politics-in-the-gulf-monarchies/9780231205252#  
• "Lifting the 'Protection Curse': The Rise of New Military Powers in the Middle East." Survival 63, No.2 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/00396338.2021.1905997
• "Ontological Security and the Gulf Crisis." Journal of Arabian Studies 11, no.1. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/21534764.2020.1833413
• "Bucking the Trend: The UAE & the Development of Military Capabilities in the Arab World." Security Studies 29, no.2 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2020.1722852 

For a complete list of publications, please click here.