Senior Research Fellow, International Relations of the Middle East, St Antony's College Oxford

Dr Matthiesen's research interests are in Middle East politics and history since the 19th century, with particular emphasis on the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, focusing on transnational networks of piety, scholarship and trade; sectarianism and Sunni-Shi'i relations; and labour history, political economy and popular protest.

His current research includes:

• a political sociology of the Shia of Qatif and al-Ahsa in present-day Saudi Arabia since the late 19th century
• Shia religious schools (hawzat/katatib) on the Arab side of the Gulf
• leftist and Islamist opposition networks in the Gulf