M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Call for Papers: A Century of Pioneers: Re-Imagining Saudi Histories of Technology and Innovation Proposals due November 1. For more information: networks.h-net.org/group/announ... 011
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026The Prince Mohammed AlFaisal Chair for the History of Technology and Innovation in the Kingdom at #KFCRIS announces a call for contributions to a conference and edited volume, “A Century of Pioneers: Re-Imagining Saudi Histories of Technology and Innovation.” www.kfcris.com/en/centerDom... 011
Reposted by M. Christopher LowOnur Inal @onurinal.bsky.social · 25/06/2026🥁 @kmkentel.bsky.social and I have a new book coming out very soon! “Istanbul Unbound” will be the inaugural volume in the new series Transregional Middle Easts from @uofupress.bsky.social 🥂 Thanks to support from @fwf-at.bsky.social it will be fully Open Access 🎊 uofupress.com/books/istanb... 0148
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 28/04/2026My interview with @sciam.bsky.social and @jackiefmogensen.bsky.social on desalination, environmental risk, Iran, and war in the Gulf. 175
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 05/04/2026The repeated Iranian attacks to #Kuwait’s power and #desalination plants are cruel and criminal. The current US government’s unsteadiness and disdain for the rules-based-order makes the world increasingly dangerous for smaller states. aje.news/vtvz59?updat...aje.newsIran rejects Trump’s 48-hr ultimatum; fire erupts at Kuwait oil complexIran says US-Israeli attacks on the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone have killed five and wounded 170. 094
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 04/04/2026I spoke to @lapresse.ca about desalination and the war in the Gulf. « C’est assez asymétrique : les usines de dessalement représentent une petite portion de la tarte en Iran, alors que pour les pays du Golfe, c’est une inquiétude absolument existentielle », dit M. Low.lapresse.caL’eau dans la ligne de mire du conflitDepuis le début de la guerre au Moyen-Orient, des experts suivent l’escalade avec une crainte particulière : le ciblage d’usines de dessalement. Les deux camps ont menacé de s’en prendre à ces infrast... 020
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 03/04/2026As feared, a Kuwaiti power and desalination plant has been struck again. The infrastructure wars have unleashed “ecological terror.” 040
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Once again, a desalination plant in Kuwait has been struck. An immediate deescalation is needed to stop the spiral of infrastructural attacks between the US, Israel, and Iran. These are clear violations of international law. 011
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 01/04/2026I spoke to France 24 (@en.france24.bsky.social) about desalination and “ecological terror” in the Gulf. f24.my/BpvTf24.my'Strategy of ecological terror. Desalination as a weapon of war' in the Middle East 020
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 28/03/2026My latest... desalination plants and nuclear targets... the escalation continues. Iran’s Water Weapon Against the Gulf by Michael Christopher Low @projectsyndicate.bsky.social prosyn.org/ZOpBprBprosyn.orgIran’s Water Weapon Against the GulfMichael Christopher Low worries that any bid by the US to seize Kharg Island could jeopardize the region’s desalination facilities. 042
Reposted by M. Christopher Lowdrewtoothpaste @drewtoothpaste.bsky.social · 20/03/2026the media is now telling people to work from home to save on gasoline, immediately after their years-long crusade to tell us why returning to office is best for everyone. this isn't a gotcha, it's an example of how contradicting demands allow the ruling class to blame us no matter what we do 2103903237
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 20/03/2026Julia, many thanks for the kind words. I would just add that Aimee Genell’s much-anticipated monograph, Empire by Law, is coming out in July! cup.columbia.edu/book/empire-...cup.columbia.eduEmpire by Law | Columbia University PressThe Ottoman Empire long used flexible administrative arrangements to govern its vast domains. Starting in the 1830s, however, European intervention in Ottoma... | CUP 101
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 13/03/2026🚨Breaking News from US officials: Everything is under control. Iran is on the verge of unconditional surrender. Ships may proceed through the Strait of Hormuz.🚨 020
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 12/03/2026More on desalination, climate, and war in the Gulf in conversation with @mckennapr of @insideclimate Attacks on Middle East Desalination Plants Highlight Risks of Near-Total Dependence on ‘Fossil Fuel Water’ insideclimatenews.org/news/1103202...insideclimatenews.orgAttacks on Middle East Desalination Plants Highlight Risks of Near-Total Dependence on ‘Fossil Fuel Water’ - Inside Climate NewsDestroying the facilities is a violation of international law that could cause a humanitarian crisis in the most water-scare region on Earth. Powering the plants with electricity from fossil fuels pos... 010
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 10/03/2026I spoke to GabrieleMalvisi with Arab News about desalination and the terrible situation that the US, Israel, and Iran have put the Arabian Peninsula in. arab.news/v3cdsarab.newsAre water desalination plants the Gulf’s Achilles’ in the latest Middle East conflict?LONDON: Wars in the Middle East have long been measured in spikes to global oil prices, the sight of burning refineries, and missile trails crisscrossing over busy shipping lanes. Now, for the first t... 000
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 09/03/2026I spoke to Newsweek on desalination and the war in the Gulf. www.newsweek.com/drinking-wat...newsweek.comDrinking water warning issued for millions as Iran war threatens supplyConflict is placing drinking water at risk as missile and drone strikes encroach on desalination plants that sustain the region. 084
Reposted by M. Christopher LowAbu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 09/03/2026As good an image as any to illustrate America’s contribution to Middle East peace, order, and stability over the last 30 years. www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FW... 6459121
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 09/03/2026🇨🇦 Yesterday, I spoke to @globalnews.ca about desalination and the vulnerability of Gulf water infrastructures. globalnews.ca/video/117216...globalnews.caUS-Iran war: Growing concern for Gulf nations’ water supply | Watch News Videos OnlineWatch US-Iran war: Growing concern for Gulf nations’ water supply Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca 040
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 08/03/2026“During Iraq’s 1990-1991 invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, Iraqi forces sabotaged power stations and desalination facilities as they retreated, said the University of Utah's Low.” www.wkyc.com/article/news...wkyc.comOil built the Persian Gulf. Desalinated water keeps it alive. War could threaten both.As the conflict with Iran widens, experts say the Middle East’s real strategic weak point may be water – not oil. (AP Photo) 011
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 08/03/2026Iran doesn’t have much desalination capacity to hit, but the whole Arab Gulf does. Also, independent verification was an issue yesterday. 000
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 08/03/2026⚠️ Iranian drone strike on a desalination plant in Bahrain! We have entered a frightening new phase of escalation. apnews.com/article/iran...apnews.comBahrain says Iran hit a desalination plant, stoking fears of attacks on civilian sitesBahrain has accused Iran of striking a desalination plant as the regional war expands and targets more civilian sites. 102
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026Fossil fuels are critical to the desalination ecosystem, but they need not be near oil infrastructures. It is, however, very common to have conjoined desalination + power plants to take advantages of energy efficiencies. 130
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026If it is confirmed that the US has directly attacked the Qeshm desalination facility, this government would join Saddam Hussein’s 90-91 attacks in Kuwait and Houthi strikes vs. Shuqaiq in 2019/2022. Not good company for the US. 034
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026Maryam, one of things that worried me about the damage done to Fujairah F1 (UAE) and Doha West (Kuwait) is drone interceptions around ports, electric infrastructures, and/or oil infrastructures could inadvertently hit desalination units. Proximity is a problem. US direct targeting is a grave crime. 120
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026Indian coverage... Does anyone have confirmation of the Iranian Foreign Minister's claim? www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoP0...youtube.comWater Desalination Plant Destroyed In US-Iran Attack, 30 Villages Left Without Water In Iran| News18YouTube video by CNN-News18 000
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026@aljazeera.com reporting Seyed Abbas Araghchi's claim that the US has attacked Iranian desalination facilities on Qeshm Island. x.com/AJEnglish/st...x.com 000
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026For more on the terrifying prospect of attacks on desalination plants in the Gulf, I was also quoted in Robert Worth's piece in the Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...theatlantic.comThe Gulf Countries Can’t Take Much MoreIran is exposing their vulnerabilities. 000
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026Iran claims that the US has attacked a desalination plant on Qeshm Island. If this is true, it sets a terrifying precedent. As I wrote in @theconversation.com yesterday, the Gulf's water infrastructure is its greatest vulnerability. If true, this is a war crime. www.ndtv.com/world-news/i...ndtv.com 0188
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 07/03/2026“The region’s monarchies are often described as petro-states, but they have also become what I call saltwater kingdoms, global superpowers in the production of human-made fresh water drawn from the sea.” theconversation.com/persian-gulf...theconversation.comPersian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional warKey sources of drinking water have been targets in past conflicts. And Iranian strikes have already hit close to some. 0127
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 05/03/2026theconversation.com/persian-gulf...theconversation.comPersian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional warKey sources of drinking water have been targets in past conflicts. And Iranian strikes have already hit close to some. 000
Reposted by M. Christopher LowOnur Inal @onurinal.bsky.social · 09/09/2025Just signed a contract with the @uofupress.bsky.social for the publication of the volume I co-edit with @kmkentel.bsky.social, “Istanbul Unbound: Environmental Approaches to the City” 🎊 4146
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 09/09/2025Congratulations! Tebrikler! We are so excited to work with you on this exciting project! 010
Reposted by M. Christopher LowLaleh Khalili @lalehkhalili.bsky.social · 26/03/2025Super excited about the new MA we are launching next academic year (in September 2025) at Exeter. I have been reviewing loads of MAs elsewhere and designed a programme that helps both those who are looking for critical intellectual engagement, AND paths to career development. 24912
Reposted by M. Christopher LowHollis Robbins @anecdotal.bsky.social · 18/03/2025Universities used DEI to attract students and then used the backlash to gut faculty power and faculty governance. And not enough people have noticed. www.compactmag.com/article/how-...compactmag.comHow Business Metrics Broke the UniversityIn a recent interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, the conservative activist Christopher Rufo pivoted from his usual focus on the ideological biases of higher education... 042
Reposted by M. Christopher LowCorey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 15/03/2025It's a bad sign that I, a US professor with two kids who will be applying to college in the next few years, am exploring the process of them applying to universities outside of America. The Trump administration is on the verge of destroying US higher education, where we have long been a world leader 942557414
Reposted by M. Christopher LowAsheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 16/03/2025Silicon Valley is coming for faculty governance. The vultures are circling the corpse of the neoliberal American university. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... 10258113
Reposted by M. Christopher LowMark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 12/03/2025Today would be yet another good day for university presidents to loudly, collectively, & publicly start defending our institutions & industry. The silence is deafening & frankly, incomprehensible. What exactly are you waiting for? How many Columbias, Maines, & Johns Hopkins will it take? 462337561
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 26/02/2025The Middle East Center @uofuhumanities.bsky.social and @uofupress.bsky.social are pleased to announce the launch of a new book series, Transregional Middle Easts! uofupress.com/series/Trans...uofupress.comUniversity of Utah Press | 0101
Reposted by M. Christopher LowJuan Cole @jricole.bsky.social · 23/02/2025From the Tigris and Euphrates to the Nile: The Middle East’s unresolved Water Disputesdlvr.itFrom the Tigris and Euphrates to the Nile: The Middle East’s unresolved Water DisputesWritten byRaseef22 This post by Mohamed Yousry, was first published in Arabic by Raseef 22* on February 15, 2025. This edited version was translated into English and published on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement. ( Global Voices ) –… 085
Reposted by M. Christopher LowAbu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 04/02/2025What is the Middle East? I’m thrilled to announce the publication- and free download - of my new, hopefully provocative Cambridge Element on the theory and practice of regions and area studies. Get it now and let me know what you think! abuaardvark.substack.com/p/what-is-th...abuaardvark.substack.comWhat is the Middle East?I'm thrilled to announce publication of my hopefully provocative new Element! 46118
Reposted by M. Christopher LowAssociation for Asian Studies @asianstudies.org · 22/01/2025CFA: Journal of Global History development editing workshop — #AsianStudies scholars with an interest in global history should check out this new opportunity. Application deadline is March 1. buff.ly/4hom5U7 043
Reposted by M. Christopher LowAbu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 17/01/2025UAE building airstrips and ports around Red Sea and Horn is about far more than “Houthi threat to region” apnews.com/article/yeme...apnews.comMysterious airstrip appears on a Yemeni island as Houthi rebel attacks threaten regionThe airstrip on Abd al-Kuri Island, which rises out of the Indian Ocean, could provide a key landing zone for military operations patrolling that waterway. 062
M. Christopher Low @mchrislow.bsky.social · 16/01/2025Excited to join Leiden’s Yemeni Studies Lecture Series with Simon Fraser’s Thomas Kuehn! January 27, 6PM (GMT +1) on Zoomuniversiteitleiden.nlWar, Governance, and the Environment in Ottoman Yemen, 1870-1924: Revisiting the History of the Late Ottoman FrontierThis talk analyses the role that concepts of “nature” played in the context of Ottoman imperial governance in the Province of Yemen from its establishment in the early 1870s to the end of Ottoman rule... 030
Reposted by M. Christopher LowElisabeth Leake @emleake.bsky.social · 16/01/2025CFP: @globalhistjnl.bsky.social development editing workshop (deadline 1 March 2025). Workshop open to scholars & #skystorians for whom English is not a first language who study/work outside of North American and Western European institutions. Keep an eye out for an ECR workshop later in the year! 🗃 02516