The Stabilisation Network
Dubai-based countering-violent-extremism consultancy linked to Alistair Harris and ARK Group; recipient of UK and Canadian funding
| The Stabilisation Network | |
|---|---|
| Type | DMCC free-zone company (Dubai) |
| Logo | |
| Founded | 22 September 2014 |
| Founder(s) | Alistair Harris |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | |
| Status | Active (as of 2022 registration) |
| Headquarters | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Location | United Arab Emirates |
| Area served | |
| Services | Research-informed programming to reduce violent extremism; work with local communities and indigenous partners |
| Registration | |
| Key people | Alistair Harris (CEO / director) |
| Website | stabilisation.org |
| Remarks | Described by Harris as ARK’s “sister company”; received FCO and Global Affairs Canada funding |
The Stabilisation Network (The Stabilisation Network DMCC) is a Dubai-based specialised countering-violent-extremism (C-VE) consultancy founded in 2014. It is linked to Alistair Harris, founder and CEO of ARK Group, who has described it as ARK’s “sister company.” The firm has received funding from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and from Global Affairs Canada.[1][2][3]
Activities
The Stabilisation Network describes itself as a specialised C-VE consultancy focused on “quick-impact bespoke programming which aims to reduce the scourge of violent extremism globally by working with local communities.” Its research-informed approach seeks to work “with, by and through indigenous partners” to understand socioeconomic, political, ideological, communal and personal factors associated with extremism and to deliver flexible programming interventions aligned with client priorities. The company website is stabilisation.org; LinkedIn lists headquarters in Dubai and an estimated company size of 11–50 employees.[1]
It is registered as a DMCC free-zone entity in Dubai (founded 22 September 2014; US federal registration October 2015 under UEI GL3CK9DK45J3). Primary NAICS code listed in US records is 551114 (Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices).[4]
Funding
FCO/FCDO expenditure records show payments of £4.65 million to The Stabilisation Network between 2015 and 2019. Global Affairs Canada awarded CAD $3.9 million in 2018. Cumulative Canadian funding to ARK-related entities controlled by Harris (including The Stabilisation Network) has been reported at approximately CAD $13 million for 2017–2019, contributing to an overall figure of roughly CAD $30 million across Harris’s ventures.[3][2]
Links to ARK and Alistair Harris
Harris is CEO of both ARK Group DMCC and The Stabilisation Network. In a 2019 LinkedIn update he referred to The Stabilisation Network as ARK’s “sister company,” focused on research and programming to promote social cohesion and prevent and counter violent extremism. Related-party transactions between ARK Group DMCC and The Stabilisation Network DMCC appear in ARK’s 2016–2018 accounts. Critical accounts place both companies within the network of UK-funded strategic-communications and stabilisation contractors associated with Harris, alongside Pursue Ltd and early work supporting the Syrian Commission for Justice and Accountability (later CIJA).[2][3]
Intelligence Online reported in March 2017 that the former FCO official Harris had boosted The Stabilisation Network team by recruiting several former armed-forces personnel.[5]
The Stabilisation Network
Also known as: The Stabilisation Network DMCC; TSN; Stabilisation Network
| Period | Amount (£) | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2019 | 4,650,000 | FCO programme spend |
| Total (known) | 4,650,000 | McKeigue briefing (2021), drawing on FCO expenditure data |
See also
- Alistair Harris
- ARK Group
- Pursue Ltd
- Commission for International Justice and Accountability
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Stabilisation Network, LinkedIn company page LinkedIn, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Coastal Front, How Canada Helped Fund a Covert Propaganda Campaign in the Middle East Coastal Front, 15 March 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Paul McKeigue, ‘Entrepreneurial justice’ operations related to the Syrian conflict Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media, 25 March 2021 (updated 29 March 2021).
- ↑ HigherGov, The Stabilisation Network Dmcc HigherGov, accessed 10 October 2026.
- ↑ Intelligence Online, “Ex-FCO Harris boosts Stabilisation Network team,” 22 March 2017.