Mohamed Ezz‏‏

Traditional military and political transformations are no longer the most significant threats to the security and stability of Middle Eastern countries. Instead, non-traditional threats stemming from demographics, economic problems, and health crises, such as the spread of pandemics, have escalated. These threats now pose an unprecedented risk to the foundations of individual and community security in the region's countries. This is especially true given the exceptional surge in the spread of certain epidemic diseases in some regional states, which are expected to increase in light of cross-regional labor flows and interregional migration movements, amid rising multiple sovereignties and border fluidity among many countries in the region.

How Do Deteriorating Health Conditions Reflect Middle East Interactions in 2024?

Reflective Mirror:

InterRegional for Strategic Analysis

Interregional for Strategic Analysis held a panel discussion session titled "Restoring Influence: The Future of French Policy Towards the Middle East," featuring Camille Lons, Deputy Head of the Paris Office and Middle East and North Africa Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The session explored the key determinants and features of French foreign policy toward the Middle East, the main tools Paris employs in its relations with the region, and the significant challenges that hinder the effectiveness of French foreign policy.

The Future of French Policy Towards the Middle East (Panel Discussion)

Restoring Influence:

Dr. Mohammad Salami‏‏

For centuries, the Middle East has been a meeting point of civilizations, which developed transport and trade routes connecting this region with other parts of the globe. The Middle East and Central Asia have long been at the crossroads of East Asia, Europe, and Africa, and the Silk Road is one of the oldest trade routes in the world.

How Middle Eastern Countries Are Competing over Trade Routes

A War of Corridors:

China and Russia each have their own economic and political objectives in the international arena. These two Global South powers are also both interested in challenging the dominant Western order. The Middle East seems to be a potential site for future competition between the two nations. Beijing’s efforts to influence and invest in key Middle East infrastructure will certainly expand beyond the economic sphere to further political and geopolitical ambitions. When this happens, Moscow will be keeping a close eye on the process.

Could the Middle East Become a Zone for Sino-Russian Competition?

Turbulent Outlook:

The visit of Air Marshall Martin Sampson, the British Chief of the Defense Staff Senior Advisor for the Middle East and North Africa, to Libya at the end of September, which coincided with the anchoring of the Royal Navy warship HMS Albion at Tripoli’s Abu Sitta naval base, demonstrates Britain’s growing involvement in Middle East crises of late. This has also clearly manifested in Britain’s many moves in pursuit of a resolution to the Libyan political crisis, its active engagement with threats in the Arabian Sea related to the crisis in Yemen, its strident opposition to the Iranian nuclear program and adoption of escalating measures against Iran, and in the turn towards relocating the British Embassy to Jerusalem. Such moves demonstrate a "Return of Britain" to the region. These moves seek to strengthen Britain’s influence, especially following Brexit, as London attempts to exert its presence apart from Europe on the world stage.

How to Interpret Britain’s Current Involvement in the Middle East?

The Brexit Effect:

Dr. Guy Burton

China’s footprint in the Middle East is expanding, and there is little reason to think that will change as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine. In some ways, the war may serve to enhance its sphere of influence, while also hampering it in other ways.

How China's Mid-East Policy May Change After Ukraine War

Vested Interest:

Dr. Diana Galeeva‏‏

The geopolitical competition playing out among the great powers in Europe has shed light on the political and economic significance of the MENA region. US Vice President Kamala Harris recently led the "strongest delegation" to the UAE since President Joe Biden took office, during which she offered her condolences on the death of its ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The conflict in Ukraine has brought UAE-US tensions into focus and the visit was seen as "a bid to step up efforts to repair frayed ties with Gulf allies."

A Turning Point for Power Dynamics in the MENA Region

The Ukraine Conflict:

On December 22, 2021, InterRegional for Strategic Analysis hosted Dr. Mohammed Ezz-Al-Arab, the head of the Arab and Regional Studies Unit at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, for a discussion panel on projections for the Middle East for 2022. InterRegional’s researchers in Abu Dhabi also participated. The discussion panel highlighted ten expected trends, most notably the complexity of the political transition crises in the Arab region, with reference to certain models, such as Libya, Sudan, and even Tunisia, as well as an emphasis on the postponement of political settlements in conflict areas during the new year, especially in Syria and Yemen.

Projections for the Middle East in 2022 (Panel Discussion)

Ten Issues:

InterRegional for Strategic Analysis held a panel discussion on Tuesday, 17 August 2021 entitled "Exit Strategy: The Drivers and Implications of American Withdrawal from Conflict Zones in the Middle East," hosting Dale Sprusansky, Managing Editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs in the US capital Washington. The workshop was moderated by Jamila Saif, InterRegional’s Academic Collaboration Officer, and was attended by staff members and non-resident researchers. The main takeaways of the discussion were as follows:

Middle East

الإصدارات

الأكثر مشاهدة