Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi
Reports on Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi See all →

Europe’s waning influence in the Middle East

Once a key player in the Middle East, Europe has gradually begun to ignore the region – even conflicts that had a direct impact on European states, like the 2015 refugee crisis caused by the war in Syria. The power vacuum left in Europe’s wake is now being filled by other powers, among them Turkey and Russia. However, if the European Union develops a united stance, it could still play a role in troubled areas.

Seen from Israel: The game-changing UAE deal
The recent normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates came as a shock to many, dispelling the mythical belief that solving the Palestinian issue was a prerequisite to any new peace deal. Like other Gulf states, the UAE has felt threatened by Iran, and sees Israel as ...


Egypt: Caught between the Libyan threat and the pandemic
Egypt’s situation has recently suffered a double blow. The pandemic has crippled its economy, while the defeat of its Libyan ally, Field Marshal Haftar, means Cairo will need to recalibrate its involvement in Libya’s civil war. Meanwhile, President El-Sisi still has to contend with the insurgency in Sinai and the ...


Relevance beyond the crisis: In the Middle East, more chaos or a glimmer of hope?
Many expected the coronavirus to spread rapidly throughout the Middle East, but save for Turkey and Iran, most countries in the region had the pandemic under control early on, thanks to aggressive containment measures. However, the drop in oil prices will be felt keenly in the area, potentially leading to ...


The Red Sea becomes a dangerous flash point
Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen have come together to create a council meant, among other aims, to prevent the escalation of conflicts in the Red Sea basin. However, the intricate net of regional conflicts could prevent the organization from collaborating effectively, and a spark in ...
