Middle East politics
The region, one of the cradles of civilization, is going through a turbulent period of historic realignment. Its powers are vying for political, military, economic and religious dominance with local players and outside actors. Armed conflicts, mainly civil wars, are challenging the permanence of states whose borders were drawn arbitrarily in the early 20th century, after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
Reports on Middle East politics See all →
Leadership Challenges 2020: After successful start, Egypt’s El-Sisi faces bigger hurdles
When he came to power, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi initially set his country on a relatively liberal path. After several years, however, he had to change tack to fight radical Islamism. Despite being ostracized by the West, he has made major strides, especially in improving his country’s economy. To continue this progress, he will have to introduce more reforms that could be unpopular. Support from the West would help, but seems unlikely to come soon.
Looking for compromise on Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are struggling to strike a deal over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a $4.8 billion project in the works since 2011. Situated on the Blue Nile, the dam would triple Ethiopia’s electricity production and generate much-needed economic growth. But Egypt has ancient ties to the great river, ...
GIS Dossier: Islamic State
For the better part of a decade, Islamic State was enemy number one for the United States, its allies and other countries across the Middle East. While establishing a quasi-state across a huge section of Iraq and Syria, the group also conducted terrorist attacks all around the world. Though it ...
The UAE and China: New ties and strategies
While the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are still staunch allies, the former has strayed from the latter to pursue its own interests, especially its fruitful cooperation with Beijing. In the multisided Yemen conflict, Abu Dhabi has begun backing separatist movements in the hope of taking over ports that ...
GIS Dossier: Yemen’s civil war
Starting as an uprising by a marginalized ethnic group during the Arab Spring in 2011, the conflict in Yemen quickly gained momentum, becoming a civil war and later a proxy war between two of the region’s titans. The conflict is now a key element in the wider struggle for hegemony ...
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More Disruptions
Expanding state
A trend toward increased government influence in economies and personal life is curbing growth, and freedom, in many Western countries. The outsized role of government results in misplaced incentives, overregulation – which restrains markets and competition – and irresponsible budgetary ...
Russia resurgent
Russia’s incursion in Ukraine raised alarm about a new Cold War, deepened with the intervention in Syria and allegations of meddling in U.S. elections. But the Kremlin’s new assertiveness is largely defensive, while Ukraine’s emergence as a nation-state undermines Moscow’s ...
