The Middle East is undergoing a period of profound transition.
The Middle East is undergoing a period of profound transition. There are failed or failing states in Libya and Yemen, a raging civil war in Syria and ongoing instability in Iraq. Egypt has returned to a familiar style of uneasy stability under a new authoritarian regime. The role of political Islam continues to be fiercely contested in the aftermath of the 2010-11 uprisings, and this issue remains at the heart of the ongoing crisis that pits Saudi Arabia and the UAE against neighboring Qatar.
Divisions among Libya’s political, security, and financial institutions remain a key obstacle to the political transition process, and foreign powers still stoke many of these divisions for their own strategic interests.
Muqtada al-Sadr’s announcement that he will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections has thrown the electoral process into disarray at a time when the future stability of Iraq depends on legitimate and transparent elections.
The recently announced U.S.-led G-7 infrastructure plan will need to play catch up if it is going to compete with China's more established Belt and Road Initiative.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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