Two Worlds, One Region: The Duality of Power in the Modern Middle East

in voilk •  3 months ago

    Introduction

    We have always been in at least with two Middle Easts and not one. However, the amazing duality we are experiencing today in our region constitutes a turning point even in comparison to a long history of social and political differences. It's like we live in two separate worlds with only 3 hours away by plane.

    In one place there are wars and people struggling with the specter of famine, while other places in the same region are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on development.

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    The disparity between the two Middle East may be the result of a difference in capabilities, or the result of contradictory visions of world conditions and relations. The first Middle East is based on relying on the military because it lives or has found itself within a system of mobilization programs and the manufacture of fear and hatred.

    On the other hand, we are witnessing the policy industry in the Gulf States as it seeks to overcome technological and geopolitical obstacles in its strategy to position itself as a leading country in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence. The KSA and UAE, in particular, are working on cooling conflicts, and expanding partnerships, in order to create an attractive environment for global investments. Stability and peace lie beyond politics, as they play a vital role to create a post-oil economy. The strategic goal is to provide a friendly environment for developing local AI chip design capabilities in order to bypass US restrictions on exports of high-performance chips and fill the shortage of skilled workers.

    The sustainability and comprehensiveness of these developments is an ongoing test for countries in the region as a result of the gap between artificial intelligence research and the potential to transform it into practical applications, without attracting skilled IT talent and strategic partnerships to promote the adoption of artificial intelligence.

    Currently, in the complex scene in the Middle East, there is two contradictory strategies emerge regarding exercising influence and achieving regional goals, which reflect a deep division in methods of dealing with power.

    There is a Middle East that bases its foreign policy on the principles of soft power, which allows for the creation of comprehensive networks of influence that combine diplomacy, economic and financial partnerships, and technological investment, with the implications of cooperative international relations and a compromise global discourse that places weight on the creation of influence on the basis of building long-term relations, and not Enthusiasm to resort to force.

    By contrast, the rest of the Middle East follows the logic of hard power. This axis relies on direct and strong military interventions, with the aim of ensuring influence and achieving strategic objectives.

    This dissonance highlights the complex balance of power and ongoing struggle for influence within the region. This is manifested through two contradictory approaches, beyond politics in its direct sense, one focusing on attraction and persuasion and the other on force. It is a division that goes beyond political agendas and tactics or even strategic choices, to reach the value systems adopted by each party, regarding how societies operate and exercise authority, the principles that should govern dealings between states and peoples, the ethics of international relations, and the best paths to peace and prosperity.

    Conclusion

    Accordingly, these complex dynamics summarize much of what is happening in the Middle East today, and provide a window into the identity factors, history, and societal structures of the countries concerned, in light of which the geopolitical divisions in the Middle East are formed, which seem difficult to resolve through simple negotiations or political alliances.

    *Image designed using Canva

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