MEC Webinar: A New Cold War in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)?

Conveners: MEC 

Speakers: Dr Christopher M. Davidson (RUSI); Dr Guy Burton (Brussels School of Governance); Dr Diana Galeeva (St. Antony’s College, Oxford University)

Moderator: Dr Michael Willis (Director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and King Mohammed VI Fellow in Moroccan and Mediterranean Studies)

The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War, ushering in a more unipolar global order, including US hegemony in the MENA region. Over the subsequent twenty years, the unchallenged role of the US has been steadily declining, mirrored in the growth of other international players, especially China and Russia, towards a more multipolar political landscape. This is reflected in a diversification of external players in the region. Who are the key external powers in the region, and their main strategies? To what extent are the Cold War policies of the twentieth century comparable to the contemporary great power competition? In other words, may competition over regional alliances lead us into another Cold War in the region? This workshop will bring together scholars to examine these themes, with particular focus on the major powers of the US, China, and Russia. What might their multi-faceted competition hold for the future of the MENA region?

Link to register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TS9paMBcTrK4Y71IQasKlw