1. Survival strategies in the Middle East: Foreign policy in the service of regime security. The cases of Egypt and UAE.
- Author:
- Johannes Späth, Carsten Minh Vo, and Cengiz Günay
- Publication Date:
- 01-2024
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
- Abstract:
- This policy analysis examines foreign policy making in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It highlights how internal power dynamics and the interaction between formal institutions and informal networks shape foreign policy making in these two different types of Middle Eastern autocracies. The study identifies the politically relevant elite coalitions and their impact on decision-making. In both regimes, the circle at the top of the power pyramid is rather small and characterized by informal and family ties. A small and homogeneous elite promotes cohesion, but also limits the diversity of opinions. The royal elite in the UAE and the military and intelligence elite at the core of the al-Sisi regime in Egypt pursue their own economic interests in the service of regime security and stability. The paper identifies areas where the regional and foreign policies/interests of the two friendly countries and their elites diverge.
- Topic:
- Security, Foreign Policy, Autocracy, Regional Politics, and Regime Security
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Egypt, and UAE