PSCI 257: The End of the Middle East reading

What happened in Ethiopia in December 2021 that changed the view of the Middle East?

Middle Eastern states (Iran, Turkey, UAE, Qatar) intervened in the Tigray conflict (sending drones, soldiers, arms)

Shows these states will act far beyond their traditional borders

Why is the way the US defines the ME limiting?

Excludes states and major dynamics in Africa and Asia, and is deeply rooted in Cold War thinking

e.g. Ethiopia’s civil war (2021): Saw deep involvement from Middle Eastern powers like Turkey, UAE, Iran, and Qatar — despite it being an African conflict.

How did colonialism shape our ideas of the ‘Middle East’

Britain and France divided the region into North Africa and the Middle East, excluding other sub-saharan Muslim African nations

It also portrayed Arabs and Turks as ‘exotic’ as opposed to Asia and Africa

How did 9/11 and the Iraq war expose flaws in US thinking about the ME region?

Fear or ‘Arab culture’ ignored extremist threats from regions in Africa and South Asia, and mistakenly assumed that the region was uniquely authoritarian

How did the 2011 uprisings challenge perceptions of a unified ME?

Initially seen more hopefully as an ‘arab spring’, but aftermath fractured the region with civil war in Libya and Syria, monarchies supressing uprisings, and non-arab powers like Turkey and Iran gaining influence

What does it mean for a country to be transregional, e.g. Sudan?

It means Sudan sits at the intersection of multiple regions—its politics are influenced by both Middle Eastern and African actors. Egypt supported its 2021 coup while the African Union opposed it, showing Sudan can’t be understood using just one regional lens.

How has Libya’s conflict impacted Central Africa?

Weapons, fighters, and migrants have flowed south into the Sahel, making the conflict spill well beyond North Africa’s borders

How did the Yemen war demonstrate regional reach beyond the Arabian Peninsula?

The Saudi/UAE coalition included non-Arab states like Eritrea, Pakistan, and Sudan, and the UAE built bases in northern Africa

How did Gulf labor migration patterns shift after 1990 (Iraq invasion of Kuwait), and why does it matter?

After the Gulf War, Arab workers were replaced by South Asians. This weakened Arab-Gulf cultural ties, reduced Arab nationalist influence, and deepened Gulf–Asia economic and social relationships

How have Gulf economies transformed?

Gulf states like Dubai now resemble global financial centers (like Singapore) more than traditional Middle Eastern economies, with heavy investments in real estate, tech, sports, and surveillance

What was the impact of the Abraham Accords on the Palestinian cause?

The 2020 normalization between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain broke decades of Arab unity on Palestine. It sidelined the issue as a unifying Arab concern, shifting Palestinian advocacy into international arenas like the UN and ICC instead of relying on Arab state backing

How is China reshaping the idea of the Middle East through its Belt and Road Initiative?

China is linking Gulf and North African countries into a vast trade and infrastructure network — focusing on ports, energy, and roads — that connects the Middle East with Africa and Asia. This redraws regional ties based on economic interests rather than traditional political alliances, forming a China-centered regional logic

Why does China’s growing influence in the Middle East pose a challenge to the U.S.?

China’s infrastructure and tech investments overlap with U.S. strategic zones, leading to political tensions. Also, Unlike the U.S., China doesn’t demand political reforms — making it an attractive partner for authoritarian regimes and a rival model of regional order

Why update the definition of the Middle East?

To gain real insight into migration, insurgencies, authoritarianism, and economic shifts that span beyond current borders, requiring more fluid analysis

What should replace old region-based frameworks?

Instead of using old, fixed ideas of what the “Middle East” is based on culture or geography, we should look at how countries are really connected today — through shared political problems (like conflicts that spread across borders), economic ties (like trade and investment between the Gulf and Asia), and technology (like surveillance tools used by multiple governments).