Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla is a UAE-based retired professor of political science. He is currently a non-resident senior fellow at Harvard University
July 06, 2023
There is light at the end of the tunnel in the Middle East. The region is slowly moving away from the geopolitical confrontations that dominated its landscape for decades to a promising new era of geoeconomic co-operation. However, a return to new era of chaos cannot be completely ruled out.
This perpetually tense region is finally leaving behind the “bad C” – confrontation – for a “good C” that stands for conversation and co-operation. The regional powers – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, among others – are suddenly engaged in serious and productive dialogue the likes of which the region has not seen in recent years.
For the past decade or so, confrontation, chaos, civil war, cold war, as well as jockeying for power and domination was the order of the day throughout the Middle East and North Africa. But regional antagonists and political rivals are now reaching out to each other, seeking de-escalation.
Detente is the new buzz world in the Mena region, raising hopes of a possible decade of stability and prosperity. Arab Gulf states are opening to regional rival Iran, a precarious ceasefire is holding up in Yemen, the 12-year civil war in Syria is in its final stage and Libya is on a tentative course to political reconciliation. These developments are ushering in a badly needed period of normality in an otherwise insecure part of the world.
Regional antagonists and political rivals are now reaching out to each other
This new move from confrontation to conversation in the Gulf and throughout the wider Middle East stands in sharp contrast to what is happening elsewhere. Europe, for instance, is dealing with several security issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine, conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and rising tensions in the Balkans.
Asia, too, is experiencing growing geopolitical tensions around Taiwan, the Korean peninsula and the many island disputes in the South China Sea. Compared to all of this, the Middle East seems unusually calm.
Similarly, the Middle East is vastly better off compared to Africa, which has seen civil wars drag on in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Mali, to name but a few hotspots in a continent where there are more than a dozen active armed conflicts. In 2022, Africa and Europe each suffered more fatalities from political violence than the Middle East, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled).
Indeed, the Middle East seems to be moving away from being a red zone full of conflicts to a blue zone where neighbouring states want to build bridges and live in peace.
Much of the momentum towards the good C of “conversation” comes from the six Arab Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have recently taken the lead in shaping peace and stability in the region by working for consensus and promoting good neighbourliness.
The UAE went to engage with Iran directly in the latter’s own capital. It also reached out to Ankara, taking everyone by surprise. It was the Emirates, moreover, that was daring enough to engage with Syria before anybody else. The UAE was first to disengage from the war in Yemen, too, and swiftly normalised relations with Israel when it signed the Abraham Accords.
For the first time in decades, Middle East capitals are taking responsibility for their own journey. They are in the driver’s seat, taking matters into their own hands. A regional, not global, agenda is responsible for the drift away from confrontation. The Arab League summit in Jeddah two months ago has accelerated this positive regional dynamism.
But how sustainable is this trend from geopolitics to geoeconomics, and from a red-zone Middle East to a blue-zone one?
The momentum is very encouraging, but its sustainability is very difficult to predict. As the budding forces of co-operation and conversation take hold, there are numerous potential forces of chaos waiting to be activated. Spoilers are all over the place, and at least three of them are worth mentioning. They represent the ugly forces of chaos.
Israel, feeling isolated, tops the list. (This week’s events in Jenin are a worrying sign.) An Israeli military strike against Iranian nuclear sites, for instance, would severely derail the current positive momentum towards de-escalation. Radical and revolutionary forces in Iran, meanwhile, have the power to undermine regional rapprochement. And a possible Donald Trump comeback in 2024 could easily freeze the region’s drift into calm. Each one of these three spoilers can change the good C of “co-operation” not only into the bad C of “conflict” but the ugly C of “chaos”.
When we look underneath the current of progress, we can see that on some level that things remain precarious. On top of Sudan already being on fire, peace in Yemen is still fragile. The political track in Libya is, too. And the chances of another round of civil war in Syria cannot be discounted. The seemingly calm Middle East is just one inch away from falling back into the dark tunnel of perpetual tension.
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
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Rating: 4/5
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson. Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph. Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities. Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids. Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
