The New Emerging Geo-Economics of the Middle East

This article is organized around two levels of analysis: the newly emerging international order and how this new order impacts the Middle East. The hypothesis in this article substantiates that, “for the most part, the geo-economic and geo-politics of the Middle East are the outcome of conflicts, structural-political differences and competition among the major players in the region.” Furthermore, the hypothesis proposes that US, European and Russian activities in the Middle East seek to assert a role of conflict management rather than conflict resolution. This article adopts the conceptual framework of Robert Kagan who promotes the idea that political influence is a function of trade and economic expansion. This article will draw on the US economy, new Russian ambitions, the Obama legacy in foreign policy, Israeli motivational structure to explain the emerging bipolar system in the Middle East. The nature of this system will depend on the financial capabilities of the regional actors as well as the ongoing dynamics of Russian-American competition in the Middle East.