Regional Powers in a Transforming Middle East

15 October 2014. From 18:30 | Workshop | English | IEMed, Barcelona

Countries with regional weight in the Middle East have seen their influence change from the Gulf War (2003) to the present day.

The Arab Spring, which began as a process of internal transformation, soon had important regional consequences. Specifically, the civil war in Syria led to intense competition between regional and international actors. This seminar aims to discuss the impact of these events on the regional powers in the Middle East.

How were regional balances affected? What are the challenges and opportunities they face? What was the role of non-state actors, and finally, what was the impact of the policies of the international powers?

Meliha Benli Altunişik, Professor of International Relations and Director of the School of Social Sciences at the Technical University of the Middle East (Ankara), reviews the foreign policy guidelines of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and Israel over the past 10 years and how their interests and influence have been altered by conflicts in the area.