Author: David Hearst
Affiliation: The Middle East Eye
Organization/Publisher: The Middle East Eye
Date/Place: September 15, 2021/UK
Type of Literature: Opinion
Word Count: 2100
Link:https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uae-foreign-policy-swerve-could-reshape-middle-east
Keywords: US, Emirate, Israel MBZ, Abraham Accords
Brief:
The author claims that regional and international events are forcing Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to rethink Emirati foreign policy. There are many signs for this rethinking, such as the new approach to Turkey. The author argues that there are two reasons why MBZ is changing his policy: first, the regular message from the new US administration to the Emirate is to “de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.” Second and more importantly, the US foreign policy is unpredictable. According to the author, after the disastrous Emirati foreign policy in counties like Egypt and Tunisia, the new policy will spread influence through economic cooperation instead of military intervention. Furthermore, David Hearst mentions that the Abraham Accords lost their value since they depended on leaders, not states; in other words, when the two key players Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump were removed, the project lost its worth and patronage. Additionally, for MBZ, normalization was a means to improve his relationship with Washington. The author concludes that the new changes in the Middle East present authentic prospects to reshape “a post-American Middle East.”
By: Fadi Zatari, CIGA Senior Research Associate
