The Middle East’s strategic location, abundant oil resources, and historical significance make it an important region in global politics. For ages, it has served as a hub for trade, culture and conflicts. It has a global impact on politics, economy, and security. From oil production to geopolitical tensions, one cannot overlook the Middle East’s contribution in the global shifting sands. This made the Arabian geopolitical prism complex which is now greatly being shaped by the presence of China in the region. Key players of this geopolitical landscape are Saudi Arabia, Iran and their allies impacting alliances and power dynamics in the region.
Due to its strategic importance, vast resources and historical significance, the Middle East has been a crucial region. The determining role of the Middle East in the global geopolitics is underscored by its serving as connective tissue between Europe, Asia and Africa. This makes it easier for Arabs to control critical maritime routes and military chokepoints including the Suez Canal, the Turkish Straits, the Straits of Hormuz and the Straits of Gibraltar as well as access to major markets.
Throughout the 20th century, superpowers mainly the USA and USSR were dominant in the Middle East during the Cold Wwar. However, the US interventions as a superpower in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya dramatically shifted the political landscapes of the Middle East, leading to the rise of non-state actors like ISIS and Al-Qaeda and sowing the seeds of regional instability.
In recent years, the global order seems to transform into a multi-polar world due to change in power dynamics. In this context, China’s economic ascendance, Russia’s assertiveness and the reassertion of the regional powers, like Iran and Turkey, are reconfiguring the chessboard of the Middle East’s geopolitics. This shift can be clearly observed as the USA lacked interest in this region mainly after the shale revolution. Saudi Arabia, which was the strongest ally of the USA in the region, started to reconsider its military dependence on the USA after the 2019 Iranian drone attack. Saudi Arabia also diverged from the USA on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with a cordial visit to Moscow by the foreign minister. OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production against US advice showcased a growing divergence in interests.
Additionally, China’s involvement in Middle Eastern diplomacy challenges the Western-led order as it is signing deals with major energy producers in Chinese Yuan. Its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has gained traction in the region, offering infrastructure investment and economic opportunities. In this regard, China’s successful mediation in the Saudi-Iran peace deal proved a turning point in the shifting global geopolitical sands. In March, high-ranked security officials from both countries met in Beijing under Chinese auspices and announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations after 2016. It shows the growing influence of China in the Middle East, driven by geopolitical and economic interests and diminishing the impact of the USA. “The evident shift in attitude and tentative smiles exchanged by Saudi and Iranian representatives in Beijing mark a noteworthy transformation in the Middle Eastern geopolitics.”
While on the other hand, the significant impact of the Middle East on the global energy market due to ‘Black Gold’ is undeniable. The Middle East holds approximately 48 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and OPEC plays a crucial role in oil prices through production agreements and policies. But due to climate changes, the world is trying to reduce the use of hydrocarbons which urges the Gulf States to explore new markets and diversify their economies beyond oil. The GCC-ASEAN Summit in Riyadh marks a vital shift towards Asia for economic diversification and geopolitical influence. The emergence of technology hubs, financial centres and infrastructure projects reflect concerted efforts to reshape economic structures and foster sustainable development. The transformation of cities like Dubai and establishment of cities like Neom for global business and leisure exemplifies the region’s commitment to economic diversification. “Economic diversification will be central to the upcoming summit and top of the priorities of the GCC states”. (Dr. Mohammad Al-Sulami)
Therefore, the Middle East is playing a multifaceted and complex role in the shifting global order of the world. In this regard, its strategic location, energy resources, conflicts, cultural influence and diplomatic engagements all play a part in its importance. As the region navigates the complexities of its internal dynamics and external influences, its impact on global affairs continues to evolve with the passage of time. The strategic importance of the Middle East, coupled with its economic transformations and cultural contributions, ensures that it remains a critical player in shaping the future global order.
The Middle East has also been a hotspot for conflicts and political instability. Historical events like the Arab-Israeli conflicts, the Iranian Revolution, and the Gulf Wars have had far-reaching consequences. These conflicts have not only affected the region but also had a global impact, leading to changes in the power dynamics and alliances.
In recent years, the Middle East has witnessed significant changes, such as Arab Spring 2011 and the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Israel-Palestine. These events have further reshaped the regional and global dynamics, changing existing power structure and alliances. In this regard, the brutality of Israel on the backing by the West particularly the USA in Gaza and the West Bank raised questions on global justice, sovereignty and human rights. It also brought diplomatic challenges for the Gulf States who normalized their relations with Israel in order to enhance their economic ties in the region through Abraham Accord in maintaining balance between their new partnership with Israel and their traditional support for Palestinians. The Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar are actively engaged in diplomatic mediation, notably in brokering agreements between conflicting parties in the Middle East, like the Afghan peace talks and Gaza ceasefire efforts.
But the transformation of the shadow war between Israel and Iran, conducted by cyber-attacks and proxy wars into face-to-face conflict after the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus further complicates regional politics. It mounted a lot of pressure on Iran internally to retaliate due to its long-standing opposition to Israel and support for the Palestinians and Iran also said that this was an attack on its sovereignty.
As a result, it launched a first ever direct attack of 170 drones, 130 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles on Israel crossing the line of shadow war and cited Article 51 of the United Nation Charter to have a right of self-defence. The Iranian attack on Israel was a political move rather than a strategic attack. But this increasing tension between Iran and Israel faded the peace talks between Israel and Hamas. This growing instability in the Middle East has profound impacts on the regional and global geopolitical dynamics along with the energy sector and stock market.
Therefore, the Middle East is playing a multifaceted and complex role in the shifting global order of the world. In this regard, its strategic location, energy resources, conflicts, cultural influence and diplomatic engagements all play a part in its importance. As the region navigates the complexities of its internal dynamics and external influences, its impact on global affairs continues to evolve with the passage of time. The strategic importance of the Middle East, coupled with its economic transformations and cultural contributions, ensures that it remains a critical player in shaping the future global order.
