Chapter 2 The political economy of the Middle East

Abstract

The fact that the ME has been an area of conflicts throughout its history is an indication of its utmost relevance to the strategy formulations of major powers. The ME can be called “the land bridge of civilization” because it links Africa with Eurasia, and it has been the trade route of peoples from Asia, Africa, and Europe. Ancient empires, as well as contemporary major powers, have competed for power and influence in the region to enhance their relative economic and military positions. The discovery of oil in the region escalated the struggle among major powers, created societal dislocations, and increased internal and external conflicts. The ME has been the major artery of contact for over 3000 years (Weatherby, 2001, pp. 1–4). One hundred years ago, scholar-adventurer John L. Stoddard recognized this fact when he described a small portion of the region, Palestine. According to Stoddard, “Palestine has an area only a little larger than the state of Massachusetts, while Russia occupies one seventh of the habitable globe: yet in the scales of intellectuals and moral value the little province of Judea outweighs beyond comparison the empire of Czar” (Weatherby, 2001, pp. 1–4).

Citation

Attar, R.A. (2009), "Chapter 2 The political economy of the Middle East", Attar, R.A. (Ed.) Arms and Conflict in the Middle East (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 13), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 15-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1572-8323(2009)0000013004