Regional dynamics and the future of Middle East strategic alliance

Abstract

Particularly after the Arab Spring protests, the Middle East has witnessed an escalation of regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia perpetuated by a Sunni-Shiite divide that has manifested itself in political landscapes in Iraq, Bahrain, and proxy wars in Yemen and Syria. When US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia in 2017, he recommended the establishment of the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) that would act as a bulwark against Iran's regional ambitions. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt were designated as prospective MESA member states. This article discusses MESA by evaluating the dynamics that create a permissive environment for its establishment and numerous hurdles to the formation of a new security organization in the region.