event

A Race for Power in the Middle East

Tue. May 16th, 2023
Washington and Live Online

Today the United States reduces its presence in the Middle East and North Africa—with bipartisan support—following failed wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and increased indigenous energy wealth. Meanwhile, China and Russia have both begun independently filling the void the United States leaves behind with military, diplomatic, and economic engagement.

Longtime U.S. regional adversaries, such as Iran and Syria, have welcomed China and Russia’s growing regional presence as a counterweight to the United States, while longtime U.S. partners, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan, have made it clear they do not want to choose sides between the great powers. In the context of the emerging competition between the United States, Russia, and China on the global stage, how should the United States adapt its policy in the MENA region?

Please join the Carnegie Middle East program for a discussion on the changing geopolitics and new security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa amid a budding great power competition.

Foreign PolicyGlobal GovernanceNorth AmericaUnited StatesMiddle EastNorth AfricaEast AsiaChinaIsrael
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Amr Hamzawy

Director, Middle East Program

Amr Hamzawy is a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. His research and writings focus on governance in the Middle East and North Africa, social vulnerability, and the different roles of governments and civil societies in the region.

Jennifer Kavanagh

Former Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Jennifer Kavanagh was a senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Marwan Muasher

Vice President for Studies

Marwan Muasher is vice president for studies at Carnegie, where he oversees research in Washington and Beirut on the Middle East. Muasher served as foreign minister (2002–2004) and deputy prime minister (2004–2005) of Jordan, and his career has spanned the areas of diplomacy, development, civil society, and communications.

Frederic Wehrey

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.

Karim Sadjadpour

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.