• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
Podcast Episode

Inside the U.S.-China Rivalry: Great Power Competition in the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa region is witnessing a fierce competition among the world’s current “great powers”—the U.S., Russia, and China. Director of the Carnegie Middle East Program Amr Hamzawy joins Sophia to discuss the current state and future of great power competition in the region.

Link Copied
By Sophia Besch and Amr Hamzawy
Published on Sep 12, 2024

Subscribe on

YoutubeSpotifyApple PodcastsOvercastPlayer FM

The Middle East and North Africa region is witnessing a fierce competition among the world’s current “great powers”—the U.S., Russia, and China. These three countries are all seeking to extend their influence in this region. But the ways they're engaging—with varying degrees of success—are as complex as the region itself.

This week on the show, Sophia digs into the data with Amr Hamzawy, a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. Trade and foreign direct investment, arms exports and military deployments –  they all tell a story of shifting alliances, economic competition, and strategic maneuvering, and they raise important questions about how the US, China and Russia are shaping the future of the region.

Is American dominance in the region fading? What do Chinese and Russian spheres of influence look like? And how are the countries of the Middle East and North Africa navigating the complex web of great power competition?

Hosted by

Sophia Besch
Senior Fellow, Europe Program
Sophia Besch

Featuring

Amr Hamzawy
Director, Middle East Program
Amr Hamzawy

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.

More Work from The World Unpacked

  • Elon Musk
    Podcast Episode
    Elon Musk Is Reinventing Capitalism

    On this episode of The World Unpacked, authors Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff explore Musk’s historical meaning and debate the politics of technocracy with host Jon Bateman.

      • Jon Bateman

      Jon Bateman, Ben Tarnoff, Quinn Slobodian

  • Podcast Episode
    Why Orbán Lost and What Happens Next

    Tom Carothers, a top democracy scholar with deep ties in Hungary, joins Jon Bateman on a special episode of The World Unpacked.  

      • Jon Bateman

      Jon Bateman, Thomas Carothers

  • Podcast Episode
    Inside the Hidden World of Think Tanks

    Tino Cuellar is president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a premiere foreign policy think tank. He joins host Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to pull back the curtain on this hidden world.

      • Jon Bateman

      Jon Bateman, Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar

  • Ali Wyne
    Podcast Episode
    What Trump Really Wants From China

    Ali Wyne joins Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explain why Beijing hasn’t saved Iran; what Washington’s bipartisan “consensus” on China still misses; and how Trump should negotiate when he finally sits down with Xi Jinping. 

      • Jon Bateman

      Jon Bateman, Ali Wyne

  • Podcast Episode
    Inside the Pentagon’s AI War Machine

    In this episode of The World Unpacked, Katrina tells host Jon Bateman about the creation of America’s AI war machine, the rise of Palantir, and the fully autonomous weapons already being tested.

      • Jon Bateman
      • Katrina Manson

      Jon Bateman, Katrina Manson

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.