The Middle Eastern Security Governance in the Era of Great Power Competition

This special issue aims to probe the origins, dynamics, features, and prospects of Middle Eastern security issues. Since the end of the Second World War, the Middle East has remained the epicentre of armed conflicts, such as the five Arab-Israeli wars (from 1948-1982), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War in 1991, the Iraq War in 2003, the Libya War and the Yemeni civil war in 2011. Besides, the region is the hotbed of terrorism, separatism, radicalism, and ethnic hostility.

Great power competition is interwoven with the Middle Eastern security affairs. Wars launched by outside powers in the name of “humanitarian intervention” and the “responsibility to protect” have not only worsened local disputes but also deteriorated the Middle East conflicts; the Greater Middle East Initiative launched by the US government after the “911” terrorist attacks has further escalated the regional chaos.

In 2022, China put forward the “Global Security Initiative” aiming to put forward the China-styled peace proposals for the Middle East conflict resolution. In March 2023, Beijing mediated between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which facilitated a wave of reconciliation in the Middle East; however, in October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, and the two sides have engaged in a new round of conflicts, which has caused a serious humanitarian crisis and the conflicts have spilled over to Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.

Why has the Middle East witnessed prolonged wars and conflicts? What are the solutions to the security challenges? The international community has offered a variety of peace proposals for the Middle East conflict resolutions, such as “peace through strengths,” “peace through democracy,” and “peace through development,” etc. However, scholarly research on Middle Eastern security governance is scant; more in-depth theoretical and empirical studies are crucial to bringing the Middle East to the track of security reconciliation and economic prosperity.

The special issue includes, but is not limited to:

• The origins, dynamics, and features of Middle Eastern terrorism.

• Separatism, sectarian conflicts, and outside powers’ military intervention in the Middle Eastern conflicts.

• The economic, cultural, and psychological causes of the Middle East conflicts.

• Nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear security in the Middle East.

• Arms sales and great power rivalries in the Middle East.

• Artificial intelligence and the Middle East conflicts.

• Non-traditional security in the Middle East.

• The cross-border scramble for natural resources and security governance.

• The peace proposals for the Middle East conflict resolutions.

• Inter-state wars and civil wars in the Middle East and their new trends.

Thus, the Middle East security governance is an interdisciplinary theme, ranging from politics, military, economy, sociology, psychology, religion, etc. We welcome diverse theoretical approaches, interdisciplinary methodological insights, and comparative perspectives that enhance scholarship on this critical topic. Given the prevailing emphasis on great power rivalries in the Middle East, a holistic approach is also welcomed.

Submission deadline: 31st December 2024

Anticipated publication date: March 2025