From detente to containment: the emergence of Iran's new Saudi strategy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Ahmadian ◽  
Payam Mohseni
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Decision Making Factors ◽  
Containment Strategy ◽  
The Persian Gulf

Abstract Iran's strategy with respect to Saudi Arabia is a key factor in the complex balance of power of the Middle East as the Iranian–Saudi rivalry impacts the dynamics of peace and conflict across the region from Yemen to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Bahrain. What is Iranian strategic thinking on Saudi Arabia? And what have been the key factors driving the evolution of Iranian strategy towards the Kingdom? In what marks a substantive shift from its previous detente policy, we argue that Tehran has developed a new containment strategy in response to the perceived threat posed by an increasingly prox-active Saudi Arabia in the post-Arab Spring period. Incorporating rich fieldwork and interviews in the Middle East, this article delineates the theoretical contours of Iranian containment and contextualizes it within the framework of the Persian Gulf security architecture, demonstrating how rational geopolitical decision-making factors based on a containment strategy, rather than the primacy of sectarianism or domestic political orientations, shape Iran's Saudi strategy. Accordingly, the article traces Iranian strategic decision-making towards the Kingdom since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and examines three cases of Iran's current use of containment against Saudi Arabia in Syria, Yemen and Qatar.

scholarly journals Iran-Saudi Relations: From Rivalry to Nowhere

2018 ◽  
Vol III (IV) ◽  
pp. 49-67
Author(s):  
Fozia ◽  
Lubna Abid Ali
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Regional Policy ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Islamic Revolution ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Entire Region ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Persian Gulf

Iran and Saudi Arabia are the two main powers of the Middle East. Since Islamic revolution (1979) the competition for power, security and regional dominance has resulted in proxy wars in the region, especially, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Saudi and Iranian rivalry revolves around some key issues such as; their contradictory ideologies (Sunni vs Shiite) PanArab issues like Palestine issue, Saudi inclination towards West, their contradictory policies about energy and desire to become dominant power of entire region. Iran's wants regional hegemony, rolling back US influence in the Middle East, empowerment of Shiite in the Middle East through sectarianism. Sectarianism has always been a major focus in the Persian Gulf and beyond for the Iranian regional policy formulation. Peace and stability in Middle East would not be possible till Riyadh and Tehran end rivalry.

Decision-making in the management of property investment by Australian superannuation funds

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Hutcheson ◽  
Graeme Newell
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Investment Portfolio ◽  
Analytical Hierarchical Process ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Decision Making Factors ◽  
Asset Classes

Decision-making in property investment by superannuation funds is an important investment decision, but it is different to their decision-making on other asset classes included in their asset portfolios. The large value and heterogeneous nature of individual pieces of real estate make the market for real estate relatively illiquid and subject to larger transaction costs than other asset classes. Based on interview surveys of Australian superannuation funds, using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP), we identified strategic decision-making as being the most important factor used by the superannuation funds when making decisions on the management of their property investment portfolio. Comments during the interviews indicated that their decisions were influenced by restrictions in their fund’s investment mandate and the level of funds that they had to invest. The AHP technique has allowed this research to provide a more in-depth understanding of the management of decision-making factors than previous surveys.

3 Minority Identities in the Middle East: Ethno-national and Other Minorities

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Castellino Joshua ◽  
Cavanaugh Kathleen A
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Economic Decision ◽  
National Minorities ◽  
Economic Decision Making ◽  
Israeli Arabs ◽  
Religion And Ethnicity

Although religion and ethnicity are the primary categories under which we examine minority communities, this chapter adds three additional categories: majoritarian minorities, political minorities, and trapped minorities. Majoritarian majorities are those who are numerically larger but excluded from sites of power, e.g. the Shi?a in Bahrain. Relative size distinguishes what we refer to as political minorities. Like ‘majoritarian’ groups, political minorities are excluded from power but are also a minority in terms of relative numbers; these include Shi?a in Saudi Arabia and Sunnis in Iran. ‘Trapped’ minorities, distinct from ethno-national minorities, are defined as a segment from a larger group spread across two or more states and marginalized, or as we discuss in the case of Palestinian-Israelis, doubly marginalized, subject to hegemonic control by others within these states and, as such, excluded from access to sociopolitical and economic decision-making institutions. In addition to Israeli Arabs, we include Palestinians, Baluchis, and Kurds in this category.

scholarly journals Conflicts in the Middle East: prospects for escalation in the context of general regional instability in the 2020s

2021 ◽  
pp. 120-132
Author(s):  
A. Malashenko
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
The United States ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Significant Extent ◽  
Gulf States ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
The Arab Spring ◽  
Made In

The article analyses Middle Eastern conflicts in the early 2020s. The main focus is on the situation in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, three Middle Eastern conflicts that are progressing, with no solution in sight. These conflicts motivated by social, economic and political reasons became a progression of those protests that have started in 2011 and have been called “The Arab Spring”. These “revolutions” have been promoted by Islamist movements and groups whose activity became one of key factors of perpetual tensions in the region. So far, attempts by conflict parties to find consensual solutions have remained rather unsuccessful. Positive resolution of actual and potential conflicts in the Greater Middle East to a significant extent still depends on external regional and non-regional actors, such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. However, each actor involved in these conflicts and in conflict management pursues its own goals. These actors try to retain their positions and influence in these Middle Eastern countries and in the region as a whole. According to the forecast made in the article, more conflicts in the region may be foreseen (in Iraq, the Persian Gulf states etc.) that could form the next wave of the “Arab Spring”.

UAE will pursue foreign activism despite rising risks

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Humanitarian Intervention ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Abu Dhabi ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Standing ◽  
Roll Back

Significance UAE forces were vital to the coalition's taking of Aden and southern Yemen from Huthi control in July. The UAE's strong military commitment to the Saudi-led drive to roll back the Huthis is part of the Gulf state's more assertive and interventionist policy as it seeks to contain Iranian and Islamist influence in the post-2011 Middle East. However, greater interventionism brings with it significant risks for the UAE, particularly for its military capabilities, international standing and political stability. Impacts The UAE's strong record on external humanitarian intervention will facilitate international reconstruction efforts in Yemen. In the longer term, Abu Dhabi will seek a greater decision-making role in internal Yemeni affairs. Relations with Saudi Arabia may face strain if UAE fighting capabilities continues to outshine those of Saudi troops and Yemeni militias. Gulf unity may begin to fray if the Yemen campaign returns to stalemate or coalition casualties mount.

Creating measurement addiction – a tool for better advocacy and improved management

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Chiranov
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
The Right ◽  
Impact Data ◽  
Program Team

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address an important but neglected aspect of evidence-based management, how to apply actionable data to strategic decision making to support the organization in reaching appropriate decisions. This process involves connecting advocacy work with active measures to collect and interpret impact data, which are the real ingredient to help understand the big picture and make advocacy more efficient. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents two complementary models of intervention to better use relevant data to help management decisions, within the program team and beyond the program team. In both cases the paper attempts to identify the key factors in understanding outcome evidence in order to have better communication and help the decision-taking process. Findings – Customizing evaluation results in order to present the information in an accessible form for various stakeholders appears to be a key factor in delivering the right message and having a successful advocacy campaign. Originality/value – This paper reports on two complementary approaches to persuade stakeholders (program managers, or stakeholders external to the program team) to take action based on specific impact or management data delivery. The idea is potentially appropriate for any program, or project, where advocacy processes are needed to determine appropriate actions. Processing and presenting data in an actionable way is a key success factor to determine the expected management decision or successful advocacy step.

scholarly journals The Prospect of the Relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Saudi Arabia: Plausible Scenarios

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Faisal M. Al- Shogairat ◽  
Vladimir Yurtaev
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Islamic Republic ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Islamic Republic Of Iran ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
The Relationship

Islamic republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia are identified as two effective countries in sub-region of the Persian Gulf, that the radius of their influence covers whole great region of the Middle East. The relationship between the two countries have been full of tension during last decade, and during this period changes of political authorities of these countries were not able to improve this relationship. The cause is the resources of foreign policy behavior of the two countries, historical backgrounds of each country, as well as conflict of interest of each in the region of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The most competition atmosphere between the two countries is inside the three climacteric countries of Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Accordingly, the prospect of bilateral relations is a consequence of their behaviors in the region and also their dealings with these three countries. Three scenarios presented regarding the two countries' foreign policy in the region can be discussed: efforts to establish governments, attempts to maintain political structures of collapsing countries, and finally, continuation of current trends that may lead to disintegration of these climacteric countries. By studying these scenarios and drivers, blockers and their wild cards, this paper considers the second scenario best for both countries, which is consistent with their national interests, and with the region’s history and general situation.

Opportunities for the development of a strategic management system for an entrepreneurial conglomerate in modern conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 52-63
Author(s):  
D. V. Firsenko
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Basic System ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Basic Principles

The article examines the priorities and opportunities for the development of the strategic management system of an entrepreneurial conglomerate in modern conditions. Principles are proposed that describe the process of interaction between an entrepreneurial conglomerate and the external environment. The key challenges to the competitiveness of entrepreneurial conglomerates in the digital economy are considered. Shows the basic principles that must comply with the strategic management system. The key factors that led to a significant adjustment of the basic system of strategic decision-making in business conglomerates were identified. The priority directions have been substantiated, in accordance with which it is necessary to develop theoretical proposals and practical tools for strategic management in modern conditions. The importance of setting up relations in accordance with the rules of corporate governance is substantiated. It can become an important element of improving the quality of the strategic management system in the context of globalization. The scenarios for the implementation of the strategic management system under the influence of various factors of globalization are concretized.

The End of the Middle East’s Unipolar Era

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-306
Author(s):  
Seyed Hossein Mousavian ◽  
Salman Ameri
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Middle East ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Security Issues

Abstract This Policy Insight article argues that a growing security partnership between Russia, Iran, China, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria (rictis) will push the Middle East into an era of bipolarity. The paper demonstrates that rictis has significant convergence on regional security issues, and that these interests are distinct from those held by the American Security Camp, a collection of states that include the United States, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates. The paper also argues that rictis has military and energy advantages that allow it to confront the American Camp’s regional dominance. Our analysis demonstrates how rictis might help deter unilateralism and democratize regional decision-making.

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