The thesis investigated if the Chinese Belt Road Initiative has brought changes in trade and investment to the economies of Saudi Arabia and Iran. Quantitative data was collected from a myriad of...Show moreThe thesis investigated if the Chinese Belt Road Initiative has brought changes in trade and investment to the economies of Saudi Arabia and Iran. Quantitative data was collected from a myriad of resources to compare the levels of trade and investment between 2010-2018. Overall, BRI has not brought changes to the economies as world affairs are a much stronger force that affect the countries and their ability to grow and develop.Show less
Due to their geographic proximity, the Gulf and the Horn of Africa share a long history of economic, political and cultural ties. Recent years, however, have seen an unprecedented increase in the...Show moreDue to their geographic proximity, the Gulf and the Horn of Africa share a long history of economic, political and cultural ties. Recent years, however, have seen an unprecedented increase in the presence of Gulf actors in the Horn, accelerated by the Gulf-internal rivalry between Qatar on one side and the remaining members of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the other. With the help of the theoretical framework of Regional Security Complexes and the Spillover Effect, as well as process tracing methods, two country case studies examine how Gulf engagement, in particular the rivalry between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, further destabilizes an already fragile region: In Somalia, the tensions between core and periphery have been exacerbated as a result of Qatar backing the central government in Mogadishu and the UAE supporting the federal states. In Sudan, the complicated transition process is prolonged as a result of Gulf powers pursuing opposing agendas in the post-Bashir political environment.Show less
This thesis unpacks the Obama Administration foreign policy strategy towards Iran and the events that led to the Nuclear Deal with the Islamic Republic in 2015. The analysis is carried out through...Show moreThis thesis unpacks the Obama Administration foreign policy strategy towards Iran and the events that led to the Nuclear Deal with the Islamic Republic in 2015. The analysis is carried out through two different levels: the regional and the global one, ultimately arguing that the rise of China in the International Arena together with Obama's strategy towards the Middle East had a fundamental role in the creation of the Nuclear Deal with Iran.Show less
This thesis analyzes China’s mediation efforts in the Yemeni conflict, and in particular the rationales behind Beijing’s approach. The analysis addresses the following question: how do China’s...Show moreThis thesis analyzes China’s mediation efforts in the Yemeni conflict, and in particular the rationales behind Beijing’s approach. The analysis addresses the following question: how do China’s geoeconomic and geopolitical interests influence its approach to mediation efforts in Yemen? This question is tackled from two distinct but interrelated standpoints: from a geoeconomic perspective, the focus is on China’s interest in the shipping lines running through the Bab al-Mandeb strait; from a geopolitical perspective, the emphasis is on Beijing’s interest in balancing between Saudi Arabia an Iran when getting involved in the Yemeni conflict. The thesis relies on both qualitative and quantitative data, which is analyzed through the tool of process tracing. The analysis reveals that both geoeconomic and geopolitical interests have played a significant role in shaping China’s mediation efforts. Drawing on theoretical insights concerning the relation between geoeconomic and geopolitics, this thesis argues that geoeconomic interests should be considered as a major determinant of China’s mediation approach, due to the fact that geoeconomic interests are important determinants of geopolitical ones. An in-depth understanding of the rationales behind China’s mediation efforts in Yemen bears significance for broader debates on China’s increasing presence in the Middle East, especially in the times of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Asian Century is set to begin, and a thorough understanding of the rationales behind China’s policies would be a welcome development for academics and policymakers alike. Show less
This thesis explores how the dynamics of Spanish-Moroccan relations are playing themselves out at the level of the subject in the Ceuta and Melilla border fences. These dynamics are studied through...Show moreThis thesis explores how the dynamics of Spanish-Moroccan relations are playing themselves out at the level of the subject in the Ceuta and Melilla border fences. These dynamics are studied through the irregular trade happening at the border and the women who engage in it, the porteadoras. To answer this question, I draw on the Foucauldian concepts of (international) biopolitics and docile bodies. These concepts facilitate an exploration of the border dynamics produced by its international biopolitics and the power-relations marked by gender and economic factors are influencing and shaping the lives of the Moroccan porteadoras. I argue that the biopolitics of the border work on those who from the inside have put into place a legislation system to economically benefit the enclaves and the bordering provinces. In these dynamics of power and economy, the bodies of the porteadoras become to an extent “docile” due to the mechanism of the biopolitical border alongside their condition as women and their lack of economic resources.Show less
This thesis examines the case of the Islamist party the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which has significantly resurged in the aftermath of the...Show moreThis thesis examines the case of the Islamist party the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which has significantly resurged in the aftermath of the January 25 Revolution, and their efforts in the process of addressing the human rights conditions in Egypt. Eventually, the aim of this research is to assess whether the resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the form of a political party, the FJP, democratically elected by the majority of the Egyptian people, after the 25 January Revolution has resulted in adequate changes to one of the main objectives of the Arab Spring, and ultimately, of the Revolution. The following research question has thus been formulated: To which extent has the Muslim Brotherhood addressed the human rights conditions in Egypt in the aftermath of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution? The human rights that this thesis wil specifically regard in this context are the right to freedom of thought, consciousness, and religion and women’s rights.Show less
An analysis on China's ambiguous stance on the Syrian conflict and the subsequent issues arising from it. China has over the years developed a foreign policy that deflects from its initial non...Show moreAn analysis on China's ambiguous stance on the Syrian conflict and the subsequent issues arising from it. China has over the years developed a foreign policy that deflects from its initial non-intervention motto to a more decisive role in global and regional politics. Despite reaffirming its commitment to non-interventionism, its stance and support towards Russia and the Assad's regime amidst the Syrian conflict, raises questions on whether or not China is abiding by its own rules. This thesis looks at this particular change in behaviour with the following research question: to what extent is it possible to consider China's involvement in the Syrian conflict as intervention? Firstly, this thesis seeks to analyse China's stance by looking at the use of its veto power at the United Nations Security Council, which seeks to implement resolutions aimed at sanctioning Assad's regime, offering thus its unwavering support to both Russia and Syria. Secondly, it asserts whether China's has indeed been involved military in the conflict through the transfer of arms from China to the Middle East, in particular Syria and Iran.Show less
