Interpreting change in the Arab World

This is the introduction to a collection of essays by leading academics offers an alternative approach to the study of today’s Arab states by focusing on their participation in neo-liberal globalization rather than on authoritarianism or Islam. The effects of the restructuring of traditional state power engendered by globalization are analyzed separately, through updated empirical research in the political, economic and security processes of each country considered. Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Saudi Arabia are the case studies selected to represent different paths towards a shared model of “new” Arab state which, far from representing an exceptional case of resilience against global trends, may be seen in many instances as typifying their effects. This book thus offers both an overall conceptualization of change affecting the Arab states, domestically and in their relations with the international system, and a series of in-depth case studies by country and functional areas.