MIDDLE EASTERN ALLIANCES IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD: STRATEGIC HEDGING AND MULTI-ALIGNMENT

Abstract

The erosion of unipolar dominance by America has transformed the way Middle Eastern countries secure themselves. Instead of tying up their security interests exclusively with one patron, many states from this region have decided to diversify their relationships among the United States, China, Russia, and among each other. In this paper, this change in Middle East is analyzed using the theoretical lens of strategic hedging and multi-alignments. For this purpose, a qualitative comparative case study research methodology with process tracing is employed on five cases. According to the study, hedging in the area is neither uniform nor merely opportunist in nature; rather, it is dependent on perceptions of patron dependability, regime security concerns, regional rivalry structures, and the extent to which great powers provide substitutes in terms of arms, technologies, and diplomacy. The study asserts that the consequences of multi-alignment include autonomy benefits in the short term and system-level problems in the long run, which include fragmentation of interoperability capabilities, difficulties in technology transfer, and lack of collective defense effectiveness.