We were happy to ‘sit’ with the Talking Africa podcastfor a conversation about the economic situation in North Africa, the COVID-19 response of regional countries, debt relief on the continent, among other topics.
IN ADDITION, view the recorded conversation we led over at Chatham House, with David Butter, about his latest policy brief on Egypt and the Gulf: Allies and Rivals.
đ Paper Launch – Egypt and the Gulf: Allies and Rivalsđ Thursday 23 April 2020â° 13:00 – 14:00 BSTEgypt and the Gulf Arab region have long been important poles of political, military, economic and cultural power and influence in the Middle East. A recently published Chatham House paper, examines the strategic and economic relationship between Egypt and the Gulf focusing in particular on the period since Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi came to power in Egypt. Author David Butter offers a detailed evaluation of these economic relationships, in the broader context of a strategic alliance that, since 2013, has been informed by a common commitment between Egypt and the UAE in particular to keep in check the Muslim Brotherhood and its regional state supporters, primarily Turkey and Qatar.In this webinar, the author will discuss the paperâs main argument, namely, that the degree of Egyptâs dependence on Gulf countries has fluctuated, and that by 2019, Egyptâs direct financial dependence on the Gulf was significantly reduced by comparison with the initial three years of the Sisi era, although other economic linkages such as investment, trade, remittances and tourism remained strong, with potential for growth. The speaker will also discuss the impact of the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on Egyptâs and Gulf countriesâ economies and will explore the implications for the relationship between Egypt and the Gulf.Speaker: David Butter, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham HouseModerator: Mohamed El Dahshan, Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
