Egyptian Foreign Policy - by Nael Shama (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An account of Egypt's foreign policy decline following the Arab Uprisings - explaining the causes, consequences, and dynamics of this decline. The study draws on a number of regional case studies - such as the erosion of Egypt's interests in the Nile Basin and the Red Sea - to illustrate Egypt's declining diplomatic power along its own borders, and in the wider region. Shama offers a crucial lens into enhancing our understanding of the multiple levels of engagement Egypt has in the Middle East, and the widespread consequences of its decline in influence, while also offering a valuable case study of how declining powers think and act on the international stage"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

An account of Egypt's foreign policy decline following the Arab Uprisings, explaining the causes, consequences, and dynamics of this decline.

Egypt, traditionally an important regional power in the Middle East, has experienced a considerable decline in its national capabilities and regional influence since 2011, which has had significant implications for Egypt's relations with other regional powers.

Here Nael Shama identifies the causes of this decline, which include Egypt's economic downturn, deficiencies of its decision-making structures, and shifting regional power balances. The study draws on a number of regional case studies - such as the erosion of Egypt's interests in the Nile Basin and the Middle East - to illustrate Egypt's declining diplomatic power along its own borders, and in the wider region. Shama offers a crucial lens into enhancing our understanding of the multiple levels of engagement Egypt has in the Middle East, and the widespread consequences of its decline in influence, while also offering a valuable case study of how declining powers think and act on the international stage.

Review Quotes

Nael Shama stands out as one of the most insightful scholars of Egyptian foreign policy. In a field marked by a scarcity of in-depth research, Shama offers an incisive and illuminating analysis of Egypt's regional decline at a time of profound regional transformation. This is an essential contribution for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of regional dynamics in the contemporary Middle East.
May Darwich, Dr, University of Birmingham, UK

Shama provides a long overdue, systematic analysis of Egyptian foreign policy that is skilfully crafted to convince specialist and non-specialist readers alike. Proceeding chronologically as well as thematically, he offers a comprehensive yet nuanced argument to explain the decline of a once rising regional power, drawing on an impressive array of sources in various languages.
Eberhard Kienle, Professor Sciences Po Paris (CNRS), France

This book deals with a pivotal country in a very prominent region, and especially with a recent period that is still very much under-published. It nicely clarifies and links dominant concepts of foreign policy analysis to contemporary events and is nicely-written . A must read.

About the Author

Nael Shama is a political scholar, writer, and essayist who focuses on the international relations of the Middle East. Shama is the author of Egyptian Foreign Policy from Mubarak to Morsi (2013 and 2019), Egypt before Tahrir (2014), The Stagnant River (2016), and The Mirrors of Mirage: Deconstructing Arab Political Consciousness (2024).