8/9/2019 The economic analysis of conflicts in Middle East and
its consequences by Dr. Falloul Moulay El Mehdi
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The economic analysis of conflicts in MiddleEast and its
consequences
Falloul Moulay El Mehdi
“The efforts of men are utilized in two different ways: they are
directed to the production or transformation of economic goods, or
else to theappropriation of goods produced by others” (Vilfredo
Pareto)
1. Introduction
Globally, there is an extension of the war zones. Since the end
of the cold war in 1989, morethan 60 armed conflicts have made
hundreds of thousands of deaths and 17 million ofrefugees. The
Middle East is one of the most volatile areas, where multiple
players compete.Several factors indeed make this region an area
where multiple voltages confront. The MiddleEast is the birthplace
of the three monotheistic religions. If Islam is particularly
dominant, thisregion is a mosaic of religious communities, what
constitutes a risk of major tension betweenthe different countries
of the region or within these countries (civil wars). The Middle
East isalso an essential economic (petroleum) and strategic (area
essential at the junction of threecontinents) issue, which raises
many longings for countries outside. The Middle East was akey issue
of the cold war, each of the two major powers (Soviet Union and
United States)trying to extend and consolidate their interests.
Finally, this region offers various politicalregimes and regional
antagonisms between different local powers were very numerous.
Oneof these key antagonisms was of course the Arab-Israeli conflict
who played a considerableinfluence on the evolution of the region.
And more recently the Arab spring has nurtured veryviolent
civilization conflicts.
Open conflicts are characterized by antagonisms and oppositions
between collective agentsthat can go up to the armed struggle. They
can take an armed form and lead to extrememilitary violence (deadly
conflict ). Internal conflicts, between citizens of the same
nation(civil wars, rebellion), differ from traditionally external
conflicts (international wars. Thereare armed conflicts between
nations, States, human groups. Current infra-State conflicts
areregionalized or globalized, with a strong erosion of the
distinction between the public and theprivate sector, the military
and the civilian, internally and externally.
While armed conflicts have taken the limelight, they are
relatively studied by economists.Several preliminary questions
arise, indeed, about the legitimacy for an economist to
addressconflicts and specificity of conflicts in the countries of
the Middle East.
2. Problem statement
Conflicts and wars are at the heart of political science,
behaviors of power and the desire forpower. They can explained also
by economic issues, economic underdevelopment, by rentiereconomies
and by the rise of a global criminal. But there is a risk to
rationalize the irrational,and reduce the homobellicus to a homo
economicus , or explanation of the wars to economiccauses.More
specifically, the following research questions need to be
addressed: Could we limitMiddle Eastern conflicts to economic
causes?
8/9/2019 The economic analysis of conflicts in Middle East and
its consequences by Dr. Falloul Moulay El Mehdi
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The second question concerns the specificity of the armed
conflicts in Middle Eastercountries. Conflicts of the period of the
cold war, characterized by ideological differences andsupport from
large blocks, have been replaced by the wars of religions and a
clash ofcivilizations, with the withdrawal of the major powers.
In this project we propose to analyze the conflicts in the
region of Middle East based onhistorical facts, economic,
geopolitical and cultural analyses. We will firstly remind
someexplanatory factors of conflict, then will deal with economic
analyses of conflicts, beforestudying their economic consequences
and, finally, we would try propose some guidelines forbetter
prevention and conflict resolution.
3. Objectives
The objective of the current study is to provide a comprehensive
review of literature and
historical facts about the conflicts in the region of Middles
East and outline economicanalyses of conflicts. Particularly, the
study has the following sub-objectives:
1. Provide a comprehensive review of sources and characteristics
of conflicts;2. to analyze the conflicts in the region of Middle
East based on historical facts,
economic, geopolitical and cultural analyses;3. Remind some
explanatory factors of conflict;4. Deal with economic analyses of
conflicts and their economic consequences;5. Propose some
guidelines for better prevention and conflict resolution.
4. Methodology
The primary method of this study is literature review and
conceptual modeling, and then wewould perform various types of
analyses: economical, geopolitical and cultural analyses of
theconflicts of the Middle East. Finally we would perform an
empirical research of theimportance of the economic factor in the
conflicts of the region of Middle East.
5. References
1. Pascal Boniface (sous la dir.), L’Année stratégique 2001 ,
Paris, IRIS, Éditions Michalon,2000. See also SIPRI Yearbook 2000 ,
« Armaments, Disarmament and International Security», Stockholm,
2000.2. Hugon Philippe, « L'économie des conflits en Afrique »,
Revue internationale etstratégique 3/ 2001 (n° 43), p. 152-1693.
Mary Kaldor, New and Old Wars, Oxford, Polity Press, 1999.
4. Claude Serfati, La mondialisation armée. Le déséquilibre de
la terreur , Paris, Textuel, 2001.
