CAIRO, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Reconciliation and cooperation, disasters and conflicts, growth and recession ......The Middle East in 2023 presents a complex picture, reflecting the coexistence of hope and challenges, vitality and hardship in the region.
The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has led to regional reconciliation.
In 2023, reconciliation and cooperation are the prominent features of the situation in the Middle East, indicating that the countries of the Middle East are becoming more and more autonomous.
In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic relations after seven years of diplomatic ties, brokered by China. The resumption of diplomatic relations with the old enemy in the Middle East shocked the world. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have since warmed up, with the two sides reopening embassies and consulates, and Iran** Raisi also went to Riyadh to participate in the special summit of Arab-Islamic leaders on November 11, which was Iran's first visit to Saudi Arabia since 2012.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Al-Faisal (right) and Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian attend a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 17, 2023. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Haizhou.
Middle Eastern countries made a series of progress in the regional reconciliation process in 2023: Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed their first free trade agreement with an Arab country;Turkey and Egypt have sent ministerial-level visits for the first time in many yearsQatar announced the resumption of formal diplomatic relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates;Syria's membership in the League of Arab States (LAS), which had been suspended for more than a decade, was reinstated. At the 32nd Arab League summit, which focused on reconciliation and unity, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman stressed in his speech that peace, unity, cooperation and building are in the interests of the Arab peoples, and that "we will not allow the region to become a conflict zone."
In 2023, the role of Middle Eastern countries in international and regional multilateral organizations and cooperation mechanisms has been strengthened. Iran officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran were invited to join the BRICS cooperation mechanism.
Zou Zhiqiang, a scholar at the Center for Middle East Studies at Fudan University, believes that the situation in the Middle East will show an unprecedented momentum of relaxation in 2023. Although the Middle East reconciliation process has been suspended due to the outbreak of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it will not stop forever, and the trend of overall relaxation and local turmoil will not fundamentally change.
Conflict disasters have serious consequences.
In 2023, a number of serious natural disasters and armed conflicts occurred in the Middle East, which seriously affected regional stability and development prospects.
On February 6, more than 50,000 people were killed, millions were left homeless, and the damage in Turkey alone amounted to about $100 billion. On September 8, a strong ** outbreak in Morocco killed more than 2,900 people and injured more than 5,000. The two major disasters have caused huge losses of people and property, and the post-disaster reconstruction is still continuing, and many people have not been able to return to their homes.
Armed conflict has cast a shadow over the Middle East in 2023. On 15 April, heavy clashes erupted in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, with an exchange of fire between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which continues to this day. On 7 October, a large-scale armed conflict broke out between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has caused a huge number of human lives**. The Palestinian-Israeli issue has once again become the focus of great attention of the international community. The new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict has brought about a sudden change in the regional situation and disrupted the reconciliation process between Israel and other Arab countries, Turkey, and other countries.
Smoke rises from a bombing site in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on December 9, 2023. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Rizek Abduljawad).
In addition, the Middle East is still plagued by destabilizing factors such as the Iranian nuclear issue, the civil war in Yemen, the border conflict between Lebanon and Syria, and Turkey's cross-border attack on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) forces.
The economic development of many countries is in a slump.
In 2023, affected by multiple internal and external factors, except for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, many countries in the Middle East will experience sluggish economic growth and sluggishness.
Recently, the world's largest single photovoltaic power station, Eldafra photovoltaic power station, was completed in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The plant will generate enough electricity to sustain 200,000 homes annually and will reduce CO2 emissions by 2.4 million metric tons. This project once again demonstrates the UAE's determination to achieve energy diversification and green development in the Gulf country, which is rich in oil and gas resources.
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to wean itself off oil revenues and diversify its growth, is gradually moving from blueprint to reality. According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund, Saudi Arabia is currently in a period of strong economic growth and is in a sound fiscal position.
At the same time, other countries in the region, such as Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, have suffered from sharp currency depreciation, high inflation, and surging unemployment. The currencies of Middle Eastern countries such as the Lebanese pound, the Egyptian pound and the Turkish lira have repeatedly hit new lows against the US dollar. In addition, the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict has dealt a heavy blow to the economies of both sides, and at the same time has worsened the economic woes of neighboring countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran.
Growth in West Asia and North Africa is expected to slow sharply in 2023, from 6% in 2022 to 1.2023, according to the World Bank** data released in October9% or so.
Zhao Jun, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle East Studies at Shanghai Foreign Chinese University, believes that the economic downturn in many countries in the Middle East may be difficult to reverse in a short period of time due to factors such as oil production cuts due to low oil prices, tight global financial conditions, continued interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, and the continued lack of local turmoil in the region. (Reporter: Chen Mengyang).