Foreign Affairs: The Next Arab Uprising

The Arab Spring uprisings, the low price of oil and the disregard for human rights as displayed by the murder of a journalist in a Saudi diplomatic consulate – ordered by the Saudi crown prince, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency – is prompting nations and businesses around the globe to reassess stability of the Middle East. Likewise, citizens living in the region under authoritarian rulers assess their own circumstances. “Throughout the Middle East, governments have used oil resources to fund stable jobs, education, and health care, and in return, leaders have received political submission,” writes Marwan Muasher for Foreign Affairs. “But as oil prices have remained low and the region’s demographics have shifted, that basic tradeoff has begun to seem unsustainable.” Social unrest and trouble relationships with the rest of the world are inevitable if governments do not pursue political and economic reforms that increase accountability and efficiency while reducing corruption. – YaleGlobal