Faisal J. Abbas
I hate to sound pessimistic, but the Arab world’s increasingly disastrous status leaves very little room for positivity. After all, what else can be said of the devastating wars tearing apart Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, a humiliating occupation in Palestine, severe divisions and intense corruption and unrest in Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan?
Obviously, such a situation does not come without its own aftermath; the catastrophe in Syria alone has produced 12 million refugees who – let’s admit it – are unlikely to ever stand a chance of going back home in the near future. (According to former UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, a displaced person will remain displaced for 17 years on average.)
On top of this, the sharp decline in oil prices has resulted in the introduction of austerity measures and subsidies being cut in the wealthier, more stable Gulf countries. While most GCC states are still in a relatively good situation, thanks to numerous foreign investments, economic diversification and massive reserves put aside when oil prices were at their peak, many are – for the first time – having to deal with new realities, such as unsubsidized petrol and meat prices.
Furthermore, the region is also plagued with high illiteracy and unemployment rates mainly due to decades of corruption and bad governance.
Then you have the issue of terrorism and violent extremism (which naturally flourishes in turbulent environments, such as the ones described above). Albeit a global phenomenon, our region has been suffering the most and in recent years, we have been faced by a new reality on the ground: a “wannabe” state on our borders founded by Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS).
Established on occupied land in Syria and Iraq, Daesh almost has all the vital signs of a real country; its own army, currency, laws and propaganda machine and is somehow able to sell oil (from fields it took by force) and buy weapons.
Obviously, whatever perks Daesh enjoys today are a natural outcome of a global failure in dealing with its threats and causes (mainly the tyranny of the Assad regime). At the core of this international failure is a reclusive and noninterventionist US foreign policy seen since the Obama administration took office in 2009.
Needless to say, the vacuum left by America was quickly filled by Iran (which now boasts the occupation of four Arab capitals) and, more recently, by Russia which is now enjoying its biggest ever presence in the Arab world since President Sadat of Egypt expelled the Soviet military advisors in 1972.
A beacon of hope
So is it a hopeless case for the Arab world? Not really. Modern history has seen many successful resurgences; Japan, South Korea and the BRICS are good examples of what can be achieved in just a matter of decades.
However, in all of the above cases, there were several similarities which identified the road to success, mainly: 1) A clear definition of the problems that needed to be addressed and 2) leaders who were determined to do whatever it took to overcome these problems.
As such, our region could arguably deal with many of its issues if these two conditions for success were met, and last week, Dubai witnessed a major announcement which may very well be the first step on a long road to recovery for the whole region.
Aiming to help nearly 130 million people by 2025, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Global Initiatives was unveiled by HH Sheikh Mohammed in an attempt to bring together the work of 28 organizations under one umbrella, as well as to coordinate the efforts of 1,400 human development programs in more than 116 countries.
What is definitely noteworthy are the four areas the new foundation chose to focus on: Fighting poverty, dissemination of knowledge, community empowerment and innovation for the future.
Once the combined targets are met, the four pillars which comprise Sheikh Mohammad’s plan can form a long-term regional remedy and a road map to pan-Arab prosperity, and not just serve as a pacifier to help overcome current woes.
Also noteworthy is the emphasis on the Arab world, a matter which was further confirmed in a statement by UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Al-Gergawi.
"The circumstances which the (Arab) region is going through call for immediate action, albeit our direction will always be that we will always aim to help people of all races and all religions without any discrimination," Gergawi said.
Already lagging behind in many key areas, the bulk of the Arab world is in desperate need for development and a “Marshall Plan” to bring it back to its feet.
Again, while hoping not to sound pessimistic, one must emphasize that Sheikh Mohammad’s initiative may very well be the region’s last chance to catch up with the rest of the world and safeguard a better future for the generations to come.
However, for Sheikh Mohammed’s “Marshall Plan” to work, benefiting nations and people must acknowledge their problems and commit to doing what it takes to help resolve them. As such, shameful malpractices - such as stealing from foreign aid intended to help refugees - must stop.
For his part, Sheikh Mohammed acknowledges that this is not going to be an easy task, nevertheless he seems ready and excited to accept the challenge.
“The mission is big… but the determination is bigger,” he said at the conclusion of last week’s announcement.
Interestingly, it seems to me that I was destined to be the first beneficiary of this new initiative. I say this because a quote by Mohammed Bin Rashid is one of the few ways one can end a column about the Arab world on a positive note! — Al-Arabiya
Faisal J. Abbas is the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arabiya English. Follow him on Twitter: @FaisalJAbbas
