EVALUATING IRAN-SAUDI STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN MIDDLE EAST: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

The strategic competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not circumscribed to
ideological divergences rather imbibed in multiple factors, steming from economic, political
and social paradoxes. Middle East is witnessing a new Cold War which involves transnational nexus, proxy wars and non-state actors striving to weaken state authority. The insecurity
dilemma to keep domestic regimes intact instigates the states to proliferate their ideologies
and expand their allies within the region so that a balance of power could be achieved. The
struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia has become worse since the wave of Arab Spring had
shattered the Middle Eastern region. The ideological synchronized countries are dissected
into two blocs, one led by Iran which is Shia dominated state and the other have patronage of
Sunni dominated Saudi Arabia. The long term power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia
to balance out the influence of their respective ideologies makes them involve in proxies wars
which are counterproductive and devastating for the regional stability. The peace in the
Middle Eastern region would prevail by taking the security dynamics earnestly by all the
actors despite having ideological divergences and strategic competition. After all, the regions
are connected and security has spillover effects. This paper underscores the strategic
competition between the two traditional ideologically confronted states and underline the
question of likely implications for Middle East.