The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring

After being called ‘Hollywood of the East’, Egypt’s soft power has witnessed a decline from the start of the years 2000s; due to 9/11/2001 and its aftermath, until it reached its lowest point since the Arab Spring in 2011. The deterioration hit its media sector, arts industry, sports and diplomacy....

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Main Author: Aida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LLC "CPC "Business Perspectives" 2016-08-01
Series:Geopolitics under Globalization
Subjects:
Online Access:https://businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/9443/GG_2017_01_Rehim.pdf
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author Aida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim
author_facet Aida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim
author_sort Aida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim
collection DOAJ
description After being called ‘Hollywood of the East’, Egypt’s soft power has witnessed a decline from the start of the years 2000s; due to 9/11/2001 and its aftermath, until it reached its lowest point since the Arab Spring in 2011. The deterioration hit its media sector, arts industry, sports and diplomacy. However, since 2014 a revival for one of its soft power capabilities happened. Its diplomacy. Diplomacy is on the rise and has some potential to restore Egypt’s status as ‘an active’ regional player. To illustrate that Egypt is now a temporary Security Council member in the United Nations for two years. This status earned after a lot of recommendation from Arab, African and Islamic blocks in the Security Council. To win this seat it required a lot of diplomatic efforts and lobbying which were successful at the end after being absent from non-permanent membership in UNSC since 1997. The first signs of decline in its diplomatic power started in 2006. This was due to USA’s neglect for Egypt and putting a lot of pressure on it from Bush junior’s Administration to comply with US values and interests in the region. This has been accentuated in the Bush Doctrine and was a natural outcome of September 11 attacks in 2001. The argument in here is that despite the decline in Egyptian status on all levels, and its soft power among them, due to turmoil resulting from the Arab Spring yet Egypt still has potential for revival and gaining a leading role due to its soft power. This study will be based on qualitative analysis to prove the argument. A diplomat and an academic have been interviewed to further illustrate the ideas expressed in this article. There are a number of issues that show success in Egypt’s diplomacy to prove this argument since 2014.
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spelling doaj.art-2402315fc2e14ac0a15ed63b4477451b2022-12-21T20:55:25ZengLLC "CPC "Business Perspectives"Geopolitics under Globalization2543-54932543-98202016-08-0111121610.21511/gg.01(1).2017.029443The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab SpringAida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim0Ph.D. Student, Politics Department, University of Dundee, UK; Assistant Lecturer, Political Science Department, British University in Egypt, EgyptAfter being called ‘Hollywood of the East’, Egypt’s soft power has witnessed a decline from the start of the years 2000s; due to 9/11/2001 and its aftermath, until it reached its lowest point since the Arab Spring in 2011. The deterioration hit its media sector, arts industry, sports and diplomacy. However, since 2014 a revival for one of its soft power capabilities happened. Its diplomacy. Diplomacy is on the rise and has some potential to restore Egypt’s status as ‘an active’ regional player. To illustrate that Egypt is now a temporary Security Council member in the United Nations for two years. This status earned after a lot of recommendation from Arab, African and Islamic blocks in the Security Council. To win this seat it required a lot of diplomatic efforts and lobbying which were successful at the end after being absent from non-permanent membership in UNSC since 1997. The first signs of decline in its diplomatic power started in 2006. This was due to USA’s neglect for Egypt and putting a lot of pressure on it from Bush junior’s Administration to comply with US values and interests in the region. This has been accentuated in the Bush Doctrine and was a natural outcome of September 11 attacks in 2001. The argument in here is that despite the decline in Egyptian status on all levels, and its soft power among them, due to turmoil resulting from the Arab Spring yet Egypt still has potential for revival and gaining a leading role due to its soft power. This study will be based on qualitative analysis to prove the argument. A diplomat and an academic have been interviewed to further illustrate the ideas expressed in this article. There are a number of issues that show success in Egypt’s diplomacy to prove this argument since 2014.https://businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/9443/GG_2017_01_Rehim.pdfArab SpringdiplomacyEgyptsoft power
spellingShingle Aida M. Yehia Abd El Rehim
The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
Geopolitics under Globalization
Arab Spring
diplomacy
Egypt
soft power
title The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
title_full The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
title_fullStr The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
title_full_unstemmed The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
title_short The potential of Egypt’s soft power post Arab Spring
title_sort potential of egypt s soft power post arab spring
topic Arab Spring
diplomacy
Egypt
soft power
url https://businessperspectives.org/images/pdf/applications/publishing/templates/article/assets/9443/GG_2017_01_Rehim.pdf
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