Speaking at a community lecture hosted by the Liberal Arts program, Khaled Almezaini, associate professor of politics and international relations at Zayed University, examined the politics of foreign aid in the Middle East and how Gulf countries use aid as an instrument to shape the region’s geopolitics.
Almezaini, who is teaching at Northwestern Qatar this semester, drew from his research on the region to explain how humanitarian aid is perceived as a fundamental dimension in understanding the politics and development of the region. “We need to understand humanitarian aid beyond being a mere moral obligation,” said Almezaini, “It is an instrument that donor countries use to influence the politics of the recipient countries.”
While humanitarian aid in the region was historically driven by Islamic traditions and regional identities, Almezaini noted that these factors no longer influence regional foreign policies. He further explained that the politicization of aid began with the emergence of Gulf donors as active and influential players on a regional level.
Almezaini, who is teaching at Northwestern Qatar this semester, drew from his research on the region to explain how humanitarian aid is perceived as a fundamental dimension in understanding the politics and development of the region. “We need to understand humanitarian aid beyond being a mere moral obligation,” said Almezaini, “It is an instrument that donor countries use to influence the politics of the recipient countries.”
While humanitarian aid in the region was historically driven by Islamic traditions and regional identities, Almezaini noted that these factors no longer influence regional foreign policies. He further explained that the politicization of aid began with the emergence of Gulf donors as active and influential players on a regional level.
“We need to understand humanitarian aid beyond being a mere moral obligation; It is an instrument that donor countries use to influence the politics of the recipient countries”
- Khaled Almezaini, associate professor of politics and international relations at Zayed University
In explaining the allocation and orientation of aid in the region, Almezaini said that “aid recipients who are considered politically important for Gulf donors tend to receive more aid than those of less importance.” He pointed to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates’ aid to Syria and Yemen as examples of how Gulf countries have allocated aid in the years following the 2011 uprisings in efforts to advance their geopolitical interests.
Another factor influencing the volume and the geographical distribution of aid in the region, says Almezaini, is Gulf donors’ preference to channel aid bilaterally. As opposed to the multilateral aid given by international organizations, Almezaini noted that “bilateral aid puts more pressure on aid recipients to conform with some of the Gulf donors’ political or economic conditions.”
Despite the increase in the aid provisions granted to Middle Eastern counties in the past two decades, Almezaini said that corruption in the recipient countries hinders their ability to use the funds for development. He pointed to donor countries’ bilateral aid and lack of transparency as other causes of donation ineffectiveness, arguing that multilateral aid has been effective in monitoring progress and ensuring development.
Another factor influencing the volume and the geographical distribution of aid in the region, says Almezaini, is Gulf donors’ preference to channel aid bilaterally. As opposed to the multilateral aid given by international organizations, Almezaini noted that “bilateral aid puts more pressure on aid recipients to conform with some of the Gulf donors’ political or economic conditions.”
Despite the increase in the aid provisions granted to Middle Eastern counties in the past two decades, Almezaini said that corruption in the recipient countries hinders their ability to use the funds for development. He pointed to donor countries’ bilateral aid and lack of transparency as other causes of donation ineffectiveness, arguing that multilateral aid has been effective in monitoring progress and ensuring development.
