The

economic analysis of conflicts in Middle

East and its consequences
Falloul Moulay El Mehdi
The efforts of men are utilized in two different ways: they are directed to the
production or transformation of economic goods, or else to the
appropriation of goods produced by others (Vilfredo Pareto)
1. Introduction
Globally, there is an extension of the war zones. Since the end of the cold war in 1989, more
than 60 armed conflicts have made hundreds of thousands of deaths and 17 million of
refugees. The Middle East is one of the most volatile areas, where multiple players compete.
Several factors indeed make this region an area where multiple voltages confront. The Middle
East is the birthplace of the three monotheistic religions. If Islam is particularly dominant, this
region is a mosaic of religious communities, what constitutes a risk of major tension between
the different countries of the region or within these countries (civil wars). The Middle East is
also an essential economic (petroleum) and strategic (area essential at the junction of three
continents) issue, which raises many longings for countries outside. The Middle East was a
key issue of the cold war, each of the two major powers (Soviet Union and United States)
trying to extend and consolidate their interests. Finally, this region offers various political
regimes and regional antagonisms between different local powers were very numerous. One
of these key antagonisms was of course the Arab-Israeli conflict who played a considerable
influence on the evolution of the region. And more recently the Arab spring has nurtured very
violent civilization conflicts.
Open conflicts are characterized by antagonisms and oppositions between collective agents
that can go up to the armed struggle. They can take an armed form and lead to extreme
military violence (deadly conflict). Internal conflicts, between citizens of the same nation
(civil wars, rebellion), differ from traditionally external conflicts (international wars. There
are armed conflicts between nations, States, human groups. Current infra-State conflicts are
regionalized or globalized, with a strong erosion of the distinction between the public and the
private sector, the military and the civilian, internally and externally.
While armed conflicts have taken the limelight, they are relatively studied by economists.
Several preliminary questions arise, indeed, about the legitimacy for an economist to address
conflicts and specificity of conflicts in the countries of the Middle East.
2. Problem statement

Conflicts and wars are at the heart of political science, behaviors of power and the desire for
power. They can explained also by economic issues, economic underdevelopment, by rentier
economies and by the rise of a global criminal. But there is a risk to rationalize the irrational,
and reduce the homobellicus to a homo economicus, or explanation of the wars to economic
causes.More specifically, the following research questions need to be addressed: Could we limit
Middle Eastern conflicts to economic causes?

The second question concerns the specificity of the armed conflicts in Middle Easter
countries. Conflicts of the period of the cold war, characterized by ideological differences and
support from large blocks, have been replaced by the wars of religions and a clash of
civilizations, with the withdrawal of the major powers.
In this project we propose to analyze the conflicts in the region of Middle East based on
historical facts, economic, geopolitical and cultural analyses. We will firstly remind some
explanatory factors of conflict, then will deal with economic analyses of conflicts, before
studying their economic consequences and, finally, we would try propose some guidelines for
better prevention and conflict resolution.

3. Objectives

The objective of the current study is to provide a comprehensive review of literature and
historical facts about the conflicts in the region of Middles East and outline economic
analyses of conflicts. Particularly, the study has the following sub-objectives:
1. Provide a comprehensive review of sources and characteristics of conflicts;
2. to analyze the conflicts in the region of Middle East based on historical facts,
economic, geopolitical and cultural analyses;
3. Remind some explanatory factors of conflict;
4. Deal with economic analyses of conflicts and their economic consequences;
5. Propose some guidelines for better prevention and conflict resolution.
4. Methodology

The primary method of this study is literature review and conceptual modeling, and then we
would perform various types of analyses: economical, geopolitical and cultural analyses of the
conflicts of the Middle East. Finally we would perform an empirical research of the
importance of the economic factor in the conflicts of the region of Middle East.

5. References
1.

Pascal Boniface (sous la dir.), LAnne stratgique 2001, Paris, IRIS, ditions Michalon,
2000. See also SIPRI Yearbook 2000, Armaments, Disarmament and International Security
, Stockholm, 2000.

2.

Hugon Philippe, L'conomie des conflits en Afrique , Revue internationale et

stratgique 3/ 2001 (n 43), p. 152-169

3.

Mary Kaldor, New and Old Wars, Oxford, Polity Press, 1999.

4. Claude Serfati, La mondialisation arme. Le dsquilibre de la terreur, Paris, Textuel, 2001.