This book is a comprehensive study on the education system of Saudi Arabia, placing the reforms and changes it has undergone in the past two decades within the context of the historical evolution of the education system. An education system cannot be seen in isolation of the society; it plays a significant role in shaping the individual, state and the society, that in turn, have a bearing on the education system and its evolution. Therefore, this book locates Saudi education in the backdrop of the changes in the society, how they have facilitated or hindered the education reforms and how the education reforms have impacted the society. The book does not ignore the immediate trigger for the beginning of a comprehensive reforms process but goes beyond it to find much deeper socio-political and economic rationales that paved the way for the reforms. It provides a nuanced understanding of the interplays of various socioeconomic as well as political factors that have shaped the education system in Saudi Arabia.
During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, besides the structural factors namely geography, history, politics, international system and the world order, five conjunctural factors dominated Turkish foreign policy behaviour and conduct. These include the Strategic Depth (Stratejik Derinlik) doctrine with ‘zero-problem’ with neighbours embedded in it followed by the Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine focused on enhancing Türkiye’s maritime presence in its immediate neighbourhood and the periphery. Thirdly, and arguably the most important, is the personality of Recep Tayyip Erdogan who as a dominating figure in contemporary Turkish politics has shaped not only the political discourse but foreign policy praxis. Erdogan’s personalised style of interventions has undoubtedly had a profound impact on Ankara’s interactions and engagements with the wider world. Finally, pan-Islamism and neo-Ottomanism are two important drivers in Turkish foreign policy and were visible notably in the Middle East and North Africa region and came into prominence in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings. In this context, it is pertinent to ask what are Turkish foreign policy ambitions and how do these impact India? Given that Ankara has expanded its presence, or at least is striving to expand it, in the geographically contiguous Southwest Asia region that connects India to the Middle East, the question how Indian foreign policy should view Türkiye becomes even more important. The bilateral challenges between India and Türkiye make it even more pertinent for Indian scholars and policymakers to take a deep and hard look at Türkiye’s foreign policy doctrines and praxis. This book is an attempt in that direction. It systematically analyses the structural and conjunctural factors in Turkish foreign policy and notes that Türkiye’s foreign policy is embedded in a glorified identification of the past, both Ottoman and Kemalist, and in its geographical location as a multi-regional actor. However, the foreign policy ambitions are limited by Türkiye’s economic performance and political sliding. From an Indian viewpoint, the book identifies Pakistan as a limiting factor so far as the bilateral relations are concerned and recommends that New Delhi should use economic leverage and diplomacy to de-hyphenate the Pakistan factor.
The nearly two decades of Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP; Justice and Development Party) rule has raised a number of questions on the advancement or reversal of democratisation in Turkey. Besides the partisan debate on increasing authoritarian behaviour of Erdogan, there have been limited attempts to comprehensively examine the way AKP has shaped the Turkish politics in the context of the democratisation debate.
The book traces India’s Saudi Policy and locates the current state of bilateral relations and the challenges it faces. It argues that during the Cold War the relations were largely shaped by the Pakistan factor which in turn inhibited both sides from exploring the importance and value of one another. As a result, the relations were largely transactional and marginal. The end of the Cold War coincided with two interesting developments, namely, significant growth in India’s economic power and influence and the de-hyphenation of Pakistan from its Middle East policy. This resulted in greater political engagements between India and Saudi Arabia and was strengthened by the growing energy trade ties. For long expatiate population and haj have been the backbone of the relations, and they have been new instruments as India looks to enhance its engagements with the Kingdom through investments opportunities, political contacts, shared security concerns and strategic cooperation. India’s Saudi policy, however, face many challenges most importantly the regional instability, the Iran factor, low oil price and the international dynamics. The book will be the first comprehensive work on the India-Saudi relations. Though targeting a wider audience, it will be academically grounded and based on primary sources collected from India and Saudi Arabia.
The states of West Asia continue to grapple with dramatic changes taking place in the domestic and regional environment. Security has emerged as a significant concern for them. The political upheavals, civil strife, sectarian violence, and terrorism in the area have implications for the regional and global order. As the region grapples with myriad socio-economic problems, many extra-regional players and non-state actors, and a few regional ones, are attempting to carve out their own areas of influence. These developments across West Asia demand constant monitoring and careful analyses. This book is a collection of essays exploring various aspects of the changing security paradigm in West Asia and the regional and international responses.
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Md Muddassir Quamar’s commentary ‘A Ray of Hope for Saudi-Iran Thaw’ has been published in ‘Financial Express’ on 13 March 2023.
The commentary underlines the significance of the Saudi-Iran-China trilateral statement issued in Beijing on 10 March and analyses its geopolitical significance.
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Md. Muddassir Quamar’s article, ‘Socio-Economic Change in Saudi Arabia and Opportunities for Strengthening Indo-Saudi Relations’, has been published by Financial Express on 23 November 2022.
The article underlines that the simultaneous transformations of bilateral ties and the humongous socio-economic transition inside the Kingdom are creating newer opportunities to take the bilateral relationship to a new level. The sky is the limit when it comes to the potentials and it is high time for Indian trade and industry bodies to take note and act.
Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Md Muddassir Quamar’s commentary on ‘China’s Growing Strategic Inroads in the Middle East and Challenges for India’, has been published by Raksha Anirveda on 23 November 2022.
The commentary underlines China's emergence as a strategic challenge for India and Indian interests in the MENA region considering China’s growing strategic foothold in the region. It argues, India needs to recalibrate its strategy in the MENA region to counter this emerging challenges effectively.
