ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the energy relations between the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and traditional major powers, such as the United States, Russia, and to a lesser extent Europe, that have historically been major players in the region, and also on the "newcomer": China. Traditionally, security drove energy relations with the MENA countries and shaped major powers' policy approaches toward the region. Securing access to and flows of energy from the region has been a major driver for US security engagement, both for itself and also for the sake of its European and Pacific allies. The energy—security nexus and broader geopolitical rivalry with the USA drives Chinese ambitions and its security approach. China is enhancing its naval capacity, beginning with building a "string of pearls" comprising naval bases in Colombo, Gwadar, and Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, while Russia and China conducted a joint naval maneuver in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015.
