ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the multiple and interlinking causes for the endurance of weak states in the Middle East. It follows the World Bank definition of the Middle East and North Africa region which encompasses the Arab Middle East, North Africa, Israel and Iran. It emphasizes the interplay between local, regional and global factors in the processes of state formation and subsequent development, and the subtle interweaving of these dynamics in producing the many traits of state weakness throughout the region. The chapter outlines the processes of state formation in the region and the legacy of these states' post-colonial integration into the international system. State legitimacy and regime identity in much of the Middle East is challenged by the two ideational alternatives of Arabism and Islamism. The chapter explores the impact of the processes of globalization on the local, national and regional security structures which may arise from the persistence of a regional system of weak states in a globalizing framework.
