ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore the relationships between regional powers, regional organizations, and order in the Middle East. First the chapter discusses the rising phenomenon as it relates to the region; then it considers Middle East regional organizations and their capabilities and how these have developed over time; then it links the roles of regional powers to the activities of regional organization, offering a critical evaluation of their potential roles in regional and global governance and norms. The chapter has sought to highlight different ways of thinking about how regional actors can impact on order and norms at the local and global level. The analysis here suggests that in the post-independence period there was greater assertiveness by Middle Eastern states in a Third World, Cold War setting, as the Arab nationalist and OPEC moments showed.
