ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the global environment and Egypt’s alignments with global powers. It starts with theoretical considerations, briefly sketching out core ideas of neorealism and of the structural theory of imperialism, as the global order is characterized by hierarchy and dependencies, as well as by anarchy and power struggles. This assumption is incorporated in the concept of decentered globalism, which argues that exclusive western dominance has ended and multipolarity has taken shape. This development is then illustrated and substantiated by an examination of the global economic and security environments, as well as the distribution of military and economic power. China, the EU, Russia, and the US are, for different reasons, identified as the four great powers with truly global outreach, including in the WANA region. Thereafter, the interests of these main global powers in the WANA region are outlined, showing that all four had a strong interest in deepening relations with Egypt. The Egyptian regime used this extended room for maneuver to diversify its alignments on the global level, as the subsequent analysis of Egypt’s bilateral relations to the main global partners shows.
