The Arab world's strategic location and considerable material and human
potential should allow it to play a major role in world affairs.
However, plagued by authoritarian regimes, ethnic and social cleavages,
economic underdevelopment, and military weakness, these states depend on
external support for security. Hassan Hamdan al-Alkim provides a
wide-ranging analysis for understanding contemporary Arab politics and
its role in world affairs.
Hassan Hamdan al-Alkim was born in the United Arab Emirates in 1958.
He earned his PhD in political science from Exeter University, United
Kingdom, and is professor of international relations at the United Arab
Emirates University. His website is www.hhalkim.ae.