The study examines how Saudi Arabia employs economic tools as a primary mechanism of political and security influence in the Middle East, focusing on two structurally different cases: post-war Syria and relatively stable but economically dependent Jordan. The research is grounded in the assumption that economic diplomacy has increasingly replaced direct military intervention as the most effective instrument for managing…
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Sobia Reid
Undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studies Economics and Global Studies with a minor in Conflict Management. Her academic work sits at the intersection of international relations and political economy, with a focus on how economic tools, institutions, and incentives shape state behavior and regional dynamics. She has a particular interest in Middle East geopolitics, including regional security, economic diplomacy, and the role of multilateral institutions in managing political and economic challenges. Through her coursework and independent research, she has examined international relations theories related to democracy, foreign influence, and power competition, as well as topics such as global economic governance, regional development strategies, and the political economy of emerging and transitional states. Her broader academic interests include international security, foreign policy, and the interaction between economic policy, political institutions, and international cooperation.