With the end of the Arab summit in Doha two days ago, many observers are studying the new balance of power that is changing by the day, especially among the major Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, in light of the Arab revolutions’ repercussions in them. The ongoing Syrian revolution against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime made great diplomatic strides when Syrian oppositionist Moaz al-Khatib sat on Syria’s seat at the summit.
Among the relationships that may affect the course of events is the one between Egypt and Iraq. Ever since the Egyptian prime minister, accompanied by a delegation of businessmen, visited Baghdad in early March, there has been a lot of talk about the future of that relationship and how it will impact the region. Both of these countries are major players in the region and have rich history and governments with religious roots. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is considered the strongman of Shiite Iran, while Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi comes from the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood. In addition, both of those countries have large populations and share economic ties. The number of Egyptians who work in Iraq once reached 5 million.