The seminar was attended by National Media Authority Chairman Ahmed El-Moslemany, Maspero Centre for Studies Chairman Mohamed Abdou Badawi, and a number of the authority’s officials, journalists and researchers.
The discussion provided an analytical and forward-looking review of recent books and studies published by major Western publishing houses and research centres in 2025 and 2026, focusing on the emerging international order, the future of Middle East issues and Egypt’s geopolitical position, according to the National Media Authority.
The seminar examined major strategic shifts shaping the current global landscape, foremost among them the end of the era of unipolarity and the declining ability of the United States to unilaterally shape international rules.
The discussions pointed instead to the emergence of a multipolar system characterized by multiple centres of power and interconnected networks, alongside the growing role of non-Western middle powers such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Turkey.
These countries are increasingly pursuing flexible alliances based on strategic autonomy and the maximization of economic and security interests rather than alignment with a single bloc, the statement said.
The discussions also examined shifts in global power dynamics driven by the new economy and supply chains, with the semiconductor and artificial intelligence races becoming central to strategic competition between Washington and Beijing and giving major technology companies influence comparable to that of states.
On regional affairs, the Western literature reviewed at the seminar asserted that the Gaza war had transcended its geographic boundaries, exposing a widening gap between military power and legal and moral legitimacy, while deepening the crisis of international institutions and perceptions of double standards and amplifying calls from the Global South for international justice.
The discussions also addressed the reshaping of Middle Eastern security and maritime routes, with the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal increasingly viewed not only as trade arteries but also as arenas of deterrence and instruments of direct geopolitical pressure.
The seminar also examined changing regional balances and Iran’s shift towards strategies based on direct attrition, missile deterrence and the activation of networks of influence.
Among the books discussed were First Among Equals by Emma Ashford, on the repositioning of the United States as the first among equals in a multipolar world; Chip War by Chris Miller, on global semiconductor competition; America’s Middle East by Marc Lynch, on the erosion of the US-led regional order; and The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra, on the international system’s political and moral transformations.
The discussion also covered Chokepoints by Edward Fishman, on the weaponisation of waterways and supply chains in economic warfare; Surviving Chaos by Mark Leonard; and Iran’s Grand Strategy by Vali Nasr.
The seminar concluded by highlighting Ibrahim’s approach to reading contemporary Western thought, which calls for avoiding the uncritical adoption of outside ideas and instead understanding and testing them against Egypt’s and the Arab world’s national interests, realities and future capabilities.
The approach aims to turn knowledge into sound analytical tools that can support policymaking and media discourse, according to the National Media Authority.
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