Of cats and lions : Egypt and regional security governance in the Middle East

Abstract

The paper assesses the role of Egypt as a regional security provider since its readmission into the Middle Eastern system in the 1990s. It introduces the main security threats in the region as perceived by both regional and extra-regional actors and it discusses the five main sources of power and status of contemporary Egypt, before addressing in detail its contribution to regional security. The paper argues that, despite its “leadership identity”, Egypt at best contributes as a power sharer in some areas of regional security but is largely unable (and arguably unwilling) to act as single security provider.