The Middle East is once again at the center of global wars and a widening economic crisis. This lecture situates the current moment in the longer history of fossil capitalism and the rise of US power since the mid-20th century. In particular, it examines the rise of the Gulf States and their central role in the intensification of geopolitical rivalries and the relative decline of US hegemony. It concludes by reflecting on what these developments might mean for global progressive movements in a time of war and climate collapse.
Adam Hanieh is Professor in the Department of Development Studies and Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS, University of London. He is the author of several books on political economy and the Middle East, including Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market (Verso Books, 2024), which jointly won the 2025 Best Book by an International Scholar Award from the Global and Transnational Section of the American Sociological Association.
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