In the Arab world

After the Gulf War of 1990, the Arab world has changed rapidly. The image of a region at war, consisting of a number of rich states that rely on the revenues from oil exports, is therefore no longer correct. Michael Field describes how the Arab world has changed. He states that despite the political and economic failure of this region, the future prospects are favourable. Field claims that we do not have to be afraid of Muslim fundamentalism and outlines how the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union laid the foundation for the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations. Field believes that he can even detect the beginning of a democratisation process in the Arab world, something that in his opinion will improve trade relations with the West. The Arab world is important to us, as an oil producer, as a sales and investment area, but also as a region that can unintentionally involve us in its conflicts. Michael Field indicates how we can respond