The global economic system is witnessing profound transformations that are reshaping the nature of economic relationships between countries, where national economies are no longer able to achieve stability and growth independently of their regional surroundings. International experiences have proven that major economic blocs, such as the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have become essential tools for enhancing competitiveness and achieving sustainable development through building interconnected economic systems based on functional integration and mutual benefits. In this context, the concept of the interdependent economy emerges as one of the intellectual and developmental models that seek to build economic relationships based on cooperation and integration among neighboring countries, in a way that integrates their resources and human and economic potentials to achieve more sustainable and equitable joint growth.
In the Arab world, this concept holds particular importance, especially in the geographical space extending between the Levant and the Arabian Gulf, which together form a significant economic and human bloc with great potential. This region, which includes Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, possesses a unique mix of economic, energy, and human resources, allowing it to establish an integrative economic model capable of enhancing stability and development throughout the region. The Arab Gulf states possess vast energy and investment resources and sovereign wealth funds among the largest globally, while the Levant has a substantial human and educational base, scientific expertise, and a strategic geographical location connecting Asia with Europe and Africa. When these advantages are integrated within a common economic framework, the region can build a stronger, more flexible economic system capable of handling global economic fluctuations.
The concept of the interdependent economy is based on the idea of positive mutual dependence among Arab economies, whereby the economy of each country is not seen as an isolated entity, but as part of a broader economic system where production roles and value chains are distributed according to their relative advantages. While Gulf states have the financial capacity, investment resources, and advanced infrastructure in energy, logistics, and technology sectors, the Levant possesses qualified human resources, scientific and educational experiences, and industrial capabilities that can form an important production base in an integrated Arab economic system. Moreover, the geographical position of the Levant serves as a strategic corridor for trade and energy movement between the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean, and European markets, enhancing the potential for building interconnected regional economic networks.
The interdependent economy concept has received intellectual and strategic attention from many Arab thinkers and leaders, with prominent roles played by His Highness Prince Hassan bin Talal in developing this concept and advocating for it within a comprehensive Arab developmental vision based on regional cooperation and economic and human integration. His Highness has presented the idea of the interdependent economy as a civilizational framework for joint development, based on building networks of economic and social cooperation among Arab states, enhancing the concept of positive mutual reliance between communities and nations, thereby contributing to achieving stability, development, and social justice. His Highness has pursued various intellectual and institutional initiatives to establish and promote this concept in the Arab sphere and internationally, presenting it as a developmental alternative transcending traditional economic boundaries towards an economy based on human partnership, knowledge, and regional integration.
In the same context, this vision coincides with reformist and developmental directions led by His Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, focusing on building a modern Jordanian economy based on innovation, entrepreneurship, regional openness, and economic integration. The economic modernization pathways adopted by Jordan reflect a deep understanding of the importance of economic cooperation with its Arab surroundings, particularly with the Arabian Gulf states, which have close economic and investment ties with Jordan. This approach also strengthens Jordan's role as an economic and strategic bridge between the Arabian Gulf, the Levant, and the Mediterranean, aligning with the philosophy of the interdependent economy based on expanding economic cooperation circles among Arab nations and maximizing their mutual benefits.
However, discussing the interdependent economy in the Levant and the Arabian Gulf cannot be detached from the turbulent geopolitical context of the region. Wars and conflicts witnessed in the region over the last two decades, whether in Iraq, Syria, or Palestine, along with recurrent regional tensions, have disrupted trade networks and transportation and weakened economic infrastructure, creating an unstable regional environment that has hindered real economic integration opportunities. Nonetheless, these crises themselves may open a new window for rethinking Arab economic cooperation models, especially in reconstruction stages and rebuilding national economies affected by conflicts.
Reconstructing war-affected countries could become a regional platform for establishing broad Arab economic partnerships, involving Gulf capital and human and scientific expertise from the Levant states, contributing to developing major projects in energy, transportation, infrastructure, industry, and technology sectors. Additionally, global challenges related to energy and food security and disturbances in global supply chains enhance the need to build more interconnected regional economic systems, enabling Arab states to secure their essential needs within a framework of cooperative economic interdependence.
Despite the significant potential of this Arab economic space stretching from the Gulf to the Levant, the path to an interdependent economy is not devoid of challenges. Differences in economic policies and legislative systems, weak institutional infrastructure for joint Arab action, plus geopolitical pressures and international competition for the region's resources and markets, have historically hindered the progress of Arab economic integration projects. Moreover, the volume of intra-Arab trade remains limited compared to global economic blocs, reflecting the need for bolder economic policies to enhance economic cooperation among Arab nations.
Nevertheless, the transformations currently experienced by the global economy make developing the interdependent economy model a strategic necessity, not just an intellectual option. As the world moves towards major economic blocs, nations operating independently find themselves more vulnerable to economic shocks and geopolitical pressures. However, nations that succeed in building integrated regional economic systems possess greater capacity to achieve stability, growth, and influence in the global economic system.
Building an Arab interdependent economy extending from the Arabian Gulf to the Levant is not merely an economic project, but a strategic vision for reshaping Arab economic relationships on a foundation of cooperation, partnership, and integration. Amid the rapid changes the world is experiencing, this model becomes one of the potential pathways to enhance stability and development, achieving a more balanced and prosperous economic future for the entire Arab region.
