Dr. Cinzia Bianco Profile picture
Oct 30, 2021 8 tweets 7 min read Read on X
A thread on imagining impacts of the #Metaverse on “my” world. How will the job of a #geopolitics analyst be different? How will this new platform change international relations in general and the #Gulf in particular? Feel free to add your take, it’s simply thinking out loud.
1/
First, meetings & events. #Zoom events are here to stay, alongside in-person ones. But a digital event on #Metaverse could be so much better and closer to a real-life experience, enhanced by instant access to resources 2/
Then, outputs. Will it make sense to write papers when you can produce an interactive output combining texts, recordings, images/videos in the form of a meta-research on #geopolitics on #Metaverse? 3/
Analysis will look different. I believe experts will become chiefly content-creators for #scenario-s on #Metaverse. Why analyze #geopolitical reality in words when you can re-create an enhanced #meta version? Stakeholders will want #simulation-s of the past, present, future 4/
Finally, quick thoughts on how #Metaverse will impact international relations. If our world become even more #energy-intensive, will energy producers, such as in the #Gulf, gain relevance? I think with #metaverse energy consumption will skyrocket! 5/
#Metaverse provides opportunity to re-imagine #political and #economic realities in infinite ways. This could put into questions existing assumptions and structures in the relations among states. 6/
First-mover states on #metaverse, ie those who are now into very advanced #tech, will incur higher risks of unknown impacts on their politics, society & economy. But they could also be rule-setters, as #metaverse interactions (among people & states) will have to be regulated 7/
It’s a very sci-fi conversation today but I believe #Metaverse is coming and will disrupt “our” world of #geopolitics analysts even more than social media did! 8/8

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More from @Cinzia_Bianco

Oct 1
NEW: 18 months after the deal btwn #SaudiArabia & #Iran,amid a major regional escalation w/#Israel, me & @jbdacey analyse the detente’s impact on geopolitics from #Syria to #Yemen #Iraq #Lebanon & we provide ideas on how #Europe can support stability: 1/ tinyurl.com/y26ppu77
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Our analysis, based on first-hand research, looks at drivers behind the détente & expectations. It finds out that both #Iran & #SaudiArabia have reasons to be disappointed but both appreciate the value of their channels, esp. after #Gaza : 2/tinyurl.com/y26ppu77
In a nutshell, here is why: while #Riyadh & #Tehran did not step up their dialogue towards elaborating some form of geopolitical coexistence and conflict resolution, they managed to contain and prevent worse scenarios. Read more here: 3/ tinyurl.com/y26ppu77
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Read 7 tweets
May 8
💥 📖 NEW @ECFRMena paper by me "Global Saudi: How Europeans can work with an evolving kingdom" explains how and why #SaudiArabia became a middle power with outsize influence in a multipolar world - and how #Riyadh will deploy its power in regional and global questions🧵👇 Image
The number of high-level visits of heads of state to #SaudiArabia after 2022 is amazing! This is a recognition Riyadh has influence over regional dossiers (i.e. #Iran, #Gaza, #Sudan) as well as global questions (#energy, #climate, #US-#China rivalry).

tinyurl.com/32np7pm5
Image
Regionally, #SaudiArabia focused on opportunities:
👉🏻make-up w/#Qatar & #Turkey
👉🏻 detente w/#Iran
👉🏻 indirect dialogue w/#Israel
👉🏻 frenmity w/#UAE

But #Riyadh refuses to shoulder the risks of this hedging or patiently work out perennial MENA problems
tinyurl.com/32np7pm5
Read 6 tweets
Sep 15, 2023
The #India-Middle East-Europe corridor can strengthen #Europe’s geo-economic influence in the #Gulf & wider #MENA

But it is important that Europeans keep few things in mind as they work towards #IMEC’s action plan

NEW @ecfr short piece by me & @jbdacey: tinyurl.com/yeypa6rr
Image
First, West believes it can cement its regional influence at the expense of #China, offering #IMEC as alternative to #BRI. But #Gulf actors see this agreement within the context of a multipolarity in which they can benefit from BOTH West & China. 2/

ecfr.eu/article/inters…
Second: #Gulf actors will resist backtracking their relations with #China & #Russia even if the #US is partly rebuilding its security posture.

In fact, a common goal w/ #BRICS, especially of #SaudiArabia & #UAE is fighting efficacy of #Western sanctions: tinyurl.com/yeypa6rr
Read 7 tweets
Mar 10, 2023
##Iranian state media BREAKING NEWS:

#Iran and #SaudiArabia agreed to re-establish ties and re-open embassies. 🇮🇷 🇸🇦

IF confirmed, this was months in the making but held back by the Saudis, asking for big #Yemen move from #Tehran. IF confirmed, #Yemen news coming soon, too.
Again, IF true, this is a confirmation that the WSJ article on #Riyadh normalizing ties with #Israel was wishful thinking (in both #Biden administration & #Netanyahu)
Also, rumour has it that #China mediated this alleged normalization between #SaudiArabia & #Iran. That would be more #Riyadh & #Tehran wanting to give a diplomatic win to #Beijing. If this really happened it was more a bilateral process, with direct engagement.
Read 5 tweets
Feb 22, 2023
@ECFRMena & @ECFRAsia cross-over! Me & @a_bachulska wrote a short piece on #China - #GCC relations *seen from both sides.* We thought there was an abundance of partial viewpoints but really scarcity of strategic comprehensive overview. 1/

ecfr.eu/article/an-ope…
The first thing we do is put to rest the once ubiquitous argument that #China-#Gulf relations are only economic. In fact, they are grounded in compatible visions of #multipolarity. A year after #RussiaInvadedUkraine, multipolarity is the real winner! 2/

tinyurl.com/9dkx6xv3
#Beijing is the 1st #trade partner for the monarchies & invested in key infrastructures, ie acquired 20% of largest #port in #SaudiArabia (Jeddah). But #GCC leaders are also wary of Chinese reliability-ie obstacles to sign #FTA despite #Xi insistence. 3/

tinyurl.com/9dkx6xv3
Read 7 tweets
Feb 19, 2023
Ce soir à 21h connectez-vous sur France5 et france.tv pour un super film sur #MbZ et les #Emirats on @lemondeenface⁩. Honoré de figurer parmi les commentateurs avec ⁦@Abdulkhaleq_UAE⁩, ⁦@benjbarthe⁩, ⁦@berlinest⁩ & autore. CC: ⁦@ECFRParis
Read 4 tweets

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