Anticipating shifts in global geopolitics and geoeconomics

According to Datuk Afifi al-Akiti, a Fellow in Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, one such event was the unprecedented gathering of Iran and Saudi Arabia at a conference titled "Building Bridges between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects," held in Mecca on March 17 and 18.

Afifi noted that this conference, organised by the Muslim World League, previously associated with promoting Wahhabi ideology, marked a significant departure from past practices.

"This conference was attended by most leaders and scholars of the Islamic world, including for the first time leaders and scholars from Iran's Shia community, and held in Mecca, the holy land for Muslims, during this Ramadan," he said in a forum entitled Rising Tides: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics in a Global Context.

He said, apart from this conference, the statement from the Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell that the era of western power dominance is definitely over, also gives its own meaning.

"This is very different from what he expressed two years ago, which sparked controversy, stating 'Europe is like a garden, while most of the rest of the world is like a jungle,' for which he later apologised.

"He tried to explain why some migrate to Europe, and this was revealed in 2022, but last month, there is a shift in thinking and action by Josep Borrell over the past 2 years due to the Gaza conflict," he added.

He said more and more people are talking about the rise of the Global South including among high-ranking individuals.

He pointed to the formation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as indicative of a new realignment in geopolitics and geoeconomics.

"There are several other countries that have joined BRICS this year, including Iran, making it nine countries. This is a very interesting and possibly alarming new development for Western powers and the Global North," he said.