02/13/2025
With Egypt putting together a plan for the Gaza, will we see the fulfilment of Gamal Abdel Nasser dream of a greater United Arab Republic once again?
The UAR existed from 1958 until 1971 as a political union between Egypt with Gaza and Syria from 1958 until Syria seceded from the union following the 1961 Syrian coup d'état. Egypt continued to be known officially as the United Arab Republic until it was formally dissolved by Anwar Sadat in September 1971.
The creation of the United Arab Republic on February 1, 1958, was the first step in uniting Arab nations under one singular state under head of state Gamal Nasser. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Nasser was raised near the National Library of Egypt becoming extremely well-read and versed in the history of Egypt and Arabism. "Nasserism" at its essence was to be a modern version of the Phoenician Empire, and the lands that it encompassed were largely inhabited by people who were followers of the Sunni sect of Islam.
Although Nasser was Egyptian, to understand Nasser and Pan-Arabism one must view it beyond an Egyptian-centric perspective and see it in a cultural, regional-historic perspective, which includes Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and North Africa. Nasser saw Egypt as geographically positioned to unite the two regions even though culturally these regions had been connected since ancient times. While the Persians were the great people at the western end of the Silk Road, it was the ancient Phoenicians, which included the Israelites, who were maritime traders trading at the western end of the Maritime Silk Road. It has been said that the history of maritime discovery begins with the Phoenicians. As they established a sprawling empire they became the first people, and perhaps the last, to base their culture on their commerce. The earliest recorded sea voyage is said to have taken place at the time of the reign of the Pharaoh Snefru, about 3200 B.C. This voyage was designed to increase commercial links between Egypt and Byblos, in Phoenicia, by “the bringing of 40 ships of 100 cubits with cedar wood.” ... The formation of the United Arab Republic marked the start of what was to be a Pan-Arab revival uniting of ancient centers of Damascus, Cairo, and Gaza along with plans of adding Lebanon.
I believe this could be the start of what could be a total rebuild of the region including Syria and Lebanon to a tourist and trade mecca it was prior to the 1960-70s under direct Egyptian control. It could mark the end of Hamas and the Palestine Authority putting Cairo in control in which political stability is achieved fueled with Qatar, Saudi, and American investment. This, combined with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa,
could limit Iranian influence while opening up Syria to be part of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) (an infrastructure and investment partnership intended to harmonize trade infrastructure between India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Europe). The IMEC plan intends to have two ship-to-rail transit corridors linking India to Europe through the Arabian Gulf spanning 4,800km through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel.
By the U.S. forcing an Arab-based solution by Egypt, we could see a revival of Nasser's dream of a united Arab state uniting these ancient societies (which could eventually extend to Libya) creating long-term stability pushing this region in alliance with the West, away from Russian and Iranian influence.