SOFT POWER PROJECTION OF ASPIRING MIDDLE EASTERN POWERS TOWARDS YEMEN: THE CASE OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN

Authors

  • ZDENĚK ROD University of West Bohemia Author
  • MICHAL HIMMER University of West Bohemia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62229/sprps23-1/4

Keywords:

Yemen, Yemeni Civil War, Middle East, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iran, soft power, soft power tools, media, education, religion

Abstract

The multiple hard power engagements of the aspiring Middle East powers (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran) in Yemen are self-evident. However, the disposition of foreign interference in Yemen is multifaced. Current research papers have primarily focused on using hard power military or economic tools, but soft power tools were left behind. Therefore, this article explores soft power’s nature influencing the countries above assert towards the Yemeni population. It focused on three ostensibly distinct areas of soft power – education, religion, and media – within each particular analysis since those three areas are key elements of the Saudi and Iranian soft-power toolkit. Multiple religious, educational, and media tools towards Yemen were detected in each case.

Author Biographies

  • ZDENĚK ROD, University of West Bohemia

    Zdeněk Rod is a research fellow and PhD candidate at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Department of Politics and International Relations. He is also a co-founder & CEO at the Centre for Security Security Consulting in Prague, a research fellow at the German policy think-tank EuropaNova Germany, a research and teaching fellow at Ambis University, a TSI research fellow at the International Republican Institute 

  • MICHAL HIMMER, University of West Bohemia

    Michal Himmer is a PhD candidate at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Department of Politics and International Relations, and an academic associate at Ambis University

SPRPSXXIII-1-4

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Published

2024-02-27

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2023): Studia Politica. Romanian Political Science Review

Section

Articles