James Denseiow

When President-elect Biden becomes President Biden later this month much of the world will give a sigh of relief. However, whilst it is a traditional part of the yoyo of US politics that a new President adopts a new set of foreign policy priorities that distinguish themselves from their predecessor, President Biden should look to build on Trump’s successes abroad through a lens of a recommitment to multilateralism and the institutions that the US has traditionally championed.

This may at first seem like a counterintuitive argument. After all Biden has described Trump as the ‘most incompetent’ President in US history. Such attacks may be dismissed in normal times as part of the rough and tumble of an election campaign, yet Trump exits stage left with memories of the storming of the US Capitol fresh in the minds of the world and to a level of derision and disgrace not seen since the Nixon Presidency collapsed in on itself.

Nobody though, would describe Trump’s foreign policy as particularly strategic. It seemed guided by several principles; one that multilateral bodies like the UN and NATO were ripping the US off, secondly that he could be the singular peace maker in intractable conflicts in Korea or the Middle East, and a desire to pull US troops back from across the world in an effort to save money.

Whilst few can say they will miss these values – wrapped up in the ‘America First’ central Tump platform – leaving the White House, Biden should assess where Trump has left US geopolitics before radically pivoting away just for the sake of it.

For example, Trump’s normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel could still act as a strategic catalyst for a renewed effort to address the more central conflict between Israel and Palestine. Whilst Trump was unable to bring an end to the North-South Korea conflict, he avoided a ‘hot’ way at a sensitive time and there is hope that the engagement efforts he did partake in may have some legacy.

In Afghanistan peace talks continue and there is a clearer sense than ever as to the US looking to depart. Relations with Iran have seldom been worse but could all the pressure from the Trump term lead to Tehran being willing to engage with better intentions in a renewed look at the nuclear deal. Saudi-Qatar ties have normalised just as Biden hopes to enter the White House too.

Syria is a harder equation to predict. It was hard to know whether Trump wanted US troops in the Northeast of the country out or in to protect strategic oil supplies and support their Kurdish allies. 2020 was the least violent year of the Syrian conflict to date as it barrels towards its tenth anniversary. Yet the prospect of a major offensive in northwest Idlib hangs over the situation and instability in the country’s neighbours, particularly Lebanon are situations to look at closely over the coming months.

America’s Syria policy may find itself in the thrall of future US-Russia relations which are perhaps the most likely to shift in the Biden era. Trump was of course notoriously quiet when it came to criticising Putin and the continued revelations about the SolarWinds hack have given Biden the license to pursue a more belligerent approach to Moscow, that may manifest as ever in the deserts of Syria where Russian and US troops face off. Interestingly Ukraine and the actions of his son, Hunter Biden, proved a controversy during the election so it remains unclear if Biden will look to exercise political capital in that unresolved conflict.

Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, may find itself in a better place if Biden is able to bolster peace efforts although Trump’s parting designation of the Houthis as a ‘foreign terrorist entity’ may prove quite the speed bump. The Covid-sparked threat of mass famine across Yemen and several African countries could provide the stage for a reenergised multilateral effort to unite as opposed to side-line global efforts or withdraw the US from them.

We will see the US re-join the WHO, re-join the Paris Accords – if they are able to and look to provide leadership and resource to address what President-elect Biden set out as the four simultaneous crisis of our time; climate change, Covid, a global recession and race relations following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. He has an inbox like no other President in modern history, but he should be wary of throwing all of the Trump policies, both domestic and foreign, in the bin at once.

by: James Denselow

India’s top court stays implementation of new farm laws which have sparked protests Coronavirus: European Medicines Agency considering Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”