A regional competitor to what? What would a credible competitor be competing for?
Discussion
A united arab region.
Much as nostr:nprofile1qqs2xuvr0zwrwdyg2wm2ulj0hrpyrwvrzdqxac39l5al78y3lf4wzmspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0k2mzgh noted, it’s about keeping the region as a whole destabilized so that no one power rises above all others.
Very similar to what the Brits did throughout the Continent in the 19th century and early 20th century.
A united Arab region that 2 billion Muslims can rally around.