Il progetto si è proposto di dimostrare l’evoluzione della valenza strategica nella relazione bilaterale tra Stati Uniti ed Egitto durante le presidenze di Anwar al-Sadat e Hosni Mubarak. Sebbene si sia a lungo contraddistinta per un marcato rapporto di reciprocità e di stabilità locale e trans-regionale, da alcuni decenni a questa parte la relazione vive un particolare momento di riconsiderazione a causa della compresenza di più fattori che ne hanno limitato il valore complessivo, necessitando quindi di nuovi fondamenti e obiettivi per essere rivitalizzata. Riprova di ciò sono proprio gli accordi di Camp David, cuore pulsante delle strategie comuni di Stati Uniti ed Egitto, nonché centro nevralgico delle dinamiche di cooperazione, per lo più di sicurezza, tra statunitensi, egiziani e israeliani. Analizzando gli elementi caratterizzanti la politica estera egiziana in relazione, anche e non soltanto, alle interazioni con Stati Uniti e Israele, prendendo come riferimento una prospettiva storico-diacronica che tenesse conto delle evoluzioni politiche dentro e fuori il Paese arabo, all’interno di un più ampio panorama geopolitico e strategico regionale e internazionale, il presente lavoro ha pertanto puntato a far emergere il carattere tattico del rapporto stesso, il quale è stato fortemente influenzato dal perseguimento di un interesse nazionale da entrambe le parti. / The thesis analyses the evolution and impact of U.S.-Egypt relations under the Sadat and Mubarak’s tenure in terms of geopolitical and strategic attitudes through a historical-diachronic perspective. Although it has been characterized for decades by a marked reciprocity in terms of local and (trans-)regional dynamics, for about twenty years this link has been experiencing a particular moment of reconsideration due to the presence of several factors that have limited its overall significance. The bilateral relationship needs new foundations and objectives. In fact, the thesis argues that the Camp David agreements, the beating heart of the common strategies of the United States and Egypt, as well as the political core of several dynamics (mostly in security dimension) between the Americans, Egyptians and Israelis, it is the key element to understand the interconnection between Egyptian domestic state and its regional state autonomy. In this respect, the thesis highlights these factors characterizing the Egyptian foreign policy in connection, even and not only, with United States and Israel, as enabling factors both in the national political developments and the evolution in the Arab stage, within a wider geo-political and strategic regional and international panorama. In conclusion, this work aim to bring out the tactical nature of the bilateral relationship between Egypt and the United States, which was heavily influenced by the pursuit of a different perception of national interest. Therefore, the biggest challenge between Washington and Cairo consists in managing a much less special and complex relationship than in the recent past, which essentially sees the overcoming of Camp David, while maintaining the stability of the region as a cornerstone on both sides.

The Sultanate of Oman is often described by the international media as a peaceful exception in the turbulent Middle East. Most authors studying Oman’s history and politics agree that discretion, consultation, peaceful neighborhood relations and independence from the greater powers operating in the region have been the constant elements of the country’s contemporary foreign policy. Moreover, it is widely argued that Oman’s foreign policy approach derives from the country’s national identity, including its Ibadi tradition and the cosmopolitan character of the Omani maritime history. Despite the extensive use of terms like a “non-aligned” or “neutral” foreign policy deriving from a “tolerant” or “peaceful” identity, both by academics and journalists to describe the country’s behavior, a careful reflection on the appropriate application of these concepts to the Omani case is still missing. The aim of my research is to deconstruct essentialist understandings of Oman's identity and foreign policy, by looking at how discursive alignments and identity contents varied to support the government's quests for legitimacy, recognition, and status. By adopting a Discourse Historical Approach (DHA), the work compares the National Day speeches and the UN GA speeches under the entire reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Bu Saidi (1970 – 2020), to look at how discourse changed based on the time, issue, and audience of reference. More broadly, this research seeks to provide an underexplored perspective on Oman’s foreign policy, at the same time contributing both to the theoretical debate on small states’ alignments and to the discussion on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states’ foreign policies and identities.