A case can be made that the Middle East is going through a realignment as significant as any since statesmen drew lines on maps after World War I or since the state of Israel was created in 1948.

New realities are emerging: peace instead of war among key Arab countries and Israel; reduced United States political and military engagement; reversal of militant Islamic fundamentalism; most importantly, growing confidence that local leaders—not those in Washington, London, Moscow, or elsewhere—can best produce peace, prosperity and security for the people in the region.

In this week’s New Thinking for a New World podcast episode, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates long serving ambassador to the United States and also a key player in the process of creating this new Middle East, discusses the future of the Middle East.