Between Constraint and Opportunity: Egypt’s Niche Diplomacy in a Shifting Global Order

This study examines Egypt’s evolving role as a middle power through the lens of niche diplomacy. It analyzes how Cairo leverages its strategic advantages to assert influence within an increasingly multipolar international order. Egypt’s global profile has expanded beyond its immediate regional sphere through four key domains: mediation, its bid to serve as an energy hub, its geopolitical positioning at the Arab-African and Mediterranean crossroads, and its promotion of religious, cultural, and heritage diplomacy. The analysis shows that these niches enable Egypt to maintain agency, manage external dependencies, and project influence despite structural vulnerabilities. The study advances the literature on middle powers by illustrating how a Global South state adapts niche diplomacy to contemporary geopolitical pressures. Egypt’s case demonstrates that structural geography, historical legacy, and interregional identity can sustain middle-power relevance, extending the niche diplomacy concept beyond models centered on wealth or ideational leadership.