Impact of the International Context on the Political and Legal Dimensions of the Aswan High Dam (1952–1960)

Abstract

The Aswan High Dam (AHD) was the beginning and most strategic base for all developmental projects in Egypt. However, the establishment of the AHD was coupled with highly complex political conditions due to the historical phase Egypt experienced both on the domestic and international levels. At the domestic level, Egypt witnessed a transitional phase in its political history, the transition from monarchy to the republican system in addition to completely ending British colonization. At the international level, this period witnessed the crystallization of the bipolar system and the escalation of the conflict between the super polar powers with the consequent complications in the political and regional interactions, particularly those relating to the AHD. It became evident that the international context was the decisive factor in influencing the political and legal dimensions of the AHD since the AHD was politicized as shown in the scientific, political, legal, and economic debates around it, in addition to the political conditionality associated with its financing. Thus, the study raises the question: What is the impact of the international context (the regional and global levels) on the political and legal dimensions of the High Dam in Aswan?.