Where is Egypt? The question surfaces with awkward regularity, with every new crisis in the Middle East and every new diplomatic initiative. Whether it is the US occupation of Iraq, the tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme or Lebanon’s factional fighting, Cairo has not been seizing the diplomatic centre stage, leaving it to a host of new regional players to try to fix Arab problems.

The most high-profile diplomatic moves of recent years have emerged out of other capitals. The Arab peace plan was a Saudi initiative, the deal that stopped Lebanon’s slide into civil war this year was negotiated by Qatar and the recent resumption of indirect Syrian-Israeli peace talks was mediated by Turkey.