Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait: Evaluating their Role in Regional Organizations and the Prospects For a Small State Security Cooperation Framework

Abstract

Throughout the decade of the Arab Uprisings, the security environment of the broader Middle East area had altered in an essential way. The revolutionary wave that spread around North Africa and the Middle East, and the vigorous counter-revolutionary response it provoked, fuelled revolts, civil wars, and extra-regional interventions by global powers. As a result, the small Gulf states had to navigate through uncharted waters. IR scholarship has extensively explored the challenges and opportunities for small states within the changing international system. In particular, it is highlighted that membership in international organizations -regional and global- can increase their capacity for influence. Meanwhile, attention has recently been directed to the advantages that small states can derive from the establishment of security cooperation networks. This article’s central aim is to provide an overview of the state of play regarding the policies of three small states in the Gulf: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. What are the obstacles that prevent them from deriving the most benefit from their participation in the regional organizations of the League of the Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council? For what reasons the prospect for the formation of a small Gulf states’ security network is regarded as a distant possibility, despite the substantial gains that can be obtained for the three monarchies under consideration?

Keywords

• International Security
• Small States
• Regional Organizations
• Gulf politics
• Middle Eastern Affairs

Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait: Evaluating their Role in Regional Organizations and the Prospects for a Small State Security Cooperation Framework

Abstract

Throughout the decade of the Arab Uprisings, the security environment of the broader Middle East area had altered in an essential way. The revolutionary wave that spread around North Africa and the Middle East, and the vigorous counter-revolutionary response it provoked, fuelled revolts, civil wars, and extra-regional interventions by global powers. As a result, the small Gulf states had to navigate through uncharted waters. IR scholarship has extensively explored the challenges and opportunities for small states within the changing international system. In particular, it is highlighted that membership in international organizations -regional and global- can increase their capacity for influence. Meanwhile, attention has recently been directed to the advantages that small states can derive from the establishment of security cooperation networks. This article’s central aim is to provide an overview of the state of play regarding the policies of three small states in the Gulf: Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. What are the obstacles that prevent them from deriving the most benefit from their participation in the regional organizations of the League of the Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council? For what reasons the prospect for the formation of a small Gulf states’ security network is regarded as a distant possibility, despite the substantial gains that can be obtained for the three monarchies under consideration?

Keywords

• Gulf Security
• Small States Studies
• International Organizations
• Regional Studies
• Middle Eastern Affairs

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