... means to overcome Syria’s isolation in the Arab world, which could eventually help restore its membership in the Arab League and be reintegrated into the Arab family. The UAE also serves as an intermediary for Damascus’s communication with other GCC states (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Qatar) and the West. It is also worth noting that the Syrian government views the UAE as a potential counterbalance to excessive Iranian influence in Syria.
Cooperation with the Emirates is also beneficial for economic reasons, such as circumventing ...
... Biden’s upcoming trip to the Middle East on July 15-16 was met with a lot of skepticism, especially within America. The visit to Saudi Arabia came in for particular criticism because Biden promised to make Riyadh a “pariah” after the brutal assassination ... ... Jeddah, where, alongside with the bilateral U.S.-Saudi negotiations, the U.S. president met with a number of Arab leaders in the GCC+3 format (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan) is quite telling. This list indicates the states the Biden administration intends to bet on ...
... country, the political pressure on Qatar from a number of neighbouring Arab states and the never-ending tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia are just the most graphic illustrations of this dangerous situation [
1
]. In addition, many Gulf countries are becoming ... ... unrest due to increasing volatility in the global oil market and to in-house reform efforts with so far unclear results.
The GCC is in a state of paralysis and its future remains unclear with many implications of the Qatari crisis still present [
2
]....
... US and Iran, and maintaining good relations with Iran will not harm Doha's ties with Washington. However, Saudi Arabia used Iran rhetoric against Qatar in this blockade that exposed the Saudi anti-Iran approach.
Saudi Arabia has a very strong hold on GCC countries, and Saudi Arabia is feared by Qatar due to its economic boom, since Doha is moving towards becoming a more dependent and global hub of international activities and events.
Nevertheless, during this blockade period, Saudi Arabia faced a very cold response ...
... of this session.
For instance—what we are seeing from the UAE in the region would arguably look very different if the U.S.-Saudi Arabia-Iran triangle of engagement took a new turn.
Likewise and although its roots are not the same, what we are seeing ... ... considerations. And I would add here that I think it was a huge mistake to enact the blockade of Qatar and threaten a fellow GCC state in such a way, it also exacerbated problems in the sub-region. An unintended bi-product by the way is that it actually ...
... is diversity in security policy in Europe and the Gulf. The EU has a specific relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), they have been working on a free trade agreement for some 18 years and it is still not complete. But relations to the EU ... ... very engaged and the Arab Gulf states are very close to Europe. In terms of the trend, Europe is increasingly engaging with Saudi Arabia in terms of security, in an assortment of economic projects, religious affairs and in infrastructural development ...
...
Qatar Сrisis: What’s Next?
The first model was centered on a regional hegemonic power that could takes responsibility for stability in its “natural” sphere of influence. In the Gulf case, the role of the regional hegemon is claimed jointly by Saudi Arabia and UAE, with Saudis providing most of the “hard” power, while Emirati contributing its political ideology and strategic vision. Even if we put aside moral and legal deficiencies of this model, both Yemen and Qatar cases question the ...
... the Oman and Kuwait monarchs jointly inviting Hassan Rouhani to Muscat and El Kuwait respectively. The
visit
took place in February 2017, and becoming yet another challenge to Riyadh’s authority. The possibility of Qatar joining this duo threatened Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the GCC, which could split the pact into two triads.
In light of the above, it is quite clear that the campaign against Qatar could have started much earlier, in April 2017. Even so, at that point, Riyadh was not clear how the US administration would feel ...
... instrumental in promoting integration. While just a few years ago GCC member states came up with a joint settlement mechanism for Yemen causing President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, they are now themselves in need of mediation and conciliation. The GCC now presents, on the one hand, a united front of three nations, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, supported by Egypt and Jordan outside the Council, and Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, on the other hand, with Qatar standing somewhat apart from the others with the support of Turkey outside of Council, and recently to a certain ...
... campaign by the Syrian regime against its own people has had a devastating spillover impact. The GCC states have been patient observers of Russia’s actions.
REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Anna Manafova:
Is Oil-And-Gas Friendship Possible Between
Russia and Saudi Arabia?s
The GCC states have attempted to use various economic and political levers to bring Russia closer. Most GCC-Russia business and economic initiatives have yet to see the light of day. Per one Russian expert, Russian business is notoriously slow at
responding ...
