Exploring the Joystick Diplomacy in the Arab Gulf: How Esports is Shaping Foreign Policy in the GCC

Introduction: esports diplomacy

In recent years, the world of competitive video gaming, known as esports, has transcended the boundaries of entertainment and evolved into a significant cultural and economic phenomenon. With millions of fans and players around the globe, esports has garnered attention not only from the gaming community but also from policymakers, diplomats, and international organizations.

The burgeoning interest in esports is highlighted by the fact that its global revenues increased from $130 million in 2012 to $1,187,400,000 in 2019, with over $4.5 billion disclosed investments in 2018 and a fanbase of 380 million people.

It is no surprise, therefore, that governments are investing in esport arenas and facilities given that, like traditional sports, esports has the potential of creating employment opportunities and stimulating the economy through tourism and trade. Pioneering examples are South Korea that was able to leverage esports to gain global prestige through successfully running in competitions across different games and leagues, and Australia’s tourism gaining traction through the hosting of its first “Melbourne esports Open” in 2018. On the other hand, China’s freezing of pending video game licences to South Korea during the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense tensions in 2017, and the U.S. restricting access to the game servers of World of Warcraft in 2012 and League of Legends in 2018 in Iran highlights “the susceptibility of the global esports market to international politics and power plays,” and hence indicate how esport can be optimized by a state as an element of soft power.

To this end, the ascension of esports in the Arab Gulf states, and the inception of the GCC Esports Federation, which aims at cultivating a synergistic milieu conducive to the industry’s expansion, is indicative of the region’s dedication to capitalizing in this thriving industry.

Overview of esports in the Arab Gulf:

The Arab Gulf states’ strategic vision for esports is underpinned by a holistic development approach that encompasses infrastructure, talent cultivation, and regulatory frameworks. The establishment of high-tech gaming facilities and esports academies has provided a solid foundation for nurturing local talent and hosting international events. These efforts have not only elevated the region’s gaming profile but have also contributed to the creation of a sustainable esports ecosystem. Each member state has embraced a distinct approach to nurturing its esports investments. Presented herein is an assessment of esports and gaming development and investment trends across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Saudi Arabia as a Regional and Global Esports Hub

The growing interest in esports and gaming within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undergone a significant evolution, paralleling the nation’s expansive socio-economic transformation. The genesis of this digital renaissance is deeply rooted in the country’s youth culture, where gaming has emerged as a prevalent leisure activity. With approximately 50% of the nation’s populace engaging in gaming, a robust foundation for an esports industry has been established. A defining moment occurred in 2015 with Abdulaziz Alshehri’s victory in the FIFA Interactive World Cup, propelling Saudi Arabia into the international esports arena. This momentum was sustained by Mosaad Al-Dossary’s victory at the FIFA eWorld Cup in 2018, further cementing the Kingdom’s stature in the realm of competitive gaming.

The Kingdom’s ventures into the gaming sphere demonstrate a cognizance of esports’ global resonance and its potential to establish Saudi Arabia as a nexus for gaming and esports innovation, a vision which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has articulated as he stated that his country is “leveraging the latent potential within the esports and gaming sector to broaden our economic base, stimulate innovation, and augment the array of entertainment and esports competitions throughout the Kingdom.”

A salient endeavor in this regard is the creation of the Saudi Esports Federation and the orchestration of premier gaming events, underscoring a dedication to the cultivation of domestic talent and the formation of a dynamic gaming ecosystem. For instance, the hosting of the 2024 FIFA Esports World Cup (EWC) within the Kingdom underscores its capability to manage large-scale esports tournaments, thereby fostering domestic talent and establishing Saudi Arabia as a prime location for esports tourism and global acclaim. Moreover, the ascent of esports has garnered international sponsorships and partnerships, including American fast food company KFC, LG UltraGear, and MasterCard. These alliances not only channel financial resources into the gaming sector but also engender a milieu that is propitious for sustained growth, thereby amplifying the Kingdom’s global profile and potentially invigorating tourism.

Qiddiya was the official venue that hosted the 2024 Esports World Cup. Photo: Saudi Arabia Economy

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)

To establish itself as a premier global hub for gaming and esports, the UAE has heavily invested in the creation of sophisticated gaming centers, esports arenas, and training facilities, such as the Dubai Gaming Festival and the Abu Dhabi-based Hub Zero, which not only enriches the regional gaming culture but also lays the groundwork for the rise of professional gamers. With investments surpassing $1 billion to enhance the sector’s infrastructure, the UAE is aiming at drawing global talent and nurturing a vibrant gaming community. The partnership between Mubadala Investment Company and Abu Dhabi Gaming (AD Gaming) is a prime example, having signed an agreement to bolster the gaming and esports ecosystem, with a focus on supporting high-value products, creative industries, and innovative technologies. Additionally, the ‘Dubai Program for Gaming 2033’ seeks to elevate Dubai into the top echelon of global gaming cities, aiming to generate 30,000 new jobs within the gaming sector and contribute $1 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2033. This ambitious initiative highlights the UAE’s determination to secure a significant position in the worldwide gaming market, anticipated to reach a value of $492.90m by 2027.

Abu Dhabi Is Building the World’s First Esports Island: Photo: True Gamers

Qatar

Qatar too is proactively cultivating its gaming ecosystem, capitalizing on its affluence and advanced technological infrastructure to emerge as a prominent force in the industry. The nation’s dedication to esports was underscored by the inception of the Qatar Esports Federation, operating under the auspices of the Qatar Olympic Committee. This entity is dedicated to amplifying both domestic and global engagement in esports, mirroring the government’s strategy to foster a dynamic competitive gaming milieu within the country. Also, the Qatar SportsTech (QST) initiative represents another pivotal endeavor, aimed at propelling the sports sector’s growth in Qatar and the wider Middle East. It affords startups access to capital, expertise, and networks, incorporating esports within its promising “Accelerator Program.” The integration of esports into QST’s agenda signifies Qatar’s resolve to advance its competitive gaming landscape in tandem with its commitment to conventional sports excellence.

Furthermore, Qatar’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, characterized by rapid connectivity, premier venues, and convenient travel, optimally positions the country as a host for significant international esports events. The Qatar Esports Wega Global Games, launched in January 2020, exemplified a global esports contest, centralized in Qatar, with the goal of enhancing the nation’s competitive framework and augmenting opportunities for esports participants, which was further bolstered ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, hence capturing worldwide attention and demonstrating Qatar’s capacity to facilitate expansive esports events.

Investments in esports and gaming are also materializing through strategic alliances with leading industry entities. Quest Esports, for instance, has been deeply involved with the regional gaming sector, providing a spectrum of services from tournament orchestration to talent management and content generation. Quest Esports’ management of numerous large-scale LAN tournaments and online league contests for well-known games attests to Qatar’s proficiency in administering diverse leagues across a variety of game genres throughout the year.

Revenue of Qatar’s Esports Industry is Expected to Reach $125.7 Million in 2024. Photo: Qatar Day.

Oman

Oman is also actively developing its gaming ecosystem, leveraging its wealth to establish itself as a leading force in the industry. In 2021, the Oman Committee for Games and Electronic Sports was inaugurated to elevate the sultanate’s global profile in these domains and to oversee domestic industry regulation. This committee represents a pivotal move towards establishing a robust framework that will underpin the expansion of esports and gaming within Oman. The country’s debut in hosting its first games and esports championship in late 2021 signified a significant stride into the competitive esports sphere. These events serve not only to invigorate the local gaming community but also to draw international focus, thereby positioning Oman as an emerging hub for global esports tournaments.

Also, the Oman Online Gaming Market is projected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2% from 2021 to 2027, propelled by factors such as enhanced internet accessibility, the escalating appeal of mobile gaming, and the establishment of gaming-centric infrastructure, including gaming cafes and advanced internet services. Oman’s demographic profile, characterized by its youthful populace, aligns with the nation’s strategy to harness the vigor and passion for gaming and esports among its younger citizens. Through strategic investments in these sectors, Oman is not merely offering avenues for recreation but is also pioneering pathways for career development within its youthful population.

Oman Olympic Academy. Photo: Olympic Council on Asia

Kuwait

In the past few years, Kuwait has undertaken assertive measures to integrate into the esports and gaming sector. A defining juncture was the alliance between Zain Esports and the Kuwait Olympic Committee, which managed and organized an esports event in 2021 that spanned for four weekends with the objective of cultivating local talent and forming a Kuwaiti esports ecosystem contingent for participation in forthcoming Olympic Games and international contests. This endeavor not only fosters esports within Kuwait but also establishes the nation as a fertile environment for promising gamers. The commitment to esports forms a segment of a larger strategy to forge a digital economy capable of enduring growth and innovation. Since its inception in November 2020, Zain Esports has been a pioneer, coordinating regional online esports tournaments and community events featuring considerable prize funds. Their initiatives have attracted a social media audience surpassing 35 million views, reflecting a vibrant community keen to partake in esports.

Additionally, Kuwait’s investment approach in esports includes the private sector, with an array of angel investors and venture capital funds actively channeling resources into gaming startups. For instance, through a partnership with FASTtelco and Blink—the country’s leading internet provider and largest online shopping platform, respectively—Ooredoo Kuwait has created an advanced facility poised to revolutionize the gaming scene for enthusiasts throughout the country. Also, leveraging Blink’s proficiency in providing top-notch gaming configurations—complete with high-end gaming PCs, ergonomic desks, and comfortable chairs—Ooredoo Kuwait has meticulously designed the ProPing Gaming Lab to cater to the requirements of avid gamers.

Kuwait Esports Club hosts first FIFA21 championship. Photo: Kuwait Times

Bahrain

Bahrain has acknowledged the growing potential of the esports and gaming industry, as demonstrated by its facilitative policies and strategic capital deployment. The nation’s gaming sector is an integral component of the swiftly expanding gaming community within the Middle East region, with an estimated annual growth rate of 8.02% from 2024 to 2027, resulting in a projected market volume of $53.43 million by the end of 2027. Bahrain’s proactive gaming policies have been pivotal in harnessing this regional upswing to bolster the sector’s development.

The country has been the venue for numerous prominent esports gatherings, such as The IGN Convention, DreamLand Expo, and the Counter-Strike’s BLAST Pro Series Global Final. Bahrain has also forged public-private partnerships with leading global digital infrastructure providers, such as Amazon Web Services, creating a nurturing environment for esports and gaming enterprises. This synergistic approach has significantly propelled the sector’s expansion. Moreover, Bahrain’s investments in esports have catalyzed the rise of local esports professionals, with 47 esports athletes ranking 88th globally in earnings and a total of $470,402.34 in prize money across 170 tournaments.

Additionally, Bahrain offers a fertile landscape for game developers to thrive. Recent strategic endeavors, spearheaded by Unreal Bahrain, seek to organize the gaming community, cultivating an environment that motivates innovation. These efforts involve collaborative partnerships with local government entities and academic institutions. For instance, in 2019, Flat6Labs joined forces with Unreal Bahrain to sponsor a bootcamp, granting a special category prize exceeding $32,000 to the team demonstrating the highest potential for success. Furthermore, Bahrain emerged as a pioneer in the Middle East region during the first half of 2023, boasting a remarkable 5G Game Score of 87.64 out of 100, surpassing both the UAE and Qatar, and underscoring Bahrain’s exceptional mobile network performance, which contributes to outstanding gaming experiences and fosters the development of a robust gaming community within the nation.

Prestigious women’s esports event kicks off in Bahrain in 2023. Photo: Inside the Game

Anticipating the Future: The GCC’s Path Ahead

The way forward for the GCC in esports is paved with opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and growth. Continued investment in technology, education, and community engagement will be key to maintaining the momentum. To achieve this, a multifaceted approach is essential. First, there is a need for further strategic investment in local talent development. By establishing specialized training centers, scholarships, and mentorship programs, the GCC can nurture a sustainable pipeline of skilled esports professionals. Simultaneously, enhancing infrastructure—through cutting-edge esports arenas, high-speed internet connectivity, and dedicated gaming zones—will attract international attention. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE owe part of their esports success to their forward-thinking investments in gaming infrastructure and communication technologies. These nations have transcended mere connectivity to create an environment where players can engage with opponents from distant corners of the world, hence transcending geographical boundaries.

Gender inclusivity is another cornerstone of sustainable esports growth. While historically male-dominated, the industry is witnessing positive shifts. The GCC countries should prioritize female inclusion. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, through progressive reforms, empower women economically and promote equal treatment. By actively encouraging female participation in esports, these nations can tap into an expanding talent pool. Notably, Najd Fahd and Ghada Al-Moqbel exemplify the emergence of local female talent on the world stage. Also, initiatives like Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Women’s Sports Committee in the UAE underscore the commitment to gender parity. Creating safe spaces, organizing women-only tournaments, and supporting female streamers will empower women to excel in esports, contributing to industry growth.

As the region adapts to the evolving landscape of digital entertainment, the GCC’s vision for a thriving esports industry is not just a possibility but an impending reality. The GCC’s journey in esports and gaming is a testament to the region’s adaptability and forward-thinking mindset. Through concerted efforts in promotion and investment, the Arab Gulf states have set a benchmark for other regions aspiring to grow their esports sectors. Navigating this path forward, strategic foresight, sustained investment, and collaboration across sectors will be imperative to achieve these nations’ ambition of becoming an epicenter for esports while shaping their global narrative of competitive gaming.

Gulf Security Architectures: Process and Structure

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Published in partnership with the King Faisal Center on Research and Islamic Studies.

The views and opinions presented here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the United States Government, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, or the King Faisal Center on Research and Islamic Studies.

Summary

With a transition in Washington, discussions in Western capitals will inevitably turn to the issues of how to deal with Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen and Libya, and so forth. Alongside those issues, almost underpinning some of them in a sense, is the matter of reassessing the security architecture in the Gulf and in the region more broadly. Policy planners in Western capitals will have their own ideas for desired outcomes in the region, but as they weigh their options they should consider how the format and structure of a security architecture can inadvertently shape and limit its effectiveness. The design and process of convening partners in the Middle East for a dialogue about peace and security is just as important as the execution and implementation of the vision that brings them together.

Definitions and Parameters

One often thinks of a regional security architecture as a forum with a secretariat and working groups, but it is important to recognize that security architectures usually encompass a wide range of activities. These could include strategic dialogues, financial sanctions, joint military exercises, or nuclear inspections. The architecture is not located in a single event or institution, and tensions can arise if diplomatic goals are not in alignment with military posture.[1] It exists as a conceptual framework accompanied by various diplomatic and security arrangements, which a country adopts in order to guide and shape its relationships with regional partners. It is due to the fact that there are so many different elements at play that different U.S. administrations over time have been able to rework and refashion individual activities to suit their overall policy needs even as the desired policy outcome changes. Just as policy planners in Washington, London, Brussels, Moscow, and Beijing hope to use their efforts to build partnerships in the region, so too do these Great Powers hope to guide and shape the relationships of those nations to one another. Building peace and security in the Middle East while extending the influence of a Great Power state around the world is achievable, but there is a tension between the two objectives that must be carefully watched.

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A Summit Amidst Uncertainties

Today, the 40th summit gathering of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Supreme Council is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Founding President and CEO of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, Dr. John Duke Anthony, is attending as an observer. He is doing so as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, presides over the meeting of Gulf leaders and/or their chief representatives.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was formally established in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on 25 May 1981, at a summit that this writer was privileged to attend, as he has attended every GCC Summit since. An Arab sub-regional organization that represents some of the world’s wealthiest per capita countries in a geographical swath lining the length of the western coast of the Gulf, the GCC region encompasses what is arguably the most strategically vital area on the planet. The GCC’s six member-states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition to all five of the member-states being a landward neighbor to Saudi Arabia, all six share maritime borders with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Location of the Summit

This 40th GCC Heads of State Summit is the first time the summit has been held in the same location (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) in two consecutive years. Observers differ regarding the reason. Some believe it is a testament to the effectiveness and importance of the GCC Secretariat that, from the organization’s inception in 1981, has been headquartered in Riyadh. Others hold to the view that the repeated focus on having Riyadh host the annual summits is but an echo of the United Nations, whose annual General Assembly Meetings are held in New York.

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The Road of Interdependence

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Introduction By Dr. John Duke Anthony

The author of the essay that follows heads the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Founded in Abu Dhabi on May 25, 1981, the GCC is comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Its Secretariat, comprised of representatives of all six of the Member States, is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani is the GCC’s fifth Secretary-General. He was appointed by the GCC’s Supreme Council, which is the organization’s highest decision-making body. The Supreme Council is composed of the Heads of State of the GCC’s member countries.

The GCC has long been viewed as the most successful sub-regional organization in modern Arab history.

Incorrect and Flawed Perceptions

Some take issue with this description. They disagree. In the eyes of some of the GCC’s critics, such a positive assessment is incorrect and misleading.

Some contend that the GCC has failed to live up to its aspirations regarding maximum cooperation. Others emphasize how the GCC has fallen short of integration. Still others point to the lack of success in forging a more unified set of achievements.

The GCC’s leaders do not deny that there is a significant measure of truth in these complaints. They acknowledge their shortcomings. They admit to their having failed to achieve what some had hoped and others expected the organization to accomplish at the time of its founding.

In fairness, though, one needs to ask: what organization’s achievements have not fallen wide of what its founders hoped to effectuate? No such organization exists. In this, the GCC is no different.

This writer was present at the GCC’s founding meeting. He has attended each of the GCC’s Ministerial and Heads of State Summits since then. He has experienced firsthand the heady atmosphere and the genuinely euphoric mood that accompanied the GCC’s establishment. He has witnessed firsthand also the genuinely jubilant climate that has followed many of its subsequent summits.

Regional Comparisons

Shortcomings and all, the six east Arabian Peninsula countries never cease to amaze. Their material progress has been and continues to be mind-boggling. The nature, pace, and extent of their modernization and development can be catalogued in myriad ways.

Lest one suspect such comments are a paid advertisement, which they are not, check them out. For comparison, examine the entire 22-country Arab region and, regarding the 16 other Arab countries, see if there is anything remotely comparable to what the GCC, as an organization, and its Member States as its components, have accomplished. One will not find it because it does not exist.

The unconvinced are urged to apply a different test. Use another set of contexts to test the viability and robustness of the GCC. Attempt to find another international organization in the region that meets with as much frequency. Searchers will not find a comparable example nor even a remotely similar one.

What one will discover instead is that the GCC Secretariat hosts and administers no fewer than 400 meetings a year. They will learn that, in some years, it hosts as many as 700 meetings. What is more, there are no absences; all six of the members convene to discuss common issues and challenges. No Arab organizational grouping and no Arab countries meet as regularly to anywhere near the same degree.

Additional Frames of Reference

Still not persuaded? Try another frame of reference.

To determine the robustness, and overall appeal and attractiveness to local and foreign investors of a given region, or even of a single country, the following test might be useful. Examine the nature, pace, and extent of people clamoring to enter the GCC region or one of its specific countries. Determine whether it could be classified as: (1) many, (2) some, (3) few, or (4) none. In many countries, the answer is either of the latter options. In the GCC region, it is the first.

Flip the coin and examine the trend from the opposite perspective. Ask how many people are trying to leave the region. Ask what the reality is in terms of the same four options. The answer will be between (3) and (4).

The reason for these positive realities is clear to specialists if not to generalists. It has to do with the six countries being globally distinctive in terms of their domestic safety and external defense. Search the globe and one will not find six other geographically contiguous countries or six identical systems of governance that illustrate these same realities.

In other words, the negative, pessimistic, and dismissive views that one will find in much of the media are at once incorrect, unfair, and misleading. The extraordinary frequency with which the GCC Member State representatives meet to further their countries’ and peoples’ progress is but just one example.

Agenda Items

Of related importance is the range of matters that the GCC brings members together to discuss: security, defense, intelligence, economics, commerce and trade, investment, and technology cooperation. In addition, the members meet regularly to plan operations pertaining to the members’ periodic security and defense maneuvers and exercises designed to enhance their common deterrence and protection.

These facets of the GCC’s forward momentum in matters of a material, social, and economic nature have no rival among any of the world’s other sub-regional organizations. More specifically, the region as a whole and each of its countries exhibit a range of truisms, certainties, and predictability that would-be investors find a marvel to behold. These do not, however, exist in a vacuum.

At The Helm: Preparation, Preparation, and Preparation

They are present alongside the author of the remarks that follow, His Excellency Dr. Al Zayani. Abiding by the strictures of three-year terms in office, Dr. Al Zayani is presently in his ninth year as head of the six-country organization’s Secretariat in Riyadh. What is it that to date has made this particular leader so effective in the eyes of his peers as well as his superiors?

Dr. Al Zayani, a native of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a graduate of Sandhurst, Great Britain’s premier military academy. Upon returning to Bahrain, he began a period of service in his country’s armed forces and its Ministry of Defense for the next three decades.

From there, Dr. Al Zayani was transferred to Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior, which is not like America’s Department of Interior but rather, in close association with the administration of an effective system of civil justice, is focused on the maintenance of law and order. He served there as Bahrain’s Chief of Public Security with responsibility for all aspects of the Kingdom’s domestic security and safety.

After that, Dr. Al Zayani could have taken up a full-time teaching position—he holds a PhD and has taught at several universities. Rather than do so, however, he accepted an appointment at Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was serving in that role when he was appointed Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council by the GCC’s Supreme Council in 2011. Dr. Al Zayani was elected for a second three-year term in 2014 and elected yet again to a third three-year term in 2017.

In October 2018, Dr. Al Zayani addressed the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 27th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C. In his remarks, Dr. Al Zayani stepped outside of his role helming the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Secretariat. In doing so, he drew upon his deep knowledge of public service to issue a personal call for a brighter future for the region’s people.

Dr. Al Zayani is mindful of the pessimism and feeling of hopelessness stemming from regional violence and turmoil. Despite this, he has charted a specific path forward through regional collaboration and cohesion. If national leaders were but to heed Dr. Al Zayani’s advice, they would realize the benefits in how it could breed optimism and bring shared peace.

The National Council is privileged to share here an edited transcript of his remarks.

John Duke Anthony, PhD
Founding President & CEO
National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

THE ROAD OF INTERDEPENDENCE

By H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani,
Secretary-General, Gulf Cooperation Council

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani addressed the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 27th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C., on October 31, 2018. This transcript of his remarks was lighted edited for publication.

Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

I am delighted to be with you this evening. It is a privilege and an honor to be among such a distinguished gathering of leaders in the capital of one of the world’s most important and powerful countries. I come before you to say a few words on some of the difficulties facing the Gulf and the Middle East. I do so also to briefly outline my vision, as a citizen of the region, of how such challenges might, in the longer term, be turned into an opportunity for genuine peace, stability, and prosperity.

Of course, any vision for the future must be rooted in the reality of today’s challenges. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, these geopolitical challenges are at once well known and exceptionally complex. Among the more intractable are those in and associated with Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

Any vision for the future must be rooted in today’s challenges. In the Middle East and North Africa region, these challenges are at once well known and exceptionally complex.

The opportunity you have offered me is one that is seldom extended to someone in my part of the world.

It is not every day that one is asked to offer a vision of what may lie ahead. Even less frequently is one requested to suggest how one might best proceed to address the challenges they represent.

Lebanon as But One Example

Of the various challenges we face, Lebanon is but one among others. The structure of governance and the system of political dynamics in that Arab country are steered by Hezbollah (literally, “the Party of God”). People may differ in their descriptions of the party, but there is no doubt that many regard a significant proportion of it as a violent, sectarian, extremist militia.

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Assessing Gulf Security Architectures

Remarks delivered by His Excellency Dr. Abdel Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations 28th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference on 23 October 2019, in Washington, D.C. An abbreviated version of this article was published in Arab News on 25 October 2019. The views expressed here do not reflect the official views of the Gulf Cooperation Council or its member states.

Last month, during the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly, world leaders came up with numerous proposals, some new and some refurbished, about Gulf security.

Some ideas were advanced with good intentions as a response to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations on September 14. Some probably had ulterior motives. The Russian concept was based on effectively internationalizing Gulf Security, and does not take into consideration local alliances already in place. Although most proposals were motivated by those attacks, President Rouhani cynically proposed a security system to be led by Iran.

What most proposals had in common was the denial of local agency by the countries most threatened in the Gulf, ignoring their work in recent decades to establish a fairly robust collective security system. The peace and security of UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (and others) have been repeatedly threatened by Iran, its proxies, and terrorists it has trained, armed, and funded. The GCC was set up in 1981 as a security organization in part as response to Iran’s threats. The GCC is a political and economic body as well but during the past 38 years it has established an elaborate security architecture, which was crowned last November with the appointment of General Eid Al-Shelewi as the General Commander of the GCC Unified Military Command (GUMC). Overseen by the joint chiefs of staff of member states, the GUMC coordinates the work of all military services, including land, naval, air force, and air defences of member states. Despite the recent intra-GCC difficulties, the joint chiefs of staff and other officers from the GCC six member states have been meeting regularly, intensifying their efforts since May, with Iran’s escalation of aggression against international shipping in the Gulf and oil installations on land.

Counter-terrorism is a task handled by several GCC organizations, including the Secretariat in Riyadh and the GCC Police in Abu Dhabi, overseen by the ministers of interior, who have been meeting despite intra-GCC differences. GCC counter-terrorism efforts include addressing terrorism financing and extremism as well as targeting and apprehending suspected terrorists, both foreign and domestic.

The GCC security architecture is based on collective defense. For example, Article II of the Mutual Defense Treaty, concluded in 2000 and ratified by all member states, stipulates that GCC security is indivisible and obliges all member states to act jointly to repel external aggression. The GCC Emergency Summit held in Makkah last May invoked this treaty and joint action has since intensified.

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