Gulf Geostrategies in a ‘post-free riders’ World

By : N. Janardhan

Page No: 25-36

Abstract
The stance of some Gulf countries vis-à-vis the Russia-Ukraine War in 2022 attests to their continued bid to enhance their strategic autonomy in a multi-polar world or ‘networked world order’. Over the last two decades the relations between the countries of the Gulf and Asia have expanded beyond the economic domain to include political and even security arrangements. While oil and non-oil trade are still the fulcrum of their association, ‘strategic’ partnerships are fast becoming the norm. This article argues that, along with economic diversification, the Gulf countries have diversified their foreign policies, especially with China, India, Japan and South Korea, among others. Together with Russia, this could eventually alter the current US-centric security paradigm and prepare them for a ‘post-free riders’ world. This opens up the prospect for a ‘collective’ security architecture in the Gulf, which is key to regional and global stability.

Author :
*Dr N. Janardhan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Abu Dhabi. He has four books to his credit, the last titled "The Arab Gulf’s Pivot to Asia: From Transactional to Strategic Partnerships".

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JIOS.2022.30.01.3