Strategic Shifts in the Gulf: GCC Defence Diversification amidst US Decline

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members have reacted differently to strategic shifts in the Middle East, including the relative decline of the United States (US). Why have the GCC governments differed in their defence diversification steps of alignment formation, policy independence and arms procurement? By focusing on the perceptions of Gulf decision-makers, we argue that the GCC governments that are less confident in US security provision have been more proactive in pursuing diversification, whereas those that are more confident in the US have been less pursuant of diversification. We evaluate our argument by comparing the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait.
Keywords: Defence diversification; US; GCC; UAE; Qatar; Kuwait