For Gulf States, Forging National Identity Trumps Regional Integration

For the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman – national identity may matter more than collection action as region. The countries resist power for Iran and extremism, but differ on Islam as a political force, dependence on and rights for foreign workers, and regional security priorities. “It’s on the security side that the GCC’s Western partners would like to see greater effort, particularly on integrating air-defense systems, coordinating procurement strategies and conducting joint training, all of which would help make the region a more effective and self-sufficient security player,” writes Ellen Laipson for World Politics Review. “The lack of progress on security cooperation can mainly be traced to competition among the smaller GCC states, and a clear desire to retain decision-making on these sensitive issues at the national level.” GCC members worry about less engagement in the region from the United States. Greater integration could improve regional security. – YaleGlobal