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"“MBS needs to shore up regional support following an extremely difficult period, in which both his and the kingdom’s prestige and power have taken a serious blow,” said Michael Stephens, London-based RUSI research fellow for Middle East Studies. “It will no doubt be the first step in a series of measures to reassert his position on the world stage as a leader." "
Saudi Prince Visits Allies in First Trip Since Khashoggi Murder
In The News, 22 November 2018 Tags: RUSI International, The Gulf Region
"Saudi and Emirati overtures have two objectives: first to reduce the Iranian footprint in Syria and second to make sure Qatar and Turkey do not get ahead of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the pecking order of ties with Damascus. "
Why the UAE and Saudi Arabia are reaching out to Assad
In The News, 19 November 2018 Tags: The Gulf Region, Syria, Middle East and North Africa
Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi Affair: What Should Key Western Governments Consider?
Commentary, 23 October 2018
Michael Stephens
The uproar in the wake of the death of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul continues unabated. France, Germany and the UK are coordinating their responses, and are adopting a different approach from that of the US. But what are the considerations governing any action?
Tags: RUSI International, The Gulf Region, Middle East and North Africa
Stabilising Pakistan’s Relations with the Gulf
Commentary, 19 September 2018
Arhama Siddiqa
A new Pakistani government has a good opportunity to reform the country’s relationship with the Gulf states, and put them on a more sustained footing.
Tags: International Security Studies, Pakistan, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: Moving From the Personal to the Strategic Domain
Commentary, 18 June 2018
Kamal Alam and Ibrahim Al-Othaimin
On many fronts, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are working to deepen and formalise ties that have historically been determined by the quality of relationships between kings and prime ministers
Tags: International Security Studies, Pakistan, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues
"Militarily the UK's departure from the EU is unlikely to see a weakening of relations, said Peter Roberts, the director of military sciences at the influential Royal United Services Institute.
"Political ambitions remain high [in the UK] and I think the UK's future will remain intertwined with the Gulf. There is a shared history and energy security, which the UK is hugely reliant on.
"I don't see any change in term of permanent basing, rotation of forces or exercises either. The Gulf is one of the highest priority areas for the government." "
ANALYSIS: UK trading 'soft power' for hard cash in post-Brexit arms deals with Gulf
In The News, 29 March 2018 Tags: Military Sciences, The Gulf Region, UK, Defence PolicyPages

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: Moving From the Personal to the Strategic Domain
Commentary, 18 June 2018Kamal Alam and Ibrahim Al-Othaimin
On many fronts, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are working to deepen and formalise ties that have historically been determined by the quality of relationships between kings and prime ministers
International Security Studies, Pakistan, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues
Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Anti-Terrorism Effort: A Coalition of the Willing or an Anti-Iran Front?
Commentary, 6 December 2017Kamal Alam and Wajahat S Khan
Saudi Arabia’s new Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition has been hailed as an historic organisation which will not only serve a military purpose but also take the ideological fight against those who use terror in the name of Islam.
The Gulf Region, Terrorism, Middle East and North Africa
Israel and Saudi Arabia: The Best of ‘Frenemies’
Commentary, 21 November 2017Joseph Millis
Saudi Arabia and Israel appear to be putting aside decades of enmity due to a fear of Iran's nuclear ambitions and its actions in the region. Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
The Gulf Region, Israel, Middle East and North Africa
Could Trump Usher in the Elusive GCC Missile Defence Shield?
Commentary, 8 March 2017Anthony Ricketts
Donald Trump’s demand that US allies pay more for their own defence may push the Gulf States towards more military cooperation.
The Gulf Region, Middle East and North Africa
Peace Talks Still the Main Game in Town
Commentary, 14 May 2015Emily Winterbotham
While talks in Doha between the Taliban and Afghan government were downplayed and big hurdles remain, there were some small signs of progress, which could help kick start the Afghan peace process.
International Security Studies, Afghanistan, The Gulf Region, Global Strategy and Commitments, Global Security Issues, Central and South Asia, Middle East and North AfricaPages

The Language of Jihad: Narratives and Strategies of Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula
Whitehall Reports, 6 January 2012Benedict Wilkinson and Jack Barclay
Despite recent setbacks for the terrorist organisation, AQAP's communications strategy suggests a new model for global jihadist mobilisation
Terrorism and Conflict, Whitehall Reports, The Gulf Region, Terrorism
Gulf Security: Opportunities and Challenges for the New Generation (WHP 51)
Whitehall Papers, 3 January 2000Sean McKnight, Neil Partrick and Fransis Toase
Whitehall Papers, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North Africa
The Changing Military Balance in the Gulf (WHP 38)
Whitehall Papers, 7 January 1996Andrew Rathmell
The aim of this Whitehall Paper is to study the changing capabilities of the Gulf’s military forces and to assess what impact force building plans may have on the regional military balance.
Aerospace, Air Power and Technology, Land Operations, Whitehall Papers, Iran, The Gulf Region, Iraq, Defence Policy, Land Forces, Maritime Forces, Middle East and North Africa
Gulf Security: No Consensus (WHP 20)
Whitehall Papers, 4 January 1993Rosemary Hollis
It is only comparatively recently that the present configuration of independent states in the Gulf was established. This helps to explain the sensitivities of them all to the issue of external...
International Security Studies, United States, Whitehall Papers, Iran, Americas, The Gulf Region, Iraq, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North Africa
War in the Gulf: Sovereignty, Oil and Security (WHP 8)
Whitehall Papers, 1 January 1991Rosemary Hollis and Edward Foster
International Security Studies, Whitehall Papers, The Gulf Region, Iraq, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North AfricaPages
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"That leaves it with one unpalatable solution. “The way out of this for Qatar is to expel the Muslim Brotherhood, close down Al Jazeera Arabic and end its support for the Muslim Brotherhood,” Stephens says. In the process, and with Trump’s support, Saudi Arabia may just succeed in altering the Gulf’s status quo forever. "
Saudis back Qatar into a corner
In The News, 9 June 2017 Tags: RUSI International, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues
"The closure of land borders and the disruption to air traffic will have serious consequences for the Qatari economy and its society that will quickly prove prohibitively expensive, even for a rich state like Qatar. And so, serious concessions will have to be made if relations in the GCC are to normalize to the usual levels of mutually suspicious friendship."
Why key Arab countries have cut ties with Qatar — and what Trump had to do with it
In The News, 7 June 2017 Tags: RUSI International, United States, The Gulf Region, Middle East and North Africa
"'Although the current situation is severe, the GCC will not emerge a fundamentally altered structure, nor will its collective deterrence be enhanced. More likely to emerge is the same slightly dysfunctional GCC structure, just with a quieter Qatar, more likely to play by the rules and tamp down its regional ambitions.'"
The GCC will ride out the storm
In The News, 7 June 2017 Tags: RUSI International, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues
"But Trump’s comments have also thrown a wrench into his country’s foreign policy, since Qatar hosts U.S. military and aircraft. And the true reason for Saudi Arabia’s move appears to be a regional “power play” that was enabled in part by Trump’s visit, Middle East expert H.A. Hellyer said. Qatar is now left with two options, according to Hellyer: Tow the Saudi line and abandon support for the Muslim Brotherhood, or forge a closer alliance with Iran."
Qatar in a bind
In The News, 7 June 2017 Tags: The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North Africa
"While the two countries are likely to continue working towards joint security and good neighbourliness, regional tensions might hamper their ability to shape a strategic partnership. The recent Saudi-Qatar spat only further fuels rivalry between the two sides, making it harder for Islamabad to maintain its neutral relations with Tehran."
Pakistan’s balancing act with Iran just got tougher
In The News, 6 June 2017 Tags: International Security Studies, Pakistan, Iran, The Gulf Region, Global Security Issues, Middle East and North Africa
The Budding Alliance Between Lockdown Critics and the Far-Right in Germany
FCAS: Is the Franco-German-Spanish Combat Air Programme Really in Trouble?
Getting the Partnership Right