This is a magisterial collection edited by one of the most productive and insightful experts of the international relations of the Gulf. The contributors are among the best historians and political scientists working on the Middle East today and the resulting work is mandatory reading for academics, practitioners, and indeed members of the general public who are interested in gaining a thoughtful, incisive overview of Gulf politics.
In fact, while the title mentions security dynamics, the book provides the reader with much more than that, tackling the history and the international politics of the Gulf in a holistic and comprehensive way. The definition of security itself is, appropriately, a comprehensive one. As the editor puts it: the discipline “has moved far beyond a ‘traditional’ military and state-centric focus” (10). When it comes to the dynamics of Gulf security they are equally neatly summarized by the editor: “One of the greatest changes in Persian Gulf security since 2003 has been the shift from interstate war towards violent conflict within states driven primarily by non-state groups that nevertheless operate in a rigorously transnational sphere” (8). Ulrichsen has done a fine job in assembling a group of authors who can analyze this changed reality on both shores of the Gulf with attention to detail in a breezy and lucid prose.
A seminal introduction, which ought to be required reading for anyone with an interest in the Gulf, is followed by ten chapters by some of the leading experts in Gulf history and politics. The topics range from the excellent chapter on Gulf states’ foreign policy towards North Africa by Toby Matthiesen to the politics of succession in Saudi Arabia by the veteran insider Joseph Kéchichian, one of the few who can tackle such a crucial aspect of Gulf politics in a clear and authoritative manner. The chapter by Marc Valeri on the evolution of the oligarchic pact between ruling families and business elites in Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Bahrain is excellent and indicative of the lato sensu approach towards the concept of security that suffuses the entire volume. Valeri considers whether the growing involvement of ruling family members in business, common to the three Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, will “raise divisions between the royals invested in power politics and those motivated by more entrepreneurial interests” (98). The answer to this question will definitely have an impact on future political dynamics and therefore influence regime security in the three states.
Even more traditional security aspects are examined in an engaging and detailed manner. The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, one of the main axes in the contemporary international relations of the Middle East is deftly analyzed by Nader Entessar. Dionysis Markakis raises the question of the future role of India in the Gulf and concludes that, while the commercial, cultural, and people-to-people ties are certainly very deep and increasing, India “ultimately remains deferent to the United States’ leadership of the regional security architecture” (111). The same, one could add, is true of China, which has been “the next big thing” in Gulf security for more than a decade now without a strategic role materializing for the simple reason that there is no incentive for China to lend its support clearly to either Saudi Arabia or Iran. In his chapter Nussaibah Younis explains how the common threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) temporarily recalibrated threat perceptions of GCC states but this unity quickly faltered as it became clear that ISIS had been severely downgraded as a potential territorial threat. Gawdat Bahgat cogently tackles the topic of energy security and the effect that the changing global market for energy will have on the security of all Gulf states both domestically and internationally. Finally, the transformation of Emirati foreign policy since 2011 and its more pro-active stance is neatly illustrated by Khalid Almezaini, whereas the effects of demographic changes in the GCC states are carefully illustrated by Alanoud Alsharek with a wealth of data. Alsharek concludes that “the struggle between the continued isolation and the successful assimilation of the national youth population into both the labour markets and political systems is a double blind that the GCC states find themselves facing on a more urgent basis” (186).
While all the chapters are of exceptional quality one could have hoped for one or two contributions on Iranian foreign policy making and security policies. The lack of a chapter devoted specifically to Iran is the only drawback of what is otherwise a superb volume. Overall, this book is required reading for anyone interested in the international relations of the Middle East, not only of the Gulf. It significantly advances the state of the field and ought to find a place in graduate syllabi and, arguably, in advanced undergraduate classes as well.
