Non-Resident Fellow, AGSIW; Director of Research and Analysis, Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy
Narayanappa Janardhan is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and Director of Research and Analysis, with expertise on Gulf-Asia relations, at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. He also offers diplomats PGD and MA courses on Gulf and Asian foreign policies. His academic publications include The Arab Gulf’s Pivot to Asia: From Transactional to Strategic Partnerships (ed., Gerlach, 2020); A New Gulf Security Architecture: Prospects and Challenges for an Asian Role (ed., Gerlach, 2014); and Boom Amid Gloom: Spirit of Possibility in the 21st Century Gulf (Ithaca, 2011). With a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Janardhan is the managing assistant editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (Routledge). He is a regular contributor to various international think tanks, academic publications, and media outlets.
The grouping of India, Israel, the UAE, and the United States is likely to remain successful only if it is a harbinger for the present and future in the economic development domain and not a prisoner of the past in the security sphere.
The continued rise of Indonesia as a Southeast Asian hub has encouraged the Gulf Arab states to view it as both an investment destination and avenue for their economic diversification and growth endeavors.
The changing geostrategic landscape provides new opportunities for cooperation between middle powers in the Middle East and Asia.
Japan’s need for energy security has long driven relations with the Gulf states, but, under the banner of economic diplomacy, Gulf-Japan ties are diversifying.
South Korea has transformed from a source of manpower to the Gulf Arab states into an exporter of advanced technology and services at a time of rapid change in the Gulf region.
China seeks to promote a harmonious relationship among its strategic partners in the Gulf in support of its economic interests.
The double whammy of low oil prices and the coronavirus-induced economic slowdown in the Gulf Arab states has forced governments to deal with a changing labor market.
Saudi Arabia and India are strengthening their strategic partnership, but their ties involve the interplay of other countries.
With heightened tensions in the region, it may be time for the Gulf Arab states to recalibrate their security arrangements, and Asian countries – which are the region’s main economic partners – could play a role.
