While political narratives on Israel are shifting under the influence of some determined state leaders, resistance to normalization remains across Gulf societies.
A number of countries are expected to follow suit, each for its own distinct reasons.
As Gulf Arab policymakers continue to confront an ambiguous future, they will rely heavily on familiar economic policy measures and avoid straying from the status quo as long as possible.
The coronavirus, along with the economic crisis due to falling oil prices, is having a direct impact on businesses in the Gulf, including migrant labor, the bulk of the work force.
The world’s largest coronavirus lockdown in South Asia is placing unprecedented downward pressure on energy demand.
Abrupt and potentially lasting changes to the Gulf’s air transport sector threaten existing business models over the short and medium terms.
The international relations of the Gulf Arab countries increasingly have been characterized by a diversification of partnerships, including in a field that has historically been deemed the preserve of the United States and European allies: arms trade, and defense and security cooperation.
More spending, low growth, and recurring deficits are not a recipe for long-term economic sustainability, but this concoction may be a necessary pill for Gulf states to swallow as the hard work of economic reform sets in.
In order to remain a relevant actor in the global economic order, Qatar has established a middle ground between the trends of regionalism and globalization through a strategic strengthening of bilateral partnerships.
On October 18, 2018, the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington convened its fourth annual Petro Diplomacy conference, “Back to the Future – Oil and Gas at the Center of New Growth in the GCC States.”
Learn MoreThrough its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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