Riding the Tiger: The Middle East Challenge After the Cold War by Phebe Marr & William Lewis

Author:Phebe Marr & William Lewis [Marr, Phebe & Lewis, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367301545
Google: ezC-zQEACAAJ
Goodreads: 54996662
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-11-09T00:00:00+00:00

Saudi Arabia and the GCC States

The third essential element in any regional equation is the Gulf Cooperation Council, which embraces six conservative Arab states (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman) ruled by traditional tribal monarchies. Formed in 1981, the GCC gives these member states more defensive depth and greater weight in the regional balance of power than they would have individually. Nevertheless, they are no match for their stronger and more militarily powerful neighbors, Iran and Iraq.

The small population base of the GCC states makes it impossible for them to mobilize and sustain a military force capable of defending against their more populous northern neighbors, although both Saudi Arabia and Oman have sufficient populations to field larger ground forces than they now do. The same constraints do not apply to air power, however. Saudi Arabia’s considerable oil wealth has allowed it to make strides in developing a respectable air defense network. Nonetheless, the GCC states are compelled to remain dependent on outside powers for their defense, a dependency that will not change in the near future.

The importance of the GCC lies in its oil reserves and production facilities—especially those of Saudi Arabia, whose ability to produce 10 million barrels of oil per day dwarfs that of any of its local rivals, allowing it to help set production quotas and pricing of oil exports on world markets. These assets give the GCC economic, if not political, leverage, but it is leverage that can come at a high political and economic cost. In the wake of two costly Gulf wars, Saudi Arabia’s financial reserves have been drawn down and it has incurred a debt burden. Under these circumstances, its economic flexibility and its willingness to sacrifice its own interests to gain economic leverage over its adversaries have been significantly reduced.

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