Bridging the Gulf : big answers through small Middle Eastern states

Abstract

The small states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) – have much to offer in terms of asking and answering big questions. In particular, the GCC monarchies show how small states may manoeuvre amid multipolarity, why democratisation can struggle to take hold in small states, and how leader transitions shift or sustain small states’ foreign policies. In the Middle East and globally, the GCC small states play big diplomatic, economic, and security roles that merit thorough theorisation and astute analysis.