Prospects for a Common Maritime Security Policy in the GCC: A Comparative Case Study of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman's Approaches

Abstract

The Arab Gulf region is a crucially important area of the world. It contains one of the busiest waterways, the Strait of Hormuz, through which a high percentage of the vital hydrocarbons flow, supplying energy for the industries and power of countries great and small. It is a two-way traffic too, as the oil-rich GCC states rely on adjacent waters to remain open and well-guarded. Sea lines of communications (SLOCs) are also used to transport imported goods which are essential for building economies, and to accommodate the GCC states markets’ needs of various commodities. Naturally, all of this means that the waterways must be protected at all costs, and that maritime security is of paramount importance in what is a highly contentious and volatile region. And yet, it appears that the six monarchies that constitute the GCC, despite sharing so many common points and interests, are unable to find consensus and agree on a common maritime security policy. This dissertation aims to determine the root causes for the lack of a common maritime security policy. Through a detailed examination of the attitudes and policies of the three chosen cases, and applying academic rigor to an investigation of hypotheses, the research will shed light on one of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century. This is to answer a pressing question pertaining to a central element of the Gulf security: Why is it hard for the GCC countries to achieve a common maritime security policy?