Publication

This paper explores how security and the intervention of external powers crucially shape the foreign policy of the Gulf countries. The heavy dependence of the international system on energy resources from the region has conditioned international relations, making them highly complex and subject to the establishment of alliances and to security dilemmas. The author concludes that the dependence of Gulf states on foreign powers for security and protection undermines the internal legitimacy of the petro-monarchies and encourages local opposition movements.