MUST-READS

• Gulf Cooperation Council unveils vision for regional security in Saudi capital

  The vision highlights the coordination of positions among the GCC countries towards regional and international issues and the member states' unified and common positions based on the GCC charter and the principles of international law that govern relations between states. It also emphasizes that, in line with the GCC charter and within the framework of the joint defense agreement, the security of each GCC state is interconnected, especially in light of the instability witnessed by the region and the world.

• Biden’s Gulf allies want an ‘ironclad’ security pact with the US. Here’s what it might look like

  Anwar Gargash, the UAE president’s diplomatic adviser, last month described the US’ involvement in the Middle East as “a positive thing,” but stressed the importance of cementing that involvement so “that there are no vacuums” – which, he warned, would only “give opportunities for other players to move into.” It is important to move from an “informal” security arrangement “to something that’s formal,” he said at a conference in New York, calling for a new, “ironclad” security arrangement with the US.

• Bahrain Sets the Pace for Enhanced Gulf Security Cooperation With the United States

  The Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, signed September 13 by Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, formalizes and tightens security cooperation between Bahrain and the United States. While C-SIPA carefully does not include any NATO Article 5-type mutual defense guarantees, it approaches the water’s edge of such commitments, reinforced by senior administration officials making clear on background that the pact is a legally binding agreement that will be notified to Congress. Such notification is a formal step that nonetheless does not require ratification to enter into force, since the agreement “does not cross the threshold of a treaty.”

• Has Regional Detente Paved the Way for Collective Maritime Security in the Gulf?

  Unhealthy rivalry and deep-rooted mutual suspicion have long led the Gulf littoral states to view the maritime domain as a battleground to settle old scores and sort out new frictions rather than a space for peaceful cooperation. However, they have recently shown a growing resolve to eschew zero-sum calculations and embrace a more conciliatory posture in managing maritime security affairs. The recent flurry of diplomatic interactions highlights this measured, sometimes contradictory, policy shift.

• Saudi Arabia urges improved maritime security in Gulf as ties with Iran resume

  "I would like to refer to the importance of cooperation between the two countries on regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation... and the importance of cooperation among all regional countries to ensure that it is free of weapons of mass destruction," Prince Faisal said. Speaking after talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran, Prince Faisal also said the Saudi king and crown prince are looking forward to Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi "accepting the invitation to visit the Kingdom soon, God willing".

• Improving Gulf security: A framework to enhance air, missile, and maritime defenses

  This report is the final product of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative‘s Gulf Security Task Force, a team of experts whose US government experience includes senior roles at the Department of Defense, Department of State, White House, and Intelligence Community. The Task Force joined together to shape this new strategy, with an eye on sustainable success in protecting both US and allies in the Gulf.

• Opinion: A U.S. trump card in Gulf geopolitics: Capacity-enhancing security cooperation

  The US military is working with Saudi Arabia to develop its first-ever long-term national security vision that would codify “the kingdom’s strategic vision for national security and regional security,” according to Gen. Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla, the top commander of US forces in the Middle East. “Our strategic planners travel to the kingdom regularly to work with Saudi military leaders to build up their ideas for a long-term strategic vision,” Mr. Kurilla said.

• Event Report – Petro Diplomacy: Gulf Countries on the Front Line of Energy Security

  The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington's eighth annual Petro Diplomacy conference examined the upheaval in the oil and gas markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the role of Gulf Arab oil producing states in meeting the sudden demand surge.

• Gulf Countries on the Front Line of Energy Security

  The elevated prices of oil and refined products, like gasoline and diesel, in the first half of the year generated buffer revenue for the Arab oil producers and revived the fortunes of the international energy companies. But they inflicted pain and hardship on import-dependent economies around the world. It was a matter of time before a demand response knocked down prices to their lowest levels since January. This price volatility makes it difficult to predict the market’s direction as the year draws to a close amid mounting uncertainty over both supply and demand balances in the months ahead.

• Gulf Countries on the Front Line of Energy Security

  The elevated prices of oil and refined products, like gasoline and diesel, in the first half of the year generated buffer revenue for the Arab oil producers and revived the fortunes of the international energy companies. But they inflicted pain and hardship on import-dependent economies around the world. It was a matter of time before a demand response knocked down prices to their lowest levels since January. This price volatility makes it difficult to predict the market’s direction as the year draws to a close amid mounting uncertainty over both supply and demand balances in the months ahead.

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