The basis for cooperation in the Gulf Region: an assessment of the Gulf Cooperation Council

Al-Zamat, Khalid Hamed S. (1998) The basis for cooperation in the Gulf Region: an assessment of the Gulf Cooperation Council. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional alliance grouping the six oil- and gas-rich Arabian states of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, was founded in 1981 with the purported aim of "effect[ing] coordination, integration and inter-connection between Member States in all fields in order to achieve unity between them" (GCC Charter: Article 4). Most political observers, nevertheless, insist that this alliance was born out of a common concern among these rich but sparsely populated and militarily vulnerable states for their security and political stability within a politically volatile region, and the need for a regional alliance with sufficient capability to safeguard their interests, sovereignty and political stability.

This study was undertaken with a set of interacting aims in mind; besides the subsidiary aim of examining the structure and operation of the GCC from the perspective of competing theoretical approaches to federalism with a view to exploring their viability vis-à-vis the case of integration which the GCC represents, this study primarily aims at evaluating the GCC, as well as the political and social basis of cooperation, among its member states in the light of attitudes and perceptions within Gulf society. With regard to the former concern, the aim is to consider how useful theories of federalism are in understanding and interpreting the GCC. With regard to the latter concern, the study aims, to explore Gulf social perception of the factors underlying the emergence of the GCC, its institutions, objectives, policies and problems confronting it with a view to determining the extent and nature of both the attitudinal similarities, and discrepancies existing between different social Gulf groups as well as identifying the complex network of historical, socio-cultural and institutional affinities operating across state boundaries within the GCC. To explore perceptions of the policies and aspects of cooperation which the GCC considers central to its efforts to bring about greater unity among its member states, two surveys were undertaken among two contrasting groups: one based on a sample of top-ranking officials at the GCC Secretariat General and another based on the sample of students at Kuwait and Qatar universities.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: J Political Science > JA Political science (General); D History General and Old World > DS Asia
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Supervisor's Name: Paddison, Prof. Ronan
• Date of Award: 1998
• Depositing User: Mrs Marie Cairney
• Unique ID: glathesis:1998-1156
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 15 Sep 2009
• Last Modified: 10 Dec 2012 13:34
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1156