Demystifying the GCC States’ Avoidance of Indo-Pacific Security-Oriented Geopolitics: The China Factor

Despite their extensive economic ties with major Indo-Pacific nations such as United States, China, and India, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states—comprising Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain—have not embraced the Indo-Pacific concept or integrated its framework into their official policies, positions, and statements. The study aims to address the question of why this is the case. To that end, the author analyzes the underlying reasons focusing on the Chinese factor and the Great Power Competition (GPC) between the United States and China. The paper is qualitative in nature. It is informed by a local understanding of the GCC states’ foreign policies and the author’s personal communication with various experts from the Gulf, China, and the United States as well as officials from Japan, South Korea, and India. This paper contributes to the small but growing body of literature on the interaction between the Gulf States and the Indo-Pacific, as well as the impact of Great Power Competition (GPC) in the Indo-Pacific on their policies, interests, and ties, particularly with China and the United States.