Intra-Regional Alignment Strategy of Small States in Gulf area: Cases of Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abstract

The Middle East may not possess any great power, but the region has, within itself, several states that hold relatively bigger capabilities and resources compared to the others. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Egypt, and previously Iraq, are competing to be the main stakeholder in this highly chaotic region. This paper attempts to do a comparative analysis on two gulf countries: Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two countries are selected as both are the key economic and strategic players among the small states in the Middle East. The intra-regional alignment behavior of Qatar and UAE as small states in Middle East proves that even in a region where alignments are multi-layered (with intra-regional powers and with international big powers), small states alignment behavior is heavily driven by the intention of minimalizing threats, if not to diminish it completely. Such behavior is expected from states that feel vulnerable within the anarchical environment externally. The external threats and uncertainties, however, are selected and faced according to how the ruling elite perceives it. To preserve domestic political legitimacy, threats and alignment choices become the useful cards for the ruling elites to show their authority, performance, and stature to their domestic audience.