Pakistan and the Gulf

Abstract

While for decades Pakistan enjoyed trouble-free cooperative relations with Gulf states, its bilateral relations have been tested by a variety of factors in the second decade of the 21st century. Even though Pakistan is a source of millions of workers and has close security cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, it is economically dependent on aid and remittances from the Gulf region. This dynamic has been exploited by stronger Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and this was reflected following the Pakistan parliament's decision to not participate in the Saudi-led military coalition to fight the Yemeni Houthis. Alongside has been the challenge of Pakistan's neutrality in the Qatar-Gulf crisis in which Islamabad chose to mediate. Among other irritants in Pakistan's relations, there have been longstanding issues involving India and Iran's relations with Gulf states. The Abraham Peace Accords signed in 2020 have posed another challenge for Pakistan as its close allies in the Gulf, such as Bahrain and the UAE, have normalised their relations with Israel. By analysing these changing geopolitical dynamics, this paper will examine the impact of multiple factors on Pakistan's relations with the Gulf. The theoretical concept of regional security complexes will be applied to this analysis because here clearly a split in Pakistan's relations with GCC states is based on their divergent security concerns. Gulf states view their relations with Israel as crucial to their security problems involving Iran and they want to enhance their cooperation with Pakistan's arch-rival India. Islamabad needs to understand Gulf states' security concerns that are regional in nature to avoid any further troubles involving its ties with GCC states.