The Impact of Security Alliances on Conflict Dynamics in the Arab Gulf Region Post-2003

Abstract

This study examines the impact of security alliances on reshaping conflict dynamics in the Arabian Gulf after 2003, given the region’s geostrategic importance as a vital energy corridor and a crossroads between three continents. Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Gulf states strengthened their security partnerships with the United States through military expansion, armament, and intelligence cooperation in response to regional shifts and the growing role of actors such as Iran.

The study explores how these alliances shifted from tools of containment to drivers of geopolitical polarization and conflict, particularly after 2011, with the rise of hybrid security coalitions involving both states and non-state actors in Yemen and Syria. These dynamics intensified proxy wars and deepened regional divisions, especially among Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey, amid U.S. retrenchment and greater involvement of Iran and Turkey.

The research problem lies in the contradiction between the declared goal of achieving stability and the actual effect of fueling crises. It argues that these alliances emerged as ad hoc responses to shifting threats, lacking a clear strategic vision, thus becoming instruments for internationalizing conflicts and reinforcing polarization. Using a descriptive-analytical and historical approach, the findings show that these alliances have deepened divisions within the GCC, accelerated proxy wars, and facilitated regional and international intervention in reshaping power balances, underscoring the need for a fundamental reassessment of regional security foundations.