Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., an affiliate professor at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, recently wrote an article for the Washington Post discussing the Middle East’s shift towards Asia. The article is excerpted below:
King Salman of Saudi Arabia recently wrapped up a four-week, five-country visit to Asia that highlighted the rapidly growing density and complexity of ties between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Asian states. Largely under the radar, these growing ties between the Gulf and Asia have the potential to reshape geopolitical patterns and relationships.
The Gulf States emerged after 2011 as the center of gravity within both a Middle East in transition and an international economy still recovering from the global financial crisis. The developed and emerging Asian economies that are leading the rebalancing of geoeconomic power across the world have a particularly keen interest in the issues of energy dependence and security of access to resources. Those interests might be expected to lead to new strategic policies — but thus far have not yet materialized into a serious challenge to the U.S.-led regional order.
Read the full article: “The Gulf states are turning to Asia in a big way. Here’s why it matters.”