Designing Steps Towards a Regional Security System in the Persian Gulf

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• MED: Middle East Directions Programme

The 2021 MEDirections Annual Conference will be the first major event organised in the framework of the MEDirections new Regional Security Initiative. It will bring together scholars, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and a distinguished group of international experts to discuss options to design a cooperative security system in the Gulf region. It will provide a platform for critical analysis of theoretical frameworks and practical options through a multi-disciplinary approach.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Iran are experiencing significant socio-political shifts while continual rivalries and mistrust feed region-wide perceptions of insecurity. Systemic dysfunctionalities in the Gulf security order have so far prevented the emergence of any sustainable and inclusive peace and cooperation framework. US-Iran tensions, Saudi-Iranian rivalry, intra-GCC mistrust and the emerging Arab-Israeli alliance confronting Turkish-Iranian interests are only examples of the existing fault-lines. These dynamics have already generated broader conflicts in the MENA region. If left unchecked there is a risk of wide-reaching international security repercussions.

The conference will bring together scholars, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and a distinguished group of international experts to discuss options to design a cooperative security system in the Gulf region. It will provide a platform for critical analysis of theoretical frameworks and practical options through a multi-disciplinary approach.