السياسة العالمية
Volume 9, Numéro 2, Pages 9-34
2025-12-28
The Gulf States In Subsaharan Africa: 'lilliputians' Conundrum Or Power Competitors?
Authors : Iratni Belkacem .
Abstract
Not long ago, the Gulf kingdoms lived, somehow, on the margin of history. However, they have quickly emerged from remote and desolate desert spots into powerful States competing with other major actors for global status and influence in Africa, especially in the eastern swathes of this continent. As newcomers to Africa or being ‘late to the party,' the Gulf States, emulating other foreign powers, have deployed a strategy to participate in the scramble over the African continent through increasing direct investments, access to raw material sources, mediating in conflicts, and providing arms to war-torn entities or to those fighting terrorism and maritime piracy. They did not fail to meddle in the domestic affairs of some African countries to get a footprint, for instance, in Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Libya, enhance their influence, and attempt to shove the presence and the strategic assets of certain major world powers still encroached in some regions, notably the Horn of Africa and the Sahel-Sahara. The Gulf States have not initiated their intrusion in Africa as a unified group, embodied in their regional gathering, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but rather on an individual basis, emphasizing contradictory interests, a stark political rivalry, and fierce economic competition, driven by security concerns and geostrategic considerations. The article attempts to thoroughly scrutinize and comprehend the meaning of the existing dichotomy between intrinsic capabilities and declared ambitions to play a significant role in African politics across various domains. It may not be far-fetched to argue, however, that these States have come a long way from tiny communities, tumbling tribes, and Bedouin spirit to become resilient political entities, modernized States, staunch economic competitors, and influential actors not only in the Middle East but also in Africa. Such empowerment became tangible, thanks to tremendous oil wealth, rational governance, and subtle alliances with some major powers of the Western Hemisphere. Moreover, this study does not consist of a mere assessment to tout the startling success of the Gulf States in Africa, but it also constitutes a questioning of their abilities to sustain their conflicting ambitions and compete with other prominent powers in this region.
Keywords
Gulf States ; Africa ; Economiv cooperation ; Military envolvement ; Regional balance of power
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