Gulf Security in an Age of Transformation: Power, Geography, Technology, and the Search for a New Strategic Order

Who would protect the Gulf? For generations, the security of the Arabian Gulf was defined by the power of others. The region was threatened by one state, protected by another, and repeatedly reshaped by conflicts whose consequences extended far beyond its shores. Today, the Gulf is different. The Gulf states have accumulated extraordinary economic resources, built world-class infrastructure, expanded their military capabilities, invested in technology and connected themselves to the world through energy, finance, trade, aviation and logistics. Their diplomatic reach has widened, and their influence now extends far beyond the region. Gulf Security in an Age of Transformation examines how security in the Gulf should be understood in this new era - an era defined not only by traditional military threats, but also by critical infrastructure, technology, economic interdependence, strategic geography, external partnerships and a changing regional order. Drawing on five decades of experience as a journalist and analyst, Gabriel G. Tabarani offers a clear-eyed and authoritative analysis of the opportunities and vulnerabilities that shape the Gulf's future. He shows how the states of the region are moving from a reliance on external protection towards greater strategic agency - seeking not only to defend themselves, but also to shape their own destiny in a more complex and uncertain world. The age of protection is not over. But protection is no longer enough.