The co-convenor of the BISA Foreign Policy Working Group (FPWG), Dr Robert Mason, is launching a new book: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates: Foreign Policy and Strategic Alliances in an Uncertain World (Manchester University Press, 2023).
The year 1973 is usually considered the great equaliser among major oil producers. But the 'Visions' strategies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a so-called middle power and small state in the Middle East regional system, point to broadening economic relations as a great enhancer of economic power. This book explores the impact of regime type and leadership style on the two countries' foreign policies. It reveals how autonomy and influence, threat perception and alliance patterns are folded into the complex and personal riyal politik and economic statecraft that sit at the core of their international relations.
In this talk, the author will discuss the domestic drivers of foreign policy in both countries and present his conceptual findings, including with reference to regional and international inputs. There will be a Q and A session afterwards.