ABSTRACT
With the United States (US) no longer dependent on Gulf oil and the economic power center shifting from the West to the East over the last two decades, the long-term interests of the Gulf and Asian countries – called ‘free riders’ – are unlikely to remain dependent only on the US for the security of their hydrocarbon and non-energy supply chain. As a result, some Gulf countries are recalibrating their strategies and developing ‘omni-balancing’ security partnerships with influential Asian countries, especially China, India, Japan, and South Korea, without shutting the door on Washington. This diversifying or hedging strategy could serve as a backup plan against the possibility of further reduction of US involvement in the region. It also adds to the Russian proposal for ‘collective security’ in the region, shades of which were evident during the 2019 international vigil to protect oil shipping in the region’s waters, thus heralding a ‘multiplex’ future in the Gulf and beyond.
