Redefining Diplomacy in GCC Foreign Policy: The Role of Foreign Aid and Peacebuilding

This workshop is co-sponsored with Qatar University’s Gulf Research Center

Workshop Concept

This workshop seeks to examine the critical roles of foreign aid and peacebuilding within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states’ diplomatic strategies, while fostering dialogue on redefining these states’ diplomatic posture to promote regional stability, strengthen ties with global actors, and contribute to conflict resolution efforts. By bringing together scholars and practitioners, the workshop aims to cultivate a nuanced understanding of the tools available for GCC states and assess their roles in evolving diplomacy. Previous studies have primarily focused on the economic dimensions of GCC foreign policy or abstract geopolitical analyses, often neglecting how foreign aid and peacebuilding intersect within GCC states’ broader foreign policy approach. This workshop aims to fill this gap by offering a more comprehensive analysis, encouraging a reimagining of how GCC states’ diplomatic strategies can provide alternative frameworks for conflict resolution and international engagement.

This workshop’s main goal is to examine current diplomatic practices of GCC states, focusing on their foreign aid strategies and peacebuilding efforts in regional crises. Through a case study approach, it aims to understand the motivations and strategies of the GCC states’ foreign aid policies, and to document whether it is provided by the governmental or non-governmental organizations. Secondly, it aims to explore peacebuilding as a diplomatic tool in GCC foreign policy, while expanding our knowledge about its effectiveness and fostering discussions on best practices and lessons learned. Thirdly, it aims to address the challenges faced by GCC states in their efforts to illuminate existing barriers and suggest actionable pathways towards enhanced diplomatic efficacy. The workshop aims to explore the motivations behind the GCC states’ rise as providers of foreign aid, and facilitators of peacebuilding, examining strategies they implement, and the broader impact of their policies.

Potential Participants

We invite papers from scholars working in different disciplines who could apply major concepts and a body of theoretical and conceptual knowledge related to their academic discipline or area of professional practice. The purpose is to reach well-established academic papers on the foreign aid and peacebuilding efforts of six GCC states, through the examination of case studies. Moreover, we seek participation of researchers working in international and regional institutions and humanitarian agencies and those who have been involved in research, policy and training within the GCC states in various capacities. The workshop’s ultimate goal is to build a network among scholars and practitioners to help establish collaborative mechanisms that support ongoing and future foreign aid and peacebuilding efforts in the GCC region.

Key Themes

• Historical evolution of GCC foreign policy
• Interplay between foreign aid and peacebuilding
• GCC foreign aid, its allocation, and motives
• Role of aid in GCC peacebuilding efforts
• Effectiveness of GCC’s foreign aid and peacebuilding
• Role of civil society in aid and peacebuilding efforts
• Collaborative diplomacy within the GCC
• Alternative diplomatic frameworks and case studies
• Potential future directions for GCC diplomacy

Major questions to address

• What are the central tenets that define GCC foreign policy, and how have they evolved over the past decade?
• How has foreign aid from GCC states contributed to peacebuilding efforts in conflict zones?
• In what ways do GCC states utilize foreign aid in conflict-affected societies to support peacebuilding and counterterrorism initiatives?
• What underlying motivations drive the peacebuilding efforts of GCC states?
• How can GCC states expand their aid and peacebuilding initiatives while ensuring regional stability and maintaining diplomatic relations with global powers?
• What collaborative frameworks can be developed among the GCC states to enhance their collective diplomatic efforts in aid and peacebuilding?
• What does recognizing the GCC states as case studies of diplomacy in their own right reveal about alternative frameworks for diplomacy?

Publication Plan

The workshop organizers intend to publish the accepted papers in either an edited volume or a special journal issue, provided that the author(s) present their work at the workshop. To ensure that the papers enhance knowledge in the field, they will go through peer review individually.