Technology, War, and the Security in the Arabian Gulf

This chapter examines the relationship between emerging technologies and the security dynamics of the Arabian Gulf, specifically those security challenges facing Arab governments in the region. It begins by conceptualizing security as a multidimensional construct, drawing on the Copenhagen school. Within this setting, it then situates technology as a socially embedded force shaping political, economic, and military structures. The chapter briefly explores how technological innovation was used in the past to preserve both internal and external security but focuses principally on the fruits of the fourth industrial revolution and the dramatic changes precipitated by this event. Of central importance here is the question of how Arab governments in the region are seeking to exploit this revolution as part of a wider strategy of economic diversification. Of equal importance is how these technologies will be employed to promote deterrence and stability within this compressed geopolitical regional space. The chapter concludes that while the fourth industrial revolution offers Arab governments significant opportunities to bring about economic transformation and a technologically based defense that plays to the strategic strengths of these states, there is no technological silver bullet in terms of addressing their longer term security. All governments need to realize that embracing this revolution could have profound unintended consequences as its dispersal and accessibility increase the power of both state and nonstate adversaries within the region.