# The Influence of Saudi Arabian Think Tanks on the Policymaking Procedures in the Gulfregion

Sose Simavoryan

► To cite this version:

Sose Simavoryan. The Influence of Saudi Arabian Think Tanks on the Policymaking Procedures in the Gulfregion. pp.145-150, 2022, SCIENTIFIC READINGS (collection of articles), 978-9939-1-1581-8. hal-04038646

HAL Id: hal-04038646

https://hal.science/hal-04038646

Submitted on 21 Mar 2023

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

Public Domain
Сосе Симаворян

**Ключевые слова:** мозговые центры, Саудовская Аравия, регион Персидского залива, международные отношения, дипломатия.

Это исследование дает всеобъемлющую основу для описания подходов, которые аналитические центры Саудовской Аравии внедрили в последние годы для развития межгосударственных взаимодействий в районе Персидского залива. Цель этого исследования — определить участие и функции аналитических центров Саудовской Аравии во взаимодействии между государством и регионом. В исследовании использовались официальные декларации и документы, научные журналы и источники новостей. Согласно полученным данным, аналитические центры Саудовской Аравии имеют очень ограниченное влияние на развитие региональных связей. Дальнейшее изучение темы исследования показало, что неспособность аналитических центров Саудовской Аравии играть значительную роль в региональных процессах разработки политики объясняется их новизной в качестве стратегических игроков в этой области. Тщательное расследование этого вопроса в конечном итоге привело к выводу, что саудовские аналитические центры активно сотрудничают с государственными органами, особенно в отношении концепции страны до 2030 года.

In recent years the world is witnessing rapid growth in the number of academic-analyticalinstitutions in numerous countries around the world, including the states of the Gulf region. Along with the rising number of such institutions, their impact on global politics is also expanding. These think tanks investigate the world's most urgent political, social, and economic matters. Those institutions propose possible recommendations to national and international governments and foster international discussion in the search for resolutions to the world's most prevalent challenges. Their initiatives often have a direct impact on governmental policymaking. According to Simavoryan, due to their growing influence on geopolitical and economic development think tanks are considered the fifth estate of diplomacy.<fnref n="1" /> Since think tanks are a relatively new political actor in the Gulf region this research will particularly focus on the role and relevance of Saudia Arabian think tanks in the country's and the Gulf region's political processes. The objective of this paper is the process of institutionalizing scientific and expert knowledge of the region. The study's focus is on the process of think tank creation and the construction of their political standing in the region.

As the Gulf area has grown in terms of quality, quantity, and contribution during the 1990s, think tanks in the region have become more contemporary in their research programs. The function of think tanks in the Gulf differs from that of think tanks in the West; several Gulf nations confront unique policymaking.<fnref n="2" /> The Gulf area refers to the countries along the Persian Gulf's coast, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Iran and Iraq. Due to its unique political and

<footnote n="1">¹ Arestakes Simavoryan, Vardan Atoyan, and Sose Simavoryan, "Role of Turkish Think Tanks in the State-Diaspora Relations: The Case of SETA and ORSAM," Messenger of Armenian State University of Economics, no. 5 (December 2021): 145, doi:10.52174/1829-0280_2021_5_143.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² E. M. Al-Hadad, "Role of Think Tanks in the Gulf's Future," Arab News, last modified February 21, 2021, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1812916/role-think-tanks-gulf's-future</footnote>
geographical position, the Persian Gulf is significant in the global political processes. It contains one-fourth of the world's minerals and hence supplies the world's energy and serves as a marine corridor connecting the Eastern and Western worlds. SinceIslam was born in modern-day Saudi Arabia, the Gulf area is sometimes referred to as "the home of Islam." It could be assumed that the cultural influence of Islam helps to strengthen regional ties, however, it still does not rescue the region from political turmoils. Perhaps the local political tensions are the reason why the region is not investing much in their think tanks and oftentimes ignores the assessments given by them.

When examining the characteristics of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy, it should be noted that it has unique Islamic essence, while being loaded with a component appropriate for the current stage of development of the international relations system. That is the quality of Saudi Arabia's present policy: to be a state that contributes to global development, allowing it to adapt to contemporary issues and adopt policies that serve both its national interests and the aspirationsof the international community. It is no surprise that the young Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has included research and innovation to the Saudi Kingdom's 2030 Vision, motivating think tanks to get involved in the policy-making processes of the state.<fnref n="1" /> The objective of "Vision 2030" is to take a national turn and wean Saudi Arabia off of its reliance on oil. Saudi Arabia aspires to be more than a "center of three continents," but rather a "center connecting world civilizations."

In recent years, the activity of Saudi think tanks has increased, bringing the country step closer to the 2030 Vision. The University of Pennsylvania's Think Tank and Civil Societies Program's “Think Tank Index Report 2020” includes around 13 think tanks in their annual reportwhile mentioning many more think tanks from other countries of the region.<fnref n="2" /> These statistics reveal that Saudi Arabia still has a lot of work to do to achieve the goals of its 2030 vision, by isplaying regional dominance in the number of think tanks mentioned in international publications. Among the think tanks mentioned in Pennsylvania's report, there are three particular institutions whose activities are impacting the Gulf region and the Vision 2030 to some extent. Those think tanks are “Gulf Research Center”, “King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies”, and “The Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge”. Before and throughout the pandemic, these think tanks have remained steady, proving their adaptability and resistance to unexpected global challenges. Moreover, each of these centers offers a unique quality to the state's foreign policy decision-making process.

The objectives of the Gulf Research Center include the promotion of successful communication and collaboration among Gulf states. The Center's aim is to strengthen knowledge and information about the Gulf by offering a comprehensive, impartial, and trustworthy platform for advanced research on Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) politics, economy, military, security, and social issues, as well as their implications and significance.<fnref n="3" /> Since 2012, the research center has launched a successful project contributing to the increase of relevance of the region in the global political spectrum. The project aims to reinforce cooperationbetween EU and GCC countries in several key strategic areas of mutual interest. Within the project, the think tank is organizing annual training sessions in Brussels, promoting the further development of EU-GCC relations. According to recent statistics from the EU Commission committee, the EU is the second biggest trade partner of the GCC region with 12.3% of GCC's total trade in goods and

<footnote n="1">¹ "Vision 2030 Overview," Vision '2030, last modified April 18, 2022, https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/overview/.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² James G. McGann, "2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report," *ScholarlyCommons*, last modified January 28, 2021, https://repository.upenn.edu/think_tanks/18.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ "GRC: Gulf Research Center," GRC, last modified 2022, https://www.grc.net/grc_research_and_analysis.</footnote>
services.<fnref n="1" /> Because of its extensive connections with research institutes around the Gulf area and beyond, this think tank has a significant impact on the region. While the center's major work is focused on the Gulf area, it has a substantial impact on Saudi Arabia's internal policymaking. The think tank's foreign-policy analysis constantly strives to strike a balance between the Islamic component of the state's policymaking process and more modern alternatives. The think tank serves as a unique bridge between Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, and any other entities willing to invest in and cooperate with the region. Impact examination of the centers shows that it is more engaged in overall Gulf politics rather than local.

After King Faisal's death, the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies was established with the goal of sharing knowledge between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.<fnref n="2" /> The think tank is intensively working on providing a platform for regional and international organizations to perform essential humanities and social sciences research. While the think tank aspires to gain regional prominence, at the moment only a few efforts are aimed towards that end.<fnref n="3" /> Instead, the center conducts in-depth international analytical research, with an emphasis on Saudi-Chinese and Saudi-European ties. As previously noted, the think tank's impact in the Gulf area is minimal, consisting solely of a podcast produced in partnership with the Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) on the Saudi Arabian 2030 Vision.<fnref n="4" /> Despite the fact that the majority of the podcast's listeners are from Saudi Arabia, neighboring Gulf states, and the Middle East, this project has little to no influence on the country's foreign policy decisions. The podcast is a fantastic tool to inform individuals who are interested about progress toward the Saudi 2030 Vision, but it lacks a direction for growing Saudi power in the Gulf or Middle East. The influence of this think tank is particularly useful for interstate operations since the center delivers reports on foreign policy analysis with the support of independent scholars. This institute's regional effect is quite modest, and additional collaboration with CMEC may assist to increase it in the future.

The Saudi Kingdom is assisted by the Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge in forming long-term collaborations with foreign organizations.⁵ This think tank focuses mostly on publishing useful data on Saudi Arabia's connections with countries beyond the Gulf region. They have made significant contributions to the development of the Sino-Saudi relationship in recent years through a variety of collaborations with Chinese analytical institutes and other channels. A book expo held in 2021, which was attended by representatives from a number of Chinese think tanks, was particularly notable. These partnerships undoubtedly increase the think tank's prominence inside the state, since they aid in the formation of prospective relationships with a major economic partner like China. Aside from that, the think tank is attempting to strengthen Saudi Arabia's position in the Islamic world outside of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The center recently hosted an online webinar with a number of Central Asian think tanks to mark Turkmenistan's 30th anniversary of independence.⁶ Through this approach, the think tank is reaching out to a broader range of partners and has greater international impact than any other think tank in the state. The think tank's activities are unquestionably consistent with the state's 2030 Vision.

<footnote n="1">¹ "EU Trade Relations with Gulf Region," Trade, last modified 2022, https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/gulf-region_en.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² "Introduction," King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, last modified 2022, https://kfcris.com/en/about.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ M. S. Alzoubi, "What About a Saudi Think Tank League?," On Think Tanks | Independent Research, Ideas and Advice, last modified March 28, 2022, https://onthinktanks.org/articles/what-about-a-saudi-think-tank-league/.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ "Vision 2030 and Reform in Saudi Arabia: KFCRIS-CMEC Podcasts," King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, last modified 2022, https://kfcris.com/en/view/100.</footnote>
Numerous international book fairs and conferences place a strong emphasis on the "innovation" portion of the goal. While the Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge has a substantial influence on Saudi Arabia's foreign policy analysis through multiple partnerships, it has a little impact on the Gulf area. The think tank is mostly concerned with Central Asia and China. This might be crucial for the Saudi government in terms of expanding their sphere of influence outside the Arab world and closer to the Muslim world.

The Saudi government's interpretation of think tanks enables it to not only include them into the present international relations framework, but also to take a pragmatic approach to dealing with developing regional difficulties. The Saudi government has clearly boosted the function and prominence of think tanks in the kingdom as a result of the 2030 Vision. The think tanks investigated for this study surely have a considerable effect on the establishment of the state's foreign policy strategies. Saudi-Chinese ties and their future growth are receiving special attention. However, those think tanks have a very limited impact on the Gulf area as a whole, which might be attributed to their inexperience in the sector. The ideas offered by think tanks on which the connection between Gulf states is dependent on the views of the greater political class. Moreover, it is oftentimes and is restricted to economic research, which is undoubtedly a good start, but would need addition of foreign policy analysis. It was interesting to examine those think tanks' engagement with the governmental 2030 Vision. This collaborations are certainly base for further cooperation. In the years leading up to 2030, this provides a solid foundation for continued collaboration in a rapidly changing world. Think tanks should take part in delivering a forum for politicians, governments, science, and the media to explore thoughts and ideas, evaluate methods, and plan future steps.

## Bibliography

1. "About us | CRIK English." مركز البحوث والتوصل المعرفي. Last Modified 2020. https://crik.sa/english/coming-soon/.

2. Al-Hadad, E. M. "Role of Think Tanks in the Gulf's Future." Arab News. Last modified February 21, 2021. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1812916/role-think-tanks-gulf's-future.

3. Alzou'bi, M. S. "What About a Saudi Think Tank League?" On Think Tanks | Independent Research, Ideas and Advice. Last modified March 28, 2022. https://onthinktanks.org/articles/what-about-a-saudi-think-tank-league/. Last modified October 22, 2021.

4. Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge. "الحضور الصيني في معرض "الكتاب". مركز البحوث والتوصل المعرفي | مركز البحوث والتوصل المعرفي. Last July 23, 5. Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge. "الذكرى السنوية الثلاثين لاستقلال "تركمانستان". مركز البحوث والتوصل المعرفي | مركز البحوث والتوصل المعرفي. Last modified 2021. https://crik.sa/7051/.

5. "EU Trade Relations with Gulf Region." Trade. Last modified 2022. https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/gulf-region_en.

6. "GRC: Gulf Research Center." GRC. Last modified 2022. https://www.grc.net/grc_research_and_analysis/.

7. "Introduction." King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Last modified 2022. https://kfcris.com/en/about.

8. McGann, James G. "2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report." ScholarlyCommons.Last modified January 28, 2021. https://repository.upenn.edu/think_tanks/18/.
10. Simavoryan, A., Atoyan, V., & Simavoryan, S. (2021). Role of Turkish Think Tanks in the State-Diaspora Relations: The Case of SETA and ORSAM. *Messenger of ASUE, 5*, 143-159. doi:10.52174/1829-0280_2021_5_143

11. "Vision 2030 and Reform in Saudi Arabia: KFCRIS-CMEC Podcasts." King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Last modified 2022. https://kfcris.com/en/view/100.

12. "Vision 2030 Overview." Vision 2030. Last modified April 18, 2022. https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/overview/.