Armies of Arabia: Military Politics and Effectiveness in the Gulf

by Zoltan Barany

Overview

Armies of Arabia is the first comprehensive analysis of the Gulf monarchies' armed forces, including their political, social, and economic characteristics, foreign relations, and battleground performance.

The Arabian Peninsula is among the most strategically and economically important areas in the world, but its militaries remain terra incognita. In Armies of Arabia - the first book to comprehensively analyze the Gulf monarchies' armed forces - Zoltan Barany explains their notorious ineffectiveness with a combination of political-structural and sociocultural factors.

Drawing on over 150 interviews and meticulous multidisciplinary research, Barany paints a fascinating portrait of Arabia's armies from Ibn Saud's Ikhwan to the present. He explores the methods ruling families employ to ensure their armies' loyalty, examines the backgrounds and career trajectories of soldiers and officers, and explains the monarchies' reliance on mercenaries and the enduring importance of tribal networks. Even though no other world region spends more on security, Arabia's armies remain ineffective because of an absence of meritocracy, the domination of personal connections over institutional norms, insipid leadership, a casual work ethic, and training that lacks intensity, frequency, and up-to-date scenarios. Massive weapons acquisitions are primarily pay-offs to the US for protecting them and have resulted in bloated and inappropriate arsenals and large-scale corruption. Barany explains why the Gulf Cooperation Council has been a squandered opportunity and examines the kingdoms' military relationships with the Arab world and beyond. The performance of the Saudi-led coalition's disastrous war in Yemen starkly illustrates the Gulf armies' humiliating combat record. The book concludes with thoughts on waste (of human potential, resources, institutions) as a dominant theme of Gulf military affairs, considers likely changes in response to long-term weakening demand for oil, and suggests ways in which the armies' effectiveness could be raised.

Chock-full of insights and stories from the field and written with a general audience in mind, Armies of Arabia will be essential reading for anyone interested in military affairs and Middle Eastern politics, society, and international relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190866204
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/01/2021
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Zoltan Barany is the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Government at the University of Texas and a (non-resident) Senior Associate of the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. His books include How Armies Respond to Revolutions and Why, The Soldier and the Changing State: Building Democratic Armies in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and, as co-editor, Is Democracy Exportable? - all have been translated into Arabic.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Background: Sociocultural Foundations and Historical Junctures
Chapter 2: Military Politics: The Absolute Monarchy, Domestic Threats, and Civil-Military Relations
Chapter 3: Military Sociology: Soldiers, Officers, and the Role of Culture
Chapter 4: Military Economy: Expenditure, Acquisition, and Arsenal
Chapter 5: Military Diplomacy: The GCC and Its Foreign Military Relations
Chapter 6: Military Performance: Training, Deployments, and the War in Yemen
Conclusion
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history and current status of militaries of GCC states." — Chaoqun LIan, China International Strategy Review

"As the United States seeks to reduce its commitments in the Middle East, the critical question Americans must consider is the extent to which we can rely on our allies in the Gulf to finally defend themselves. Armies of Arabia should be the starting point for that debate and the policies that must flow from it. Never before has there been so comprehensive or thoughtful a treatment of the armed forces of the Gulf states. It is a work of tremendous erudition and insight that will set the terms for one of the most important issues facing the United States over the next decade." — Kenneth M. Pollack, author of Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness

"In what is a remarkably detailed and thorough study, Barany has produced the most comprehensive and insightful book on the armed forces in the Arabian Peninsula to date. This important topic has long been neglected by those of us studying the region. Moving forward, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in a proper understanding of political and security issues in the GCC." — Mehran Kamrava, author of Inside the Arab State

"Barany lays out in unsparing detail the deficiencies of the military forces of the Gulf monarchies, attributing those deficiencies for the most part to their autocratic political systems and to the socioeconomic effects of great wealth on building effective citizen armies. His conclusions are supported by a thorough review of the published work and by extensive interviews with both Gulf and Western soldiers and military experts. A bracing and thought-provoking read." — F. Gregory Gause, III, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University

"A probing and superbly researched analysis of Arab Gulf military forces that goes far beyond military analysis to examine the impact of their modern history, political leadership, and the character of each monarchy. Barany addresses the impact of culture, economics, tribalism, and the military's broader role in each country's strategy, as well as dependence on foreign soldiers, arms sales, and contractors. The result is key reference for understanding the military factors that shape Gulf security and stability." — Anthony H. Cordesman, Burke Chair in Strategy, CSIS

"...the book is less an exposition of the enduring characteristics of Gulf militaries and more a snapshot as these forces proceed through the same uneven process of professional growth as other militaries before them." — Nikolas Gardner, Middle East Quarterly

From the Publisher