Expert: Pouring More Arab Resources into US Alliance Is Unreasonable

For decades, Gulf states considered the United States their most important strategic partner, building multi-layered ties in security, energy, finance, and diplomacy. Yet when Washington launched its war alongside Israel against Iran, Gulf partners were sidelined, their calls and concerns ignored.

Now, as the Trump administration seeks to negotiate with Iran, Israel's interests continue to come first, while the concerns of Arab allies are once again overlooked. No matter how much the Gulf states do or are willing to contribute, their interests will be brushed aside in Washington whenever they conflict with Israel's.

An Alliance for Stability

Few alliances in modern history have been as deep and reciprocal as that between the Gulf and the United States. Gulf states opened their territory to an almost unconditional U.S. military presence. Bilateral trade exceeded $120 billion in 2024, bolstered by Gulf investments in the U.S. economy and by a significant U.S. presence in Gulf markets across technology, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

The scale of interdependence was underscored at the 2025 Riyadh summit, where trade and investment deals totaled more than $2 trillion. That same year, Gulf sovereign wealth funds poured nearly $70 billion into U.S. assets. Beyond these headline numbers, the Gulf has long helped finance the United States through treasury bond recycling, keeping borrowing costs low, bolstering the dollar's global dominance, and supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs in manufacturing, defense, and technology.

In return, Gulf governments expected one core thing: that their vital interests would be recognized, if not prioritized. These interests once aligned with U.S. policy and can be summarized in three pillars: economic diversification (reducing reliance on hydrocarbons), regional stability (a prerequisite for investment and sustainable development), and energy security (uninterrupted oil and gas flows as the bedrock of global economic stability).

To achieve these goals, Gulf states invested heavily—both financially and politically—in building a more stable regional order, pursuing diplomacy over confrontation. Saudi Arabia ended the war in Yemen, opened dialogue channels with Iran and Turkey, and deepened ties with Pakistan. These moves are not tactical gestures; they are part of a broader strategy to build a resilient, cooperative regional architecture.

Choosing Chaos over Stability

It has now become clear that Washington has chosen to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agenda of regional instability and dominance. By advancing Netanyahu's expansionist goals, even at the expense of its own interests, the United States has placed the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb—the world's most critical energy chokepoints—in danger, exposing global oil and gas markets to extreme volatility.

These choices are plunging the entire region, with Gulf states at the forefront, into chaos. The consequences will reverberate for years to come. Gulf and Arab states must recognize a fundamental reality: sustainable regional stability cannot be built on dependence on the United States. Americans are not natives of this land or region. No matter how the international system evolves, geography and demographics remain decisive factors for interests. A superpower thousands of kilometers away, with different demographic and geographic realities, cannot be relied upon to defend Arab interests.

Yet some countries continue to bet on a “special relationship” with the United States and turn their backs on unity. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently left OPEC, which had provided leverage for Arab oil-producing states vis-à-vis the United States and the rest of the world. This move signals retreat rather than enhanced cooperation and dispute resolution. In the short term, this might serve national interests, but in the long term, it plays into the hands of those who wish to divide and rule the Arab world—something not in the UAE's interest.

Instead of pouring additional resources into the alliance with Washington, Arab countries should focus on intra-bloc development to achieve economic, security, and military autonomy, similar to the projects pursued by Turkey and Iran. They need to concentrate on internal dialogue, greater cohesion, and a broader strategic framework that ensures a balance of power based on political partnership and constructive competition—rather than dependence on an external patron.