The rich countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, remained silent to a great extent, and even the United Arab Emirates, along with China and India, abstained in the Security Council voting for the US resolution that called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. Such an orientation showed that energy, money and security have been turned into important factors in the relations between Russia and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, and the economic relations of those countries with Moscow are expanding into security-military relations as well.

From Russia’s side, the confrontation with the United States and the intensification of geopolitical rivalries and disputes play an important role in increasing Moscow’s attention to the Persian Gulf. Russia’s target is to reduce the presence and influence of the US in various regions, including the Persian Gulf, and to create new military alliances with the countries of this region. Based on this, the key interests and goals that cause Russia’s desire to play a role in the Persian Gulf region can be identified in three areas: economic, security and military interests.

Economic interests

From an economic point of view, the Persian Gulf region has a special economic and geopolitical importance, which makes this region important for big countries, especially Russia, which seeks to maintain stability of oil prices. This region is also considered as a suitable market for Russian industrial and military products and for attracting investment in that country.

The member states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council have also become interested in establishing relations with other big powers such as Russia and China due to the reduction of participation and commitments of the United States in the region. Accordingly, the energy sector is one of the key areas where the interests of Arabs and Russia converge.

Despite the apparent competition between Russia and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in the field of oil and gas, there is enough room for cooperation and coordination between them to maintain balance in the world markets in a way that does not lead to a significant decrease in prices.

Important source of investment

Russia considers the countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council as one of the most important sources of investment in its economy. Such investments are made in a variety of commercial, agricultural and infrastructural companies. Since 2014, Qatar has ranked first in cooperation with Russia with an investment of 13 billion dollars. Saudi Arabia’s investment volume in Russia has also reached more than 2.5 (two and a half) billion dollars, and the UAE and Kuwait have invested less than one billion dollars each in that country.

Russia’s approach towards the countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council originates from an economic determining factor in order to strengthen Russia’s position in global economy through the Persian Gulf market, and the expansion of relations with the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries is an essential pillar in Russia’s foreign policy.

Security balancing

In the military-security field, Russia increased its relations with the countries of this region years ago due to the intensification of security and military developments in the West Asian region, especially since the US attack on Afghanistan and Iraq. In recent years, especially since the United States has focused part of its attention on containing China, Russia is trying to fill in the gap of the superior military power in West Asia and the Persian Gulf. Of course, considering the desire of the Islamic Republic of Iran to reduce the military presence of the United States and Western powers in the Persian Gulf, Russia has seized this opportunity and is trying to get closer to the Persian Gulf through cooperation with Iran, as the regional superior power; although that country has not limited its opportunities to cooperation with Iran and wherever necessary, it also enters into deals and negotiations with Iran’s regional rivals.

In these years, Putin has used Russia’s winning cards to revive his role in the Persian Gulf, in various fields, especially the arms market.

Arms deals

After the United States, Russia is the second largest arms exporter in the world. The country accounts for 18 percent of the total volume of arms imports by the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, and in recent years, in order to restore its influence in the region, it has expanded the sale of arms to the countries of the Persian Gulf. For the countries of this region, obtaining Russian weapons is also attractive; because this allows them to diversify their arms supply sources and thus become less dependent on western arms suppliers. This trend enables Russia to compete with other credible arms suppliers such as the United States and France.

Under such circumstances, Russia makes uninterrupted efforts to enter the arms market in the West Asian region, especially the Persian Gulf region. Saudi Arabia is a potential partner in developing cooperation in the defense industry and supplying arms from Russia. The United Arab Emirates is also the main customer of Russian weaponry in the Persian Gulf region. In February 2021, Russia held a military exhibition in Abu Dhabi, where it presented 400 models of its military products. On the sidelines of this exhibition, contracts were signed for the sale of 100 helicopters and 100 drones to the UAE. Making agreements for the sale of Sukhoi Su-35 fighters to the Islamic Republic of Iran is also considered the most controversial military deal between Russia and the Persian Gulf countries.

In sum, it can be said that Russia’s willingness for being present and playing an effective role in the Persian Gulf, in terms of various dimensions and fields, in an effort to reduce the consequences of the war in Ukraine and within the broader perspective of that country increase its network of interests and relations in the effective geopolitical spheres, competition with the United States and Western countries and creating an international balance of power, is interpretable.