The GCC, made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, is one of the most resilient sub-regional organizations in the world, and the most successful one in the Arab world.&nbsp It has been the forum through which much internal security co-operation in this volatile sub-region has taken place, as well as the main representative for the UAE's territorial dispute with Iran over the Aub Musa and Tunbs Islands. It also has significant potential to present an alternativeform of leverage over the international oil markets.&nbspVery little is known, however, about how the organization really works: how decisions are actually taken, as opposed to how this process is formally constituted in its charters, and what the GCC's real impact on member states, the Gulf, and international relations is.&nbspDrawing on cutting-edge IR theoretical perspectives as well as unique first-hand access to GCC decision-makers, Matteo Legrenzi explains the mechanisms of Gulf cooperation - and its limitations - &nbsp in the context of&nbsp economic globalization, diplomatic regionalization, and the rise of Iran.&nbsp Combining historical context, primary source investigations and theoretical analysis, it is the first comprehensive guide to the GCC and an indispensable resource for anyone concerned with the Gulf and the Middle East.

Matteo Legrenzi's profile page

Matteo Legrenzi is Assistant Professor at the School of Public and International Affairs at the&nbspUniversity of Ottawa.