Economic Security, Policy, and National Security: A Detailed Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between economic security, economic policy, and national security, with a specific focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It begins by defining national security and its various dimensions, including economic security, and then explores the impact of sustainable growth on contemporary security and strategy issues within the GCC region. The report examines how the military and non-military aspects of national security compete with each other, and analyzes how national economic structures influence major national security decisions and perspectives. It assesses national and regional sustainability, growth, and national security strategies and policies, with a focus on ethical standards. The report concludes with recommendations for sustainable growth, development, and national security, particularly for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), offering valuable insights into the interplay of these critical elements.

Running head: ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Economic Security, Policy and National Security
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
1. Impact of Sustainable Growth on Contemporary Security and Strategy Issues.......................3
2. Understanding how the Military and Non-Military Aspects of National Security Compete
with each Other................................................................................................................................5
3. Analysis of how National Economic Structures Affect Major National Security Decisions
and Perspectives...............................................................................................................................6
4. Assessment of National and Regional Sustainability, Growth and National Security
Strategies and Policies on the GCC and UAE Considering Ethical Standards.............................12
5. Recommendations for Sustainable Growth, Development and National Security of UAE...14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................16

2ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Introduction
National security refers to the security measures that are taken by a nation state, that
includes the economy of the country, the citizens of the country, as well as the institutions that
are seen to operate with the periphery of the country. National security is the duty and the
responsibility of the government of a nation. The concept of national security is something that
was conceived originally as a measure that had to be taken in order to keep the walls of a nation
safeguarded from attacks by enemies (Bompard et al., 2017). However, today, the term national
security is one that is seen to encompass a number of non-military dimensions as well. This
includes economic security, security against acts of terrorism, environmental security, crime,
cyber security and food security among other things. National security risks is today’s day and
age are also seen to include violent action that is undertaken by non-state actors, by multinational
corporations and even by narcotic cartels, and national security at times is even taken to include
the measures that are adopted by the government of a country to mitigate the dreadful
consequences that are associated with the occurrence of natural disasters (Bompard et al., 2017).
There are many different measures that the government of a country is seen to rely on in
order to ensure national security. These include the use of military, economic and political
power, and also the use of diplomatic tactics and measures that are capable of defending and
looking into the national security interest of a state. Conditions of security can also be built at the
international and regional level on the part of a nation state in order to reduce some of the
transnational causes of security related issues such as economic inequality, climate change,
nuclear proliferation and political exclusion (Cordesen, 2018). This paper makes the argument
that economic security, economic policy and national security are related to one another and

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analyzes such an argument with special reference to the countries that are members of the Gulf
Cooperation Council For this purpose, the dimensions of national security with special reference
to economic security are discussed in detail after which global and local partnerships and tie-ups
and measures undertaken by GCC countries to combat issues of national and transnational
security are discussed. The report concludes with a number of important recommendations that
can be taken into consideration by the government of the UAE in particular to ensure better
national security for its people in the future.
1. Impact of Sustainable Growth on Contemporary Security and Strategy
Issues
The urban environment that currently prevails in the Middle Eastern region is one that
presents significant potential for sustainable growth and development. The GCC countries have
been actively engaged in the promotion of sustainable growth and development with the
Moroccan government having taken a leading role in this respect. A national charter has very
recently been announced by the Moroccan government that outlines the actions that are need to
be undertaken to ensure adequate sustainable development (Bompard et al., 2017). Energy
efficiency standards have at the same time been introduced by the governments of Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates for the various buildings that are situated across the
length and the breadth of the cities and towns of these countries. Professional organizations and
Non-governmental organizations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan have established
what may be termed as green building councils with the major goal of these councils being to
promote sustainable designs and import a green building rating system. It must be noted at the
same given time that the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are those

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that have been preoccupied with the development of sustainable design projects and many other
governments in the GCC region are considering the provision of financial incentives for
developing or constructing buildings that are energy efficient in nature while creating small sized
energy renewable systems at the same given time in order to make such systems those that are
commercially viable (Evren et al., 2017). Such positive opportunities and developments indicate
that the GCC region is one that is turning in a slow and steady manner towards sustainable
growth and development and is attempting to carry out business and development activities in a
way that these do not have an impact on the surrounding natural environment. The sustainable
development and growth strategies that are being undertaken by the GCC countries are those that
are certain to have an impact on the economic and national security prevailing in the region.
Activities that are undertaken in the name of economic security such as the building of smart
cities and the development of the military including the use of advanced arms and ammunition
will have to be undertaken keeping environmental security and growth in mind. Sustainable
growth and development if on the agenda of the governments of the GCC countries which it
already appears to be, will influence the number of military exercises that are undertaken in these
countries to demonstrate strength in security related matters, nuclear tests will have to be kept at
a minimum since such tests are seen to have a dangerous impact on the surrounding natural
environment. The construction of the smart cities and other urban development activities that are
designed to ensure economic security in the GCC region and prevent the dependence of these
countries on the natural oil reserves which presently constitute the major source of revenue of
these countries, will have to be undertaken in a manner that the natural environment does not
become with pollutants as a consequence of such activities (Ibish, 2017).

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2. Understanding how the Military and Non-Military Aspects of National
Security Compete with each Other
National security is something that is seen to depend a lot on political security. This
means that stability associated with the social order of a particular country is something that can
greatly influence the national security interests of that nation. This in turn needs to be
accompanied by stability and equitability of the international order. In order words it is only
when the political and social stability of a nation is present can the nation be considered to be
truly secure from harm or any danger. Political security is something that extends to the steps
that are taken by the government of a country in making sure that disaffected groups are
incorporated into the mainstream population, that interests and wellbeing are looked into and that
they identify with and relate to the interests of the nation (Efthymiopoulos, 2016). Political
security also extends to human security, with the national government of a country undertaking
all measures and approaches to ensure that basic human dignity is maintained and that the rights
and the safety of human beings is protected. Human security is in fact one of the foremost
security concerns of every government with the success of a government being largely dependent
on the type of security measures that is able to make available for the benefit and the safety of its
citizens. Economic security forms an important part of national security (Evren et al., 2017).
Economic security refers to the ability of a nation to maintain as well as develop its economy and
to make sure that all the economic resources of a country have been exploited to the fullest. This
is one of the dimensions of national security that needs to be managed well enough in order for
other aspects of national security to be successfully managed as well. Other forms of national
security such as ecological security, the security of energy as well as natural resources and even
societal and political security for that matter is something that is largely dependent on economic

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security. It is only when a nation is economically self-sufficient and it is only when a nation does
not have to depend on neighboring nations for aid or for economic assistance, can this nation be
regarded as truly secure (Guierache, 2016). A nation that is dependent on foreign sources for aid
and assistance and which relies on external supplies or provisions of money in order to look after
its people is a nation which is economically dependent and as such this is not a nation which is
economically secure. It is always going to need external powers, usually countries that are well
developed and which have enough financial strength and stability in order to gain the resources
that it needs to take sufficient care of its citizens, something that puts the country in a vulnerable
position as it is always going to be vulnerable to external assistance owing to the lack of
financial autonomy. In this context it is worthwhile to point out the fact that the Gulf region is
one of the most economically advanced of nations in the world and that the resources of the Gulf
region are sufficient for the countries of this region to take care of the needs and requirements of
its people not only in the present day but also in the near future. This is largely due to the fact
that members of the Gulf Cooperation Council or the Gulf countries as they are commonly are
known, are characterized by vast reserves of oil that have enabled the country to be financially
self-sufficient and powerful and not dependent on the mercy of western powers (Young, 2016).
3. Analysis of how National Economic Structures Affect Major National
Security Decisions and Perspectives
A mixed and free market economy is seen to persist in the countries of the Gulf and
these countries are especially well-known the world over for its oil as well as natural gas
production. It is a thriving and economically well-developed region with the economy of the
region growing and developing at an exceptional pace. Much of the revenue of the GCC

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countries comes through the export of oil and natural gas. The countries of West Asia such as
Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and even the nation of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is one of
the largest exporters of oil and natural gas and it earns the most of its billions from such exports
(Ibish, 2017). People who live in the GCC countries are economically well positioned and are
not wanting in any way. Richness and prosperity can be seen to exist in every town and every
city of the country, with the average family of the GCC countries being highly well to do and
influential financially. People from nearby regions such as countries like India and Pakistan in
South Asia are seen to migrate to the United Arab Emirates in large numbers because of the job
opportunities that are available here. The economic prosperity that the Gulf region is
characterized by is something that allows the nation to not only fend for itself and not be
dependent on foreign powers for financial stability and greatness but it also generates jobs that
results in people from surrounding regions migrating to this part of the world in search of better
opportunities. It is important to remember that the high levels of economic prosperity and growth
that can be seen to exist in the Gulf countries is something that makes the protection of national
security interests in the country something that is highly important. It is expected that the
government of the Gulf countries will invest as much as ten billion dollars in the sector of
national security over the next ten years (Jensen, 2018). The governments of the Gulf countries
acknowledge that the security interests of the nation need to be prioritized above everything else
given how well the nation is doing and contributing to the global economy and to make sure also
that the economic prosperity that is currently being enjoyed by the nation is something that it
continues to have and enjoy in the future as well. Over and above the fact that the country is
going to invest as much as ten billion dollars in national security, a number of cooperative and
diplomatic partnerships will also be entered into by the governments of the Gulf countries or

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GCC countries in order to enhance national security measures for the people of the country
(Lengrenzi, 2015).
As such, the region of West Asia is one that relies strongly on the support and the
cooperation that is made available by the countries of this region. More than relying on the
support of Western Nations, notably countries like the United States of America and the United
Kingdom for partnerships and agreements that are designed to ensure national security in the
Gulf the government of the Gulf countries looks to the brotherhood of the Islamic world and
collaborates and enters into agreements with each other and agreements and partnerships exist
for this purpose among countries of Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in order to come up with
methods and ways by which issues that affect the national security interests of all of these
countries can be suitably tackled including those that are seen to affect the national security
interest of GCC countries (Shemirani, 2016). The internal security market in the West Asian
region is one that has been expanding at a slow and steady pace with as much as sixteen billion
dollars being invested in this region in the year of 2012 for the purpose of national security. The
state or internal security expenses in the region of West Asia is stated to be at a figure of thirty
six percent compared to other types of security related expenses, making it clear that the
governments of the West Asian countries, including are those that value and prioritize internal
security compared to other forms of security (Shemirani, 2016).
Indeed the prevalence of terrorist threats, the strategic location of the oil fields across the
length and the breadth of the nation and the high rates of economic development that has been
experienced in the GCC countries in recent years, makes internal security management more
important than external security management and which makes cooperation with external forces
in this respect especially countries of the West Asian region all the more mandatory. Innovative

9ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
and technological solutions for ensuring proper national security is what appears to be the need
of the hour in the Middle Eastern region as a whole. For this purpose it is seen that the region has
been entering into agreements and partnerships with European and American firms that can
provide security personnel in the Gulf (Young, 2017). American and European security groups
are those that are seen to be quite nicely rooted in the Middle Eastern region. Countries of this
region, notably the United Arab Emirates is making extensive use of the expertise that is
provided by European and American security firms to establish the type of infrastructure that is
needed to keep the national security of the country well-guarded and to make sure that the
protection of citizens is something that is always looked into. Measures are specifically being
undertaken by the governments of GCC countries to keep the nation well protected from terrorist
assaults especially in light of the ethnic strikes and problems that have been taking place in the
West Asian region such as in the neighboring country of Yemen. One of the most important
areas that money is being invested in for the purpose of enhancing and ensuring national security
is in the airports of the Gulf countries (Cordesen, 2018).
Out of the billions of dollars that the GCC countries have been looking to spend on the
matter of national security, as much as five to six billion dollars is going to be invested in the
development of airport infrastructure. It is recognized by the GCC countries that airports are
quite vulnerable to terrorist attacks and that adequate security measures need to be installed here
if terrorist strikes are to be brought under control and if suspicious people are to be identified and
detained, that is people who are capable or have the motive to carry out a terrorist attack
(Cordesen, 2018). In addition to enhancing airport security, the governments of the GCC
countries has also focused in recent times on hosting what may be termed as security related
events. Such events are those that are being held in close cooperation with the countries of the

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West Asian region. For instance, the governments of the GCC countries have hosted events
related to fire safety and security that is the measures that need to be immediately put in place in
the event that a fire breaks out in any part of the country at any given point of time. Matters that
pertain to operational health, as well as occupational safety, are also something that has been
addressed by the government of the GCC countries for the benefit of its people. The government
of the UAE especially is one that takes cognizance of the fact that the country is home not only
to indigenous Arabs but to large sections of migrant population such as Indians and Pakistanis
who come to the country in large numbers to work and to earn a living and who have the right to
access occupational safety and security measures that will make it possible for them to work in
peace (Shemirani, 2016).
In order to press forth the matter of national security the governments of GCC countries
have taken recourse to a number of regional cooperative measures. It is important to note in this
respect that the region of the Gulf one that growing more and more unstable with every passing
day. The Emirates is a country that is concerned particularly about the growth and development
of political Islam which is highly fundamental in its character. The activities of the Muslim
Brotherhood in the Gulf have been suspended by the GCC countries as such activities are seen as
a threat to both economic and social security in these countries. The Cooperation Council for the
Arab States of the Gulf has been active in seeking assistance from its neighboring nations for
assistance and help pertaining to the matter of its national security, even though it does not
approve of the foreign policy that is followed by the country of Qatar and even though it is seen
to disagree with the government of Saudi Arabia on many matters. The strategic axis of the
foreign policy of the GCC countries in the years following 2011 has seen the reduction of radical
Islam in the country. The aim of the foreign policy of the GCC countries is not only to prevent

11ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
radical Islam from spreading its presence in the country and threatening the national security
interests of the country but also to prevent the rise of fundamental or radical Islam from
establishing its presence in other neighboring countries of the region, some of the well-known
examples in this respect being the countries of Syria, Jordan and the country of Egypt.
The GCC countries have been cooperating in the area of defense with the aim of
establishing national security. For this purpose, the country has partnered with the European
nation of France. A bilateral defense treaty or agreement has been entered into between France
and the UAE which facilitates the exchange of weapons in addition to other forms of military
cooperation. The support of France has been reaffirmed should an attack take place on the
territorial as well as the sovereign integrity of a country such as the UAE with France gradually
emerging as the largest ally of the country in the area of defense. Illegal migration such as the
problem of trafficking is also an issue related to national security that the UAE has been battling
with for a long time. The country as mentioned before is home to vast sections of migrant
population who come to this country to work and to earn a living and who often fall victims to
smugglers and traffickers because of the fact that they lack the papers and relevant documents
needed to establish their legitimate identity. Cooperation in this respect has in the past and
continues to be solicited by the GCC countries from the governments of the United Kingdom and
Germany. Such countries have also sought cooperation for controlling traffickers and smugglers
from countries such as The Netherlands and France. It is worthwhile to point out in this respect
that requests of this nature have been legitimized, validated and approved of only by France
making it more than clear that when it comes to protecting the national security interests of the
UAE, France is one nation on whose support the government of the UAE can count on, whether
it is in the area of defense or internal and external migration. Specific cooperation has been

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sought by UAE from France in the area of drug trafficking, with the French government having
supplied the UAE with armed or security personnel to combat the issue of drug trafficking as
seen to exist in several parts of the UAE, notably in the capital city of Dubai. Additionally as
mentioned earlier, European and American security companies have established their presence in
Dubai and Doha to provide the government with the security support and infrastructure that is
needed to determine or ascertain the fact that the national security of the country is not
something that is compromised with.
4. Assessment of National and Regional Sustainability, Growth and
National Security Strategies and Policies on the GCC and UAE
Considering Ethical Standards
As mentioned above, the GCC countries and the UAE in particular are taking considerable
steps to enhance national security and economic security so that economic development and the
security of the people of these countries is assured of at the same given time. The GCC countries
including the UAE have left no stone unturned to make sure of the fact that national security is
something that is not compromised with. Efforts have been made on the part of these countries to
enter into collaborations with foreign allies such as European and American security companies
and political alliances have been formed with friendly nations like France and Germany and even
The Netherlands to acquire financial resources needed to ensure that national and economic
security are maintained side by side in the GCC region (Guieraiche, 2016). Efforts have
specifically been made to look into the matter of internal security with migration and trafficking
being controlled suitably with the help of foreign powers such as Germany. It is crucial to always
bear in mind the fact that the countries of the GCC region including a country like the United

13ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Arab Emirates is one that is home to a migrant population that is of substantive size and the
security of the migrant population is something that these countries have got to look into in order
to keep them safe from the hands of smugglers and also to maintain friendly relations with the
countries from where these people are migrating from, with most of these countries being those
that are situation in the South Asian region such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and even
Nepal and Sri Lanka (Ibish, 2017). Yet it has also been discussed above that sustainable growth
and development is something that the countries of the GCC including the UAE is taking very
seriously and efforts are being made by the governments of these countries to become as energy
efficient as possible while maintaining and implementing urban development goals at the same
given time. There is a concern among the governments of this region that the goals of sustainable
growth and development should not collide or come into conflict with the goal of national
security and national economic security, as this would prove to be disastrous for the entire region
as a whole. At present, therefore, the work that is being done by the governments of the Middle
Eastern region towards the goal of sustainable development is one that makes sure of the fact that
the urban development activities that are undertaken as well as activities pertaining to economic
development are carried out sustainably while national security measures such as military
training, exercises, and nuclear tests are kept to a minimum or are undertaken in regions where
such activities are not likely to have an impact on the surrounding natural environment (Bompard
et al., 2017).

14ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
5. Recommendations for Sustainable Growth, Development and National
Security of UAE
When it comes to promoting sustainable growth and development, national and economic
security in the country of the United Arab Emirates in particular, the following recommendations
need to be taken into consideration –
 Military exercises and the conducting of nuclear tests, both of which are considered to
be vital measures of national security are those that need to be conducted in parts of
the UAE where such exercises and training activities will not have a negative impact
on the surrounding natural environment. Care needs to be taken on the part of the
government of the UAE to designate or demarcate specific areas or parts of the
country where such activities can be undertaken without allowing dangerous emission
into the environment and nuclear tests need to be kept to a bare minimum, no matter
how important for national security, if the goal of sustainable development is to be
achieved (Ibish, 2017).
 Building of smart cities which forms a major feature of the urban development
project of the United Arab Emirates is something that has to be undertaken by the
government of the UAE using construction materials that are eco-friendly in nature,
using construction techniques which are energy efficient and in specific parts of the
country where urban development and growth will not be perceived as chaotic and
unruly and where there is enough space and resources for such urban development
activities to be undertaken (Cordesman, 2018).
 While foreign collaborations are being entered into by the governments of the GCC
including the UAE on defense and strategic matters, similar collaborations should

15ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
also be entered into by the UAE on matters pertaining to environmental security. This
in turn is going to facilitate the growth and development of security strategies that
aim at keeping the country militarily and economically protected while safeguarding
the natural environment of the country at the same given time (Evren et al., 2017).
Conclusion
Thus, when it comes to national security, economic security and economic policy as well
as the matter of sustainable growth and development, it can be stated that all of the three factors
share an important relationship and that they are all interdependent on one another. This is more
than evident in the case of the GCC nations which are the most economically advanced nations
in the West Asian region, and which has had to have an adequate and stringent national security
policy in place because of the fact that these are countries that are doing so well economically.
The economic success of the Gulf region is something that has made the countries here largely
vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and the fact that the region is home to vast sections of migrant
people who come from South Asia and other neighboring regions to work over here for a better
livelihood makes this a region that is vulnerable to both drug trafficking and human trafficking.
While the government of GCC countries have undertaken significant efforts to combat this and
has been engaging in international and regional cooperation for this purpose, it needs to keep up
its effort in this respect to make sure that the national security interests of the country are never
compromised on and that the Gulf region is always safe place for people to live at and work, and
which is always economically prosperous.

16ECONOMIC SECURITY, POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
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