This study aims to analyze Kuwaiti foreign policy toward the ongoing “Gulf crisis” that emerged on June 5, 2017. This crisis caused an unprecedented break in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. Three of the six severed diplomatic relations with Qatar; Kuwait and Oman have maintained neutrality. Why did Kuwait not join Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to boycott Qatar?

The so-called “Arab Quartet” closed land and sea routes to Qatar, withdrew their diplomats, expelled Qatari nationals, prohibited the screening of the Al Jazeera TV network and, in the case of the UAE, banned expressions of sympathy toward Qatar. This is the most serious dispute ever among the GCC states, including that of 2014, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Doha.¹

Qatar, a small peninsula, shares a land border with only one, bigger country — Saudi Arabia — and sea borders with Iran and Bahrain. Its geographic position has made the situation worse. Despite great oil and natural-gas wealth, it is highly dependent for goods on its neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia.² It depends on land and sea imports to meet the basic needs of its population of 2.7 million, whereas, in the past, about 40 percent of its food came through its land border with Saudi Arabia. Turkey and Iran have recently sent food by air and sea to help the Qatari government feed the population.³

The Arab Quartet announced at the outset that Qatar must comply with 13 demands to end the boycott and resume diplomatic relations. The most important items on the list are that it curb diplomatic ties with Iran and close its diplomatic missions; sever all ties to “terrorist organizations” and hand over “terrorist figures”; stop all funding of individuals or organizations designated as terrorists by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, the United States and other countries; shut down Al Jazeera and other news outlets; and end interference with the internal affairs of other sovereign countries.⁴ Nevertheless, two of the GCC states, Kuwait and Oman, have maintained relations with Qatar. Kuwait even went so far as to undertake mediation efforts to resolve the crisis. Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah engaged in “shuttle diplomacy” right away, traveling between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Kuwait had also been the mediator during the 2014 crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Explaining Kuwait’s Decision

The foreign policy of a small state differs from that of a great power in many respects. Small states have been regarded as too weak to make any difference in the international order or to change its rules. This weakness is attributed to quantitative characteristics: small territory, few people and limited military capabilities. A small state is unable to defend its national interests with its own political or military means.⁵ Kuwait is a microstate in the international system, with a total area of 17,818 square kilometers, a population of around 1.335 million⁶ and limited military capabilities.