Khaleeji Mode of Development Cooperation

The emergence of alternative forms of development cooperation has been gaining ground in recent years. The growing involvement of new actors, such as the BRICS group, Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, has brought increasing attention to new priorities, strategies and methods of development cooperation. Their actions are challenging the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) model of development and the way aid is both conceived and delivered. Among these new donors, Gulf countries present a specific “khaleeji mode” that focuses heavily on bilateral aid arrangements and is cautious of multilateral cooperation. This approach represents the Gulf states’ efforts to become soft power gateways of influence between the Global North and South.