Feasibility of Economic Convergence in the Persian Gulf and Realizing Requirements

Achieving economic integration, security and sustainable development in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf has suggested as a considerable topic for many international relations' researchers. Reviewing the research literature, it can conclude that the researchers did not provide the same solutions on how to achieve regional convergence in the Persian Gulf. Instead, a variety of analysis, hypotheses and suggestions made in this regard. The study aims on the feasibility of economic integration in the Persian Gulf region (including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain) and the requirements for achieving it. Economic convergence considered as a process that aims to achieve peace, security and sustainable development in the region. Accordingly, the research question would be “How the Gulf States could achieve economic integration in order to achieve peace, security and sustainable development”. In order to achieve peace, security and sustainable development, the research hypothesis the Persian Gulf States should rely on a combination of various economic, political, security, and religious-cultural capacities. Then, overcoming internal, regional and visionary divergent factors must take into account the behavioral requirements of achieving economic and political-security cooperation (in the short and medium term) and economic convergence (in the long-term) in major national decisions as well as their foreign policy approaches. The research methodology, as needed, was a combination of qualitative method based on library documents and quantitative and statistical methods. The findings provide a comprehensive network model for achieving peace, security and sustainable development through economic integration in the Persian Gulf. While rejecting strategic hierarchy model in prioritizing the indicators, the simultaneous and interconnected use of different economic, political, security and religious-cultural components in achieving economic and political-security cooperation in the short and medium-term and economic convergence is proposed for long-term.