Abstract:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has followed small state policies for decades, has experienced a significant change in its foreign policy behavior since the Arab Spring. The UAE which used to bandwagon the United States (US) and Saudi Arabia for decades has adopted a more pro-active foreign policy in the turmoil. It has been acting like a regional actor, ceasing to comply with the US when its interest is at stake and challenging the Saudi regional leadership when its threat assessment differs from Riyadh’s. The article will examine how it is possible for the UAE, which is a small state, to take an active stance in filling the vacuum created by the Arab Spring in the region. The regional security complex and the conjuncture of the UAE before and after the Arab Spring will be evaluated. The hedging option offered by the multipolarity to the small state policies and how the UAE used the hedging strategy in its regional activism will be evaluated.

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