Source: Journal of International Relations, No.6, 2025

Abstract: Under the dual pressures of spillover effects from Sino-US technological competition and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states’ imperative for digital technology driven transformation, GCC governments have made digital technology development a cornerstone for economic restructuring and enhanced national competitiveness. To this end, they have pursued a suite of strategic measures: targeting key sectors for deployment of frontier technologies; building diversified technology networks to hedge against risks arising from US-China rivalry; establishing regional digital platforms to bolster sovereign policy discourse; and refining talent-development systems to strengthen indigenous capabilities. These initiatives have already yielded tangible advances in both technology development and applied translation. Nevertheless, the trajectory of Sino-US technological competition inevitably shapes the GCC’s digital ecosystem, delivering considerable digital dividends while simultaneously engendering dependencies and constraining autonomy. Looking forward, GCC states must adopt flexible, pragmatic diplomatic strategies to sustain cooperation with both China and the United States, while also scaling up domestic innovation investment, deepening South-South collaboration, and forging multilateral technology partnerships to secure greater strategic autonomy and buffering capacity for their digital technology agendas.

Keywords: great power competition, GCC States, digital technology development