China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) invokes historic memories of the Silk Road, which facilitated communication, trade and exchanges between civilisations. In its current form, the BRI is designed to further China's economic and foreign policies. It is rooted in China enjoying economic success through infrastructure development.

The plan is to replicate this economic strategy abroad. By attempting to create land and maritime trade routes linking China with Europe, through Asia (including the Middle East) and Africa, Beijing intends to help its own growth, especially in central and western China, and that of other countries as well.

The BRI is an extension of former president Jiang Zemin's strategy of encouraging Chinese companies to invest abroad. As China takes on a more global role under President Xi Jinping, the BRI is being promoted as a tool aimed at building a “common human community with a shared future”.

Of the proposed six BRI corridors, none formally includes the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. But the five BRI connectivity themes – infrastructure, policy implementation, trade facilitation, financial facilitation, and people-to-people communication – keep the doors open for participation by the GCC countries, including the United Arab Emirates.

The scope for the GCC countries’ involvement in the BRI can be linked to at least two factors: one, the region's financial liquidity, which is evident in the bloc being home to some of the largest sovereign wealth funds, and their related investment interests; and two, the region's infrastructure capabilities, especially their reputation as air and maritime hubs, which have made them major trade and financial centres.

While these two GCC strengths dovetail well with the BRI, there are a few obstacles too, from the GCC countries’ perspective. The foremost among them is Iran, a major partner in the project. This chapter analyses some of the GCC's prospects and difficulties associated with the BRI. It argues that despite the drawbacks, four factors make it imperative for the regional grouping to consider getting on board the BRI