The idea of a closer European-Gulf security relationship has been in the air for several months.

In particular, the United Kingdom and France have expressed their resolve to foster better cooperation with the Gulf monarchies. At the same time, London is said to be preparing for a reshuffling, or pivoting, of its military in the Arabian Peninsula. Specifically, the British armed forces are considering using the Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai, as the hub for future regional interventions. In 2012, the United Kingdom signed a new defense cooperation agreement with Bahrain, and the government of Prime Minister David Cameron is involved in a huge effort to facilitate the sale of 100 Typhoon fighters to Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a package that could total more than $9 billion. This revamping of London's posture in the Gulf has led observers to speculate about a British policy of a “return to East of Suez.”

Meanwhile, the French White Paper on Defense and National Security released in April 2013 describes Gulf security as the fourth “strategic priority” of the French government. The official document states explicitly that “Iran’s race to acquire nuclear-armed capabilities” is the biggest challenge to this objective. France had already substantially shifted its military focus to the Gulf even before this assessment. Under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, the military closed some of its permanent bases in Africa to build a new one in Abu Dhabi in 2008 and strengthened its existing defense agreements with its allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Multilateral organizations, including NATO, have also been active during the last two years promoting stronger ties with Gulf nations. In 2004 NATO created a partnership called the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative — which offers practical cooperation in such areas as counterterrorism, training, military interoperability — but it had failed until now to bring Oman and Saudi Arabia to the table. In the absence of Riyadh and Muscat, the initiative was perceived as a partnership without a cause. In the last twelve months, however, there have been indications that Saudi Arabia has been tempted to revise its position. Of note, recent visits by Saudi officials to Brussels and by NATO high representatives to Riyadh are being interpreted as signaling a rapprochement.