Abstract EN:

The concept of border lines within the arabian peninsula is a fairly recent notion. As a region inhabited by wandering tribes, who speak the same language and share the same religious beliefs, there was no need to define precise border lines until the twentieth century. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to the historical, geographical, social and human aspects of the arabian peninsula. The british presence in the region and moreover, the discovery of huge oilfields, have pressurised the local political groups into defining their borders, in order to ensure the respect of their sovereignty. The second part is then dedicated to the creation of borders and to the subsequent disputes. Although peaceful solutions have been found to avoid clashes, other disputes have resulted in outright armed conflict. To avoid such serious issues and within the framework of the peaceful settlement of border lines, the gulf cooperation council has played an increasingly growing role. It is in the interest of all the regional states to go along with this peacekeeping settlement process.