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Paper short abstract

This paper analyzes how Gulf donors (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE) use food aid. It argues their allocations are driven by a range of foreign policy interests, humanitarian and otherwise. By delinking aid from conditionality, they challenge the Western model and reflect shifting geopolitics.

Paper long abstract

For decades, the allocation of international food aid has been dominated by OECD donors, guided by a set of norms rooted in the Western liberal paradigm. However, the rise of alternative donors, particularly the Gulf states, is introducing strategic logics and motivations that are influencing international development. This paper investigates the determinants of food aid from these new actors, asking: Are the Gulf donors responding primarily to recipient need, or are their allocations better explained by strategic and commercial interests? The paper proceeds to analyze the foreign policy documents and food aid allocation patterns of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. It argues that the allocation of food aid has a strategic role in these donors’ foreign policy as it offers an opportunity to connect with recipient countries who want to diversify their donor base. This challenges the Western-centric paradigm by setting an alternative development model that delinks aid from democratic conditionality. The paper contends that the rise of these donors reflects rapidly shifting geopolitics and the growing unpredictability of global food security. The conclusion raises critical questions about the future of multilateral cooperation and the possibilities for establishing a consensus on the principles of humanitarian action on a global scale.