UAE Falls, Qatar Deemed at Risk In Global Peace Index

The UAE fell five places, while neighbouring Qatar was deemed one of the nations most likely to deteriorate in peace over the next two years in the 2014 Global Peace Index.

The ranking of 162 countries by think tank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) gauges on-going domestic and international conflict, safety and security in society, and militarisation by taking into account 22 indicators.

Qatar was deemed the most peaceful nation in the GCC ranking 22 globally, followed by Kuwait at 37, the UAE at 40, Oman at 59, Saudi Arabia at 80 and Bahrain at 111.

“The UAE has placed a strong focus on domestic security throughout the period, with considerable investment in maintaining a well-staffed police force. Security focus has become even more marked since 2011, following the Arab Spring uprisings, which saw protests break out elsewhere in the region,” said Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the IEP.

The total cost of preventing or dealing with violence in the UAE was estimated at $11.7 billion in 2013, equivalent to 4.3 per cent of GDP or $1,270 per person.

This compared to a total cost of $6.15 billion in Qatar, $8 billion in Kuwait, $13 billion in Oman, $88 billion in Saudi Arabia and $3.67 billion in Bahrain.

Qatar joined Zambia, Haiti, Chad and Liberia as nations considered most likely to see increased levels of unrest and violence in the next two years, calculated via a new statistical modelling technique with 90 per cent historical accuracy.

Globally peace continued to deteriorate last year due terrorist activity, the number of conflicts fought, and the number of refugees and displaced persons, according to the report.

“This confirms a seven year gradual, but significant downward slide, which overturns a 60-year trend of increasing global peacefulness dating back to the end of the Second World War,” the IEP noted.

The economic impact of containing and dealing with violence in 2013 globally was estimated at $9.8 trillion, equivalent to 11.3 per cent of global GDP, or twice the size of 54 countries in the African economy.

Increases in the global economic impact of violence and its containment were equivalent to 19 per cent of global economic growth from 2012 to 2013, or $1,350 per person, according to Killelea.

“This is a wakeup call to governments, development agencies, investors and the wider international community that building peace is the prerequisite for economic and social development,” he said.

In the global ranking Syria displaced Afghanistan as the world’s least peaceful nation, while Iceland maintained its position as the most peaceful country.

Europe remained the most peaceful region in the world and South Asia was the least peaceful.