ABSTRACT: The Gulf regional strategic environment indicates that the balance of power is moving towards an inward concentration for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states while Iran attempts to fill the strategic vacuum created by the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. This work explores Saudi national security from different perspectives. The impact of population growth, new media and societal harmony in relation to a comprehensive approach to security are addressed. These multiple challenges facing Saudi society have been magnified by the so-called “Arab Spring.” In addition, this work analyses particular societal phenomena that could influence what is known as a “strategic vacuum” which is caused by the absence of regulation in certain societal aspects and as the result of a gap, or emptiness, in public space. I argue that Saudi Arabia needs to develop a security doctrine that combines both internal and external dimensions. The work examines the Saudi national security circle by reviewing the role of new media on societal transformation as well as the impact of demographic growth and the way in which they influence wider notions of security. Finally, this article poses the following question: Is it possible to change the speed of interaction between the following issues: the regional balance of power, the security issue, the military balance of power and domestic socio-political realities?.
Keywords: National Security, Societal Security, Social Media, Population Growth, Arabian Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia