>>801945I wrote a lot about this but the site deleted my shit when I tried to post it.
It's funny you would ask this because I was in the region as a security guy and my academic studies vaguely cover this area. I've written one or two papers on it and have an interest in learning about it.
In general, being an air force pilot or military officer is prestigious in the GCC, so I doubt any state has trouble finding them. As for intel, I have no idea. But when I've run into those types, they tend to look like local and one thing that's clear is that they're all good at internal suppression, so whatever they're doing works.
But yeah, most of the GCC outsources their security services. Kuwait is a notable exception, presumably because of the Iraqi invasion. They seem to only take locals, and they have conscription. They have questionable training. I recall reading a news story about a cop being murdered during a traffic stop while his partner was hiding in their vehicles. Also, while not necessarily common, they have tribal cops in the national police they don't even trust to carry guns, and the department as a whole was only armed with maybe the last two decades. Probably because of the war idk. Kuwaitis are notoriously boisterous but soft. I recall witnessing a fight once that resembled shit we'd see in an elementary school in the US. I'm talking literal Naruto kicks.
Omani military officers have a good reputation and are sought after in the region. I've heard they often find work in Bahrain after service. Seeing the Omani security services in person, they seem well-equipped and competent. I think this trickles down from their work ethic in general. Omanis and Saudis are the only GCC citizens you'll see working regular jobs. An Omani checked me into my hotel when I visited and I found it so novel.
Bahrain is unique in that its security services being mostly foreign is a state priority. Their leadership is Sunni, but since a lot of their population (maybe a slight majority, I think) is Shia, they stack the security services in their favor. A lot of their military and cops are visibly Pakistani. They're armed and seem professional, and they have a track record of suppressing dissent well. One of the few ways to get Bahrani citizenship is to serve in the military for like 20+ years.
Qatar has a lot of foreigner
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