The Persian Gulf vs. "The Arabian Gulf."
The Persian Gulf vs. “The Arabian Gulf”
By: A. K. Jabbari
The Persian Gulf has been a vital waterway and a center of human civilization for millennia. The region was home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations, including Sumer, which emerged in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) along the northern shores of the Persian Gulf. Archaeological evidence shows that ancient maritime trade routes connected Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley and beyond, with the Persian Gulf serving as a key conduit.
Persian Influence
The body of water was first called the Persian Gulf by ancient Greek geographers in the 5th century BCE, reflecting the dominance of the Achaemenid Empire (the first Persian Empire) in the region. The name has been consistently used on maps and in historical documents for over 2,600 years.
European Colonialism: Beginning in the 16th century, European powers such as Portugal, the Netherlands, and Britain competed for control of trade routes and influence in the Persian Gulf. By the 19th century, the British Empire had established dominance, turning the Persian Gulf into a frontier zone for protecting its Indian empire.
Oil Discovery
The discovery of vast oil reserves in the early 20th century transformed the region. The Persian Gulf became the world’s most critical source of energy, and the countries bordering it—including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE—experienced rapid economic and geopolitical change.
The “Arabian Gulf”
The name “Arabian Gulf” began to gain popularity in the 1960s with the rise of pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism. Until then, and for centuries before, the body of water had been internationally recognized as the Persian Gulf.
Who Used It First?
Some evidence suggests the name was first promoted by a Westerner—Sir Charles Belgrave, a British advisor to the ruler of Bahrain—who in 1955 advocated for using “Arabian Gulf.”
However, its wider adoption was fueled by Arab political movements, particularly under leaders such as Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, who sought to promote Arab identity and influence in the region. The use of the fictitious name Arabian Gulf became a political tool for Arab states bordering the waterway to challenge the historical and cultural weight of the name Persian Gulf.
Nasser’s defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War dampened the momentum of Arab nationalist aspirations, but the use of the invented term persisted. With the oil boom of the 1970s, wealthy Arab states on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf used their newfound petrodollars to promote the name internationally—funding campaigns in Western media, newspapers, publishing houses, and beyond.
The Difference
If anyone asks about the difference between the Persian Gulf and the so-called Arabian Gulf, the answer is simple:
The Persian Gulf is the historically and internationally recognized name, rooted in thousands of years of civilization and culture.
The “Arabian Gulf” is a politically motivated invention—associated not with history, but with modern issues such as money laundering, labor exploitation, prostitution, gambling, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities that have become rampant in certain parts of the region.