One of the most important but least understood consequences of the Arab Spring was the burgeoning strategic and economic partnership between the Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC) and Malaysia. Starting in late 2010 and extending throughout 2011, Gulf and Malaysian leaders frequently visited each other’s countries, announced massive investments in Malaysia and initiatives to strengthen political and military ties. Strikingly, when Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak visited Bahrain in March 2011, he promised to deploy Malaysian soldiers if Manama requested assistance in restoring stability to the island. The bilateral relationship reflected important shifts in the Middle East and the broader Islamic World in 2010 and 2011. GCC nations sought new international partners after the fall of longtime allies in Egypt and Tunisia, uprisings erupted in Bahrain and Oman, and Washington openly clashed with Saudi leaders over the Arab Spring. Gulf governments also sought to limit Tehran’s influence in Southeast Asia, where there are nearly 100,000 Iranians living in Malaysia alone. They also hoped to take advantage of Malaysia’s geostrategic position in the heart of Asia and adjacent to the rapidly growing economy of the Muslim world’s largest state, Indonesia. By contrast, Malaysian officials hoped that the GCC would provide funds to balance China’s growing economic influence and to offset declining trade and investment from Europe and America. Tens of thousands of Gulf nationals now visit Malaysia annually and transform Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Bintang neighborhood into a “Khaliji” quarter during the summer months. Their presence reflects longstanding cultural ties between Malaysians and Gulf and other Arabs: 60% of Malaysia is Muslim, many Malaysians study in the Arab world, generations of Malaysians have intermarried with Meccans, and the governor of Malaysia’s largest state, Sarawak, is Syrian. In addition, Kuala Lumpur expected that the GCC would help its “movement of global moderates” and campaign to use wasatiyyah (moderation) to combat extremism. The paper would draw on the author’s knowledge of Arabic and Bahasa Malaysian sources along with the author’s experience in the Gulf and in Southeast Asia. It would also include recent interviews with leading political personalities in Malaysia and the Gulf. It would build as well on the author’s recent publications on historical ties between the Gulf and Southeast Asian Muslims. Ultimately, the paper aims to provides a unique perspective on how a defining moment in the Middle East–the Arab Spring–shaped the Gulf’s politics and its ties with Asia.