Download or read book The Arabian Gulf Between Conservatism and Change written by The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and published by Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. This book was released on 2009-08-04 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the beginning of the 21st century the Gulf region has been faced political and security-related changes and socio-economic transformations that have placed enormous pressure on the Gulf countries, threatened their internal stability and, ultimately, left them with two options: either continue to follow previous methods and policies, or radically change methods, policies and institutions in order to preserve these countries’ existence and further progress and development. The Gulf countries have attempted to respond to these changes and challenges by perpetuating their old values, policies and institutions by amending and improving them as part of a gradualist approach. However, this approach has not bridged the wide gap between the realities of modern Gulf societies and their aspirations to establish development policies and popular and democratic participation, reform their development models and economic structures; improve educational systems, strengthen social building, enhance cultural movement, and empower women in public life. This book – which comprises the papers presented in the sessions of the 13th ECSSR Annual Conference convened between March 31 and April 2, 2008 – discusses the issue of continuity and change in the Gulf region, which is considered both one of the most vital and most problematic current challenges in the region. The book addresses the points of difference and aspects of contradiction that have emerged in a wide sphere among the Gulf countries between conservative and reformist trends in the political, economic, social, cultural, and educational domains.
Download or read book The Arabian Gulf Between Conservatism and Change written by The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and published by Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. This book was released on 2009-08-04 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the beginning of the 21st century the Gulf region has been faced political and security-related changes and socio-economic transformations that have placed enormous pressure on the Gulf countries, threatened their internal stability and, ultimately, left them with two options: either continue to follow previous methods and policies, or radically change methods, policies and institutions in order to preserve these countries’ existence and further progress and development. The Gulf countries have attempted to respond to these changes and challenges by perpetuating their old values, policies and institutions by amending and improving them as part of a gradualist approach. However, this approach has not bridged the wide gap between the realities of modern Gulf societies and their aspirations to establish development policies and popular and democratic participation, reform their development models and economic structures; improve educational systems, strengthen social building, enhance cultural movement, and empower women in public life. This book – which comprises the papers presented in the sessions of the 13th ECSSR Annual Conference convened between March 31 and April 2, 2008 – discusses the issue of continuity and change in the Gulf region, which is considered both one of the most vital and most problematic current challenges in the region. The book addresses the points of difference and aspects of contradiction that have emerged in a wide sphere among the Gulf countries between conservative and reformist trends in the political, economic, social, cultural, and educational domains.
Download or read book The Arabian Gulf written by The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and published by Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, political, economic and security-related changes have exerted tremendous pressure on the countries of the Gulf states. The countries have attempted to respond to such challenges by retaining their values, policies and institutions while preferring an incremental approach to change. This book seeks to tackle the many controversial and contradictory issues that have emerged within Gulf countries between traditional and modernist approaches to political, economic, social, cultural and educational change. It also examines the substantial gap that remains between the reality and aspirations of the Gulf in relation to: consolidated political development; the adoption of popular participation and elements of democracy; improved developmental models, economic structures and education systems; reinforced social structures; enhanced cultural dynamism; and the empowerment of women in public life.
Download or read book The New Post Oil Arab Gulf written by Nabil Sultan and published by Saqi. This book was released on 2012-01-16 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sharp increase in oil revenues since 2002 has left the Arab Gulf States with billions of petro-dollars. But how will these countries fare in the post-oil era? The rulers of these states are taking serious measures to ensure the survival of their economies, and indeed their regimes, in a world with scarce mineral resources. This volume explores the extent to which these countries have been and will be able to prepare for the future by transforming themselves into serious international destinations for tourism, finance, healthcare and education. It also considers the implications of failure for the future survival of their regimes. This study will provide food for thought for academi, policy makers and general readers. 'An incisive enquiry into an exciting region, the authors leave no stones unturned. It is bold in its examination of both the history and the crucial changes being wrought throughout the Gulf. The book, which has been fashioned with both detailed knowledge and academic rigour, will be of huge advantage to anyone seeking a practical chart to the region. The contributors have not been restrained in drawing examples of the Gulf States over-reaching themselves to danger points in the economic downturn. The severe lessons learned have been studiously researched. The fresh opportunities, political, economic, social and technological, are concisely considered. No matter where your interests lie, this is a solid foundation from which to build a 'Way Ahead' policy for the region.' -- Charles Wilson, Director of The Consultancy, an international human resources business with Gulf experience
Download or read book Persian Gulf States written by Library of Congress. Federal Research Division and published by Division. This book was released on 1994 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research completed January 1993.
Download or read book Desert Kingdoms to Global Powers written by Rory Miller and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-10-15 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An expert in Arab Gulf politics offers a revealing analysis of the region’s stunning rise to global power and the challenges it confronts today. Once just sleepy desert sheikdoms, the Arab Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait now exert unprecedented influence on international affairs—the result of their almost unimaginable riches in oil and gas. In this accessible study, Gulf politics expert Rory Miller examines the achievements of these countries since the 1973 global oil crisis. He also investigates how the shrewd Arab Gulf rulers who have overcome crisis after crisis meet the unpredictable future. The Arab Gulf region has become a global hub for travel, tourism, sports, culture, trade, and finance. But can the autocratic regimes maintain stability at home and influence abroad as they deal with the demands of social and democratic reform? Miller considers an array of factors—Islamism, terrorism, the Arab Spring, volatile oil prices, global power dynamics, and others—to assess the region’s future possibilities.
Download or read book Abu Dhabi s Vision 2030 written by Linda Low and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2012-05-21 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aims to tell the Abu Dhabi story in economic development, from its past dominance in oil to its economic vision for the future. More than being an exemplar of industrial restructuring and diversification from a resource-based to a 21st century knowledge-based economy and society, Abu Dhabi emphasises its cultural legacy and tradition as an environmental advocate for green and sustainable pathways. It has as many challenges as creative responses to show that its success is not by wealth alone. This case study unveils Abu Dhabi in particular and the rest of Arabic and GCC economic development in general. They have all attracted foreign investment and global business, typically as hydrocarbon-rich resource economies. Beyond that, the geoeconomics and geopolitics of the Middle East and North Africa, with or without the Arab Spring in 2011 is in and of itself, a rich region for multidisciplinary studies and research, not just for economics and business. With Qatar, Abu Dhabi boasts of one of the highest per capita income in the world; therein lies a reason to enquire about its success and pivotal role in the GCC and global contexts. Contents:IntroductionTransformation From Oil to IndustrialisationNon-Oil Knowledge-Based Economy ServicesEnablers in Labour, Laws and RegulationsAbu Dhabi's Economic Development Model Readership: Researchers and academics with interest in Abu Dhabi/Middle East studies, government and business professionals with interest in investment and forging economic relations. Keywords:Economic Development;Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030;Sustainability;Gulf Cooperation Cooperation Council;Knowledge-Based Economy;Comparative Models;Renewable Energy;Emiratisation;Non-Oil;Restructuring;Diversification;UAEKey Features:Clearly and succinctly explains all terminology in economics, economic development as well as peculiar features in the Arabic contextAdopts a multidisciplinary approach with full cognizance of globalisation's good, bad or ugly as opportunities and/or challenges in sustainable economic development and socio-cultural political development. Posits economic development as the means to coping with these, not just an endProvides a realistic check in a transparent and constructive critique, which presents Abu Dhabi's ambition and capacity as well as capability with human resources development as its weakest link. It contains policy implications for Abu Dhabi and its partners in economic growth and development
Download or read book The Future of the Region written by The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and published by Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents some of the most important contributions made during the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) 22nd Annual Conference, titled ’The Future of the Region: Oil Price Challenges’. It seeks to outline strategies to ensure stability in Arab countries by identifying some of the key security issues, set against the context of oil price challenges. Chapter 1 examines the concept of stability, as well as the factors that have caused instability in the region, and suggests strategies to ensure peace and security, which is vital for the region’s advancement. Chapter 2 reviews the role of the GCC countries in maintaining regional stability, with a focus on the Gulf states’ emerging prominence as perhaps the only Arab power able to withstand the turmoil that has struck the region following the decline of the traditional Arab powers. Chapter 3 looks at shifting alliances in the region and suggests strategies for avoiding conflict within a new geo-political reality. Within this context, GCC countries should draw on their considerable capabilities to achieve and sustain security in the Arabian Gulf region, working to create a regional power base able to maintain military and economic balance. Chapter 4 sheds light on the policies and interests of the major powers in relation to the region. The significant decline in oil prices, consequences of the so-called Arab Spring, the crisis in Yemen, emergence of Da’esh and increased Iranian hostilities have had a major impact, raising the concerns of countries all over the world. Ultimately, partnership with major powers, such as the US, can help Gulf countries ensure the region’s stability and advancement. Chapter 5 considers how American views toward political Islam and religious extremism were shaped during Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign. It raises serious concerns over the campaign’s rhetoric, which can be viewed as having politicized Islamic extremism in the US, contributing to polarization and confusion over the issue, with implications for American relations with Gulf nations. Chapter 6 focuses on the economic policies of oil-producing states, which are in urgent need of major modification. In order to adapt to falling oil prices, two main mechanisms are identified; the use of sovereign wealth funds and a decrease in government spending. Finally, Chapter 7 continues the discussion of oil price challenges, reviewing the key issues in international oil markets, upon which the policies of oil-producing countries are based. Direct competition between oil producers in the region and American producers of shale oil is anticipated, especially during Trump’s tenure. The chapter’s conclusion is that for the foreseeable future, as GCC states diversify their economies, the oil sector will continue to play an essential role.
Download or read book Rentier Islamism written by Courtney Freer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While scholars have long looked at the role of political Islam in the Middle East, it has been assumed that domestic politics in the wealthy monarchical states of the Arabian Gulf, so-called "rentier states" where taxes are very low and oil wealth subsidizes the needs of citizens, are largely unaffected by such movements. However, the long accepted rentier theory has been shortsighted in overlooking the socio-political role played by Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in the super-rentiers of Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. While rentier state theory assumes that citizens of such states will form opposition blocs only when their stake in rent income is threatened, this book demonstrates that ideology, rather than rent, have motivated the formation of independent Islamist movements in the wealthiest states of the region. In the monarchical systems of Qatar and the UAE, Islamist groups do not have the opportunity to compete for power and therefore cannot use the ballot box to gain popularity or influence political life, as they do elsewhere in the Middle East. But, as this book points out, the division between the social and political sectors is often blurred in the socially conservative states of the Gulf, as political actors operate through channels that are not institutionalized. Simply because politics is underinstitutionalized in such states does not mean that it is underdeveloped; the informal realm holds considerable political capital. As such, the book argues that Brotherhood movements have managed to use the links between the social (i.e. informal personal networks) and political (i.e. government institutions) to gain influence in policymaking in such states.Using contemporary history and original empirical research, Courtney Freer updates traditional rentier state theory and argues that political Islam serves as a prominent voice and tool to promote more strictly political, and often populist or reformist, views supported by many Gulf citizens.
Download or read book Bedouins into Bourgeois written by Calvert W. Jones and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-26 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of how state-led social engineering in the United Arab Emirates is reshaping citizens for globalization and a post-petroleum future.
Download or read book Globalised re gendering of the academy and leadership written by Jill Blackmore and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The significance of Higher Education to national knowledge-based economies has made the sector the object of government policies, international monitoring, and corporatization. This radical global restructuring of higher education is gendered in its processes, practices, and effects. Exploring how the re-organisation of the sector has redefined academic, management, and professional roles and identities, this book considers the different impacts of structural change for men and women working at diverse levels of the academy. Drawing from empirical studies undertaken in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australasia the contributions offer a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives, including large scale comparative data and case studies. They inform what is a key policy issue in the 21st century – the re-positioning of women in the academy and leadership. Despite a range of institutional equity strategies in which women learnt the ‘rules of the game’, this book shows that structural and cultural barriers – often conceptualised through metaphors such as sticky floors, glass ceilings, chilly climates, or dead-end pipelines – have not disappeared as might be expected as the academy becomes numerically feminized. Each chapter provides an insight into how historical legacies, cultural contexts, geographic locations, modes of regional and institutional governance, and national policies are mediated and vernacularized through practice by localized gender regimes and orders. This book was originally published as a special issue of Gender and Education.
Download or read book Human Rights in Iran written by Reza Afshari and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2011-06-07 with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Selected by Choice magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title Are the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights truly universal? Or, as some have argued, are they derived exclusively from Western philosophic traditions and therefore irrelevant to many non-Western cultures? Should a state's claims to indigenous traditions, and not international covenants, determine the scope of rights granted to its citizens? In his strong defense of the Declaration, Reza Afshari contends that the moral vision embodied in this and other agreements is a proper response to the abuses of the modern state. Asserting that the most serious violations of human rights by state rulers are motivated by political and economic factors rather than the purported concern for cultural authenticity, Afshari examines one particular state that has claimed cultural exception to the universality of human rights, the Islamic Republic of Iran. In his revealing case study, Afshari investigates how Islamic culture and Iranian politics since the fall of the Shah have affected human rights policy in that state. He exposes the human rights violations committed by ruling clerics in Iran since the Revolution, showing that Iran has behaved remarkably like other authoritarian governments in its human rights abuses. For more than two decades, Iran has systematically jailed, tortured, and executed dissidents without due process of law and assassinated political opponents outside state borders. Furthermore, like other oppressive states, Iran has regularly denied and countered the charges made by United Nations human rights monitors, defending its acts as authentic cultural practices. Throughout his study, Afshari addresses Iran's claims of cultural relativism, a controversial thesis in the intense ongoing debate over the universality of human rights. In prison memoirs he uncovers the actual human rights abuses committed by the Islamic Republic and the sociopolitical conditions that cause or permit them. Finally, Afshari turns to little-read UN reports that reveal that the dynamics of power between UN human rights monitors and Iranian leaders have proven ineffective at enforcing human rights policy in Iran. Critically analyzing the state's responses, Afshari shows that the Islamic Republic, like other oppressive states, has regularly denied and countered the charges made by UN human rights monitors, and when denials were patently implausible, it defended its acts as authentic cultural practices. This defense is equally unconvincing, since it lacked domestic cultural consensus.
Download or read book Iran Iraq and the Arab Gulf States written by J. Kechichian and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-30 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A decade after the War for Kuwait and two decades after the Iran-Iraq War, the wider Gulf region remains mired in internal, regional and international conflicts. Iran, Iraq, and the Arab Gulf States presents analytical perspectives - including solution-oriented assessments to identify major causes for actual and potential conflicts throughout the Gulf. The twenty-six papers assembled in this volume identify trends for the next decade. Studies on Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi and Arab Gulf States' political agendas on the domestic, regional and international fronts are included, along with assessments on pending legal issues, including border disputes, relations among the Gulf states themselves, as well as their complex and evolving ties with several Western powers. The study closes with four 'trends' chapters looking at the 2000-2010 period.
Download or read book The Changing Security Dynamics of the Persian Gulf written by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contradictory trends of the 'post-Arab Spring' landscape form both the backdrop to, and the focus of, this volume on the changing security dynamics of the Persian Gulf, defined as the six GCC states plus Iraq and Iran. The political and economic upheaval triggered by the uprisings of 2011, and the rapid emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in 2014, have underscored the vulnerability of regional states to an intersection of domestic pressures and external shocks. The initial phase of the uprisings has given way to a series of messy and uncertain transitions that have left societies deeply fractured and ignited violence both within and across states. The bulk of the protests, with the notable exception of Bahrain, occurred outside the Gulf region, but Persian Gulf states were at the forefront of the political, economic, and security response across the Middle East. This volume provides a timely and comparative study of how security in the Persian Gulf has evolved and adapted to the growing uncertainty of the post-2011 regional landscape.
Download or read book Oil Monarchies written by F. Gregory Gause and published by Council on Foreign Relations. This book was released on 1994 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely book demystifies the politics of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman, and focuses on the new pressures that have emerged since the Gulf War. Gause illuminates the foreign policy tightrope these states walk in the Middle East: self-defense is problematic, regional pressures translate directly into the domestic arena, and relations with the United States cause as well as solve many problems. Gause examines the interplay of Islamic fundamentalism, tribalism, and, most importantly, oil wealth that has determined the power structure of the Gulf monarchies. He shows what influences really drive politics in the Middle East as well as how U.S. foreign policy must respond to them in order to forge more meaningful ties with each country and preserve the stability of a fragile region that is vital to U.S. interests.
Download or read book Qatar and the Arab Spring written by Kristian Ulrichsen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Qatar and the Arab Spring offers a frank examination of Qatar's startling rise to regional and international prominence, describing how its distinctive policy stance toward the Arab Spring emerged. In only a decade, Qatari policy-makers - led by the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and his prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani - catapulted Qatar from a sleepy backwater to a regional power with truly international reach. In addition to pursuing an aggressive state-branding strategy with its successful bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar forged a reputation for diplomatic mediation that combined intensely personalized engagement with financial backing and favorable media coverage through the Al-Jazeera. These factors converged in early 2011 with the outbreak of the Arab Spring revolts in North Africa, Syria, and Yemen, which Qatari leaders saw as an opportunity to seal their regional and international influence, rather than as a challenge to their authority, and this guided their support of the rebellions against the Gaddafi and Assad regimes in Libya and Syria. From the high watermark of Qatari influence after the toppling of Gaddafi in 2011, that rapidly gave way to policy overreach in Syria in 2012, Coates Ulrichsen analyses Qatari ambition and capabilities as the tiny emirate sought to shape the transitions in the Arab world.
Download or read book Annual Book written by Markaz al-Imārāt lil-Dirāsāt wa-al-Buḥūth al-Istirātījīyah and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
