The crucial importance of the Gulf region today – which may be defined as comprising the states of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with Iran as a non-Arab onlooker – has stimulated surprisingly little interest in academic circles. Much of what has been written, moreover, focuses exclusively on those aspects of direct concern to external interests. The focus of this book is on the Gulf region as an area with its own problems of social, economic and political development. It examines the dimensions of the attempts by the governments and peoples of the area to create new social, economic and political structures – stemming mainly, of course, from their new-found oil wealth. First published in 1980.
This book explores in depth the factors determining economic development in the Arab region. The particular factors relevant to the Arab world are also set within the context of the broad political economy of underdevelopment. The factors are identified as comprising three main groups: economic, political administrative and socio-cultural; petroleum and regional Arab economic development are examined separately. The force and operation of each determinant is further assessed in the context of the individual countries, from which the author is able to arrive at some important conclusions concerning the interaction of these determinants and their impact upon development. First published in 1978.
The crucial importance of the Gulf region today – which may be defined as comprising the states of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with Iran as a non-Arab onlooker – has stimulated surprisingly little interest in academic circles. Much of what has been written, moreover, focuses exclusively on those aspects of direct concern to external interests. The focus of this book is on the Gulf region as an area with its own problems of social, economic and political development. It examines the dimensions of the attempts by the governments and peoples of the area to create new social, economic and political structures – stemming mainly, of course, from their new-found oil wealth. First published in 1980.
No region in the world has seen so much development activity in the last ten years as the Gulf area. Since ‘black gold’ catapulted the oil-producing countries into the limelight of the international political and economic scene, there has been a proliferation of studies on the larger exporting states. However, many of the so-called ‘small countries’ have been neglected in this exercise. This book presents the first detailed examination of the bases and extent of economic development in Qatar and considers the need to translate the petroleum-generated growth into viable, self-sustained development. Qatar, though not one of the oil ‘giants’, was first in the field of oil development and exhibits a number of special features not shared by its Gulf neighbours: for example in pre-oil boom days it was already in advance of many other Gulf states in the field of education; it has a modest agriculture sector and there is a comparatively strong attachment to the land; and finally it has played an important role in OPEC as a member of the ‘moderate price’ camp. The individual chapters trace the development of the oil industry, outline public financing and economic policy and sketch the issues involved in industrialisation, absorptive capacity and agricultural development. Examination is made of the social and physical infrastructure as well as money and banking, and the international linkages in trade, foreign aid, economic cooperation efforts and investment opportunities are elucidated. Planners in Qatar know that their revenue base in petroleum is finite, and thus investment of present surplus needs careful planning. The book therefore also outlines current government priorities and suggests areas for future investments. First published in 1979.
The Arab countries are increasingly recognising their importance as a regional economic grouping. Given the highly skewed distribution of natural, human and financial resources, the course of economic development in the Arab countries seems to be interrelated. Through pooling their resources and markets these countries will not only be able to optimise investment decisions but also broaden the potential for development. This book argues that economic integration is not merely a question of reducing or eliminating discriminatory measures, as emphasised in previous integration attempts. It calls rather for a positive action based on a regional investment strategy which coordinates production programmes, to reap the benefits of specialisation and scale. The book focuses on past industrialisation efforts in the Arab countries and examines the emerging patterns of industrial growth. A pioneering attempt is made to identify specific industries whose economic viability can be enhanced by conceiving them on a regional basis. The book concludes by framing a strategy for an integrated industrial development in the Arab region. First published in 1982.
This volume focuses on the role of the private sector in diversifying the economics of Gulf countries in the post-petrodollar era, when fluctuating and declining oil prices are negatively impacting national expenditures. It explores current policies of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council and their efforts to shift their economies away from heavy dependence on hydrocarbons. The structural changes will create favorable conditions for the private sector to flourish, shift production dependence from public to private sector, and allow for more efficient resource allocation. Such changes will also allow local banks to provide financial support to small and medium enterprises, boost entrepreneurship for job creation, and strengthen organizational structure and efficiency. This is the first volume in Economic Diversification in the Gulf Region.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most important countries in the modern world. Not only does it possess some 25 per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves, it also plays a crucial role in the wider Gulf region where over 50 per cent of proven reserves are located. Developments in Saudi Arabia will inevitably affect the economic well-being of the Western industrialised world, Japan and much of the Third World. At the same time, Saudi Arabia is ruled in a traditional way by an all-powerful king and royal family, and is one of the key countries of Islam, the Holy City of Mecca being within the country’s boundaries. The inroad of modern Western forces into this traditional Islamic society is underlined by the fact that may key posts are filled with imported Western workers. This book, first published in 1982, containing contributions by the world’s leading Middle Eastern experts, provides a comprehensive overview of important social, political and economic developments in Saudi Arabia. The opening chapters consider the formation of the Saudi State, and the bulk of the book surveys key themes such as political opposition, the oil industry, energy policy, banking, external relations and the future direction of development.
Offering a comprehensive analysis of the development of economies in the Middle East and North Africa over the past half century, this book charts the progress of these countries through an examination of an Islamic model of economic development, reform processes, and economic integration. Far from being a simple process, economic development in the Middle East and North Africa is dependent on the interaction of a set of changing systems including; international relations, the political regime, economy, and society. By analysing these interdependent factors, The Economic Development Process in MENA seeks to provide answers to the most pressing issues facing the economies in this area. Providing an interpretation of regional development in light of dialectics between state and society, this book will be of value to students and scholars with an interest in the Middle East, Economics, and International Relations.
For centuries, the Arabian Gulf has been a crossroads where seafaring people and Bedouins alike travelled great distances transacting business. Events of the past few years, both good and bad, have directed the world’s attention to the Arabian Peninsula, where a rich cultural tradition is rapidly incorporating the latest innovations from around the world. This is the process of globalization. New economies create enormous potential, but it will require great care for the people of the region to steer through a period of profound change. Political and economic interests intent on maintaining the flow of petroleum products on one hand, and people in the Gulf region who assess their won interests from quite a different perspective, on the other, exert pressures from conflicting directions. Reconciling these interests in a time of rapid globalization poses enormous challenges. This timely volume brings together the work of scholars from both the Middle East and the West who have the expertise to evaluate the interaction of new ideas, new technologies and new economies. Brought together by the American University of Sharjah and the Sociological Association of the UAE, the contributors reflect on both the process of globalism and on the traditions of Gulf society and culture, offering views on how these trends interact within the global system.
