These contributions from leading specialists examine the contradictions apparent in the evolution of the present framework of territories in the Gulf region, and highlights the fact that many disputes are long-established and deep-rooted.
This book, first published in 1994, provides a comprehensive treatment of a crucial set of geopolitical issues from a region where political developments are observed with great care and some trepidation by the rest of the world. Based on expert analysis by leading researchers, the book is the first English-language to deal collectively with the origins and contemporary status of land and maritime boundaries in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula. The 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was the gravest challenge yet posed to the system of small states established by Britain during its stay as a protecting power along the western Gulf littoral. Immediately, questions were raised about the origins of these tiny emirates: How had this territorial framework evolved? What was its raison d’être? How capable was this framework of withstanding serious internal and external upheaval such as that caused by the Iraqi invasion? This book reviews these and related concerns from a variety of informed perspectives: those of the boundary-maker himself, the international lawyer, the oil economist, and the political and historical geographer. The origins of the region’s framework of state territory are carefully scrutinised, as are the region’s borders and the contemporary disputes over their status. The period following the first Gulf War has witnessed an increase in the prevalence of Arabian territorial disputes. Some ae new, such as Saudi-Qatar, but most are established cyclical affairs. Although a complete explanation for these developments is premature, they have occurred as states in the region have been making clear moves to finalise the framework of Arabian state territory; only the Saudi-Yemen border remains indeterminate, albeit the subject of current negotiations. The book begins with a major scene-setting chapter by Richard Schofield. This is followed by chapters containing expert insights into the relationship between territory and indigenous notions of sovereignty, Britain’s role in drawing Arabian territorial limits (including a contribution from someone who drew up some of its boundaries), Iran-Kuwait disputes in particular, maritime boundaries, the hydrocarbon dimension, and concepts of shared political space. With many newly-drawn maps based on original research, this volume stands alone as a comprehensive reader on an issue that plays a dominant part in the regional geopolitics of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula.
CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2017 The Emergence of the Gulf States covers the history of the Gulf from the 18th century to the late 20th century. Employing a broad perspective, the volume brings together experts in the field to consider the region's political, economic and social development. The contributions address key themes including the impact of early history, religious movements, social structures, identity and language, imperialism, 20th-century economic transformation and relations with the wider Indian Ocean and Arab world. The work as a whole provides a new interpretive approach based on new research coupled with extensive reviews of the relevant literature. It offers a valuable contribution to the knowledge of the area and sets a new standard for the future scholarship and understanding of this vital region.
This book examines the challenges facing the development of tourism in the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This region, which largely comprises the Arabian Peninsula, possesses some of the fastest growing economies in the world and is remarkably unique. It shares similar associations and affinities: tribal histories, royal kinship, political associations, Bedu cultural roots, Islamic heritage, rapid urbanization, oil wealth, rentier dynamics, state capitalist structures, migrant labour, economic diversification policies and institutional restructuring. Therefore, this volume takes the study of tourism away from its normative unit of analysis, where tourism in the region is being examined within the context of the Middle East and the wider Islamic and Arab world, towards an enquiry focusing on a specific geo-political territory and socially defined region. Although international tourism development in the region embodies a range of challenges, complexities and conflicts, which are deeply contextualized in this volume, the approach overall does not endorse the normative ‘Gulf bashing’ position that has predominated within the critical enquiries in the region. It presents a forward-looking and realistic assessment of international tourism development, examining development potentialities and constructive ways forward for GCC states and the region as a whole. This edited volume provides a real attempt to examine critically ways in which tourism and its development intersect with the socio-cultural, economic, political, environmental and industrial change that is taking place in the region. By doing so, the book provides a theoretically engaged analysis of the social transformations and discourses that shape our contemporary understanding of tourism development within the GCC region. Moreover, it deciphers tourism development’s role within the context of the GCC states undergoing rapid transformation, urbanization, ultra-modernization, internationalization and globalization. In addition to state-specific illustrations and destination case studies, the work provides insights into relatable themes associated with international tourism development in the region, such as tourism’s relationship with religion, heritage and identity, the environment and sustainability, mobility and cross-border movements, the transport industry, image production and destination branding, mega-development and political stability and instability. The book combines theory with diverse case study illustrations, drawing on disciplinary knowledge from such fields as sociology, political economy and social geography. This timely and original contribution is essential reading for students, researchers and academics in the field of tourism studies and related subject areas, along with those who have regional interests in Middle East studies, including Gulf and Arabian Peninsula studies.
Iraq and Iran are the two most important states in the Gulf region, given their population size, military strength, and the potential threat they pose to other states in the region. This book enhances our understanding of the troubled relationship between Iran and Iraq, placing it in historical context, examining the rapid deterioration leading to the eight-year war that started in 1980 and the effects of that trauma, and exploring the ongoing issues that currently bedevil bilateral relations. The authors cover such central issues as how each side has sought to use opposition groups in the other state to weaken it, ethnic divisions, the role of outside states (especially the United States), and a fascinating account of how the war affected a generation of Iraqis and Iranians. The role of the U.S. in the region and how U.S. policy has affected the two states are also considered. This book provides a basis for understanding the background of a tumultuous relationship that is entering a new era.
Unity is an often-heard word in Arab and Islamic circles. This historical dictionary seeks to show that along with the underlying sources of unity, there are also sources of division in these groups. Unlike other volumes in this series, this volume focuses not only on the organizations, but also on the key countries and figures of the region. Includes: o An explanatory introduction o List of Acronyms o Chronology o Bibliography
With the end of the British Raj in 1947, the Foreign Office replaced the Government of India as the department responsible for the Persian Gulf, and would proceed to manage relations with the Trucial States (now the United Arab Emirates, UAE) until British withdrawal in 1971. This work is a comprehensive history of British policy in the region during that period, situated for the first time in its broad historical and political context. Tancred Bradshaw – an academic historian with extensive experience in the region – sheds light onto the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in the 1950s, Foreign Office attempts to instigate a long-term development policy in the region, the slow end of the British Empire, the origins of the UAE and – most importantly – the British legacy in this geopolitically crucial region today. The book relies on 40,000 pages of archival material, much of it previously unused, and will be of interest to Imperial historians, as well as anyone working on the history and politics of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.
The "Asian Yearbook of International Law" is the first publication dedicated primarily to international law as seen from an Asian perspective. It provides international law articles written by experts from the region and other articles relating to Asian topics. The editorial board, national correspondents, advisory council, and governing board comprise a diverse group of academics and government officials from a wide range of countries and positions. The "Asian Yearbook of International Law" offers a number of useful features: - articles; - notes; - legal materials (such as the state practice in a number of Asian countries and participation in multilateral treaties); - Asia and international organizations; - chronicle of events for the covered year; - literature (including book reviews and a bibliography); - selected documents (treaties, agreements, and other relevant primary documents); and - an index. Its range of features assures that the "Yearbook" comprehensively covers the critical events, legislation, and issues of the past year and that users can easily access all of this information. Academics and practitioners who deal with international public law in Asia will appreciate this unique, complete resource. The "Asian Yearbook of International Law" provides insight into Asian views and practices, especially for non-Asian readers, and also promotes the dissemination of knowledge of international law in Asia. Some of the topics covered in this volume: recent trends in the jurisprudence of the international court of justice and international arbitral tribunals, with special reference to territorial and boundary cases; an environmental regime for the arctic and the antarctic analogy;Philippine civil procedure in transboundary disputes; international civil procedure in Indonesia and Japan; and transboundary civil litigation in Korea.
The Asian Yearbook of International Law is the first publication dedicated primarily to international law as seen from an Asian perspective. It provides international law articles written by experts from the region and other articles relating to Asian topics. The editorial board, national correspondents, advisory council, and governing board comprise a diverse group of academics and government officials from a wide range of countries and positions. The Asian Yearbook of International Law offers a number of useful features: - articles; - notes; - legal materials (such as the state practice in a number of Asian countries and participation in multilateral treaties); - Asia and international organizations; - chronicle of events for the covered year; - literature (including book reviews and a bibliography); - selected documents (treaties, agreements, and other relevant primary documents); and - an index. Its range of features assures that the Yearbook comprehensively covers the critical events, legislation, and issues of the past year and that users can easily access all of this information. Academics and practitioners who deal with international public law in Asia will appreciate this unique, complete resource. The Asian Yearbook of International Law provides insight into Asian views and practices, especially for non-Asian readers, and also promotes the dissemination of knowledge of international law in Asia. Some of the topics covered in this volume: recent trends in the jurisprudence of the international court of justice and international arbitral tribunals, with special reference to territorial and boundary cases; an environmental regime for the arctic and the antarctic analogy; Philippine civil procedure in transboundary disputes; international civil procedure in Indonesia and Japan; and transboundary civil litigation in Korea.