Desert Kingdoms to Global Powers: The Rise of the Arab Gulf

Rory Miller

oct 2016 · Yale University Press

Acerca de este libro electrónico

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.

Acerca del autor

Rory Miller is professor of government at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Qatar. He advises various governmental and private organizations on issues relating to Gulf security and socioeconomic development. He lives in Qatar.