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Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies: Continuity Amid Change
The Gulf monarchies―Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates―play crucial roles in world markets and politics. Their economies, which have traditionally been driven by oil revenues, have simultaneously propelled transformative change and preserved the traditional order. Fossil fuel wealth has underwritten an implicit social contract characterized by generous welfare states, ruler-centric politics, and a heavy state presence in the economy, facilitating stability during tumultuous times. However, as the transition toward renewable energy looms, will the Gulf monarchies be able to adapt?
David B. Roberts offers a definitive guide to continuity and change in the Gulf region. He explores the forces challenging and bolstering the status quo across the political, social, economic, military, and environmental dimensions of security. Roberts examines the six monarchies individually and holistically, considering their recent histories and contemporary concerns. Beneath wide-ranging changes affecting these countries, he pinpoints key dynamics and structures that have persisted over the long term. The book examines key topics such as generational change in leadership, migrant workers, female labor force participation, U.S. military influence, and the multifaceted threat of climate change. Roberts scrutinizes how a move away from the oil-centered economic model could reverberate across the social spectrum, with profound implications for security. Suitable for a range of courses and offering important new insights for experts, this book is an accessible and up-to-date overview of the politics of a key world region.
David B. Roberts offers a definitive guide to continuity and change in the Gulf region. He explores the forces challenging and bolstering the status quo across the political, social, economic, military, and environmental dimensions of security. Roberts examines the six monarchies individually and holistically, considering their recent histories and contemporary concerns. Beneath wide-ranging changes affecting these countries, he pinpoints key dynamics and structures that have persisted over the long term. The book examines key topics such as generational change in leadership, migrant workers, female labor force participation, U.S. military influence, and the multifaceted threat of climate change. Roberts scrutinizes how a move away from the oil-centered economic model could reverberate across the social spectrum, with profound implications for security. Suitable for a range of courses and offering important new insights for experts, this book is an accessible and up-to-date overview of the politics of a key world region.
320 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 4, 2024
Good, but it’s a dense academic read.
December 10, 2025
Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies offers one of the most coherent and comprehensive frameworks I’ve seen for understanding the forces shaping the GCC states. Although this is an academic book, it’s surprisingly fluent and very readable for anyone genuinely interested in the region. It presents complex themes with clarity, and it flows in a way that makes even dense subjects engaging.
Having lived in the Gulf for over a decade, I was familiar with many of the episodes and dynamics discussed. What David B. Roberts does exceptionally well is connect these pieces into a structured, overarching narrative — showing how political, economic, social, and security factors intertwine to create both continuity and gradual change across the Gulf monarchies. Some insights were new to me, while others I had seen in isolation suddenly made more sense when placed within the broader context the book builds.
The result is a compelling bird’s-eye view of the region: its leadership transitions, social contracts, geopolitical alignments, and the profound implications of an eventual shift away from oil. For anyone looking to understand not just what is happening in the Gulf, but why it unfolds the way it does, this book is an excellent and timely read.
Having lived in the Gulf for over a decade, I was familiar with many of the episodes and dynamics discussed. What David B. Roberts does exceptionally well is connect these pieces into a structured, overarching narrative — showing how political, economic, social, and security factors intertwine to create both continuity and gradual change across the Gulf monarchies. Some insights were new to me, while others I had seen in isolation suddenly made more sense when placed within the broader context the book builds.
The result is a compelling bird’s-eye view of the region: its leadership transitions, social contracts, geopolitical alignments, and the profound implications of an eventual shift away from oil. For anyone looking to understand not just what is happening in the Gulf, but why it unfolds the way it does, this book is an excellent and timely read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews