Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States

by F. Gregory Gause III

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.

Genres: Politics

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory Gause delivers a book that will no doubt be a classic study on the political characteristics of oil monarchies and the ways in which these régimes maintain power despite the ongoing processes towards modernity. The sheer volume of money in which these régimes have access to combine with in some cases a small domestic population (relying on foreign workers for the heavy lifting) gives them a tremendous advantage in maintain power. In all of the countries surveyed (Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar) relationships had been developed through spiritual control and tribal relationships making normal political participation a much smaller scale than a standard republic. For those looking to gain an understanding of the political structure of the Middle East this is a great place to start and well worth the time to read.