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

Miller, Rory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300192347 ISBN 13: 9780300192346

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2016

A lively analysis of the Arab Gulf states' stunning rise to global power over the last half-century and of the daunting challenges they confront 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 book, Rory Miller, an expert in Gulf politics and international affairs, provides an accessible account of 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 external and internal challenges of the onrushing future. The Arab Gulf region has become an East-West hub for travel, tourism, sport, 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 future possibilities.

Review:

"Rory Miller's accessible and thoughtful history is an important addition to the expanding literature on the Gulf. Miller traces the evolution of the Gulf order from one that was once dominated by Britain to one in which small states make large claims... To fully understand where this alliance goes from here, Miller's important book should prove an indispensable guide."-Survival Survival

About the Author:

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.