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The Gulf region's relations with the outside world are changing radically. The Gulf's major trading partners are now no longer predominantly Western. China, in particular, now has a significant stake and highly critical interests in the region. The United States still dominates the security field, yet its Gulf allies have come to doubt the strength of US commitment. Meanwhile the Arab monarchies of the Gulf are struggling to cope with multiple divisions, problems and threats: the radical forces of change unleashed by the Arab Spring, the rising power of ISIS, and the destabilising impact of their unsettled relations with Iran. This book examines the range of security issues which this situation has given rise to: the nature and scope of US power, and the likely directions of future policy; the options open to Asian powers with interests in the region; the concerns, strategies and dynamics of the regional states; and the feasibility of European states assuming a security role in the region.

A long-standing economic policy goal of the oil-dependent GCC countries is to increase economic diversification. Over the last decades, GCC governments fostered the development of non-oil economies through large-scale public investments in the stocks of human and physical capital. This book takes a new look at economic diversification efforts by examining the impact of different public expenditure categories (capital, education, health) on non-oil GDP and labour productivity developments in the three GCC countries Bahrain, Oman and Qatar since the 1970s. Building both on an econometric analysis and detailed country studies, this book analyses not only whether public expenditure has been an important driver of overall non-oil economic growth but also how public expenditure impacted different potential sources of non-oil economic growth such as economy-wide investment or productivity levels. By elaborating the channels through which public expenditure tends to impact non-oil economic growth in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, this book contributes to the academic and public debate about the effectiveness of ongoing diversification strategies in the GCC countries.

Following the great expeditions of the 18th and 19th century, travel activity in general increased from the end of the 18th century onwards. In addition to European destinations, the Orient and, above all, Egypt now became the goal of this movement embracing travel and exoticism. This work centers on the question of the received patterns of thought and argumentation that were applied consciously or unconsciously by the travelers. By way of example, the reports of the Austrian scholar and scientist Joseph (Ritter von) Russegger are examined. Russegger's travels to Egypt are notable because he traveled the country as a scientist on behalf of the Egyptian government, which gave him insights into areas of the country and the state that were seldom accessible to a foreigner. The factor that distinguishes Russegger from other travelers is his meticulousness, thanks to which he may be regarded as a forerunner of science in the sense of Humboldt's educational ideal.

The growth, stability and resilience of Islamic finance is now a well established fact. However, in order to achieve sustainable growth the Islamic finance industry has to be able to maintain its competitive edge by generating higher efficiency and performance. - The studies in this volume aim at providing empirical and comparative perspectives on the performance and efficiency of the Islamic finance industry through a number of econometric models, with a specific focus on the GCC countries supported by comparative cases.

Extreme fluctuations in oil prices (such as the dramatic fall from mid-2014 into 2015) raise important strategic questions for both importers and exporters. In this volume, specialists from the US, the Middle East, Europe and Asia examine the rapidly evolving dynamic in the energy landscape, including renewable and nuclear power, challenges to producers including the shale revolution, and legal issues. Each chapter provides in-depth analysis and clear policy recommendations.

In response to the recent global financial crisis, Islamic finance, as a religiously authentic proposition, has shown resilience throuh its inherited principles such as risk sharing and the avoidance of speculation. Such approaches have provided stability, which in turn has brought unprecedented growth to the sector. The studies in this volume focus on examples in the GCC countries to provide empirical analysis of the risk aspects of Islamic finance, to test its stability, identify its growth trajectories, and measure its impact on economic growth.

Climate change requires coordinated global responses. All nations, including major Gulf Arab oil producers, should implement policies to contain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet all realistic scenarios point to the continuing global need for fossil fuels. The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) thus face a dilemma between continuing development and use of their fossil fuel endowments and increasing reliance on low carbon sources, such as nuclear, solar or wind. This book explores various facets of the dilemma.

Islamic finance has had a transformational impact on markets well beyond the Muslim world. This development has been the outcome of various stakeholders and agencies interacting to develop a political economy based on Islamic values to generate religiously and culturally authentic financial institutions and instruments. - The studies presented in this volume discuss these interactions through specific examples from the GCC countries, supported by comparative perspctives, in order to articulate the development and consequences of Islamic finance.

The Arab Gulf states all face increasing challenges in terms of sustainable consumption and production. These include: - Environmental sustainability issues such as waste, recycling, water usage, energy, including the use of renewables, and pollution - Economic sustainability issues including employment opportunities for local people, education and training and engagement of business and individuals that make up the supply chains - Social sustainability issues such as safety at work, working hours, equality and diversity, noise, dust and pollution, traffic congestion, stakeholder engagement and community involvement in decision-making While much of the previous research on this subject has been Western-centric, the present book includes contributions on these topics from specialists from the UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Qatar as well as from the US and the UK.

The Arab states of the Gulf, currently heavily reliant on oil and gas exports, have stated their intention to promote economic diversification and have embarked on reforming existing institutions for higher education, scientific research, and technology innovation. The region has witnessed huge population growth in recent decades, and in some cases (e.g. Saudi Arabia) almost half the population is under the age of twenty-five and in need of access to quality education and meaningful employment opportunities. This book provides an in-depth discussion of what is needed to accelerate the development of science, technology and innovation in the Gulf. Among other issues, the authors discuss the need for regional collaboration, and tackle systemic challenges such as immigration policies, career incentives for GCC citizens, and increased inclusion of women in the workforce.

This collection of new research brings together state of the art thinking by 46 experts from academia and business on all key aspects of Islamic Finance. Individual volumes deal with the key issues of: Political Economy, Values and Aspirations; Growth, Performance and Efficiency; Stability and Risk.

This book explores how growing economic ties between Asian countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could impact their future relationship. It postulates that the stage is now set for strategic partnerships and highlights how some Asian countries have been explicit about showcasing their power and influence in the Gulf region. While exploring an alternative and broad-based security architecture, it identifies the challenges that any probable Asian cooperative approach could face as the countries of the Arabian Gulf show signs of looking beyond the United States to develop their long-term strategic interests.

The notion of "rentier mentality" has haunted the literature on the Gulf States for almost 40 years now. However, few studies have actually provided insight into how the nationals themselves perceive their career motivators, employability and productivity. The eleven studies of this book present both empirical findings and case studies that reveal what nationals expect from their workplace and what hinders them from a personal, meaningful contribution. While it seems that an initially high work motivation is often annihilated by structural impediments such as a strong hierarchy or widespread wasta, it also seems that many nationals fail to understand the urgent requirements of the GCC labour markets.

With a concern for context and history, this major reference work presents key academic contributions devoted to the study of early, classical and pre-modern Islamic theological thought. The aim is to provide a balanced survey of the research discourses which have shaped study of the rich legacy of Islamic theology and kalam. Divided into three volumes and comprising over 40 articles, the collection includes an introduction which provides not only an assessment of key discussions and debates in the study of Islamic theology, but also examines significant developments in the field. Vol. 1 History and Development Vol. 2 Movements, Personalities and Controversies Vol. 3. Concepts, Constructs and Themes

This volume offers an interdisciplinary study of the modalities, actors, technicalities and consequences of the evolving of religious texts within the perspective of the fragment versus the whole. The focus is on fragmentary texts from Islamic religious sources, and includes contributions on Qur'anic manuscripts, early graffiti, the formation of the Qur'anic canon, the Hadith literature, and Old Babylonian extispicy texts. Three main topics are addressed: the text and its materiality; the structure of the text and the dynamic relationship between the fragment and the whole; and methods of shaping and reshaping traditions. The hermeneutical experience of the fragment versus the whole is explored in depth throughout, and the consequences addressed for the history of the religious text, its composition, its reception and its interpretation.