Oil Industrialization Development In The Arab Gulf States Rle Economy Of Middle East

Were oil supplies everlasting and the demand for oil strong and continuous, economic diversification in the Gulf would be pointless. However oil reserves are finite and non-renewable and the world demand for oil from the Gulf region is simply not stable. Collectively the countries of the Gulf face the striking prospect that unless priorities and plans are set with care the gestation period of their economic development may be longer than the expected life of their hydrocarbon resources. This book examines just that threat. It considers the opportunities available to the Gulf states for accumulating sufficient productive capital in the non-oil sectors of their economy to offset the drawing down of oil reserves. The book pays particular attention to the possibilities of development through cooperation not only within the Gulf Cooperation Council but also within the larger Arab region and the Third World as a whole. It concludes with a critical review of the main challenges that these economies are facing and are likely to face in the near future with special emphasis on their major problems and failures. First published in 1984.

The crucial importance of the Gulf region today – which may be defined as comprising the states of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with Iran as a non-Arab onlooker – has stimulated surprisingly little interest in academic circles. Much of what has been written, moreover, focuses exclusively on those aspects of direct concern to external interests. The focus of this book is on the Gulf region as an area with its own problems of social, economic and political development. It examines the dimensions of the attempts by the governments and peoples of the area to create new social, economic and political structures – stemming mainly, of course, from their new-found oil wealth. First published in 1980.

As the price of oil fell in the eighties the pressures on the Arab Gulf States to speed up the diversification of their economies into non-oil sectors increased. This book, first published in 1984, examines this problem and many other issues connected with the impact of oil revenues on development in the Gulf States. It considers changing oil production policies and developments in other sectors of the economy including agriculture, industry and banking. It explores population problems, moves towards Gulf economic coordination and the impact of oil on society, culture and education. This book provides an assessment of just how much the region depends on oil for its economic prosperity and development and some indication of the enormous problems that would face the region should the demand for oil decease still further.

Since the early 1970s the oil producing countries of the Gulf have become a focus of intense interest worldwide. Most of this interest has centred on the oil giants, Saudi Arabia, Iran, even Iraq and Kuwait. Yet the United Arab Emirates is also among the largest producers, on a par with Kuwait, Nigeria and Libya, with reserves greater than the USA. Given its high economic growth rate, the UAE is an excellent laboratory in which to test and evaluate policies and programmes to effect rapid economic development. The international stature of the UAE far exceeds what its physical size, population and breadth of resources would seem to indicate. As a member of OPEC, the UAE has played a vital role within that body’s ‘price moderates’. With one of the world’s highest per capita incomes and with ambitious development efforts under way, the UAE, not surprisingly, has become a major market for capital and consumer goods, involving substantial foreign services, banking, business and industry. Based on more than a decade of study, on-site research and interviews with key figures, this book – which mixes the practical with the academic approach – will prove of great value to Middle Eastern and development specialists, students and to the international business and financial communities. First published in 1981.

No region in the world has seen so much development activity in the last ten years as the Gulf area. Since ‘black gold’ catapulted the oil-producing countries into the limelight of the international political and economic scene, there has been a proliferation of studies on the larger exporting states. However, many of the so-called ‘small countries’ have been neglected in this exercise. This book presents the first detailed examination of the bases and extent of economic development in Qatar and considers the need to translate the petroleum-generated growth into viable, self-sustained development. Qatar, though not one of the oil ‘giants’, was first in the field of oil development and exhibits a number of special features not shared by its Gulf neighbours: for example in pre-oil boom days it was already in advance of many other Gulf states in the field of education; it has a modest agriculture sector and there is a comparatively strong attachment to the land; and finally it has played an important role in OPEC as a member of the ‘moderate price’ camp. The individual chapters trace the development of the oil industry, outline public financing and economic policy and sketch the issues involved in industrialisation, absorptive capacity and agricultural development. Examination is made of the social and physical infrastructure as well as money and banking, and the international linkages in trade, foreign aid, economic cooperation efforts and investment opportunities are elucidated. Planners in Qatar know that their revenue base in petroleum is finite, and thus investment of present surplus needs careful planning. The book therefore also outlines current government priorities and suggests areas for future investments. First published in 1979.

The shock discovery of oil in the Gulf States thrust them from relative obscurity to the forefront of international finance and politics. It coincided with the breakdown of the international monetary system and the twin food and energy crisis, all of which helped to magnify the impact of the oil price increases. Yet, despite the continuing oil wealth enjoyed by the Gulf States, their economy has suffered some damaging blows in the recent past. The Iran—Iraq War has imposed a heavy burden on the Gulf countries which have contributed huge sums to Iraq. Internally, the Gulf economies have been hurt by the speculative boom generated by the unofficial stock-market in Kuwait which collapsed in the summer of 1982. This book, by an Arab economist long experienced in working in the Gulf economy, reviews the prospects for the region in the light of these external and internal problems and, drawing on the Kuwaiti example, suggests ways in which changes can be made. First published in 1984.

In recent years, we have witnessed huge economic and socio-political change in the Gulf. This book examines the rapid industrialization of the region and how local economies are starting to diversify away from petroleum, exploring how this transformative process is starting to impact on the region’s economy and social make-up. With contributions from some of the top scholars and practitioners in the area, this book discusses crucial topics related to the region’s transformation, from issues of economic development and relations with Iran to foreign labour and women’s education and work outside the home. Chapters explore how in addition to the massive growth in investments and products such as oil, gas, chemicals, metals, and cement, this growth has triggered numerous societal changes, such as labour migration, educational reforms, declining natality, and shifting gender roles. Covering in detail a broad range of issues, this book will appeal not only to Middle East experts, particularly those with an interest in the Persian Gulf, but also to development experts and political scientists.