"Arab states of the Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf states" or "Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Gulf States" are terms that refer to the six Arab states bordering the Arabian Gulf : Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. These six nations are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Although Iraq is considered an Arab state and shares a small border with the Persian Gulf, it is generally excluded from the designation.
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[edit] Economy
All of the Arab states of the Arabian Gulf have significant revenues from oil and gas and, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, have small local populations. This has raised their per capita incomes above those of neighboring countries. To meet the labor shortages they host large numbers of temporary non-citizen economic migrants from South Asia (mostly India) and Southeast Asia (mostly the Philippines and Indonesia). In the past there have also been a significant number of immigrants from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Egypt.
In addition, pearl diving and the pearl industry had been the main economic activity of many of these countries, particularly Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. The pearling industry collapsed in the 1930s after the development of cultured pearl methods by Japanese scientists.
[edit] Culture and politics
The Arabian Gulf Arab states share a regional culture that is sometimes referred to as "khaleeji (gulf) culture". They all speak the Gulf Arabic and share similar music styles (sawt, fijiri, ardha, and liwa), cuisine, and dress. Most Arabs living near the Arabian Gulf also trace their ancestry back to Arab tribes of either Najd (in what is now central Saudi Arabia) or Yemen. The culture of Iraq is unique and distinct from the Gulf states, which is why it is not considered a Gulf state.
All six states are hereditary monarchies with limited political representation. Only Bahrain (Majlis al-Nuwab) and Kuwait (National Assembly) have legislatures with popularly elected members.
The Sultanate of Oman also has an advisory council (Majlis ash-Shura) that is popularly elected. In the UAE—a federation of seven monarchical emirates—the Federal National Council functions only as an advisory body, but now a portion of its members are elected from a small electoral college nominated by the seven rulers. In Qatar, an elected national parliament has been mooted and is written into the new constitution, but elections have yet be held.[1]
[edit] See also
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), aka Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG)
- Arab League
- Iran-Arab relations for information on Iran's relations with Arab countries
- List of the busiest airports in the Arab states of Arabian Gulf
[edit] References
- ^ Gerd Nonneman, 'Political Reform in the Gulf Monarchies: From Liberalisation to Democratisation? A Comparative Perspective', in Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Steven Wright (eds.)(2007), Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies, ISBN 978-0-86372-323-0, pp. 3-45.
[edit] Further reading
- Hichem Karoui: U.S. Foreign Policy In The Gulf After September 11
- Historical Dictionary of the Gulf Arab States
- J. E. Peterson (1998), The Arab Gulf States: Steps Toward Political Participation, ISBN 0-275-92881-0
- Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Steven Wright (eds.)(2007), Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies, ISBN 978-0-86372-323-0
- F. Gregory, III Gause (1994), Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States, ISBN 0-87609-151-6
- Atif A. Kubursi (1984), Oil, Industrialization and Development in the Arab Gulf States, ISBN 0-7099-1566-7
- Gordon Robison (1996), Lonely Planet: Arab Gulf States, ISBN 0-86442-390-X
- Global Trends in Gulf and Middle East Population Evolution
- Popular Culture and Political Identity in the Arab Gulf States, eds. Alanoud Alsharekh, Robert Springborg, Saqi Books, 2008