1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910787269503321

Autore

Herb Michael <1966->

Titolo

The wages of oil : parliaments and economic development in Kuwait and the UAE / / Michael Herb

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Ithaca, New York : , : Cornell University Press, , 2014

©2014

ISBN

0-8014-5469-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (257 p.)

Disciplina

330.95357

Soggetti

Democratization - Kuwait

Democratization - United Arab Emirates

Petroleum industry and trade - Political aspects - Kuwait

Petroleum industry and trade - Political aspects - United Arab Emirates

Economic development - Political aspects - Kuwait

Economic development - Political aspects - United Arab Emirates

Kuwait Politics and government

United Arab Emirates Politics and government

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- List of Tables and Figures -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Transliteration -- Two Models -- 1. Labor Markets and Class Politics -- 2. Participation -- 3. Explaining Kuwaiti Exceptionalism -- 4. The Consequences of Absolutism -- 5. The Consequences of Participation -- 6. What Resource Curse? -- Dilemmas of Development and Democracy in the Gulf -- References -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

The contrast between Kuwait and the UAE today illustrates the vastly different possible futures facing the smaller states of the Gulf. Dubai's rulers dream of creating a truly global business center, a megalopolis of many millions attracting immigrants in great waves from near and far. Kuwait, meanwhile, has the most spirited and influential parliament in any of the oil-rich Gulf monarchies. In The Wages of Oil, Michael Herb provides a robust framework for thinking about the future of the



Gulf monarchies. The Gulf has seen enormous changes in recent years, and more are to come. Herb explains the nature of the changes we are likely to see in the future. He starts by asking why Kuwait is far ahead of all other Gulf monarchies in terms of political liberalization, but behind all of them in its efforts to diversify its economy away from oil. He compares Kuwait with the United Arab Emirates, which lacks Kuwait's parliament but has moved ambitiously to diversify. This data-rich book reflects the importance of both politics and economic development issues for decision-makers in the Gulf. Herb develops a political economy of the Gulf that ties together a variety of issues usually treated separately: Kuwait's National Assembly, Dubai's real estate boom, the paucity of citizen labor in the private sector, class divisions among citizens, the caste divide between citizens and noncitizens, and the politics of land.