• Home

Book traces changes in the Arab societies

SHARJAH — A new book has been launched at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) yesterday providing an insight into the transformation of traditional societies in the Arab Gulf region.

The book explains how the countries occupying strategic positions along the Arabian Gulf — the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman — embraced the forces transforming the world into a single market and how globalisation has affected their economy, ideas and lifestyle.

The foreword of the book titled, Globalisation and the Gulf and published by the Routledge publishing house, has been written by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

Co-edited by Dr Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, Chairperson Department of International Studies, AUS, Dr Mohammed Al Mutawa of the UAE University and Dr John W. Fox of the Texas Institute of Research, the volume contains contributions from leading international scholars who have offered a unique insight into the societies of the Arabian Gulf.

The book is an invaluable work for those interested in Middle East politics, political economy, sociology, anthropology and international relations.

“This volume explains societal and cultural patterns in the Gulf which has switched from a traditional society to an urban and cosmopolitan one. It explains how this shift from rural to urban life, that took place over one generation, has been meteoric and un-matchable in the world,” explained Dr Mourtada-Sabbah.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr William Heidcamp, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), said the book represented high quality of cooperative academic pursuits which was a characteristic of the AUS and its faculty.

He said the comments of leading experts in the field of economic and social globalisation in the Gulf region would be both a resource and encouragement to future scholars.

The book looks into how local leaders and Western-educated younger generation of family scions manage the society and moulded an almost a unique lifestyle that blends traditional values and attitudes with modern business savvy.

While the West has demonstrated a rather poor track record in understanding the Arab world in general, the strategic flow of the world’s oil pipeline through these six Gulf countries necessitates a more informed understanding of the workings, meanings and unique transformations of the Gulf society.

The Press conference to launch the book was addressed by co-editors and Dr Winfred Thompson, AUS Chancellor, Salem Al Qaseer, Vice-Chancellor for Public Affairs, and Dr William Heidcamp.