The Gulf monarchies have been experiencing deep economic, social and generational changes; at the same time, open rivalries and subtle competitions are undermining the Arab Gulf (khaleeji) identity as a shared value. National history museums, art exhibitions, traditional festivals and military symbols are increasingly adopted by the governments as top-down tools of nation-building. What are the strategies to instil national awareness, and in which direction? How are concepts like citizenship, nationhood and belonging redefined in the post-oil era? Why has the GCC crisis triggered rising nationalism among neighbouring monarchies? This ISPI Dossier analyses the cultural, symbolic and collective vectors of nation-building in the area, highlighting state-led engineering projects to explore what “nation” currently means in the Gulf monarchies.
Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'Ecole Militaire
University of Maryland
University of Arizona
Research Fellow, LSE Middle East Centre
ISPI Associate Research Fellow
University College London-Qatar, Qatar Museums
ISPI Research Fellow
College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University
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Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission
Steven A. Tananbaum Distinguished Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations
Research Associate for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations
Economist and Historian
