Arab states of the Persian Gulf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are the seven Arab states
which border the Persian Gulf, namely Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE).[1][2][3] This excludes the non-Arab state of Iran. All of
these nations except Iraq are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC).[4]

Contents
1 Culture
2 Politics
3 Freedom of Press
4 Peace The Persian Gulf's coastline skirts seven
5 Economy Arab countries on its western shores and Iran
6 See also to the east. (Oman's Musandam peninsula
7 Further reading meets the gulf at the Strait of Hormuz.)
8 References
9 External links

Culture
Soap operas are important national pastimes in the Persian Gulf Arab region. They are most popular during the
time of Ramadan, when families gather to break their fast. Most of these soap operas are based in Kuwait.[5][6]
Kuwaiti soap operas are the most-watched soap operas in the Persian Gulf region.[7][8] Although usually
performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Tunisia.[9] Kuwaiti popular
culture, in the form of theatre, radio and television soap opera, flourishes and is exported to neighbouring Arab
states of the Persian Gulf.[10][11] Darb El Zalag, Khalti Gmasha, and Ruqayya wa Sabika are among the most
important television productions in the Gulf region.[12] Kuwait is widely considered the cultural capital of the
Arab states of the Persian Gulf region,[13][14] frequently dubbed the "Hollywood of the Gulf" due to the
popularity of its Arabic television soap operas and theatre.[33]

The inhabitants of Eastern Arabia's coast share similar cultures and music styles such as fijiri, sawt and liwa.
The most noticeable cultural trait of Eastern Arabia's Arabs is their orientation and focus towards the sea.[34]
Maritime-focused life in the small Arab states has resulted in a sea-oriented society where livelihoods have
traditionally been earned in marine industries.[34]

Before the GCC was formed in 1981, the term "Khaleeji" was solely used to refer to the inhabitants of Eastern
Arabia.[35] Historically, "Khaleeji" meant descendants of Ichthyophagi, the coast-dwelling "fish eaters".[36]
Geographically, the Arabic-speaking is solely Eastern Arabia.[37][38]

Politics
Some states are constitutional monarchies with elected parliaments. Bahrain (Majlis al Watani) and Kuwait
(Majlis al Ummah) have legislatures with members elected by the population.
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 (United Arab Emirates) functions only
as an advisory body, but some of its members are now chosen via a limited electoral college nominated by the
seven rulers. Saudi Arabia remains a hereditary monarchy with limited political representation. In Qatar, an
elected national parliament has been mooted and is written into the new constitution, but elections are yet to be
held.[39]

Freedom of Press
Press in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf have varying degrees of freedom with Kuwait topping the league
with a lively press that enjoys considerably more freedom than its Persian Gulf counterparts according to
Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders. Both organizations rank Kuwait's press as the most free of all
Arab states of the Persian Gulf and, in fact, rank amongst the top three most free press in the Arab world.[40][41]
Qatar and Oman come in second and third respectively within the regional ranks.

Peace
The six Arab states of the Persian Gulf lie in a volatile region and their six governments, with varying degrees
of success and effort, try and advance peace in their own countries and other countries. However Arab Gulf
states, specifically Saudi Arabia and Qatar, stand accused of funding Islamist militants such as Hamas and the
Muslim Brotherhood.[42] According to the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP)'s Global Peace Index of
2016, the six governments had varying degrees of success in maintaining peace amongst their respective
borders with Qatar ranked number 1 amongst its regional peers as the most peaceful regional and Middle
Eastern nation (and ranked 34 worldwide) while Kuwait ranks second in both the regional and the Middle East
region (and 51 worldwide) followed by the UAE in the third spot (61 worldwide).[43]

Economy
All of these Arab states have significant revenues from
petroleum. The United Arab Emirates has been successfully
diversifying the economy. 79% of UAE's total GDP comes from
non-oil sectors.[44] Oil accounts for only 2% of Dubai's GDP.[45]
Bahrain has the Persian Gulf's first "post-oil" economy because
the Bahraini economy does not rely on oil.[46] Since the late 20th
century, Bahrain has heavily invested in the banking and tourism
sectors.[47] The country's capital, Manama is home to many large
financial structures. Bahrain and Kuwait have a high Human
Development Index (worldwide rank of 45 and 48 respectively)
and was recognised by the World Bank as high income
economies.

In addition, the small coastal states (especially Bahrain and

Map of the Gulf Cooperation Council's
Kuwait) were successful centers of trade and commerce prior to
members (Iraq is not a member).
oil. Eastern Arabia also had significant pearl banks, but the
pearling industry collapsed in the 1930s after the development of
cultured pearl methods by Japanese scientists.

According to the World Bank, most of these Arab states have been the world's most generous donors of aid as a
share of GDP.[48]

See also
 Eastern Arabia
Persian Gulf
Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, originally (and still) known as the "Gulf
Cooperation Council" (GCC).
Iran-Arab relations
Gulf/2000 Project
List of the busiest airports in the Arab states of Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf naming dispute

Further reading
Madawi Al-Rasheed, ed. (2005). Transnational Connections and the Arab Gulf.
Lawrence G. Potter, ed. (2009). The Persian Gulf in History.
Lawrence G. Potter, ed. (2014). Sectarian Politics in the Persian Gulf.
"The Persian Gulf's ancient Ethnic Diversity: An Evolutionary History" in Security in the Persian Gulf:
Origins, Obstacles and the Search for Consensus, Edited by G. Sick and L. Potter, pp. 284.

References
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Transition (https://www.rienner.com/title/Political_Change_in_the_Arab_Gulf_States_Stuck_in_T ransition). "The
authors first focus on the politics of seven Gulf states: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar , Saudi Arabia, and the UAE."
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Arab countries of the Persian Gulf region this week to discuss the Iran-Iraq war , Administration officials said today."
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7. Fattahova, Nawara (26 March 2015)."First Kuwaiti horror movie to be set in ‘haunted’ palace"(http://news.kuwaittime
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n/omanis-turn-their-backs-on-local-dramas-1.1568086). Gulf News. "Kuwait’s drama industry tops other Gulf drama as
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8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC----%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A8%
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AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC-%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D9%87%D
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ً
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9%86%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A
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9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%8
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indefinitely-haves-andThe economy: The haves and the have-nots

External links
Gulf2000
Gulf Research Center

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