The UAE: Geopolitics, Modernity and Tradition

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William Gueraiche's work is the first scholarly study of the UAE's campaign to establish itself on the international stage and to explore the impact that its economic transformation has had on the country. Emirati society remains at core conservative and the preservation of Arab-Islamic identity remains important, yet the UAE has the highest proportion of foreigners of any country in the world. What does this mean for the identity of Emiratis living there and what are the implications for foreigners working there The author also explores the environmental costs of the Dubai lifestyle, its 'Look East' policy and increasing volume of trade with eastern Asia, and the ways in which the UAE has sought to challenge the traditional hegemony of Saudi Arabia in the region. In a final chapter the author examines the impact of the economic depression that called the whole representation of Dubai into question.

Reviews

`This book is a precious attempt to reveal the personality of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. The author's personal experience, as well as his intimacy with local culture, allows him to explain the situation of foreigners in the eyes of the local population: temporary guests, with duties and constraints, within a definite status, linked to that position. But the core of his purpose is to uncover the strategy of the rulers to carve the image of their young and affluent country on the global map. Here the author offers the reader a study based on more than a decade-long presence in the Emirates, providing insights far removed from the usual infatuation or criticism displayed by too many hurried observers in the face of the breathtaking pace of building a post-modern economy and sprawling cities in the desert. - Marc Lavergne, Head Researcher, CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), Middle East Studies Department, University of Tours, `The UAE: Geopolitics, Modernity and Tradition is a welcome addition to the scarce, serious academic literature on the study of the Emirate. Insightful, analytical and revealing, it offers a thought-provoking read that will surely add to the lively discussion of GCC politics. - Kristian Alexander, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi

Author Bio

William Gueraiche is Associate Professor, American University in the Emirates (Dubai). He has been Associate Professor of Social Sciences, American University in Dubai (UAE), Lecturer in Geopolitics, University Marne La Vallee (Paris), and Lecturer in History at the University of the Sorbonne. His research focuses upon the UAE and Gulf societies, Middle Eastern security, and diplomacy in the Gulf.