Gulf societies are often described as being intensely tribal. However, in discussions of state building and national identity, the role of tribalism and tribal identity is often overlooked. This book analyses the political role of tribes in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE aiming to understand the degree to which tribes hinder or advance popular participation in government and to what extent they exert domestic political power.
The research traces the historical relationship between ruling elites and nomadic tribes, and, by constructing political histories of major tribes and analysing their role in domestic political life, reveals how tribes serve as major political actors in the small Gulf states.
A key focus of the book is understanding the extent to which societies in the Gulf have become 're-bedouinised' in the modern era and, in particular, how the influence of bedouinism has slowed these states' progress towards more representative political systems. The book shows that - depending on how they are governed - tribes can be either an impediment to progressive citizenship, or a way to access a greater stake hold in policy making in these rentier states.
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