Gulf cities have followed similar paths of urbanization and architecture shaped by state planning and commercial development. While local differences exist, all reflect the demands of government and business, with little attention paid to civic requirements and public spaces.

Recent events across the globe, from the Occupy movements to the 2011 Arab uprisings, have brought the role of cities in political life to the forefront. However, with few exceptions, Gulf cities are known more as glittering global consumer capitals than places of civic engagement or political struggle.

With a dynamic younger generation rising in the Gulf, what is the public’s role, especially youth, in the remaking of their cities?

Moderator: Kristin Smith Diwan, Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

Farah Al-Nakib, director of the Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait

Diane Singerman, associate professor in the Department of Government at American University