Led by Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates has become deeply embedded in the contemporary system of international power, politics, and policymaking.
AGSIW was pleased to host a panel discussion with Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, author of The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics and Policy-Making. AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young served as discussant and Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish moderated the panel.
Led by Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates has become deeply embedded in the contemporary system of international power, politics, and policymaking. Only an independent state since 1971, the seven emirates that constitute the UAE represent not only the most successful Arab federal experiment but also the most durable. However, the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath underscored the continuing imbalance between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the five northern emirates. Meanwhile, the post-2011 security crackdown revealed the acute sensitivity of officials in Abu Dhabi to social inequalities and economic disparities across the federation.
In The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics and Policy-Making, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen charts the various processes of state formation and political and economic development that have enabled the UAE to emerge as a significant regional power and major player in the post-Arab Spring reordering of Middle East and North African politics, as well as the closest partner of the United States in military and security affairs in the region.
Panelists:
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Baker Institute Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University
Karen E. Young, Senior Resident Scholar, AGSIW
Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar, AGSIW (Moderator)
Trump’s trip to Saudi Arabia has the potential not only to reinforce the deep-rooted U.S.-Saudi alliance but also to expose the fault lines that could undermine future cooperation.
Trump’s tariff agenda may complicate Gulf governments’ capabilities to advance key policy initiatives and strategic economic partnerships, including Gulf investments in the United States.
Successful public-private partnerships could help Gulf Arab states improve infrastructure without further burdening state resources.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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