Global Interests In The Arab Gulf

This book sets out to examine why the world regards the Gulf as important. Chapters either treat the way in which individual countries view their vital interest in the Gulf, or deal with specific themes such as the question of militarization and the international arms-trade.

The book makes the point that different countries and continents are conscious of possessing a variety of practical interests in the region: for some, the Gulf represents a market for manufactured goods; for some a field of expatriate labour; for some a source of oil; and, for the Superpowers, an area of conspicuous political and strategic importance. This last topic, closely linked as it now is with changes in Eastern Europe and the former USSR, is analyzed at some length in this collection.

Contributions by
Dr J. Stace Birks, Professor Anthony H. Cordesman, Peter A. Davies, Dr. Willem van Eekelen, Anoushiravan Ehteshami, Dr Susumu Ishida, Dr Rolf Müller-Syring, The Hon. Richard W. Murphy, Vitaly Naumkin, Valeria F. Piacentini, Clive A. Sinclair, Dr Paul J. Stevens, Professor K. Subrahmanyam, John Townsend and Alexei Vassiliev

 List of Tables and Figures, x; Preface, xii; Note on Transliteration, xv; Part One: The Mercantile Attraction in History; 1 Siraf and Hormuz between East and West: Merchants and Merchandise in the Gulf V. Fiorani Piacentini, 1; 2 Britain, Trade and Piracy: The British Expeditions against Ras al-Khaima of 1809-10 and 1819-20 Charles E. Davies, 29; Part Two: Core Issues; 3 Oil in the Gulf - Internal and External Interaction: Past, Present and Future Peter A. Davies and Paul J. Stevens, 67; 4 Repatriation, Remittances and Reunions: What is Really at Stake for Arab Countries Supplying Labour to the Gulf Co-operation Council States? J.S. Birks and C.A. Sinclair, 86. Part Three: The Third World; 5 The Indian Subcontinent and the Gulf K. Subrahmanyam, 117; 6 The Rise and Convergence of the 'Middle' in the World Economy: The Case of the NICs and the Gulf States Anoushiravan Ehteshami, 132; Part Four: Other OECD Countries; 7 The Western European Union, European Security Interests and the Gulf Willem Van Eekelen, 169; 8 Japan's Oil Strategy in the Gulf Without Arms Deals Susumu Ishida, 179; Part Five: The Superpowers; 9 The USSR and the Arab Gulf: A Current Balance Sheet and Future Assessment Vitaly Naumkin, 202; 10 The USSR's State Interests in the Red Sea Basin and the Horn of Africa in Connection with the Gulf Zone Alexei Vassiliev, 218; 11 United States Power-Projection Capabilities in the Gulf and South-West Asia: Changing Forces for a Changing World Anthony H. Cordesman, 232; 12 US Interests in the Gulf: Implications for America's Regional Policy Richard W. Murphy, 333; Part Six: Internal Change; 13 External Interests and Internal Processes of Militarisation in the Gulf Region Rolf Muller-Syring, 345; 14 The Inevitability of Change: The Under-tow of Political Tides in the Gulf John Townsend, 365; Glossary, 387; List of Abbreviations, 390; List of Contributors, 394; Index, 396.

 

Charles E. Davies is a barrister and an Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Arab Gulf Studies, University of Exeter.