This book asks why in recent years the social and economic upheavals in Kuwait and Qatar have been accompanied by a remarkable political continuity. Professor Crystal investigates this apparent anomaly by examining the impact of oil on the formation and destruction of political coalitions and state institutions. Partly based on a year's fieldwork in the Gulf and making full use of Arabic and Gulf sources, Oil and Politics in the Gulf goes far beyond previously published accounts of the region in its analysis of the effects of oil on domestic politics.

‘… a welcome addition to the literature and should be read by any student of the Gulf oil states.’

Charles Gurdon Source: Business History

‘This book is vital for an understanding of Kuwait’s political economy - or economic politics.’

Theodore Draper Source: New York Review of Books

’This book should appeal to several kinds of audiences: regionalists interested in the Middle East and Persian Gulf States; international relations specialists who want to know more about this strategic area and would like some solid local history upon which to anchor their postwar analyses; and theorists of state development … ’

Gregory Nowell Source: American Political Science Review