The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the triangle of autocracy, oil and foreign powers

Bibliographic Data

ID12923716
AuthorsYousef Khalifa Al-Yousef (United Arab Emirates University, corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume4
Issue1
Pages19-29
Publication date2011-01-27
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueContemporary Arab Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1755-0920 • E-ISSN: 1755-0912
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17550912.2011.549706
OpenAlexW2005686771
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited22

This article is based on an executive summary of a forthcoming Arabic-language book to be published by the Centre for Arab Unity Studies. It examines the reasons underlying the failure of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to achieve stability and realize their developmental goals, despite their concerted endeavours to do so since the oil boom of the 1970s. This failure is attributable to the fact that these countries have fallen prey to a vicious cycle of autocratic governments, using the oil wealth of their people to stay in power, and which are being supported and maintained by foreign governments – especially the United States and its allies – in return for a share of the oil booty and other concessions. Accordingly, and on the basis of the experiences of these countries over four decades, any change in current conditions is not foreseeable unless the unholy alliance of autocracy, oil, and foreign powers is dismantled and replaced by a system that is more conducive to both prosperity and stability; where autocracy is replaced by a democratic form of government; where the role of oil is transformed into what will engender productive citizens; and where regional integration and co-existence with neighbours replaces foreign presence and the ‘protection’ or destruction that comes in tandem with it

Alliance · Autocracy · Democracy · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Foreign policy · Government (linguistics · International trade · Oil reserves · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Prosperity · International Development and Aid · Law · Natural Resources and Economic Development · Socioeconomic Development in MENA

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