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Gulf expert Christopher Davidson’s book charts the emirate’s remarkable trajectory from its origins as an eighteenth-century sheikhdom to its present position on the cusp of preeminence. Showing Abu Dhabi’s impressive socio-economic development, Davidson offers a frank portrayal of a dynasty’s dramatic survival.
276pp May 2009
| Hardback | | 9781850659785 | | £30.00 | | Buy Now |
Abu Dhabi is a new economic superpower that will soon wield enormous influence across both developing and developed worlds. The principal emirate of the United Arab Emirates federation commands over 8 percent of global oil reserves, has nearly $1 trillion in sovereign wealth funds to invest and is busily implementing a thoughtful economic master plan. It has also pumped huge amounts of money into culture, sport and infrastructural development in an attempt to eclipse even its ubiquitous UAE partner—Dubai—as an international household name. Abu Dhabi will host the Formula One Championship decider in 2009, is opening the world’s first Ferrari theme park, has a rapidly expanding airline and is setting up satellite branches of the Guggenheim and Louvre museums. Gulf expert Christopher Davidson’s book charts the emirate’s remarkable trajectory from its origins as an eighteenth-century sheikhdom to its present position on the cusp of preeminence. Abu Dhabi’s impressive socio-economic development, he offers a frank portrayal of a dynasty’s dramatic survival, demonstrating the newfound resilience of a traditional monarchy in the twenty-first century and its efforts to create a system of ‘tribal capitalism’ that incorporates old political allegiances into modern engines of growth. Finally, he turns his attention to a number of problems that may surface to impede economic development and undermine political stability. These include an enfeebled civil society and invasive media censorship, a seemingly unsolvable labour nationalisation paradox, an underperforming education sector, and increasing federal unrest.
Reviews ‘… a timely and thoughtful contribution to the thus-far scanty literature on the emirate, discussing its "dramatic trajectory" over the past two centuries. It does this well. … Carefully and in great detail, the author traces its history from the emergence of a viable desert sheikhdom in the beginning of the 19th century to the emirate's current position as the dominant centralising and wealth-creating force of the United Arab Emirates. Specialists and non-specialists will be treated to a critical yet deeply sympathetic account of the raison d'etre and very identity of the emirate, past and present. … As this highly enjoyable book demonstrates, with the world watching and its people asking questions, Abu Dhabi has everything to play for.’ –– Times Higher Education
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