A Political Economy of Free Zones in Gulf Arab States (International Political Economy Series)

This is the first book-length empirical study of free zones (FZs) in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The volume systematically illustrates the development processes behind FZs in Gulf Arab states and assesses the impact of these commercial entities on regional integration, global trade and investment trends, and the Gulf's foreign relations. In the process, the work maps how economic strategies involving FZs evolve alongside varying levels of resource availability and state capacity on a local level while also revealing how development paths in Gulf Arab states are linked to regional and global accumulation circuits. FZ development is an under-examined topic in the wider literature on the Gulf. The empirical findings and theoretical implications of the work therefore offer an original contribution to prevailing political economy discussions concerning the Gulf region. Dr. Robert Mogielnicki is a Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DC, USA. . Acknowledgments Contents About the Author Abbreviations List of Figures List of Interviews 1 Mapping Free Zones in the Gulf: Trends and Dislocations Links in the Global Capital Accumulation Circuit The Internationalization of Gulf Economies Academic Foundations for Free Zones Commercialized Rents: A Theoretical Contribution Structure of the Monograph References 2 Regulating Free Zones: A History of Ownership, Labor, and Fees Pearls, Hydrocarbons, and Non-Oil Industries Foreign Ownership Expatriate Labor Customs Duties and Other Fees References 3 The Dubai Model and UAE Free Zones Early Emergence and Dominance of Dubai’s Free Zones Tracing Free Zone Development in Abu Dhabi The Northern Emirates Sharjah Ajman & Umm al Quwain Ras al Khaimah Fujairah References 4 Free Zones in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait Omani Free Zones Saudi Free Zones Bahraini Free Zones Qatari Free Zones Kuwaiti Free Zones References 5 Elite Embeddedness in Free Zone Development Gulf Ruling Families and Free Zone Ownership Elite Balancing: Mixing Business and Politics Other Institutional Mechanisms of Elite Control References 6 Free Zones as Spheres of Regional Contestation Inter-Emirate Competition in the UAE The Competitive Regionalization of Gulf Capital Ramifications of the 2017 Rift with Qatar Gateways for Iranian Influence in the Gulf? References 7 A Commercial Nexus Between East and West Buying Asian Partners in Bulk Brand Recognition of American and European Firms Border Zones: Iraq and Yemen Other Regional Actors: Turkey, Egypt, & Israel References 8 The Fraught Future of Free Zones in Gulf Arab States Ongoing Free Zone Development Economic Diversification & Reform Agendas Rentierism Revisited Moving Beyond the Gulf References List of Free Zones Established Free Zones Nascent Free Zones or Those Under Construction Onshore Investment Parks, Commercial Conduits, and Other Zones Closures and Unclear Operating Statuses Mergers and Rebranding Index This is the first book-length empirical study of free zones (FZs) in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The volume systematically illustrates the development processes behind FZs in Gulf Arab states and assesses the impact of these commercial entities on regional integration, global trade and investment trends, and the Gulfs foreign relations. FZ development is an understudied question in the wider literature on the Gulf in this context, the theoretical implications and empirical findings of the work constitute a valuable addition to prevailing political economy debates concerning the region. The work maps how economic strategies unfold in the presence of available material resources on a local level while also demonstrating the ways in which they are shaped by the relationship of Gulf Arab states to regional and global accumulation circuits. Dr. Robert Mogielnicki is a Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DC, USA