Tribalism and Political Power in the Gulf : State-Building and National Identity in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE

The germ of the idea for this book came from a lecture at Nuqat Cultural series in 2014, and so this project represents the culmination of many conversations with colleagues across the Arabian Peninsula. We are indebted to everyone who agreed to be interviewed for this project, as well as those who assisted with images, namely Hala Shaaban and Nasser al Ghanim. The support of LSE's Kuwait Programme, generously funded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and led by Professor Toby Dodge, was instrumental in undertaking this project, particularly through providing assistance with fieldwork, feedback on drafts and encouragement throughout the process. The team at LSE's Middle East Centre also more broadly facilitated the drafting of this book, hosting a workshop on tribe and state in the Middle East gathering several experts on the topic in June 2018, which helped both authors clarify the scholarly contribution we hoped to make. Sophie Rudland at IB Tauris has been a pleasure to work with, being patient with us throughout the long drafting process and providing us with encouragement and helpful suggestions. We are also indebted to the anonymous reviewers, who provided us with substantive and thoughtful feedback that ultimately improved the manuscript considerably. The small states of the Arabian Peninsula have sometimes been disdainfully described as 'tribes with flags' , 1 and most scholars agree that 'the tribe is the principal building block of these societies' . 2 Nevertheless, the specific means by which powerful tribes have shaped the political structures and environments of these states is rarely explained; rather, it has often been simply taken for granted. This book seeks to address these analytical gaps by examining tribes as modern, policy-relevant actors in what some have dubbed 'bedouinocracies' 3 of Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In so doing, it will demonstrate the ways in which participation in tribal affairs provides a significant means of individual involvement in the local politics of small rentier states, while also comprising an important part of these governments' legitimation strategies. In addition, we will analyse the changes in the historical relationship between ruling elites and nomadic tribes, particularly as affected by the discovery of oil and the proliferation of oil rents that in many ways transformed these states into archetypal rentiers. By analysing the role of tribes as political units, this book will grant such traditional groups agency as modern political actors. Where much of the existing scholarship suggests that political life in the Arabian Peninsula is underdeveloped (at least outside of Kuwait which houses an active parliament), it is in fact in many ways merely under-institutionalized, as much of it remains based on informal institutions, some of which are managed by tribal populations. Indeed, tribal units often provide important means of bypassing cumbersome bureaucratic structures present in many small rentier states, 4 in addition to providing strong and reliable social networks. This book will also answer the following questions about the nature of tribal politics in states with under-institutionalized political systems. Do tribes hinder or advance popular participation in government by enhancing uninstitutionalized means of citizen involvement? Has the strength of tribes prevented the growth of independent political parties in such states? In what ways does identifying the "Gulf societies are often described as being intensely tribal. However, in discussions of state building and national identity, the role of tribalism and tribal identity is often overlooked. This book analyses the political role of tribes in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE aiming to understand the degree to which tribes hinder or advance popular participation in government and to what extent they exert domestic political power. The research traces the historical relationship between ruling elites and nomadic tribes, and, by constructing political histories of major tribes and analysing their role in domestic political life, reveals how tribes serve as major political actors in the small Gulf states. A key focus of the book is understanding the extent to which societies in the Gulf have become 're-bedouinised' in the modern era and, in particular, how the influence of bedouinism has slowed these states' progress towards more representative political systems. The book shows that - depending on how they are governed - tribes can be either an impediment to "progressive" citizenship, or a way to access a greater stake hold in policy making in these rentier states."-- Provided by publisher Gulf societies are often described as being intensely tribal. However, in discussions of state building and national identity, the role of tribalism and tribal identity is often overlooked. This book analyses the political role of tribes in Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE aiming to understand the degree to which tribes hinder or advance popular participation in government and to what extent they exert domestic political power. The research traces the historical relationship between ruling elites and nomadic tribes, and, by constructing political histories of these states and analysing the role of tribes in domestic political life and social hierarchies, reveals how they serve as major political actors in the Gulf. A key focus of the book is understanding the extent to which societies in the Gulf have become 're-bedouinised' in the modern era and how this has shaped these states' political processes and institutions. The book explores the roles that tribes play in the development of “progressive” citizenship regimes and policymaking today, and how they are likely to be influential in the future within rentier environments. Cover Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 The historical relationship between badū and ruling families 3 The social evolution of the tribe 4 Heritage production and branding of the modern badū in state formation 5 Tribalization of traditionally non-tribal actors and future impact of the resurgence of tribal rhetoric 6 Electoral tribalism 7 Tribal intersections in the digital age 8 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index