Sunday, 1 December 2024 saw the conclusion of the 11th Annual Gulf Studies Forum, convened by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies on 30 November–1 December 2024, addressing the topic of “Arab Gulf States and the Palestine Question” in its first track, and of “The Gulf City as a Structure and Social Agent” in its second track.
The inaugural keynote session in the second day was chaired by Abdulrahman Alebrahim and featured two lectures. The first lecture, presented by Nelida Fuccaro, critically assessed the place of the city in Gulf Studies. While continuing to argue against Gulf exceptionalism and the rigid intellectual and spatial categories that have tended to typecast the region as a “periphery”, she argues for cities as microcosms and vantage points to observe the past, present, and future. The second lecture by Yasser Elsheshtawy explored the transient nature of the Arab Gulf city and whether it can sustain its existence throughout the 21st century. His talk showed how “temporary people” can live in a place that inherently refuses to recognize them as full citizens, highlighting those people’s resilience and defiance against the forces of the hegemonic city.
Gulf Normalization with Israel and Gulf Cities’ Dystopia
In the first track, the fourth session on the Gulf and Palestine Question, chaired by Abdul Hadi Alajmi, addressed "The Repercussions of Gulf Normalization with Israel on the Future of the Palestine Question." Abdullah Baabood explored the shifts in Gulf states' positions towards Palestine over the past two decades, highlighting the impact of the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Arab peace process, the Palestinian divide, and the Arab Spring Nouf Abdulatife Aljassar analyzed the US role in consolidating the Abraham Accords with the GCC countries under Presidents Trump and Biden. Finally, Dana El Kurd examined the effects of Arab-Israeli normalization on authoritarianism in Arab countries, arguing that if the root causes of the conflict are not addressed, normalization could facilitate authoritarian practices, using the GCC as a case study.
In the parallel track on “The Gulf City: Modernization and Dystopia”, chaired by Abdulla Mohammed Al Sulaiti, Baqer Al Najjar described the case of new Gulf cities that emerged because of the growing consumer behaviour patterns of a significant segment of the population. Federico Cugurullo examined the genesis and development of The Line as an incubator of modernization, noting how the aspirations of this project are genealogically based on a Western cyberpunk imaginary.
The War on Gaza and Globalism
Next sessions were run in parallel tracks. In the Palestine track, "The Positions of the Arab Gulf States on the War on Gaza and its Repercussions", Dhafer Al Ajmi discussed the Gulf States' political, diplomatic, and humanitarian support for Gaza, which has helped unify Arab and Islamic positions. Naji Abi-Aad analysed the impact of the war on Gaza on Middle East energy security, highlighting a shift toward pipeline reliance and predicting a long-term decline in global dependence on Middle Eastern energy. Khalid Hamad Abaalzamat presented the results of a survey of 1,300 Gulf citizens, indicating widespread support for Qatar's mediation role and its media coverage of the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, the parallel session, “The Gulf City: Globality and Globalism” was chaired by Said Al-Hashimi. Mehran Kamrava examined how globalization has helped the emergence of regional cities as important regional hub and critical nodes in global networks. Safa Sobh Sababheh explored the factors contributing to the growth of Saudi eastern coastal cities and the challenges they face, aiming to guide policies for sustainable development in these areas. Simona Azzali revealed the limitations of contemporary urbanism in the region by unpacking the paradox of increasing land prices and the resulting lack of affordable housing, hyper-vacancy rates, and overcrowding in the Gulf cities.
Palestine in the Gulf Popular and Official Attitudes and Environmental Issues in Gulf Cities
The sixth session of the Palestine track, “Popular and Official Attitudes in the Gulf States toward the Palestine Question” was chaired by Ibtihal Al-Khatib. Nasser Saif Alsaadi and Saif Adi Al-Maskari reviewed Omani popular and official positions on the Palestinian cause from the Nakba to Camp David, including opposition ideologies, concluding that public awareness in Oman was early and strong, especially in the 1970s. Reham Amro examined Kuwaiti political awareness towards Palestine (1929-1975), highlighting Kuwaiti solidarity through media coverage. Yara Nassar discussed the emergence of the Palestinian liberation movements in the Gulf (1956-1965), focusing on the founding of Fatah in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, whose founders benefited from the support of Gulf communities.
Three papers participated in the parallel track titled “Climate Change and Environmental Balance in the Gulf City”, chaired by Hasan Madan. Nabil Khaldoun Grissa addressed the historical roots of urbanization in the area and the foundations of settlement, particularly the direct relationship with the geographical environment and social and cultural specificities. Arshad Mahmood investigated whether Gulf smart cities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are resilient enough to counterbalance climate change challenges, focusing on urban planning and policy implications, followed by Alaa AlShehabi and Noor Alshaikh, who conducted archival research to understand the colonial logic of placing oil refineries in the middle of Bahraini villages and the environmental and political impacts on the residents of the villages.
Sustainability of the Gulf Cities
A final session for the day was titled “The Gulf City: Toward a Sustainable Future”, chaired by Haider Saeed and organized for the second track alone. Ali A Alraouf introduced a range of strategies and tools that develop Gulf cities as urban contexts for all in a safe, fair, and sustainable manner. Alawi Almshahur and Ghassan Al-Qalhati discussed the history of the modern Gulf city, its transformations, and the temporary character that results from its demographic composition and reliance on foreign labour.
