As the Gulf assumes an ever more important identity in the global political economy, we see the emergence of a new popular and political culture underpinning its increasingly self-confident national identities. This volume explores the new dynamism of the Gulf, reflected not just in high-rise buildings and booming stock markets, but also manifested in the realms of art, ideas and expression, and their relationships with political authority. Contributors include figures instrumental to the emergence of these new identities, including artists, broadcasters and cultural commentators.

Alanoud Alsharekh is a member of the Advisory Council of the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Robert Springborg is MBI Al Jaber Chair in Middle East Studies at SOAS and director of the LMEI.

Acknowledgments Introduction, by Robert Springborg 1. Heritage and Cultural Nationalism in the United Arab Emirates Fred H. Lawson and Hasan M. al-Naboodah 2. Place and Space in the Memory of United Arab Emirates Elders Nadia Rahman 3. The Nationalisation of Culture: Kuwait's Invention of a Pearl-Diving Heritage Sulayman Khalaf 4. An Aspect of Cultural Development in Bahrain: Archaeology and the Restoration of Historical Sites Mohammed A. Alkhozai 5. The Social and Political Elements that Drive the Poetic Journey Nimah Ismail Nawwab 6. Sport and Identity in the Gulf Abdullah Baabood 7. Media as Social Matrix in the United Arab Emirates Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, Mohammed al-Mutawa, John W. Fox and Tim Walters 8. Diversification in Abu Dhabi and Dubai: The Impact on National Identity and the Ruling Bargain Christopher Davidson 9. Debates on Political Reform in the Gulf: The Dynamics of Liberalising Public Spaces Amr Hamzawy 10. Gulf Societies: Coexistence of Tradition and Modernity Lubna Ahmed al-Kazi Conclusion, by Alanoud Alsharekh Notes on Contributors Bibliography Index