Public Policy in Gulf States

This open access volume focuses on the various processes of state formation and the significant role that organization, citizens, and institutions are coming to play in forming policy in the resource-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. As rentier states, they feature unique systems of governance and policy making. The Gulf region is employing unprecedented influence on international affairs and is a key player in the restructuring of the Middle East and North Africa post 9/11 and following the Arab Spring. The region has an increasingly vital role in the global contemporary system of international power, politics, and policymaking. And yet despite the recent rise of the Gulf Arab states to global power, notably Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, their policymaking remains under researched. This book pulls focus to their various processes of state policy formation. It considers these states’ social, political, and economic development, providing a comparative analysis of policy practices and results, citizens engagement, public-private partnership, human development and human capital, and provides analyses on foreign policy, sovereignty, security, and links to domestic politics. It shows the specific nature of governance relationships in the GCC and this how this is, in turn, affected by the specific nature of social capital and public opinion, as well as leadership and the culture of the business community in the GCC. These, the book suggests, pose challenges to public policy making and delivery in this region. Bringing together experts in public policy analysis, policy implementation and evaluation, governance, international affairs, public administration, public management, and other related social sciences from within and beyond the Middle East, this book is a vital text confronting the gap in the real mechanics of policymaking in the region.

This is an open access book.

Dr. Tamer Qarmout is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and the former Program Head of the Public Administration Graduate Programs at the School of Economics, Administration, and Public Policy (SEAPP), Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Qarmout held several management positions with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he gained extensive experience in program management, institutional development, and post-conflict recovery. His research interests include public policy analysis and formulation, sustainable international development, public-private partnerships, foreign aid, and conflict resolution. He has worked with a wide range of stakeholders to design and implement large-scale initiatives aimed at strengthening governance and institutional capacities in both the public and nonprofit sectors, particularly in fragile and post-conflict settings. Dr. Qarmout currently serves on the Programme and Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) based in Belgium, where he also chairs the permanent working group on “Public Administration in Conflict-Affected and Fragile Situations.” He is a member of the Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Research (MENAPAR) network and contributes to regional and international policy forums hosted by institutions such as the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Global Public Policy and Governance (GPPG), Fudan University, China.

Dr. Esmat Zaidan is an Associate Professor at the College of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), where she also serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Vice Chair of the HBKU Faculty Senate. With over 22 years of experience spanning academia and international development organizations—including the World Bank, UNDP, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)— Dr. Zaidan brings a strategic lens to sustainable development, public administration, institutional reforms, as well as reconstruction and economic development policies. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the International Public Policy Association (IPPA) and as Vice Chair of the Association of Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA). She is also a member of the Global Advisory Board for the “Jobs in the Circular Economy” initiative led by the Circle Economy Foundation, the World Bank, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). Dr. Zaidan’s research focuses on sustainable development strategies, urban resilience, climate adaptation, smart cities, and the dynamic interplay between human systems, built environments, and technological transformation. Her work is grounded in systems thinking and explores policy innovations for building resilient, inclusive, and net-zero urban futures. She is a strong advocate for the role of public policy in advancing people-centric and environmentally responsible development pathways across the Global South and beyond. She is ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists by Elsevier and Stanford University.

Dr. Paul Joyce is an Associate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy, School of Government, University of Birmingham, Visiting Professor in Public Management at Leeds Beckett University, and Publications Director of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. He has a Ph.D. from London School of Economics and Political Science. Paul's field of research is public management. He is currently researching and writing about strategic management as a tool of public governance and public policy in Europe and elsewhere in the world and about strategic management and strategic leadership in the public sector. He is the editor of the Governance and Public Management Series published by Palgrave Macmillan.