Gerd Nonneman
Gerd Nonneman, Professor of International Relations & Gulf Studies (and former Dean), Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. Ph.D in Politics (Exeter 1993), M.A. in Middle East Politics (Exeter 1985). Licentiate in Oriental Philology (Arab Studies major) (1980) and Postgraduate Licentiate in Development Studies (1981), University of Ghent, Belgium.
Prior to joining Georgetown in 2011, he served as Professor of International Relations & Middle East Politics and held the Al-Qasimi Chair in Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter, where he has also directed the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies and the Center for Gulf Studies. A former Executive Director of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), he is also a Council member of the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES). Aside from his academic work, he has worked in the private sector in the Gulf region, and acted as a consultant to a range of companies, NGOs, governments and international institutions.
Dr. Nonneman is joint Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (Routledge).
Among his recent publications are:
• Al-‘ā’ilāt al-hākima wa-nukhab qitā‘ al-khāss fī mamālik al-khalīj [The Ruling Families and Private Sector Elites of the Gulf Monarchies], (with Marc Valeri, Mehran Kamrava & Anastasia Nossova), London: Chatham House, January 2017.
• Ruling Families and Business Elites in the Gulf Monarchies: Ever Closer?, Chatham House Research Paper, November 2016 (with Marc Valeri, Mehran Kamrava, Anastasia Nossova)
• al-Mamlaka al-ʻarabīya al-saʻūdīya fī al-mīzān: al-iqtiṣād al-siyāsī wa-al-mujtamaʻ wa-al- shuʼūn al-khārijīya [Saudi Arabia in the Balance: politics, society, foreign affairs – Arabic updated eduition] (Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies, 2012)
• ‘Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States: Elite Politics, Street Protests and Regional Diplomacy’ (Chatham House, 2011);
• ‘Europe, the US, and the Gulf after the Cold War’, in V. Mauer & D. Möckli (eds.), European-American Relations and the Middle East: From Suez to Iraq (Routledge, 2010);
• ‘Terrorism and Political Violence in the Middle East and North Africa: Drivers and Limitations’, in A. Siniver (ed.), International Terrorism post 9/11 (Routledge, 2010);
• ‘Political Reform in the Gulf Monarchies: From Liberalization to Democratization? A Comparative Perspective’, in A. Ehteshami & S. Wright (eds.), Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies (Ithaca Press, 2008); http://www.ithacapress.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdf/reform_in_the_me_website.pdf
• Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs (New York University Press, 2006);
• EU-GCC Relations, Gulf Papers Series (Gulf Research Center, 2006); and
• Analyzing Middle East Foreign Policies (Routledge, 2005).
His current research concerns the International Relations of the Middle East, Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Arab World, Gulf Foreign Policies, and the Political Economy of the GCC states.
Education
Ph.D. (1993) University of Exeter, Politics
MA (1985) University of Exeter, Middle East Politics
Licentiate (1981) University of Ghent, Development Studies
Licentiate (1980) University of Ghent, Oriental Philology
Prior to joining Georgetown in 2011, he served as Professor of International Relations & Middle East Politics and held the Al-Qasimi Chair in Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter, where he has also directed the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies and the Center for Gulf Studies. A former Executive Director of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES), he is also a Council member of the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES). Aside from his academic work, he has worked in the private sector in the Gulf region, and acted as a consultant to a range of companies, NGOs, governments and international institutions.
Dr. Nonneman is joint Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (Routledge).
Among his recent publications are:
• Al-‘ā’ilāt al-hākima wa-nukhab qitā‘ al-khāss fī mamālik al-khalīj [The Ruling Families and Private Sector Elites of the Gulf Monarchies], (with Marc Valeri, Mehran Kamrava & Anastasia Nossova), London: Chatham House, January 2017.
• Ruling Families and Business Elites in the Gulf Monarchies: Ever Closer?, Chatham House Research Paper, November 2016 (with Marc Valeri, Mehran Kamrava, Anastasia Nossova)
• al-Mamlaka al-ʻarabīya al-saʻūdīya fī al-mīzān: al-iqtiṣād al-siyāsī wa-al-mujtamaʻ wa-al- shuʼūn al-khārijīya [Saudi Arabia in the Balance: politics, society, foreign affairs – Arabic updated eduition] (Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies, 2012)
• ‘Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States: Elite Politics, Street Protests and Regional Diplomacy’ (Chatham House, 2011);
• ‘Europe, the US, and the Gulf after the Cold War’, in V. Mauer & D. Möckli (eds.), European-American Relations and the Middle East: From Suez to Iraq (Routledge, 2010);
• ‘Terrorism and Political Violence in the Middle East and North Africa: Drivers and Limitations’, in A. Siniver (ed.), International Terrorism post 9/11 (Routledge, 2010);
• ‘Political Reform in the Gulf Monarchies: From Liberalization to Democratization? A Comparative Perspective’, in A. Ehteshami & S. Wright (eds.), Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies (Ithaca Press, 2008); http://www.ithacapress.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdf/reform_in_the_me_website.pdf
• Saudi Arabia in the Balance: Political Economy, Society, Foreign Affairs (New York University Press, 2006);
• EU-GCC Relations, Gulf Papers Series (Gulf Research Center, 2006); and
• Analyzing Middle East Foreign Policies (Routledge, 2005).
His current research concerns the International Relations of the Middle East, Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Arab World, Gulf Foreign Policies, and the Political Economy of the GCC states.
Education
Ph.D. (1993) University of Exeter, Politics
MA (1985) University of Exeter, Middle East Politics
Licentiate (1981) University of Ghent, Development Studies
Licentiate (1980) University of Ghent, Oriental Philology
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Books by Gerd Nonneman
"Problems Facing Cooperation and Integration Attempts in the Middle East", in Gerd Nonneman (ed.), The Middle East and Europe: The Search for Stability and Integration (London: Federal Trust / European Commission, 1993 - 2nd edition), pp. 35-46]
PhD Thesis by Gerd Nonneman
Papers by Gerd Nonneman
All the ruling families – from a variety of starting points – have themselves moved much more extensively into business activities over the past two decades.
Meanwhile, the traditional business elites’ socio-political autonomy from the ruling families (and thus the state) has diminished throughout the Gulf region – albeit again from different starting points and to different degrees today.
The business elites’ priority interest in securing and preserving benefits from the rentier state has led them to reinforce their role of supporter of the incumbent regimes and ruling families. In essence, to the extent that business elites in the Gulf engage in policy debate, it tends to be to protect their own privileges. This has been particularly evident since the 2011 Arab uprisings.
The overwhelming dependence of these business elites on the state for revenues and contracts, and the state’s key role in the economy – through ruling family members’ personal involvement in business as well as the state’s dominant ownership of stocks in listed companies – means that the distinction between business and political elites in the Gulf monarchies has become increasingly blurred.
Under current uncertain political and economic conditions, existing patterns of clientelism and the business sector’s dependence on the state will not undergo significant changes. In these circumstances, the business elites are unlikely to become drivers of political reform.
In the context of persistently low oil prices, growing tensions related to the definition of the new social contract and the content of structural reforms in the Gulf monarchies are likely to provoke renewed popular frustrations and considerable turmoil.
The presentation is followed by an extensive discussion.
"Problems Facing Cooperation and Integration Attempts in the Middle East", in Gerd Nonneman (ed.), The Middle East and Europe: The Search for Stability and Integration (London: Federal Trust / European Commission, 1993 - 2nd edition), pp. 35-46]
All the ruling families – from a variety of starting points – have themselves moved much more extensively into business activities over the past two decades.
Meanwhile, the traditional business elites’ socio-political autonomy from the ruling families (and thus the state) has diminished throughout the Gulf region – albeit again from different starting points and to different degrees today.
The business elites’ priority interest in securing and preserving benefits from the rentier state has led them to reinforce their role of supporter of the incumbent regimes and ruling families. In essence, to the extent that business elites in the Gulf engage in policy debate, it tends to be to protect their own privileges. This has been particularly evident since the 2011 Arab uprisings.
The overwhelming dependence of these business elites on the state for revenues and contracts, and the state’s key role in the economy – through ruling family members’ personal involvement in business as well as the state’s dominant ownership of stocks in listed companies – means that the distinction between business and political elites in the Gulf monarchies has become increasingly blurred.
Under current uncertain political and economic conditions, existing patterns of clientelism and the business sector’s dependence on the state will not undergo significant changes. In these circumstances, the business elites are unlikely to become drivers of political reform.
In the context of persistently low oil prices, growing tensions related to the definition of the new social contract and the content of structural reforms in the Gulf monarchies are likely to provoke renewed popular frustrations and considerable turmoil.
The presentation is followed by an extensive discussion.