Khadeeja Farooqui Editor-in-Chief

Impossible Citizens: Dubai’s Indian Diaspora, Neha Vora

More than 50 percent of the UAE’s population comprises South Asian guest workers. They have lived here since the 1970s, and many of them are now second-, third- or even fourth-generation residents; however, the UAE’s residence policies do not allow them to attain legal citizenship, suspending them in a state of permanent temporariness. Vohra’s ethnography focuses on studying Dubai’s Indian population, showcasing how the diaspora has developed a multifaceted understanding of citizenship and belonging, migration and national identity. I haven’t read the book in its entirety yet, however, Vohra takes a brave leap and suggests that “Indians, rather than Emiratis, are the quintessential — yet impossible — citizens of Dubai.”

Diana Gluck Writing Instructor

Between Sips of Coffee: Oral Narratives from United Arab Emirates, Abdullah Abdulrahman; translated by Khaled Al-Masri

This is a broad collection of oral histories. I utilized one of these in my capstone, one that focused on a photographer’s experience in Ras al Khaimah working alongside the RAK police and documenting the bodies of illegal immigrants washing up on the shore in the late 1960s. Fun to flip through, though I haven't read all of it. If you don't have time or feel like reading an entire book, the individual histories vary in length and are self-contained.

Abu Dhabi: Birth of an Oil Shaikhdom, Clarence Mann

Interesting both for its maps and the time period in which it was published, Mann’s book provides a rare extended look into the birth of Abu Dhabi as an Oil Sheikhdom, as it was understood by Mann during the late 1960s.

British Policy in the Persian Gulf, 1961-1968: Conceptions of Informal Empire, Helene von Bismarck.

Von Bismarck's study is a good starting place if one wants to learn more about the extent of British involvement in the Trucial States that went on to become the UAE.

Lina ElMusa Staff Writer

Cities of Salt, Abdul Rahman Munif

Cities of Salt is a series of five books about the Arabian Peninsula and the fast paced change that occurred in the region after the discovery of oil. Until recently, the series has been banned in Saudi Arabia for its criticism of the usage of oil in the region. The banning of the books did not stop the series from making its way into many people’s lives and establishing a strong reputation for Munif. If not for the politics of the books, or the fact that it was written at a time when it was even more difficult to criticize authorities, Munif’s storytelling skills make the series definitely worth a read. The books not only explore oil but also discuss the natural history of the region, superstitions and the supernatural, tribal politics, poverty and more — all through a witty sense of humor.

Connor Pearce Editor-in-Chief

Britain and the Gulf Shaikhdoms, 1820-1971: The Politics of Protection, James Onley

In this well-researched historical account of the UAE and the Gulf States, Onley clearly elucidates the complex political and economic ties that bound together the Gulf and the British Empire. Starting with the period before British involvement, Onley begins by describing the system of protection that was indigenous to the Gulf pre-British involvement. Stronger states would attack weaker ones, both to extend their power and create tribute relations. Onley, thus, argues that the British were welcomed into this system as the protectors par excellence. Guarantees of British naval sovereignty allowed for the establishment of powerful coastal cities which controlled the interior. Extending this analysis, Onley describes how British interests in the region changed from securing trade routes from Britain to India to establishing a reliable source of oil for the British Navy. These relationships changed after World War II. With Arab nationalism on the rise, Gulf rulers were caught between being seen as lackeys of imperialist Britain and requiring British protection to avert the same fate as that of the British-backed royal families of Iraq and Egypt. Thus, British Prime Minister Howard Wilson's decision in 1968 that Britain could no longer afford to station large numbers of military personnel in the Gulf was met with shock by Gulf leaders. However, Onley notes that the British never really left, and have instead stayed behind in high-level advisory roles, quoting one British advisor to the Amir of Bahrain as saying,

“British withdrawal? What withdrawal? We’re still here!”