Gulf Economic Statecraft & the Energy Tr

This course examines the political economy of the major oil and gas exporters of the Arabian Peninsula. It begins with a view of state formation and development of their energy industries. It follows with a theoretical overview of the concept of economic statecraft and then explores how, when and why the Gulf Arab states (specifically, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar) have used tools of financial intervention, buoyed by oil and gas revenue, to achieve foreign policy goals. The Gulf Arab states are development actors in a class of their own, often able to deploy sums of direct support that international financial institutions and international organizations cannot match in either investment or aid. How are the Gulf states emerging as development actors across the Middle East, Africa and Asia? What are the implications for investment in clean energy and the energy transition in the Gulf and in recipient states?