The 2012 Gulf Studies Conference
Centre for Gulf Studies, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
17–20 July 2012
PAPER ABSTRACT
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Rentier State Theory: State Building and Political Reform in the GCC
Mahmood Abdul Ghaffar
13
Research Assistant
Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies
Bahrain
EMAIL: mahmoodghaffar@gmail.com
The modern Middle East followed turbulent forms of nation state formation. Typically,
countries across the region have witnessed revolutions and military coup d’états that
heralded states such as Egypt and Syria. Attempts made by such states to craft state identity
consider ideological aspects that should transcend domestic societal forces. In the case of
Syria, its identity was produced through appealing to its population that the state and its
people are enemy of Israel and is in a mentality of constant war. Authorities were banking
that this concept will suffice in appeal to wider domestic demographics in order to gain
legitimacy. However, in the Arabian Gulf region the story of state building is derived from a
different source. Because of the region’s immense oil wealth, state formation was able to
progress in a stable manner, with minimal abrupt disruptions that are typical with revolutions
or wars. With this resource wealth, observers have developed a concept known as Rentier
State Theory (RST), where states naturalize energy resources and pay ‘rents’ to their
citizens. Leaders within the Arabian Gulf were able to transcend into formal nation states
with use of its economic resources with considerable stability compared to their regional
neighbors. There are however, socioeconomic factors that occur as a result of RST. This
paper intends to investigate the role of RST in state-building endeavors within the Arabian
Gulf and what are socioeconomic consequences of utilizing this system. Furthermore, the
paper will examine whether correlations exist with RST and stability during state-building
processes. Much has been written about this theory and its application in Arabian Gulf
states. This paper will derive its main sources from the following works: Mathew Grey’s
(Georgetown University) report entitled, “A Theory of “Late Rentierism” in the Arab States of
the Gulf”, Steffen Hertog’s work “The Sociology of the Gulf Rentier Systems: Society of
Intermediaries” and Rolf Schwarz’s journal article titled, “The political economy of stateformation in the Arab Middle east: Rentier states, economic reform, and democratization”.