Capital, Labor, and State: Rethinking the Political Economy of Oil in the Gulf

Main author: Hanieh, Adam
Format: Book Chapters           
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id eprints-20943
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description The Middle East’s pivotal position in a hydrocarbon-based global capitalism carries enormous ramifications for the region and the Gulf Arab states in particular. This chapter aims to present key debates associated with this transformation. It begins with an overview of the Rentier State Theory (RST). RST theorists foreground the impact of oil rents on Gulf states, drawing causal relationships between these rents and the characteristics of the Gulf’s political economy. The chapter turns to a critique of some of its core assumptions, notably its theorization of state and class. It argues that a more satisfactory understanding of the political economy of oil in the Gulf can be found through a return to the categories of class and capitalism, and a deeper appreciation of the ways in which the Gulf is located in the wider dynamics of accumulation in the world market.
author_additional Ghazal, Amal
author_additionalStr Ghazal, Amal
format Book Chapters
author Hanieh, Adam
author_facet Hanieh, Adam
authorStr Hanieh, Adam
author_letter Hanieh, Adam
title Capital, Labor, and State: Rethinking the Political Economy of Oil in the Gulf
publisher Oxford University Press
publishDate 2015
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/20943/