Originally published in 1987, The Financial Markets of the Arabian Gulf looks at the importance of finance and the flow of funds to the development of the countries in the Arabian Gulf. Examining in detail the financial markets of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the book looks at how each of these markets has developed differently because of the political choices made by each government and how each is faced with different cultural and sociological variables which has influenced future of the financial markets. This book provides a look at the fiber of each of these three Arab Nations in respect of their financial markets.

Financial markets across the Arabian Peninsula have gone from being small, quasi-medieval structures in the 1960s to large world-class groupings of financial institutions. This evolution has been fueled by vast increases in income from oil and natural gas. The Financial Markets of the Arab Gulf presents and analyzes the banks, stock markets, investment companies, money changers and sovereign wealth funds that have grown from this oil wealth and how this income has acted as a buffer between Gulf society at large and the newfound cash reserves of Gulf Cooperation Council states (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain) over the last fifty years. By assessing the development of institutions like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, the Public Investment Fund and the National Bank of Kuwait, The Financial Markets of the Arab Gulf evaluates the growth of the markets and provides a detailed, critical, snapshot of the current form and function of the Gulf’s financial markets. It argues that the markets have been controlled by various state institutions for socio-political reasons. In particular, the Saudi state has used its sophisticated regulatory regime to push for industrialization and diversification, which culminated in the Vision 2030 plan. The UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have also been strongly involved in establishing modern markets for similar purposes but have done so through different means, with varying results, and each in line with what has been considered their respective comparative advantages. Along with critically surveying these institutions and their role in global finance, the book also presents case studies depicting transactions typical to the region, including the highly profitable documentary credits of commercial banks, the financial scandal of certain financiers and their regulatory arbitrage between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, a review of the Dubai’s trade miracle, and an assessment of the value and importance of the privatization of Saudi Aramco.

This book aims to trace and point out the recent developments occurred in the Arab Economy in the last two decades, including trends toward integration, liberalisation, and globalisation. This book indicates the most recent changes in the Arab Financial Institutions including banks, insurance companies, pension funds and other financial institutions. There is also the discussion of issues in market stability and efficiency in the light of new Arab environment of stock trading. This book is a comprehensive text covering the Arab Financial Sector.

The shock discovery of oil in the Gulf States thrust them from relative obscurity to the forefront of international finance and politics. It coincided with the breakdown of the international monetary system and the twin food and energy crisis, all of which helped to magnify the impact of the oil price increases. Yet, despite the continuing oil wealth enjoyed by the Gulf States, their economy has suffered some damaging blows in the recent past. The Iran—Iraq War has imposed a heavy burden on the Gulf countries which have contributed huge sums to Iraq. Internally, the Gulf economies have been hurt by the speculative boom generated by the unofficial stock-market in Kuwait which collapsed in the summer of 1982. This book, by an Arab economist long experienced in working in the Gulf economy, reviews the prospects for the region in the light of these external and internal problems and, drawing on the Kuwaiti example, suggests ways in which changes can be made. First published in 1984.

Reflects the state of banking in the Arab Gulf and activity in the region's financial markets. Each chapter examines the development of commercial banking, monetary policy and the role of the central banks, and the role of specialized financial institutions.

Framed by a critical analysis of global capitalism, this book examines how the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council are powerfully shaping the political economy of the wider Middle East. Through unprecedented and fine-grained empirical research - encompassing sectors such as agribusiness, real estate, finance, retail, telecommunications, and urban utilities - Adam Hanieh lays out the pivotal role of the Gulf in the affairs of other Arab states. This vital but little recognised feature of the Middle East's political economy is essential to understanding contemporary regional dynamics, not least of which is the emergence of significant internal tensions within the Gulf itself. Bringing fresh insights and a novel interdisciplinary approach to debates across political economy, critical geography, and Middle East studies, this book fills an important gap in how we understand the region and its place in the global order.