Suchergebnisse

AbstractThe Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states can be divided into two main camps in terms of hydrocarbon endowment per capita which can partially account for differences in policy directions. Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE (the rich triplet) have small populations while having large hydrocarbon (oil and natural gas) endowments compared to Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE have been effectively using their excess wealth in the form of investment for domestic economic diversification and overseas investments through their sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Therefore, the rich triplet perceives the upcoming threat of decarbonization of the world's energy system lighter than the remaining members of the GCC in view of their prosperity. The expected decrease in oil demand and revenue within the next decade will put further strain on the relationship between these states.

This study focuses on the hegemonic ascendancy of neoliberalism encountering contestations and social unrest in Istanbul (Turkey).Through the case of Sulukule (Istanbul), our aim is to illustrate how gentrification as a neoliberal instrument utilized by a conservative/Islamist local government intervene the urban space not only for economic purposes but also culturally. This study analyzes this process, which went through in Sulukule, a former low-income neighborhood, mainly inhabited by a Gypsy community, sustaining livelihoods through a historically created entertainment culture, which was not welcomed by the conservative political cadres. This study turns the attention to the dynamics generated at the interstices of economy, politics and society, and delivers a tale of resistance and contestation to the uneasy marriage between conservative Islamism and neoliberalism. The concept of gentrification/re-generation is very much employed and referred to the diffusion of neoliberal urban policies in the context of neighborhoods as it is also put forth in this study. The case of Sulukule is a representative case in the Turkish context, especially when the urban and metropolitan transformation of Istanbul is taken into account. The way neighborhoods transform and serve the interests of the market and the capital is similar to the historical functioning of capitalism. Thus, the globalization of gentrification arguments made in the literature should not surprise us given that it is a neoliberal strategy to extract value whenever and wherever possible, in the form of gentrification aiming to revalorize usually decayed spaces or slum areas. In general, what we gather from the literature on gentrification is seen as a quick solution, or in Slater's terms as a savior for cities, its content has been depoliticized, and proposed as a key strategy to approach complex urban problems. They are complex because they are creating both winners and losers, and the irony is that nobody is really keeping track of what is happening to communities who are dislocated because of disruptions through investment in their area. While gentrifiers are shown as the primary actor of this process, the "gentrified" (both the community and the physical space) constitute the other half.

This paper investigates South Africa's participation in the BRICS formation and the implications of its inclusion for the country, the continent, and global governance. It argues that by joining the BRICS grouping, South Africa is reinforcing neoliberalism in Africa, with markets being liberalized across the continent, trade and investment becoming the focus, and social and environmental protection remaining a distant concern. Meanwhile, other countries, particularly China and Russia, are instrumentalizing the forum to get what they want out of African countries without formalizing the grouping's policies and effecting change to global institutions at the global level, as was initially promised. The paper applies the concept of soft balancing strategy to demonstrate that the BRICS grouping is an economic cooperation forum, not a political cooperation forum, which explains the aforementioned consequences.

Deployment of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in crafting smart cities in the Gulf Cooperation Council region including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Increasing economic dynamism in the GCC region has led development authorities, infrastructure companies, governmental and corporate entities to be more cognizant of deploying ICT solutions for various infrastructural platforms such as intelligent transportation, telecommunications, airports, sustainable environments, public safety, energy efficient buildings, residential and utilities projects. These projects not only stretch the limits of creativity, but also inform us about the neoliberal trajectories pursued by "globalizing" cities and their excessive focus on sustaining competitiveness. This study looks at these trajectories by specifically focusing on the interstices of smart cities and competitiveness through the role played by communication technologies. An initial question to tackle with pertains to the definition of a smart city as this concept is used in diverse ways in the literature. Transforming the cities into smart ones is a newly emerging strategy to deal with the problems created by the urban population growth and rapid urbanization. Smart city is often defined as "an icon of a sustainable and livable city." Why Gulf countries have been investing in smart cities? Is the emergence of smart cities a mere reflection or neoliberal urbanization or are there other dynamics that we need to take into consideration? This paper attempts to convey the message that smart cities are crucial means of building social capital and also attaining better governance mechanisms in the Gulf.

Introduction / Dale F. Eickelman and Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf 1. - 1. Gender and Geography in the Land of Punt / Amira El-Azhary Sonbol 6. - 2. The Queen of Sheba in Yemeni and Ethiopian Mythology / Al-Johara Hassan Al-Thani 27. - 3. Diasporic Routes: African Passages to the Gulf / Matthew S. Hopper 41. - 4. The 1964 Zanzibar Genocide: The Politics of Denial / Abdullahi Ali Ibrahim 55. - 5. Gulfrica: Blowing the Horn of Light into Afrabia / Harith Ghassany 74. - 6. Neoliberal Challenges and Transnational Lives of Cameroonian Migrants in Dubai / Michaela Pelican 92. - 7. Inclusive Growth, Governance of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development in Africa from a Qatari Perspective / Jason J. McSparren, Mohamed Evren Tok, Timothy M. Shaw, and Hany Besada 111. - 8. Qatar's Food and Water Security: An Evolving Strategy / Daniel C. Stoll 129. - 9. Healthy Relationships? GCC Global Health Engagement in Africa / Mariam M. R. Bhacker and Muhammad Hamid Zaman 145

Once considered a marginal or even irrelevant issue, in recent years, the environment has come to occupy an increasingly important place on the political, social and economic agenda. Environmental conflicts are often due to conflicting political and economic interests and can have major social repercussions. Until recently, little economic value was attached to drinking water; the same was true of arable land, energy generation and most natural resources. Pollution was regarded as a minor problem. Today, the economic and social value and costs of the environment are seen as incalculable and growing. Soil, food, water and air pollution have led to a significant increase in disease, and the cost of the ensuing environmental clean–up can be exponential. While the solutions are necessarily biological, they can have considerable economic consequences, too ; Postprint (published version)