Naël Shehadeh
Naël Shehadeh is an associate researcher at the Gulf Research Center Foundation.Full profile
Project-Syndicate
JEDDAH – As the Arab world
undergoes fundamental changes, its leaders must adapt fast or risk
popular uprisings – a lesson that has not been lost on the countries of
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. With their neighbors embroiled in
internal conflict or in the midst of difficult transitions, and with
discontent rising at home, the Gulf states are eager to stem the tide of
revolution.
Indeed,
the GCC has offered generous aid, totaling roughly $160 billion so far,
to countries swept by the Arab Spring. Furthermore, to cool domestic
political tensions, some of the Gulf countries have announced additional
spending packages that include significant wage hikes, substantial
increases in public-sector jobs for their citizens, and higher
unemployment benefits.
