Bonus episode. A short recap of the previous episodes, looking at 20th century Arabia through a different lens: the "big man" theory of history. Napoleon made history, but he was also a product of history himself. So too with the Saudi kings and the Bin Ladens.

This time we focus on the first half of the 20th century. We discuss the founding of Saudi-Arabia. We also see why Oman and North Yemen would become tempting targets in the Arab cold war. And we contemplate an alternative history in which Arab lands were undivided. 

Why are some places rich, while others are poor? Why is Abu Dhabi rich, and Aden poor? You cannot answer such questions simply by looking at geography, culture or the economy. History is a necessary part of the explanation. And today's story is a perfect illustration. For around 1950, Abu Dhabi was poor, and Aden's port was prospering. In the subsequent decades, they changed places. That is the story of this show. 

Our focus will be on the east and south of Arabia for a change. We'll see how the stability of Yemen was undermined by forces such as decolonization, Arab nationalism and the Cold War. Out of the civil war emerged two very different Yemens, both of them instable. This served as a warning for the states on the east coast. They did manage to consolidate and prosper.

We discuss the oil crisis, its causes and aftermath.

We discuss how Saudi-Arabia responded to the crises of 1979. We also talk about the unification of Yemen. In both cases, the result was a bizarre, highly unstable alliance. The Gulf War woud put them both to the test.

We discuss the situation in Arabia after the 9/11 attacks.

Main source for recent events = The Economist.

In this episode, we take a look at the current situation in Arabia (Saudi-Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait & Bahrain). In the upcoming episodes, we shall see how it came into being.

Most important sources for the series (others may later be added):

ANSCOMBE F.F. The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, and Qatar. Columbia University Press, 1997, 288 p.

ANSCOMBE F.F. State, faith, and nation in Ottoman and Post-Ottoman

BAYLY C.A. The Birth of the modern world 1780-1914. Global

BAYLY C.A. Remaking the modern world 1900-2015. Global Connections and Comparisons. Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, 2018, 400 p.

CLARK V. Yemen. Dancing on the heads of snakes. Yale University Press, Londen, 2010, 332 p.

DAY S. Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen, A Troubled National Union. Rollins College, Florida, 2012, 369 p.

EGGER V. A history of the Muslim world since 1260. The making of a global community.

ESPOSITO J. The Oxford history of Islam. Oxford, Oxford University, 1999, 749 p.

ETHEREDGE L. e.a. Persian gulf states. Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain,

FERRIS J. Nasser’s gamble. How intervention in Yemen caused the Six-Day War and the Decline of

GORDON M. Slavery in the Arab World. New Amsterdam

HARDY R. The Poisoned Well. Empire and its legacy in

HOURANI A. De geschiedenis van de Arabische volken. Olympus, Amsterdam, 2005, 583 p.

JORDAN M. Islam: An Illustrated History. S.l.,

JONES J. A History of Modern Oman, University of Oxford, Oxford, 2015, 305 p.

KAPLAN R.D. De wraak van de geografie: wat de wereldkaart ons voorspelt over komende conflicten en het gevecht tegen het onvermijdelijke. Het Spectrum, Antwerpen, 2012, 383 p.

PARRA F. Oil politics. A Modern History of Petroleum. Tauris, Londen, 2004, 375 p.

ROBINSON C. The New Cambridge History of Islam (vol

RODRIGUEZ J. Slavery in the Modern World: A History of Political, Social, and Economic Oppression. ABC-CLIO,

WILKINSON J.C. Ibadism: origins and early developments in

WYNBRANDT J. A brief history of Saudi Arabia. Facts on File, New York, 2004, 334 p.

ZAHLAN S. The origins of the United Arab Emirates. A

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