Bridge the gulf between peoples of the Gulf

by: Mohammed Kazim

Driving down Sheikh Zayed Road, I could not help but notice a new flag adorning the streetlights alongside that of the UAE: the flag of Bahrain. It was there to honour the marriage of the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to the son of the King of Bahrain.

Such relationships between GCC member states are not a new phenomenon, and can be traced back to a time before formal boundaries were known in the region. In fact, the intermingling of fellow “Khaleejis” occurred at many levels and for a plethora of reasons which range from maintaining peace and political stability to improving trade relationships and distribution networks.



Forms of collaboration between the inhabitants of the Arabian Gulf involved business partnerships and joint ventures, political treaties, loans and credit purchases, as well as marriages. Keep in mind that all this happened at a time when travel wasn’t as simple and convenient as it is today, and communication not as developed.

However, Khaleejis would still manage to congregate during travel for business, pilgrimage and education. For example, Khaleeji merchants who operated in India would frequently meet in Mumbai and Khaleeji students in Iraq or Egypt would spend time together. This level of collaboration was integral to the success of many prominent business families and for the development of society.



As these businesses and political powers were passed down to newer generations and borders began to play a more important role, the maintenance of these interstate relationships slowly faded. More regulation was introduced and the movement of labour and resources was to some extent restricted.

Then the discovery of oil created an entirely new lifestyle and introduced enormous wealth to the region. Every country was deeply focused on developing itself and businesses started benefiting from agency laws that restricted “foreign” institutions to using local distributors and sharing profits with them.


Despite its many advantages, this system also introduced another setback for Khaleeji integration. With these indirect barriers and the sudden emergence of wealth, new mentalities also evolved. With businesses and social activities focused locally, integration gradually ceased to be the norm. Intermarriages, in many cases, were frowned upon, and inter-GCC business partnerships became anomalies.

More recently, the need to diversify economically and to reinvest Khaleeji oil wealth in the region became paramount. At this point, most of the GCC countries had focused on developing the institutions required for economic activity, such as infrastructure needs, regulation and foreign direct investment. Prominent political and business figures, through the GCC, pushed for more flexibility and free movement of resources across boundaries in the region.



Consequently, business entities that had initially operated in only one country found ways to expand into neighboring GCC states. Today this can be witnessed in many industries, from Emaar Properties building cities in Saudi Arabia to the Al Futtaim group operating malls in Bahrain.

Although we have begun to see a revival of this Khaleeji integration recently, there has clearly been a shift in how it is perceived: witness my surprise at the Bahraini flag on the streetlights. Suddenly, the family not living on my street or the person from another tribe is considered “foreign”. Khaleejis have begun to forget the essence of what historically led to business success and made trust, loyalty and humility intrinsic elements of their personalities.



As I write this in Riyadh, sitting at a table with Saudis and Qataris, I look around to note with surprise that we are the only “integrated” table. As did our grandfathers, we have also met in pursuit of education in a foreign country. However, I think to myself, why are we not bonding in the way that previous generations did?

To maintain the integrity of the region and improve trade and business networks, it is incumbent upon every Khaleeji citizen to actively encourage and support integration and to fight this new perception of unfamiliarity. Although we have seen Emirati initiatives, Kuwaiti initiatives, Saudi initiatives and so on, we have yet to see true Khaleeji initiatives (which were very apparent with early merchants in the region). The recent recovery in GCC business collaboration is evident, and it should be further encouraged.



The time has come for every Khaleeji to rekindle the relationships with their brethren and collaborate in every aspect of life. The GCC today is ideally set up to allow for this integration. Only when every young entrepreneur thinks on a Khaleeji scale, every Khaleeji parent supports his or her son or daughter to be part of other Khaleeji families if they choose so, and every Khaleeji country facilitates this integration, will we be able to relive what our grandfathers had and more.



Only then will we benefit from the unlimited doors that will be opened through improved networks and integrated mentalities. That’s when every Khaleeji flag will be seen as a norm on our streetlights and greeted with pride rather than surprise. Let’s mingle, let’s unite, and let’s take that Khaleeji initiative.

Mohammed Kazim is an Emirati health-care analyst and commentator based in Abu Dhabi

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