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Middle East and North Africa

Politics and government

Politics, oil wealth and ruling families in the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and North Africa.

49 books on Middle East and North Africa, recommended by 4 people including Patrick Collison and Larry Ellison.

49 books · 4 experts

Start here

  1. The Commander of the FaithfulJohn Waterbury, 1970
  2. The KingdomRobert Lacey, 1981
  3. Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab StatesAdam Hanieh, 2011
  4. Revolutionary IranMichael Axworthy, 2013
  5. Money, Markets, and MonarchiesAdam Hanieh, 2018

The best books on Middle East and North Africa 49

The Commander of the Faithful
T2 The Commander of the Faithful
John Waterbury · 1970
How the palace balances elite factions; still the model for makhzen capitalism.
Open Library
The KingdomThe Kingdom
T2 The Kingdom
Robert Lacey · 1981
The classic account of the first oil boom and the Al Saud bargain.
Open Library
Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab StatesCapitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab States
T2 Capitalism and Class in the Gulf Arab States
Adam Hanieh · 2011
How Gulf merchant families became regional capital, and where they invest.
Open Library
Revolutionary IranRevolutionary Iran
T2 Revolutionary Iran
Michael Axworthy · 2013
Political history that explains who controls which parts of the economy.
Open Library
Money, Markets, and MonarchiesMoney, Markets, and Monarchies
T2 Money, Markets, and Monarchies
Adam Hanieh · 2018
The GCC as an integrated capital bloc; conglomerates, real estate, finance.
Open Library
Saudi, Inc.Saudi, Inc.
T2 Saudi, Inc.
Ellen R. Wald · 2018
Aramco as a corporate history, from concession to national champion.
Open Library
Blood and OilBlood and Oil
T2 Blood and Oil
Bradley Hope, Justin Scheck · 2020
MBS, the Ritz-Carlton detentions and the PIF's spending spree.
Open Library
MBSMBS
T2 MBS
Ben Hubbard · 2020
The consolidation of power that now determines Saudi capital allocation.
Open Library
A Political Economy of the Middle EastA Political Economy of the Middle East
T3 A Political Economy of the Middle East
Alan Richards, John Waterbury · 1990
Egypt is the anchor case throughout; the standard textbook on regional state-business relations.
Open Library
Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and MerOil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar
T3 Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar
Jill Crystal · 1990
How oil revenue let rulers buy out the merchant families; the origin of the modern business elite.
Open Library
Iran's Economy under the Islamic RepublicIran's Economy under the Islamic Republic
T3 Iran's Economy under the Islamic Republic
Jahangir Amuzegar · 1993
The earlier survey: nationalisation, war financing and the bonyad economy.
Open Library
Crescent and StarCrescent and Star
T3 Crescent and Star
Stephen Kinzer · 2001
Written around the 2001 banking crisis, the last full reset of the system.
Open Library
Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, ModRule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity
T3 Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity
Timothy Mitchell · 2002
Heavy going, but the sharpest account of how land, capital and expertise were arranged.
Open Library
Bazaar and State in Iran: The Politics of thBazaar and State in Iran: The Politics of the Tehran Marketplace
T3 Bazaar and State in Iran: The Politics of the Tehran Marketplace
Arang Keshavarzian · 2003
How informal credit, trust networks and trade finance work when the banking system does not.
Open Library
Networks of Privilege in the Middle EastNetworks of Privilege in the Middle East
T3 Networks of Privilege in the Middle East
Steven Heydemann · 2004
Why economic liberalisation reorganised privilege rather than removing it.
Open Library
Dubai: The Vulnerability of SuccessDubai: The Vulnerability of Success
T3 Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success
Christopher M. Davidson · 2008
The emirate's development model and its structural dependencies.
Open Library
Egypt after MubarakEgypt after Mubarak
T3 Egypt after Mubarak
Bruce K. Rutherford · 2008
The liberalising business elite and the courts, written just before it broke.
Open Library
Abu Dhabi: Oil and BeyondAbu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond
T3 Abu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond
Christopher M. Davidson · 2009
The hydrocarbon emirate and the origins of its sovereign funds.
Open Library
Inside the KingdomInside the Kingdom
T3 Inside the Kingdom
Robert Lacey · 2009
The sequel covering the religious backlash and reform attempts.
Open Library
Turkey and the Global Economy
T3 Turkey and the Global Economy
Ziya Onis, Fikret Senses · 2009
Academic account of the post-2001 reform programme and its unwinding.
Open Library
Dubai: Gilded CageDubai: Gilded Cage
T3 Dubai: Gilded Cage
Syed Ali · 2010
Migrant labour, property speculation and the social structure underneath the boom.
Open Library
Egypt on the BrinkEgypt on the Brink
T3 Egypt on the Brink
Tarek Osman · 2010
Readable political economy of the Nasser-to-Mubarak arc and the crony privatisations.
Open Library
Dubai, the City as CorporationDubai, the City as Corporation
T3 Dubai, the City as Corporation
Ahmed Kanna · 2011
The emirate governed explicitly as a firm, and what that means for investors.
Open Library
Qatar: A Modern HistoryQatar: A Modern History
T3 Qatar: A Modern History
Allen J. Fromherz · 2011
How the ruling family consolidated gas revenue and the merchant elite.
Open Library
The Struggle for EgyptThe Struggle for Egypt
T3 The Struggle for Egypt
Steven A. Cook · 2011
Nasser to Tahrir; the political frame around state capitalism and infitah.
Open Library
After the SheikhsAfter the Sheikhs
T3 After the Sheikhs
Christopher Davidson · 2013
The political-risk case against the Gulf monarchies' durability.
Open Library
Qatar: Small State, Big PoliticsQatar: Small State, Big Politics
T3 Qatar: Small State, Big Politics
Mehran Kamrava · 2013
The best account of how QIA money serves foreign policy objectives.
Open Library
The Islamic Republic of Iran: Reflections onThe Islamic Republic of Iran: Reflections on an Emerging Economy
T3 The Islamic Republic of Iran: Reflections on an Emerging Economy
Jahangir Amuzegar · 2014
Former finance minister on subsidies, privatisation and the rial.
Open Library
Business Politics in the Middle EastBusiness Politics in the Middle East
T3 Business Politics in the Middle East
Steffen Hertog, Giacomo Luciani, Marc Valeri · 2015
How business associations and state elites actually bargain across the region.
Open Library
Iran's Political Economy since the RevolutioIran's Political Economy since the Revolution
T3 Iran's Political Economy since the Revolution
Suzanne Maloney · 2015
The standard survey: bonyads, IRGC commercial holdings, subsidies and sanctions.
Open Library
The 'New Turkey' and its DiscontentsThe 'New Turkey' and its Discontents
T3 The 'New Turkey' and its Discontents
Simon Waldman, Emre Caliskan · 2016
How institutions, media and business were reorganised under AKP rule.
Open Library
The Gulf States in International Political EThe Gulf States in International Political Economy
T3 The Gulf States in International Political Economy
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen · 2016
Sovereign funds, diversification plans and the limits of the rentier bargain.
Open Library
The New SultanThe New Sultan
T3 The New Sultan
Soner Cagaptay · 2017
How Erdogan's consolidation reshaped who wins contracts.
Open Library
Crony Capitalism in the Middle East
T3 Crony Capitalism in the Middle East
Ishac Diwan, Adeel Malik, Izak Atiyas · 2019
Firm-level evidence on politically connected business; Egypt is the core case.
Open Library
Energy KingdomsEnergy Kingdoms
T3 Energy Kingdoms
Jim Krane · 2019
Domestic energy subsidies as the Gulf's central fiscal problem.
Open Library
Erdogan RisingErdogan Rising
T3 Erdogan Rising
Hannah Lucinda Smith · 2019
Reporting on the construction-and-credit growth model and who benefited.
Open Library
Erdogan's EmpireErdogan's Empire
T3 Erdogan's Empire
Soner Cagaptay · 2019
Foreign policy ambition and its cost to the currency and the budget.
Open Library
Islam, Authoritarianism, and UnderdevelopmenIslam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
T3 Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment
Ahmet T. Kuru · 2019
A structural argument about why Muslim-majority economies underperform.
Open Library
Egypt's Occupation
T3 Egypt's Occupation
Aaron Jakes · 2020
Colonial economism and the debt-and-cotton origins of the modern Egyptian economy.
Open Library
Vision or Mirage
T3 Vision or Mirage
David Rundell · 2020
A former diplomat on the durability of the system Vision 2030 must change.
Open Library
A Peace to End All PeaceA Peace to End All Peace
T4 A Peace to End All Peace
David Fromkin · 1989
Open Library
Recommended byLarry Ellison
Kuwait: The Transformation of an Oil StateKuwait: The Transformation of an Oil State
T4 Kuwait: The Transformation of an Oil State
Jill Crystal · 1992
Includes the Souk al-Manakh episode and the Kuwait Investment Office.
Open Library
Globalization and Business Politics in Arab Globalization and Business Politics in Arab North Africa
T4 Globalization and Business Politics in Arab North Africa
Melani Claire Cammett · 2007
Morocco against Tunisia: why business lobbies formed differently and what it did to reform.
Open Library
The ArabsThe Arabs
T4 The Arabs
Eugene Rogan · 2009
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Oil Kings: How the U.S., Iran, and SaudiThe Oil Kings: How the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia Changed the Balance of Power in the Middle East
T4 The Oil Kings: How the U.S., Iran, and Saudi Arabia Changed the Balance of Power in the Middle East
Andrew Scott Cooper · 2011
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Black FlagsBlack Flags
T4 Black Flags
Joby Warrick · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byBob Iger
Politics of Favoritism in Public ProcurementPolitics of Favoritism in Public Procurement in Turkey
T4 Politics of Favoritism in Public Procurement in Turkey
Esra Ceviker Gurakar · 2016
Data on how procurement law was amended to steer contracts.
Open Library
Qatar and the Gulf Crisis
T4 Qatar and the Gulf Crisis
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen · 2020
The 2017-21 blockade and its effect on trade routes, aviation and supply chains.
Open Library
Cairo: Memoir of a City TransformedCairo: Memoir of a City Transformed
T4 Cairo: Memoir of a City Transformed
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison

Experts 4

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Recommenders 4

Patrick Collisonrecommends 2 books here
MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 1 book hereBob Igerrecommends 1 book hereLarry Ellisonrecommends 1 book here
See all 4 in the Experts tab →

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