Racism, Migration, and Slavery in Contemporary Gulf Literature : States, Families, Others

Examining the contemporary (post-1975) literature and culture of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, this book explores racism, migration, and slavery in the Gulf.

At first glance, the cosmopolitan GCC countries would seem to be the last place where racism should thrive. Holidays in Dubai and Oman, the Al-Jazeera brand in global journalism, and the region’s status as a hub for global investment all bear witness to its status and promise. And yet the reliance of GCC economies on huge volumes of imported labour has created seemingly ineradicable national, ethnic, and racial hierarchies. Alongside spectacular increases in regional GDP growth and literacy rates we see horrifying increases in discrimination, exploitation, torture, and death among non-citizens.

This book analyses the question of Gulf racisms through works produced by writers based in the GCC. By listening carefully to the voices of those who have witnessed and struggled against regional racisms first-hand, it sheds light on how such discriminatory practices operate and the belief systems that keep them in place.