Author(s)

F. Al-Khalifa & N. Dempsey

Abstract

One of the fastest transformations in the global market is the transformation of the deserted towns and seaports of the Arabian Gulf. The Gulf coastal countries transformed into urbanised states in a very short period of two generations. Due to this fast transformation, the Arabian Gulf today represents an excellent research laboratory to investigate the theories of globalization. Relatively few researchers in the Gulf have studied the effects of this transformation on the sustainability of the urban fabric of these states. This paper attempts to address this by investigating the relationship between cultural transformation and urban sustainability in the Arabian Gulf context, taking Bahrain and Kuwait as case studies. This paper is based on a qualitative study which is part of ongoing PhD research built upon interviews with researchers and government officials in Bahrain and Kuwait, in addition to information obtained through archival resources and published articles, books and diaries. It provides an analysis and a comparison of the cultural and urban situation in Bahrain and Kuwait following the oil boom, in addition to an assessment of the urban sustainability of both countries today. Keywords: culture, transformation, urban, sustainability, Arabian Gulf, Bahrain, Kuwait.

Keywords

Keywords: culture, transformation, urban, sustainability, Arabian Gulf, Bahrain,Kuwait.