May 13, 2005

THE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT AND OIL ON THE GULF FAMILY DISCUSSED IN A CONFERENCE IN LONDON. ACADEMICS, EXPERTS AND GULF LADIES DISCUSS THE SOCIAL CHANGES AND FAMILIES IN THE REGION. DR MARDEYAH AL BARDISI: OIL DISCOVERY AND THE ECONOMIC CHANGES HAVE LED TO CHANGES IN THE FAMILIES WAY OF LIFE. EDUCATION HAS ENABLED WOMEN TO PLAY A LARGER ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. THE SAUDI FAMILY TAKES PART IN THE CHOICE OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS. Amine Sibai Al-Afkar A conference was held in London, under the title "The Gulf Family Modernity and Kinship Policies." Discussions centered on the developments in the Gulf area following the discovery of Oil and the impacts of that on the social scale and the Gulf family. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United Kingdom and Ireland attended the Conference along with a group of Arab Gulf countries ambassadors and a professors from British, European and American universities. Professor Robert Springborg, Director of London Middle East Institute at School of Oriental and African Studies opened the event and praised the support of the Saudi Embassy in London and Prince Turki Al-Faisal. Amidst the continuing international debate on the political processes at work in the Arabian Peninsula states, following elections in Saudi Arabia and Iraq and electoral reforms elsewhere, London was the venue of a major international conference entitled, "the Gulf Family: Modernity And Kinship Policies." International scholars, senior ministers and professionals took part in the one-day conference on 28 April, organised by the London Middle East Institute (LMEI), School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. The conference has been convened by Dr Alanoud Al-Sharekh, SOAS alumnus and Assistant Professor, Arab Open University, Kuwait, who convened a ground-breaking LMEI conference last year, Challenging Limitations: The Redefinition of roles for Women in the GCC. GCC countries are unique not only in that they are all monarchies, but their societies and economies, as well as their polities, are organised primarily through kinship in the form of extended families and tribes. No other regional grouping in the world is constituted of states which are nominally so traditional in their key mode of organisation, but which are developing at rates well above global averages and which have become ultra-modern in many other regards. The paradox of the persisting importance of family and tribe in the face of modernisation was the focal point of this conference, which evaluated past and present roles of kinship in the GCC states' societies, economies and polities, assessed the impacts of change, and speculated on likely future patterns of social, economic and political organisation. The core of the conference consisted of three panels, focused on the social, economic and political systems of the GCC states. The opening panel analysed the past and present social roles of the family. The second panel focused on the economic behaviour of families, including family economic strategies, whether in business or daily life. It also included consideration of how public policy takes account of the role of families. The final panel addressed the roles of families and tribes in both government and civil society. With regard to the former it evaluated both the formal and informal rules that accord to families and tribes central political roles. As regards civil society, the importance of families and tribes in organising political interests and expression were given prime importance. Keynote speakers in the conference included Faisal Al-Haji, Minister for Social Affairs and acting Minister of Information, Kuwait and Shaikha Hind Bint Salman Al-Khalifa, Member of the Supreme Council for Women in Bahrain. Other speakers included Professor Salwa Al-Khateeb, Department of Social Studies, King Saud University ( The Oil Boom and its Impact on Women and the Family in Saudi Arabia); Dr James Onley, Assistant Professor of History, Department of Arab and International Studies, American University of Sharjah (Trans-national merchant families in the 19th and 20thcentury Gulf), Dr Mardeyah Al-Birdisi ( The Impact of the Economic Change on Families in Saudi Arabia); Tony Jashanmal( The Pioneer Expatriate Business Family in the GCC); Dr Gilles Kepel, Professor of Middle East Studies, l'Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Families and Power); Dr John Peterson, Centre for Middle East Studies, University of Arizona(Rulers, Merchants, and Sheikhs in Gulf Politics: The Function of Family Networks); and Dr Ali Al-Tarrah, Dean of Social Sciences, University of Kuwait( The Role of the Family in Civil Society: obstacles and prospects).The conference was supported by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Information Centre, and the Embassy of the State of Qatar. Professor Robert Springborg, LMEI reviewed the economic and social developments and progress in the Gulf which became important to the world because of its energy reserves and the opening of new markets. He said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf areas have an important economic impact on the world. Speakers in the first panel SOCIETY AND THE FAMILY included 1) Dr Mandana Limbert, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York Marriage and the Politics of Identity in an Omani Town. 2) Professor Salwa Al-Khateeb, Department of Social Studies, King Saud University. The Oil Boom and its Impact on Women and the Family in Saudi Arabia. 3) Dr. James Onley, Assistant Professor of History, Department of Arab and International Studies, American University of Sharjah, Transnational Merchant Families in the 19th and 20th Century Gulf 4) Keynote Mr Faisal Al-Haji, Minister for Social Affairs & Acting Minister of Information, Kuwait. Panel 2 ECONOMY: THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY 1) Mr Majid Saif Al-Ghurair, CEO, Saif Al-Ghurair Group Challenges Facing Business Families. 2) Dr. Mardeyah Al-Birdisi, Department of Social Studies, King Saud University, The Impact of Economic Change on Families in Saudi Arabia. 3) Mr Tony Jashanmal, CEO, Jashanmal National Company The Pioneer Expatriate Business Family in the GCC. 4) Keynote Shaikha Hind Bint Salman Mohmed Al-Khalifa, Member of the Supreme Council of Women in Bahrain. Panel 3 POLITICS: THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN RULING ELITES; THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN CIVIL SOCIETY. Speakers included: 1) Dr Gilles Kepel, Professor of Middle East Studies, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris Families and Power. 2) Dr J.E Peterson, Centre for Middle East Studies, University of Arizona, Rulers, Merchants, and Shaykhs in Gulf Politics: The Function of Family Networks. 3) Dr Ali Al-Tarrah, Dean of Social Sciences, University of Kuwait, The Role of the Family in Civil Society: Obstacles and Prospects. Keynote: Nasser bin Hamad M. Al-Khalifa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Court of St. James's. The Concluding remarks were delivered by Dr Alanoud Al-Sharekh. The family unit in the GCC states dictates every facet of the socio-economic life, the Dean of the College of Social Studies at Kuwait University Dr. Ali Al-Tarrah has told the conference. In his address to "The Gulf Family" conference held at the London Middle East Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University, Al-Tarrah said that the family is the basis of social structure and it carried both positive and negative elements within. On the wider scale, Al-Tarrah pointed out that some societies used these elements to their advantage. In his remarks, which were read on his behalf as he was unable to take part in the gathering, the Kuwaiti academic said that in Japan and south-east Asia they used these elements to promote economic superiority. On the other hand Arab societies "unfortunately" pre-occupied themselves with the negative elements "maybe unintentionally, and suppressed real sustainable development efforts". Highlighting the main characteristics of the Arab Gulf society, Al-Tarrah suggested that "We have a mix of capitalism, feudalism and socialism in the mode of production". "It is a mode of private and public ownership put together. Hence the family constitutes the central nerve of economic life in the GCC states". "Equally, the society is dominated by factors of kinship and with tight-knit control". On the threat of terrorism, Al-Tarrah reckoned that the current global war on terrorism is making international public opinion demand that the source of terrorism in the Middle East be addressed. The Arab countries and especially the GCC states are allegedly accused of exporting terrorism. The Kuwaiti Minister for Social Affairs and Labour Faisal Al-Haji gave the keynote address at the morning session of the one-day event. In it he highlighted the great strides achieved by Kuwait in strengthening the social development, the family, childcare and safeguarding the freedom of human rights. He reiterated the Kuwaiti Government's support of women's political rights. The conference was attended by senior academics, public figures and women's representatives from the various GCC states. A number of GCC ambassadors, including Kuwait's envoy Khaled Al-Duwaisan, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, were also present. Among the main sponsors of the event was the Kuwait Information Centre. In her speech Dr Mardeyah Al Bardisi Assistant Professor of Social Studies department at King Saud University said Statistical studies show clearly the rise of mass education in Saudi society. Because of society's and government's increased interest in education, universities have been able to produce qualified Saudis in most higher education fields, clearly seen in the numbers of Saudi teaching staff in different fields. Increased interest of Government and society in the quality of education is evidenced in the plan followed by the Ministry of Education to develop curricula to meet contemporary requirements. Schools have been furnished with the latest educational equipment, including computers, and free supply of books. Many families show interest in the quality of their children's education by choosing the best schools for their children, schools that have better programs for teaching English, French for example so that they can be exposed to global information. Families have set up saving accounts to cope with the expense of their children's future education. They encourage their children to join summer camps either in the Kingdom or abroad. The increase in female education has led to changes in social values and attitudes, leading to changes in women's social position in the family. Studies have demonstrated that as literacy among women goes up, women's social status and roles also rise. This leads to an increase in her social and economic duties; her traditional duties and roles expand and this as a result, reflects positively on the family's social and economic situation. Similarly education is found to be strongly related to fertility. The level of female education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has risen to become close to that of males; this, in turn, makes us reconsider her social and family place and recognize her as an active partner. Dr Al Bardisi went on to say that women have taken on a productive role by engaging in commercial projects that secure them economic income without having to leave home. Some do catering jobs, some have workshops for manufacturing ladies and others go into investment trading shares which now contribute 13% of the total share trading in Saudi Arabia. Women bear double-role responsibilities (family and job).