"An absolutely essential and timely contribution to understanding the UAE at a time when the Arab Gulf States are rising in importance and playing a more distinct role in regional and international politics. Karen Young''s book not only challenges some assumptions but will also encourage further scholarship on a critical part of the world." - Christian Koch, Gulf Research Center Foundation, Switzerland

"Expertly weaving academic perspective with personal experience, this book offers a detailed insight into the factors that have propelled the United Arab Emirates to global prominence. Young''s analysis of the interplay of finance, energy, and security will be essential reading for scholars, students, and policy-makers who seek to navigate the dynamic and rapidly-changing context of Emirati politics, economy, and security." Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, USA

"This is an excellent book; Young develops the comparative concept of the ''majilis'' to examine the political economy of state building in the UAE. The result is an analytically persuasive and richly empirical explanation of Emirati politics in comparative perspective." - Toby Dodge, Middle East Centre, London School of Economics