Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationMany analysts and scholars have repeatedly argued that the Saudi regime is vulnerable to the possibility of revolution and that it will ultimately experience the same fate as the Shah's regime in 1979. It has become commonplace to compare contemporary Saudi Arabia with Iran in 1979. In this view, the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia, like the Pahlavis, is doomed to overthrow at the hands of radical Muslims, thereby creating another anti-Western, fundamentalist Islamic nation. In fact, almost all of these parallels gloss over a wealth of critical differences. Many of these comparisons are superficial and lack a rigorous, detail-oriented academic analysis. Undoubtedly, Iran and Saudi Arabia share some common features and have faced similar social and economic challenges. But unlike Iran, Saudi Arabia has not experienced a revolution. Why is that the case? What lessons may key decisionmakers in the Saudi regime have learned from the Iranian case, which has enabled them to avoid revolutionary turmoil? What makes the Iranian Revolution so unique so as to make its replication rare or highly improbable amongst other oil-rich rentier states of the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia? The key argument of my dissertation is that the crucial causes of the Iranian Revolution are absent in Saudi Arabia. Permissive causes, namely the social, economic and political grievances, are quite similar in both cases. But grievances alone do not necessarily lead to revolution. The active elements that were instrumental in the Iranian case, such as a multiclass coalition, ulama-bazaari (clerical-business) alliance, charismatic leadership, and the inconsistent and socialeconomically destructive policies of the rulers are absent in the Saudi case

SOCIAL IMPACT OF RELIANCE ON EXPATRIATES IN DAILY LIFE IN UAE

The Gulfs cities have witnessed a tremendous flow of human capital in recent decades. More than 75% of the population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is made up of foreign nationals. In Dubai, for example, expatriates constitute more than 85 % of the total workforce. The diversification of business strategies in the region has led to expatriates working in all industrial and service sectors. The expatriates\u27 presence has therefore had an impact on the working lives of the Emirati workforce. In particular, as a numeric majority, expatriates influence the work habits, management, and leadership style of Emiratis. In the same way, Emirati top leaders and managers influence the way work and organizations are structured and the status of expatriates in the UAE. Nevertheless, present research tells us very little about the topic of expatriate-local interaction and diversity in the workplace. This report bridges an important knowledge gap by shedding light on the impact that expatriates working in the UAE have on the Emirati workforce and organizations

Hantavirus maintenance and transmission in reservoir host populations

Hantaviruses are primarily hosted by mammalian species of the orders Rodentia, Eulipotyphla and Chiroptera. Spillover to humans is common, and understanding hantavirus maintenance and transmission in reservoir host populations is important for efforts to curtail human disease. Recent field research challenges traditional phases of virus shedding kinetics derived from laboratory rodent infection experiments. Organ infection sites in non-rodent hosts suggest similar transmission routes to rodents, but require direct assessment. Further advances have also been made in understanding virus persistence (and fadeouts) in fluctuating host populations, as well as occupational, recreational and environmental risk factors associated with spillover to humans. However, despite relevance for both intra-species and inter-species transmission, our understanding of the longevity of hantaviruses in natural environments remains limited.Peer reviewe

Immigration and National Security in the UAE: Between Realism & Constructivism

This research project empirically analyses the impact of immigration (and related issues like citizenship and demographics) on national security in the UAE. We identify a range of security threats hypothesized to arise from immigration, whether perceived or real , and test them in the current Emirati context. We base our analyses on 30 interviews of Emirati citizens with significant access to decision-making venues and/or reflective expertise on the issue, to gain a cross-section of current Emirati thinking on security threats stemming from immigratio