The Wages of Oil

Michael Herb provides a robust framework for thinking about the future of the Gulf monarchies by contrasting Kuwait and the UAE.

Michael Herb is Chair and Professor of the Political Science department at Georgia State University. He is the author of All in the Family: Absolutism, Revolution, and Democracy in the Middle Eastern Monarchies.

[T]his book provides a convincing explanation of the origin and effects of Kuwait’s parliament, and suggests several important avenues for further exploration. It does so in sharp, enjoyable prose that is accessible to all educated audiences. For researchers, professors, and practitioners in the fields of political economy, oil and politics, and the Gulf monarchies, this text is useful, engaging, and highly recommended.

Charles Fraker:

Michael Herb has written about very technical economic concepts using a plethora of graphs and advanced terminology to argue his points. The subject matter isn't for everyone; those with a background in economics and political science will appreciate the book more than others. Yet the book is lively and engaging and Herb has taken a potentially dreary subject and produced an intriguing book accessible to all.

Lorraine Charles:

Herb provides a well-presented analysis of the political economies of the Gulf monarchies, with a detailed and insightful assessment of Kuwait and the UAE. This book is a welcome addition to scholarly work on the rentier economies of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen:

The Wages of Oil is an absorbing book, rich in detail and nuance, that should become required reading for students and scholars of the Gulf oil states... both a highly readable and very timely analysis that should dispel any lingering notion among policy-makers and lay readers that the Gulf states represent a monolithic regional bloc.

Ghanim Alnajjar, Kuwait University:

In his new book, The Wages of Oil, Michael Herb excels in attempting to tackle why Kuwait is so unique politically, while Dubai, as part of UAE, is so unique economically. As usual, Herb goes deeper and comes up with revealing answers.

Steffen Hertog, London School of Economics and Political Science, author of Princes, Brokers, and Bureaucrats: Oil and the State in Saudi Arabia:

The Wages of Oil likely will be one of the best books on Gulf politics and economics in this decade and should stand the test of time. Michael Herb uses rich and original empirical material to develop a set of cogent and novel arguments about class politics in rentier countries, the origins of parliaments and constitutions in the Gulf, the history of Gulf merchant politics, and the democratic exception of Kuwait. The book should be on the reading list not only of students of the Gulf but also of anyone interested in the politics of resource-rich states and the 'resource curse'.