Gulf Education and Social Policy Review (GESPR)

Editorial - Invitation to an Inclusive Heritage Studies

Matthew MacLean — 2025-01-20

This is an Editorial and does not have an abstract. Please download the PDF or view the article in HTML.

Cultivating Cultural Memory: A Case Study of the Revitalization of Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village

Janaan Farhat — 2025-02-20

The hydrocarbon-rich Gulf states are well-known for their pursuit of modernization following the discovery of oil reserves in the twentieth century, often at the expense of cultural heritage sites. However, over the past two decades, the Gulf states have become more interested in developing cultural legacies pertaining to their heritage, which is a process necessitating the activation of local people’s cultural memory. While restoration and conservation of cultural heritage sites is important for their protection, the performance of heritage is equally significant for the construction and maintenance of cultural memory, especially for abandoned heritage sites. The performance of heritage means a heritage site has a current real use that is sensitively introduced, carefully managed, and pays homage to the heritage rather than a tokenistic resemblance. This chapter uses the case study of the abandoned historical pearling town Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to investigate the influence of the revitalization of the Village on the construction and maintenance of cultural memory in Ras Al Khaimah and the wider UAE. Using interviews, document analysis, and observation, we argue that governmental action, in the form of allowing greater accessibility to the Village, coupled with citizens’ engagement with their heritage, has enabled Al Jazeera Al Hamra to feature more prominently in Emirati cultural memory. Accordingly, the case study is presented as an example of how citizen–government collaboration in the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage can increase local buy-in into national, cultural identity narratives. This chapter seeks to contribute to the academic literature on cultural heritage protection in the Gulf region and wider Middle East and North Africa, including the adaptive reuse of historical sites.

“Welcome to our Coastal Community”: Field Notes from Abu Dhabi’s Maritime Heritage Festival Circuit

Scott Erich — 2025-02-20

This article contextualizes and explores two important cultural heritage festivals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Maritime Heritage Festival and the Dalma Historic Race Festival. These festivals are distinctly maritime in nature, and are noteworthy manifestations of broader trends in the regional cultural heritage landscape. As such, they are ideal sites to study – and shape – educational efforts about the region’s past. After offering commentary on some temporal and spatial aspects of these festivals, this article offers suggestions for increased reach and educational effectiveness of the events, focusing on their pedagogical strategies and their emplacement along the UAE’s coastline.

Draped in Meaning: The Evolving Symbolism of the Black Abaya in Saudi Arabia

Latifa S. Al Saud — 2025-02-20

This study explores the symbolism of the Black Abaya within contemporary Saudi society. This loose-fitting, full-length garment, prevalent as an item of women’s clothing in the Arabian Peninsula, has a long history as the standard modest dress for day-today wear among Muslim women. In recent years, academic and media attention toward the attire in the West has seen it come to serve as a symbol for Muslim womanhood sometimes associated with religious extremism, oppression, and personal agency. This interpretation has underscored the need for greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultural practices and traditions associated with the Abaya within Arab and Muslim societies. This study investigates how contemporary Saudi women interact with and explore the garment, especially their relationship with the traditional Black Abaya. This is pursued through undertaking ethnographic research consisting of interviews, observations, autoethnographic methods, and documentary analysis. The study notes the ambiguous and diverse interpretations of the Abaya as well as a trend toward embellishing the traditional Black Abaya form to better suit the needs of modern Saudi women for self-expression.

A Life You Know is Dying Like a Statue: Stateless Communities and Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding in Gulf Countries

Sherine Al Shallah — 2025-02-20

To understand the extent to which the intangible cultural heritage of stateless communities in Gulf countries is safeguarded under the law, it is necessary to interpret international, regional, and state frameworks around cultural heritage and cultural rights – or human rights to culture. The current study reviews international law and regional frameworks that govern intangible cultural heritage in Gulf countries and examines a case study of the Bidun community in Kuwait. The article focuses on intangible cultural heritage in the context of stateless communities and examines the relationship to tangible cultural heritage as part of the intangible cultural heritage. The study finds that while the legal framework in Gulf countries lays out the groundwork for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage of stateless communities, some states’ laws and policies are not aligned with obligations under international and regional frameworks.

Bridging Cultures: The Role of Qatari Heritage Districts in Promoting Cultural Interactions, Acculturation, and Identity Formation Among Malayalee Migrants

Lakshmi Venugopal Menon — 2025-02-20

This paper examines the interaction of Indian Malayalee migrants with Qatari heritage districts highlighting the latter’s role in fostering cultural integration, acculturation, and identity negotiation. Through a case study of a three-generation Malayalee family, the author explores the varying degrees of engagement between short- and long-term migrants, emphasizing the sociocultural and psychological impacts of heritage districts. The findings reveal that while short-term migrants engage in a surface-level exploration of cultural spaces, long-term migrants develop deeper connections, integrating these districts into their lives and forming meaningful relationships with local culture. This paper also explores and underscores the challenges of maintaining cultural identity and belonging in a transnational multicultural setting, illustrating how heritage districts become spaces for cultural exchange.

Between Motherland & Marketplace

Shama Nair — 2025-02-20

This is a Photoessay and does not have an abstract. Please download the PDF or view the article in HTML.

Everyday Life in the Spectacular City: Making Home in Dubai By Rana AlMutawa. University of California Press. $29.95. February 2024. ISBN: 0520395069

Matthew Maclean — 2025-02-20

This is a Book Review and does not have an abstract. Please download the PDF or view the article in HTML.

Corrigendum to “Love, Money, and Status, or Personal Growth? A Survey of Young Emirati Women’s Educational Aspirations” [GESPR 1(1) (2020) 73–90]

Woohyang Sim — 2025-02-20

This is a Corrigendum and does not have an abstract. Please download the PDF or view the article in HTML.