This book focuses on the role of economic transformation, education, social media, migration, and urbanization in engaging social change in the Gulf societies, with a focus on their directions, magnitudes, and relevant policy options. It also takes into account how COVID-19 is affecting the lives of the people in the Gulf. Over the last few decades, the Gulf countries have undergone profound social change - generally understood as changes in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions - affecting almost every aspect of life in GCC societies. The volume considers how the Gulf countries have achieved success in the education sector, and also examine the changes in conservative attitudes towards female education, as the enrolment of women in higher education is increasing steadily across the Gulf. It also unpacks the social impact of technology, as satellite television and the Internet have dramatically expanded exposure to outside views. Access to social media has similarly proved a powerful force for social transformation. The Gulf states now account for the world's largest flow of South-South migration, and the growth of the non-national population, as well as rapid urbanization, have also had a profound impact on Gulf society. This volume thus attempts to bridge gaps in understanding the rapid social change in the Gulf, offering practical solutions for policy interventions. It is of interest to scholars and students in Middle Eastern studies, specifically, as well as sociology, media studies, migration studies and educational policy.
About the Author:

Md. Mizanur Rahman is a sociologist by training, working on labor migration, migration control policy, immigrant entrepreneurship (economic sociology of Gulf migration), migration and development, migrant remittances, immigrant integration, and other related fields of migration with a focus on the Gulf states and Asian countries. His research sites are interregional, embracing the Gulf countries and Southeast and South Asian countries. He holds a doctoral degree in Sociology from the National University of Singapore (NUS), for which he was supported by the prestigious NUS Research Scholar Award. He was also awarded a (U.S.) Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Fellowship during his Ph.D. candidature. As a researcher, he has consistently endeavored to conduct cutting-edge research in his field and to publish findings in international peer-reviewed journals. In addition to his research, he has served as a reviewer for articles, book proposals, and research funding proposals. He is a member of Editorial Review Board of Migration Letters, Migration and Development, Remittance Review, South Asian Journal of Global Business Research, and International Journal of South Asian Studies. He is the series editor of Gulf Studies book series by Springer Nature. He was also a member of Migration Research Leaders Syndicate for the 2018 Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, formed and spearheaded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)--the UN Migration Agency--based in Geneva.

Amr Al Azm was educated in the UK, at University College, London, and graduated with a doctoral degree in 1991. He was the founder and director of the Scientific and Conservation Laboratories at the General Department of Antiquities and Museums (1999-2004) and taught at the University of Damascus until 2006. Currently, he is the program coordinator for the Gulf Studies Program at Qatar University where he teaches research methodology and women and gender issues in the Gulf. He is also a tenured professor of Middle East History and anthropology at Shawnee State University in Ohio.

He is a keen follower and commentator on current events in Syria and the Middle East in general and has written articles in numerous journals and major media outlets including guest editorials for the New York Times, Time Magazine, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs.

Furthermore, he is a founder and board member on The Day After project (TDA) and currently coordinates the Heritage Protection Initiative (TDA-HPI) for cultural heritage protection at the TDA. He is also a co-director of the Antiquities Trafficking and Heritage Anthropology Research (ATHAR) Project.