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This book explores the process of policymaking and implementation in the finance, energy and security sectors in the United Arab Emirates. It looks at the role of informal advisory networks in a nascent private sector, federal politics, and historical ties in foreign relations.

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1. Introducing the Concept of the Majilis and the Market 2. State Formation, Citizenship and the Invention of the Emirates 3. Connected Capitalism: Political Economy of Finance in the UAE 4. Clean, Mean and Dirty: Political Economy of Energy in the UAE 5. An Emerging Interventionist: Political Economy of Security in the UAE 6. Conclusion: Towards a New Understanding of Emirati and Gulf Politics

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"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

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Karen E. Young is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and Visiting Fellow at the Middle East Centre of the London School of Economics, UK. Her research on comparative political economy examines the role of informal networks and informal institutions in shifts in economic, security and energy policymaking across regions.

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