This open access book questions the stereotype depicting all Gulf (GCC) economies as not
sustainable and starts a critical discussion of what these economies and polities should do to
guarantee themselves a relatively stable future. Volatile international oil markets and the
acceleration of the energy transition has challenged the notion that oil revenues are
sufficient to sustain oil economies in the near to medium term. But what is the meaning of
economic sustainability? The book discusses the multiple dimensions of the concept: economic
diversification continuing value of resources taxation and fiscal development labor market
sustainability sustainable income distribution environmental sustainability political order
(democracy or authoritarianism) and sustainability regional integration. The overarching
message in this book is that we should move on from the simplistic branding of the Gulf
economies as unsustainable and tackle the details of which adaptations they might need to
undertake.
