Tribes will play politics in Middle East monarchies

Significance

Tribe-state relations have experienced various levels of tension and cooperation in the monarchies of the Middle East and North Africa: Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Throughout the region, there is much discussion of a claimed tribal resurgence. In reality, however, tribes have always had a significant political role, co-existing with the modern nation-state.

Impacts

• Potential electoral reforms to de-emphasise traditional tribal boundaries or legalise political parties could disempower tribes.
• Slow and cumbersome bureaucracies will encourage people to trade on tribal affiliations in order to circumvent procedures.
• Where central governments become weaker, especially in cases of civil conflict, tribes may step in to fill the political power vacuum.