In view of the massive mass movement sweeping the Arab world, there are many questions raised by Gulf citizens. Will the Gulf region be immune to events happening on the Arab street? Would the events in Oman and Bahrain be seen as signs for the region's possible future? Are there GCC citizens who still insist that the Gulf region is not Egypt, Tunisia or Libya?
It is true that the development experienced in the Gulf region are different and apparently visible in many walks of life when compared to other oil producing Arab countries. It is also true that the political stability the GCC countries have enjoyed in the past half a century has given them a greater and better opportunity to achieve more in the fields of infrastructure, education, health and economy. However, this will no longer be enough to ensure permanent political stability for many reasons. First, the huge percentage of Gulf citizens who are under the poverty line, despite living in oil-rich countries is a political scandal.
Another reason is the shrinking middle class in some GCC countries, which represents a social and economic challenge that will sooner or later affect the political stability sought by ruling institutions in the Gulf.
Regrettably, taking the view that reform seekers are not anything more than individuals who are after money and power has delayed many steps that would have contributed to the nation's building of its political, economic and social structure in harmony with the ruling systems in the Gulf region.
Dignity tops the list
It is a misleading idea that the Gulf region is spared or immune to events sweeping the Arab world. The current events taking place in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya provided evidence that poverty and unemployment were not the only reasons behind mass demonstrations, with demonstrators raising the slogan ‘the people want to overthrow the regime' .
However, there are many reasons that combined and finally led to the popular rage and revolutions seeking regime change. Despite all these reasons, dignity comes foremost! Along with this, poverty, marginalisation, exclusion and a the feeling that one is living as a guest or persona non grata in his ancestral homeland!
Worse is that some have used the armed struggle of our ancestors for liberation of our countries and the unity of our territories as a war booty. And if one stresses on this issue, they answer back rudely that "We regained control of our country with the sword".
The motives behind the sweeping popular demonstrations across the Arab world are more complicated than just protests against poverty, unemployment and debt. It is man's longing for the feeling of true national loyalty and allegiance. National loyalty is an issue that goes beyond securing jobs, housing and health care, simply because the person is in his country and is not an employee working for a foreign company that provides him with accommodation in a compound.
Decades ago, when our countries were governed by a tribal system, our grandfathers engaged in the tribe's movement, issues and concerns as well as in the leadership's structure where the tribe served as the control body to monitor its chief's performance and conduct. Another point is that the tribe's head used to be the role model and symbol of his tribe, who does not overlook his group's opinions and views on the tribe's relations and dealings with other tribes. This mainly means that demanding true public participation in the decision-making process is not something strange or in contradiction with the traditions of our societies. Such a demand is even more necessary today to achieve political stability in our region.
Accordingly, it is unreasonable to expect that the young generation, which comprises 65 per cent of the total population of our countries, would accept what the previous generation had accepted with regard to politics and culture.
It is a big mistake to think that the young generation in the Gulf region is isolated from what is going on in the Arab street where young revolutionaries hold their ground in ‘liberation and change squares' from North Africa to the south of Arabian Peninsula.
In conclusion, the leaderships in our region need to comprehend what is happening and move swiftly in order to maintain national gains and achieve political stability and social peace.
They are required today, not tomorrow, to seriously begin reform programmes, taking into consideration the citizens' right to political participation in words and deeds, and give more room for people to move freely and express their opinion.
It is vital for the region's leaders to accept and activate the ideas and visions of faithful citizens to set up control bodies to monitor performance of officials and those in power, and hold the corrupt accountable without discrimination. The Gulf street is part of the Arab street, it is wrong to ignore the hopes, aspirations and frustrations of the Gulf people.
There is only one way to satisfy the Gulf street and meet the aspirations of its people: embarking on serious reform projects. Such a move is a national right, not a gesture or grant.
Sulaiman Al Hattlan, a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard, is the host of Gulf Talks on Al Hurra TV.
