Rethinking the History of Port Cities in the Gulf

Adecade or so ago while literature on the history of pre-oil port towns was very scanty, the interest in modern and contemporary Arab Gulf cities was sufficiently advanced to attract the attention of regional and urban studies specialists.1 In reviewing the field today one notes that cities on the Arab side of the Gulf are increasingly monopolizing the research agendas of urban planners, architects, and social scientists.2 Yet, and in spite of the recent publication of a number of studies, the historiography of Gulf ports on both the Iranian and Arab side is still lagging behind.3 In the absence of a substantive body of academic work that can illustrate historical trends across the region, this chapter is suggestive rather than definitive-suggestive in the sense that it is not meant to provide either the last word on Gulf ports or a historical excursus of their development. Many of their histories as towns have yet to be written. Instead, this chapter wishes to draw attention to trends, approaches, comparative contexts, and problems as a contribution to a future research agenda