The Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf

Hi, I am Bala Menon, an IT professional/journalist/artist in Toronto, Canada.
I lived for many years in the beautiful Persian (Arabian) Gulf countries of the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates - editing and writing for the Times of Oman, Muscat, and
Gulf News, Dubai, respectively, both national newspapers.

The Gulf -as the region - is generally called - is an underestimated and misunderstood area in a volatile part of the world. With its massive oil wealth and its military and other alliances with the Western world, the Gulf plays a major role in world economics and politics today.

The six countries of the Gulf -
the Sultanate of Oman,
the United Arab Emirates,
the State of Bahrain,
the Emirate of Qatar,
the State of Kuwait and
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
banded together more than a decade ago to form the Gulf Cooperation Council in a bid at integration (very much like the European Union) and to keep countries they perceive as predatory, like Iran and Iraq, at bay. A common and ancient maritime tradition, a similar heritage, religion and political and social structures were also factors which brought these countries together.

I will focus on these pages only on the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, countries in which I have lived in, although I have travelled to and studied all of them. However, there are links to the other countries and related subjects...

One of my all-time favourites

Link to Amnesty International's human rights research library, including recent reports on countries in the Middle East

menonbala@hotmail.com

'Must Visit' Sites

Oman Studies Center, Bonn
A highly-recommended site where you can find
rich sources of information on the Sultanate

Centre for Gulf Arab Studies
Founded in 1978, the centre at the University of Exeter, UK, fosters post-graduate research in all aspects of the Gulf

Middle East Studies Association
A good site for study and research. There
are special sections on Oman and the UAE

Emirates Center for Strategic Studies & Research
Set up in March 1994 in Abu Dhabi, (UAE), the ECSSR
is an independent body dedicated to the promotion of research in the region
General writings & links
India, China - When the Giants Meet
Awareness hits Indian Ocean States
The Politics of Starving the Hungry
Big Powers & Little Island - Diego Garcia
Big Tee-Party in Dubai Desert
Enchanting Kerala (My other home pages)
Holding onto the Nuclear Dream
Fire from the Skies - Missile Prowess
The Big Thirst - Water Crisis Looms
Foreign Policy Fiasco - Rao Era