This book examines the changing image of the Arab Gulf States in the West. It addresses the question of perception in international relations and how the Arab States of the Gulf have pursued various endeavors to project themselves into Western imagination. The book chapters generate ideas on how perceptions came about and ways to improve cultural and political realities on the ground in the Arab Gulf States. Thus, it paves the way for a new area of research in the field of Gulf Studies that extends beyond traditional international relations frameworks by weaving elements of intercultural communication into the mix. Recognizing, yet extending beyond, a traditionally realist framework, which has dominated the analysis of Arab Gulf States' foreign relations with western countries, this book tackles both the materialist and the symbolic in the efforts and initiatives launched by the Arab Gulf States. Some chapters maintain a social-scientific approach about the politics of the Arab Gulf States in the West from an international relations lens. Others employ theoretical frameworks that were founded on the notion of the "encounter," with anthropological lenses and concepts of intercultural communication. In addition to the value of this academic research agenda, as such, some of the chapters also touch upon the added importance of policy-oriented input. As the Arab Gulf States actively engage with the West, the book would widely appeal to students and researchers of Gulf politics and international relations.

Table of Contents:
Introduction – Marwa Maziad and Dania Koleilat Khatib Part I: Evolving Perceptions and the Arab Gulf States in the US 1. It Didn’t JASTA be this way – David des Roches 2. Arab Gulf States Lobbying in the US in the wake of the Arab Uprisings – Dania Koleilat Khatib 3. The United States and the Gulf in the Age of Trump – Charles Dunne Part II: Arab Gulf States in Europe and the Non-Arab Middle East: France, the UK, Turkey and Israel 4. The Perception of the Gulf States in France – Rachid Chaker 5. The Public Diplomacy Paradox: Saudi Arabia’s Negative Image in the UK – Najah Al-Otaibi 6. The Turkish Burden: The Cost of the Turkey-Qatar Alliance and Hard Power Projection into Qatar’s Foreign Policy – Marwa Maziad 7. Image of the Gulf States in Israeli Epistemic Community – Mohamed Youness Part III: Competing Images of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates 8. Virtual Enlargement in Practice: Investment Policy as Branding in the case of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the crisis-hit European Union – Máté Szalai 9. Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Roles After the Arab Uprisings: the image transformation from Western whist partner to proactive regional leader – Luíza Gimenez Cerioli 10. Film Festivals in the Arabian Gulf: Global image projection or local industry construction? – Abdulrahman Al-Ghannam 11. The Gulf in Western Hearts and Minds: The dilemma of stereotypical frames and Perceptions - Khalid Al-Jaber, Mokhtar Elareshi and Abdul Karim Ziani Section IV: The Arab Gulf States in International Organizations: NATO and the United Nations 12. NATO and the Threats to the Gulf Regional Security – Ashref Keshk 13. Relations Between The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) And The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Perceptions of Change – Angus Taverner 14. Islam and UN Human Rights Treaty Ratification in the GCC Countries – Rachel A. George