Culture and Politics
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf share a regional culture that is sometimes referred to as "khaleeji (gulf) culture". They all speak the Gulf Arabic and share similar music styles (sawt, fijiri, ardha, and liwa), cuisine, and dress. Most Arabs living near the Persian Gulf also trace their ancestry back to Arab tribes of either Najd (in what is now central Saudi Arabia) or Yemen. The culture of Iraq is unique and distinct from the Gulf states, which is why it is not considered a Gulf state.
All six states are hereditary monarchies with limited political representation. Only Bahrain (Majlis al Watani) and Kuwait (Majlis al Ummah) have legislatures with popularly elected members.
The Sultanate of Oman also has an advisory council (Majlis ash-Shura) that is popularly elected. In the UAE—a federation of seven monarchical emirates—the Federal National Council functions only as an advisory body, but now a portion of its members are elected from a small electoral college nominated by the seven rulers. In Qatar, an elected national parliament has been mooted and is written into the new constitution, but elections are yet to be held.
Read more about this topic: Arab States Of The Persian Gulf
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