ABSTRACT
Archaeological discoveries have revealed much about eastern Arabia's past. In the early twentieth century, Persian Shi'as migrated to Kuwait, joining Arab Shi'as originally from Bahrain, Iraq, or Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. In this period, a political storm also arose over the collapse of the Suq al-Manakh, an unofficial stock market, whose bubble burst after many Kuwaitis, including ruling-family members, engaged in massive speculative stock purchases using postdated checks. Kuwait's ruling family continues to exercise predominant political power in Kuwait, and the Kuwaiti citizenry seems generally supportive of the ruling family. The Islamists have exhibited political flexibility. The early 1990s witnessed some efforts to introduce a degree of consultation as demands for political participation grew across the Gulf. Civil society in Bahrain has always functioned within strict limits. Political parties are banned, but political societies, professional associations, women's groups, and other associations are permitted.
