ABSTRACT
Author's argument will sometimes seem critical not only of the Arab Gulf States but also of many recent intellectual analyses and critiques of development in the Gulf, for falling into both traps. It seems to him that there are some five basic development-associated desires observable now in the Gulf region. The first and most obvious is at least to maintain present high levels of material consumption extending into a post-oil future. The second, expressed with varying degrees of firmness but always present, is the maintenance of respected, established cultural and social values and of stability. Third, and recently much to the fore is 'food security', that is, a reasonable assurance of the permanent availability of food. Fourth - and this is something more inchoate but emerging strongly - greater satisfaction with the quality of life and of the environment.
