Introduction

This chapter describes the main focus of the book, which is addressing the pressing need that exists for studies that identify unique cultural dimensions that impact public relations practice in the GCC. Also, this chapter introduces the structure of the book and introduces the following chapters of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This chapter provides a unified conceptual framework of the succeeding chapters, including an introduction, an overview of each country (including its history, politics, economy, and media), a brief introduction of the evolution of public relations in each country, cultural environmental factors, and unique contexts that have influenced each country’s public relations practice.