Elections as Contemporary Mechanism for Legitimation of the Gulf Oil Monarchies in the Post Arab Spring Era

Gulf oil monarchies (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates – UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait) are facing big challenges after two major events took place in recent years: oil price plunge and the events derived from the Arab Spring. Combined amplitude of the oil price drop and the aftermath of the Arab Spring, is big enough for ruling elites to recognize the necessity of political relegitimation. Oil rent occurs as a main source of government income appearing as crucial fundament for ensuring political stability and keeping the social rest. Arab Spring additionally increased the threat to the oil monarchies. This article argues that contemporary electoral process in Gulf oil monarchies plays the role of limited re-legitimizing mechanism for the regimes confronted by their citizens after the Arab Spring and the drop of the oil prices