Abstract: The Gulf Yearbook 2008-2009 is the sixth in the annual Yearbook series published by the Gulf Research Center focusing on the key political, economic, social and strategic challenges that define developments in the Gulf region. As in the past years, the Yearbook offers a combination of overviews of major events and in-depth analysis of key issues to facilitate better understanding of the challenges faced by the region. The first section covers political developments such as parliamentary elections in Kuwait and the political role of women in the GCC. In the section on foreign relations, the papers cover a spectrum of issues relating to the GCC’s relations with the US, Europe, Asia, Africa and Turkey. Defense and security issues – including efforts to establish a regional security system – are examined in section three, while section four provides an overview of the economic developments in the region, including in the energy and telecom sectors. Educational reform and water policies in the region are examined in section five pertaining to social issues in the Gulf region. The final section on Iran and Yemen provides an insight into developments in these two important countries of the region.