The struggle to govern and shape future development in the Gulf requires new thinking and creative approaches. One contributing geographic scale that is rarely considered in policy and analysis is that of the urban. This paper argues for a reconsideration of the developmental potential of the Gulf city-system that underlies the economic, political and social dynamics of the region. Across the longue durée, this armature has provided for the continuity and power for regional development; today there is growing evidence that the day-to-day lived space of the highly urbanized Gulf reverberates with transboundary linkages useful for conflict resolution and growth. As part of a package of creative empowerment, the city-system, if promoted and encouraged, could make a renewed contribution to the developmental future of the Gulf.
