Urban margins in Kuwait and Bahrain: Decay, dispossession and politicization

Beaugrand, Claire

doi:10.1080/13604813.2014.962887

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…And how might political ecology account for the kind of 'spectacular forgetting' that it will likely engender in the future? One of the major challenges with promoting agriculture in the Arabian Peninsula, as elsewhere, has been its cultural associations with 'backwardness' and tradition, which run directly counter to prevailing technomodernist nationalist identity narratives (Arthur and Al Qaydi 2010;Beaugrand 2014;Jones 2010;Menoret 2011;Joseph 2015). On one hand, the technofetishistic allure of AgTech narratives today goes a long way to reducing the negative stigma of agricultural work.…”

Section: Agtech and Its Predecessors: Spectacle And The Politics Of Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

AgTech in Arabia: 'spectacular forgetting' and the technopolitics of greening the desert

Koch¹

2019

Journal of Political Ecology

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'AgTech' is the latest discourse about introducing new technologies to agricultural production. Researchers, corporations, and governments around the world are investing heavily in supporting its development. Abu Dhabi, the largest and wealthiest emirate in the UAE, has been among these supporters, recently announcing a massive scheme to support AgTech companies. Given the extreme temperatures and aridity of the Arabian Peninsula, several new start-ups have focused on 'controlled environment' facilities – hydroponics and aeroponics in various kinds of greenhouses. Despite the narrative of novelty touted by these companies, this is not the UAE's first foray with bringing ultra-modern or 'scientific' greenhouses to the Arabian Peninsula – a large University of Arizona project did so in Abu Dhabi from 1969-1974. Yet that project is largely forgotten today, including among today's new AgTech entrepreneurs. This article investigates why this is the case and, more generally, why the systematic failures of high-modernist, spectacular projects like those to green the desert are so routinely forgotten. In analyzing the story linking AgTech in Arabia 50 years ago and today, I show how 'spectacular forgetting' is related to the technopolitics of spectacle, but also rooted in geopolitical discourses and spatial imaginaries particular to each historical moment.Keywords: spectacle; desert greening; AgTech; agriculture; Arabian Peninsula; United Arab Emirates

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Section: Agtech and Its Predecessors: Spectacle And The Politics Of Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

AgTech in Arabia: 'spectacular forgetting' and the technopolitics of greening the desert

Koch¹

2019

Journal of Political Ecology

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“…Some studies have revealed the extent to which land use policies and social housing laws have contributed to endless sprawl, housing application backlogs, rising property values and to the demise of the urbanization process (Al‐Khaiat, ; Al‐Shalfan, ). Other studies critique the social and political tensions generated by housing policies (Abdulla, ; Al‐Eisa, ; Al‐Zaher, ; Sadik, ; Al‐Ragam, ; Beaugrand, ). Some have pointed towards a causal relationship between state housing and social segregation (Al‐Moosa, ; Longva, ; Al‐Nakib, ).…”

Section: Towards a Critique Of Kuwaiti State Housing Policiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating the Politics of Exclusion: Georges Candilis, Housing and the Kuwaiti Welfare State

Al-Ragam

2017

Int J Urban Regional Res

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In the early stages of welfare planning, the Kuwaiti state restricted equal access to its housing programs in neighborhoods outside the city. The subsequent demographic shift, caused by a Kuwaiti exodus to the ‘suburbs' and non‐Kuwaiti urban labor migration, prompted calls for housing schemes to encourage city living for citizens. Georges Candilis's proposal for a residential neighborhood in Kuwait City emerged from this context. This article examining Candilis's unrealized project also offers a critical perspective on Kuwait's unbalanced housing policies. From this analysis, it draws observations on the role of architects and their limited impact on policies established by decision‐making networks within the welfare state. Seen from this perspective, the Candilis project bears witness to broader socio‐economic agendas that privileged some groups while marginalizing or excluding others.

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“…Furthermore, a large quantity of guest workers engaged in the retail sector and other low income service sectors usually reside without their families in Gulf cities and are forced to share apartments in order to afford the rising rental prices. This has led to overcrowded downtown districts and decreasing living standards in many areas (Beaugrand, 2014).…”

Section: The History Of Affordable Housing In the Gulfmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Affordable Housing Developments on Sustainability in Gulf Cities

Wiedmann

Salama

Ibrahim

2016

OHI

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The recent construction boom has led to new urban development dynamics in Gulf cities driven by real-estate speculations and large infrastructure investments. While in the past affordable housing for medium income migrants and their families was integrated within the fringes of old downtown areas and compound developments in the suburbs, recent investment patterns have led to an increasing challenge of these economically highly engaged social groups to find residences. In recent years, a newly emerging trend in the Gulf region has been the establishment of large scale mass housing projects as new dormitory settlements to address the growing demand for affordable housing. This paper presents an overview of current development patterns by exploring two major affordable housing projects and their impact on sustainability in Doha and Dubai. This is undertaken by establishing a preliminary assessment framework that involves relevant sustainability parameters. The assessment reveals the major differences between both projects and their impact on environment, economy, and society.

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Urban margins in Kuwait and Bahrain: Decay, dispossession and politicization

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

AgTech in Arabia: 'spectacular forgetting' and the technopolitics of greening the desert

AgTech in Arabia: 'spectacular forgetting' and the technopolitics of greening the desert

Negotiating the Politics of Exclusion: Georges Candilis, Housing and the Kuwaiti Welfare State

The Impact of Affordable Housing Developments on Sustainability in Gulf Cities

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