Date Thesis Awarded

5-2014

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

Government

Advisor

Debra Shushan

Committee Members

Chris Howard

Till Schreiber

Abstract

Abstract: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of four major donors of foreign aid in the Arab World. Together, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar have made substantial foreign aid contributions, frequently exceeding the United Nations' development assistance target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI). These generous Arab donors, however, are notorious for their opaque development programs: little is publicly known about their aid activities and allocation preferences. With the establishment of its Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid, the UAE has made a more tangible effort to increase its transparency than some of its neighbors, but information regarding its aid program is still limited. In this thesis, I will provide an overview of the UAE's aid activity. I will also examine the UAE's foreign aid program as a foreign policy tool, analyzing its adherence to two theoretical justifications for Arab foreign policy: public opinion theory and selectorate theory.

Recommended Citation

Kanna, Maryam I., "Emirati Foreign Aid: Overview and Foreign Policy Implications" (2014). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 35.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/35