The wave of uprisings that took place across the Arab world in 2011 never took hold in the Arabian penninsula, but the political awakening sparked youth movements in the Gulf to demand change from their respective governments through novel and creative means. In her new issue brief titled “Breaking Taboos: Youth Activism in the Gulf States,” Visiting Senior Fellow Kristin Diwan outlines the push and pull between youth activists and their leaders in the struggle for political space. Taking Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain as case studies, Diwan outlines how youth activism and the response to it varies across countries, but the growing youth bulge in the Gulf may force its receding and aging leadership to heed the calls for change. To read more of her take on Gulf youth, please click the link below.
