Disability Policymaking in the Arab Gulf States: An Uncharted Space

Disability policymaking within the Arab Gulf states has produced widely varied and often underwhelming results, and yet has not developed commensurate policy studies to examine policy-driven social development for persons with disabilities (PWDs). This chapter presents an overview of disability policymaking in the region, specifically focusing on the highly comparable states of Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait. The aims of the chapter are to first highlight the idiosyncratic features of these states and their relevance to disability policymaking, and second to reframe consequent challenges into opportunities for developing context-driven responsive policies for PWDs. The chapter employs a qualitative approach, drawing on theoretical frameworks, case studies and social dynamics that are relevant to the Gulf context. It provides recommendations for new conceptual frameworks, whole-of-government and whole-of-society outlooks and transformative approaches to policy design that can better ensure dignified lives for PWDs across various demographics in the Arab Gulf region.