Smart Instead of Small in International Relations Theory: The Case of the United Arab Emirates (Contributions to International Relations)

Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
Chapter 1: Small States Theory and the Failing Process of Normative Analysis
	Introduction
	Theorizing the Sophistry: Mind the Gap
	Small States: Trend, Theory, or Approach?
	Beyond the Small States Theory
	Beyond Small States Theory
	Comparison Between the States
	Conclusion
Chapter 2: Smart Instead of Small: Which Are the Different Variables That Make a State Act Smart?
	Introduction
	Systemic Naivety Versus the Systemic Perceptive State
	The Anti-Blanche DuBois State
	The Right to Pursue Happiness
	Invest in Technology
	Progressive Leadership
	National Unity
	Unconventional Diplomacy
	Conclusion
Chapter 3: From Oblivion to Modernity: The UAE’s Smart Birth
	Introduction
	The British and the Trucial States
	The Years of Dust
	The Crossing of the Rubicon
	A Smart Start
	Conclusion
Chapter 4: Smart Leadership: The Cases of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
	Introduction
	Leadership Theory and Politics
		Lead Rationally
		Lead by Example
		Lead to Collective Happiness
	Two Contemporary Styles of Leadership in the UAE
	Mohamed bin Zayed: Leading from the Front
	Hamdan bin Mohamed al Maktoum: Leading as a World-Class Influencer
	Conclusion
Chapter 5: Smart States Act Positively in the International Arena: The UAE Case
	Introduction
	Foreign Policy: A General Atheoretical Discussion
	A Positive Regional Actor
		The Establishment of the GCC
		The Greek-Emirati Defense Agreement
		The Abraham Accords
	A Positive International Actor
	The Systemic Interconnector
		US-Emirati Relations
		Russian-Emirati Relations
		Sino-Emirati Relations
		The Systemic Interconnector
	Conclusion
Chapter 6: Beyond Smart Power: Tolerance as a Source of Smart Ontology
	Introduction
	It’s a Beautiful Day
	The Importance of Soft Power in Contemporary International Politics
	The UAE Smart Power
	From Smart Power to Smart Ontology
	Conclusion
Chapter 7: Internal and External Challenges for the Years to Come
	Introduction
	Internal Challenges: The Economic Dimension Versus Domestic Societal Stability
		The Case of the Emiratis’ Radicalization
		The Case of the Expatriates’ Radicalization
			The Gold and the White Collars
			The Pink, Black, and Blue Collars
		The New Citizens’ Challenge
	The Challenge of National Unity
	External Challenges: Systemic Developments and Regional Conundrums
		The Systemic Transition: From Multipolarity to Bipolar Multilateralism
			The Indian Case
			The Russian Case
			The Chinese and the American Cases
			The Systemic Transition to Bipolar Multilateralism
	The Positioning Challenge in the New Systemic Structure
	The Iranian Challenge and Its Proxies
	Conclusion
Epilogue
Index