Iranian Communities on the Arab Side of the Persian Gulf

Abstract In spite of the Persian Gulf having been a dividing line between Iranians and Arabs for centuries, Iranian communities have been present on the Arab side of the Gulf throughout most of modern history and have contributed to a cosmopolitan Khaliji identity and way of life developing there. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, nonetheless, the Iranian presence in the Arab Gulf states has become problematic. Partly as a result of this, little information is available about the numbers and present circumstances of these communities. The aim of this paper is to define the place and identity of the Iranian communities on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf in general, and their presence in three Arab states—Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—in particular. The study will use a two-level framework of analysis, covering the regional and national levels. Using a deductive logic, the position of ‘Iranians’ in the social context of the Gulf region will first be analysed. This will be followed by the three national case studies (Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), which will be presented and compared based on the following aspects: religious contacts (pilgrimage, education), political events, and cultural/social institutions.