Introduction : the political and socio-economic emergence of the Arabian Gulf -- The global expansion of higher education : alternative perspectives -- Globalization of education and the GCC -- The multi-model approach to privatization : questions of sustainability -- GCC public universities : growing pains -- Assessing quality : adopting western standards of accreditation -- Reforming higher education in Saudi Arabia : reasons for optimism -- Arabic in higher education : questions of national identity and pragmatism -- Higher education revolutions : short term success vs long term viability