This book offers an understanding of the current state of public management in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, highlighting the region's institutional and human capital constraints. Drawing on case studies from GCC states and beyond, the book provides a policy-oriented analysis of these challenges and a set of recommendations on how to address them. Public Management Reform in the Gulf Cooperation Council and Beyond utilizes several theoretical frameworks to explore three themes: first, how the quality of government and efficiency of its bureaucratic machinery can offer a business-friendly environment for the private sector; second, how public-private partnerships can foster stronger collaboration and exchange of knowledge and expertise between the public and private sectors; and finally, how the existing human capital constraints may be addressed through the effective implementation of talent management, knowledge management, and training programs.

A comparative approach is taken throughout the book, contrasting the performance of GCC states with other Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries in key governance, public sector performance, and business competitiveness indicators to identify what the GCC states need to do to enhance the quality of government and the capacity to deliver services more efficiently.

This book will appeal to academics, practitioners, policymakers and private sector consultants, as well as those interested more broadly in the Middle East and the Gulf region.