Article at a glance:

Shedding light on the Gulf's middle class

• The middle class is a vital part of any vibrant modern economy, yet very little is known about this segment of society in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.
• James J. Zogby, senior analyst at the public-opinion research firm Zogby International, describes a benchmark study on the hopes and fears of the middle class in three states: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• While the middle class was generally upbeat, some fissures are apparent in Bahrain. This research is the first step in an effort to track trends within the region’s middle class.