Bedevi İmajından Gastronomi Merkezliğine: Körfez Ülkelerinde Gastrodiplomasi Uygulamaları (From Bedouin Image to Gastronomy-Centeredness: Gastrodiplomacy Practices in Gulf Countries)

Abstract

Over the years, eating has gone beyond being a physiological act and has become a cultural element.  Foods also represent the culture of the nations in which they are found, and in this respect, the food cultures of countries turn into a means of intercultural communication and interaction. Today, it is important for countries to break down existing prejudices and correct misunderstandings in the eyes of the peoples of other countries. Countries that benefit from gastrodiplomacy try to create a positive country image on the peoples of other countries through their culinary cultures. In this study, it is aimed to examine the gastrodiplomacy practices of the Gulf countries with a special focus on Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the research, which was prepared as a result of an in-depth literature study, the studies of the three countries in the field of gastrodiplomacy from past to present were included and the importance of the field of gastrodiplomacy was discussed based on these studies. In the examinations made, it has been determined that both the economy has strengthened in the Gulf Region, where oil and white robes called “thobe”, which have been identified with the “Middle Eastern profile” in orientalist depictions since the beginning of the XXI century, are the most common, and that the countries have brought to the forefront the search for attracting more tourists day by day. In the study, it was concluded that the Gulf countries, which are famous for their hospitality and crowded tables, have started to attach extraordinary importance to food and table culture in diplomatic contacts. In the literature review, the fact that the number of scientific studies on the Gulf region and the three countries investigated in the study is very few makes the study unique, and at the same time, it is envisaged that it will be a resource for those who are considering to work in this field.