Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) recently launched one of the first publications from its new 2023 catalog, The Centrality of the Middle Class: Sociopolitical Resilience and Economic Stability, by Dr. Khalid Ali Al-Jufairi. The event was held at the Qatar National Library (QNL) earlier this month and saw Dr. Al-Jufairi present his new book to an audience of scholars, social scientists, and members of the press. 

“HBKU Press is proud of Dr. Al-Jufairi’s impressive feat,” notes Bachar Chebaro, Executive Director of HBKU Press. “The Centrality of the Middle Class: Sociopolitical Resilience and Economic Stability, is a significant addition to the growing genre of academic books HBKU Press publishes. This book adds a scholar’s perspective to an everyday phenomenon that everyone engages with in some individualized way, and we are delighted to be able to facilitate this discussion between scholar and learner.”

The Centrality of the Middle Class: Sociopolitical Resilience and Economic Stability is Dr. Al-Jufairi’s cogent argument for the necessity of a robust middle class. He posits that the middle class is uniquely positioned to act as driving impetus for social, cultural, and political development. The middle class executes social and economic functions which are not only critical to holistic growth and development but an integral pillar to the architecture of a socioeconomically sound civilization. 

Dr. Al-Jufari began the event with a comprehensive overview of his research and findings, introducing the audience to various theories surrounding the topic of the social and economic organization of the middle class. Dr. Al-Jufairi was also joined by guest discussant Dr. Buthaina Al-Janahi, CEO of Qalam Hebr for Creative Writing. Together, they engaged in discussion delving deeper into social and political thought as shaped by prominent historical thinkers and philosophers in the field. 

When asked about the importance of the middle class, Dr. Khalid Al-Jufairi said that “every country needs a growing and a vibrant middle class, required for its economic development and its sociopolitical reality. The rise of the middle class has a multiplier effect – socially, politically and culturally, that a country should consider when creating its development path. The development path is vital in supporting the country’s engine of growth.”

“Society and its transformation has always been an interesting topic for me to analyze from different angles depending on time, circumstance, and history,” added guest discussant Dr. Buthaina at the event. “And of course, through using different tools, whether classical or modern, that could determine the level of change and social reactions towards such change. The middle class in this case plays a very important role in nation-building, executing strategies, and generating outcomes of qualified and sufficient human capacities that also include the elites who maintain sustainability and sufficiency. 

HBKU Press saw approximately 50 guests at the event who were able to partake in a bilingual question and answer session with the author following the discussion. One of those in attendance was Nasser Falamerzi, an undergraduate student of international affairs at Qatar University. He is currently taking a specialized course with Dr. Al-Jufairi, where the book is one of the course’s main readings. “In studying the middle class, especially as Dr. Al-Jufairi depicts in his book, I draw parallels to the political narrative surrounding what economic development is and what social development stands for,” said Falamerzi. “Those two forms of development definitely affect the rise or decline of the middle class.” To conclude the event, Dr. Al-Jufairi remained to meet audience members with a book signing, in which special copies were signed and offered to guests. 

The Centrality of the Middle Class: Sociopolitical Resilience and Economic Stability by Dr. Khalid Ali Al-Jufairi is now available for sale as a paperback and as an e-book.