Research interests

See main page.

Publications

View my CV here.

PhD and MA dissertations supervised

• Shaikh Abdullah Al Khalifah, Ruler of Bahrain 1796–1843
• Shaikh Abdullah as-Sabah, Ruler of Kuwait, 1950–1965
• The Origins of the Al Khalifah of Bahrain, 1600s–1783
• The Origins of the Indian Business Community in Dubai, 1900–1970
• A History of Dubai, 1833–2007
• UAE-Saudi Border Dispute: The Case of the 1974 Treaty of Jeddah
• The Formation of the United Arab Emirates, 1950–1971
• British and the Development of Security Forces in the Gulf States, 1921–1971
• Britain and the Third Saudi State, 1902–1932
• British Military Involvement in Oman, 1913–2009
• Britain in Aden, 1950–1967
• Britain in the Middle East, 1945–56
• Omani Naval Doctrine
• The Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, 1941–2000
• The Baghdad Pact, 1953–1959
• American Propaganda in Iran, 1945–55
• The Rule of Saddam Hussein, 1968–2003

Archival experience

• Gulf Collection, Arab World Documentation Unit, University of Exeter
• Heritage Collection, Qatar National Library
• Bushiri Archive, Bahrain
• Kanoo Archive, Bahrain
• British Embassy Archive, Bahrain
• Bahrain Petroleum Company Archive, Bahrain
• Bahrain National Museum, Bahrain
• Ajman Museum, UAE
• Al-Hisn Museum, Sharjah, UAE
• Al-Mahatah Museum, Sharjah, UAE
• Al-Ain National Museum, UAE
• Dubai National Museum, UAE
• Ras al-Khaimah National Museum, UAE
• Umm al-Qaiwain National Museum, UAE
• The National Archives of India, New Delhi, India
• Maharashtra State Archives, Mumbai (Bombay), India
• British Library, London
• India Office Records, British Library, London
• National Archives of the United Kingdom (formally the Public Records Office), London
• Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
• Middle East Centre Archive, University of Oxford
• Indian Institute Library and Archive, University of Oxford
• Rare Books & Special Collections, University of British Columbia, Canada

Other information

 Awards

• Leigh Douglas Memorial Prize (1st place), 2002. Awarded annually by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies to the best PhD dissertation on the Middle East written in the UK.
• Malcolm H. Kerr Dissertation Award (2nd place, humanities), 2001. Awarded annually by the Middle East Studies Association of North America to the best international PhD dissertations on the Middle East written in English.

Research grants

• Origins of Doha Project, 2013–15:  $876,000 awrded by the Qatar National Research Fund. Co-Principal Investigator. 
• Qatar Unified Imaging Project (QUIP), 2011–2014:  $1 million awarded by the Qatar National Research Fund. Co-Principal Investigator. 
• Society for Arabian Studies Grant, 1999 (now the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia):  awarded annually for research on Arabia.
• Bahrain-British Foundation Award, 1998:  awarded annually for research in Bahrain, comparable to a Fulbright scholarship.

Professional memberships

• Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS)
• American Historical Association, USA
• Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society, Bahrain
• Bahrain Society, UK
• British Foundation for the Study of Arabia, UK
• British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, UK
• British Scholar, USA
• European Association for Middle Eastern Studies, Germany
• Gulf 2000, USA
• Institute of Historical Research, London, UK
• International Soceity for Iranian Studies, UK
• Middle East Studies Association of North America, USA
• Royal Historical Society, UK (Fellow)
• Royal Asiatic Society, UK (Fellow)
• Royal Society for Asian Affairs, UK
• World History Association, USA

Modules taught

• ARA2170 - A History of the Modern Middle East, 1900-2014
• ARA2171 - A History of the Modern Middle East, 1900-2014
• ARA3162 - Britain in the Middle East, 1798-1977
• ARA3163 - Politics and Reform in the Gulf
• ARAM027 - MA Dissertation

Biography

James Onley is Director of Historical Research and Partnerships at the Qatar National Library (with responsibility for the Qatar Digital Library and QNL's relationship with archival partners), a founding Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (Taylor & Francis / Routledge), and an Honorary Reseach Fellow at the IAIS  He was Director of the Exeter Centre for Gulf Studies during 2005–2012 and has been a member of the IAIS since 2002.  He specializes in Gulf history, heritage, culture, society, and politics.  Prior to entering academia, he served in the Canadian Army for 12 years and was a UN peacekeeper in Iraq at the end of the Iran–Iraq War (1988).

1996–2001:  

• DPhil in History (Distinction), St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

1996, 1997, 1998:  

• Certificate in Modern Standard Arabic, British Council, Cairo, Egypt
• Certificate in Modern Standard Arabic, Islamic Information Centre (now the Muslim Association of Canada), Vancouver, Canada

1994–1995:  

• Graduate Diploma in History (equivalent to a MSt), Department of History, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

1991–1993:  

• BA in History, Department of History, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

1989–1991:  

• Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies, Langara College, Vancouver, Canada.

2017–present:

• Director of Historical Research and Partnerships, Qatar National Library
• Honorary Research Fellow, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

2005–2017:

• Visiting Assocaite Professor of Gulf History and Heritage (2016–17), Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University
• Visiting Assocaite Professor of History (2015–16), Doha Institute for Gradue Studies, Qatar
• Lecturer (2005–08), Senior Lecturer (2008–16), Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
• Director, Centre for Gulf Studies (2005–09, 2010–12), Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
• Visiting Professor (2005–07), American University of Sharjah, UAE
• Senior Fellow (2008–09), Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS), Georgetown University, Qatar satellite campus  

2003–2005:

• Assistant Professor, American University of Sharjah, UAE
• Honorary Fellow, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

2002–2003:  

• Lecturer, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

2001–2002:  

• Senior Associate Member (a post-doctoral position), Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

1998–1999:  

• Visiting Research Fellow, University of Bahrain

1989–1996:  

• Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, Canadian Army Reserve

1988:  

• United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan)

1985–1989:  

• 744 Communications Regiment (now 39 Signal Regiment), Canadian Army Reserve