The Gulf as a global contact zone: chronotopic identities and (linguistic) landscapes

The Gulf distinguishes both as a regional system in international relations and a global contact zone for the occurrence of many social issues. Migration, transformation, and urbanization emerge as the key factors for changes in the Gulf area. The concept of chronotope helps us to analyze the Gulf context and the richness of its repertoires, intended as language, cultures, activities, and identities. In fact, the multiplicity of contexts of interactions together with the actors involved gave rise to a number of landscapes inside the city, so contributing to superdiversity. This chapter attempts to analyze the phenomenon, and the reasons that led to such a reality.