In the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the gap between male and female school enrollment and educational achievement continues to widen in favor of girls (Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012). However, nowhere in national or international discourses is this phenomenon mentioned beyond dismissive comments to the effect that the culture or boys and their families are largely to blame (Al Munajjed & Sabbagh, 2011). There is little acknowledgement that current gender disparities are largely the result of structural issues connected to political, economic, and social factors (Stromquist, 2012). International educational target-setting, as found in the Millennium Development Goals, coupled with prevailing Western stereotypes of the oppressed Muslim woman and oppressive Muslim man have contributed to a situation by which the Gulf states are unable to examine issues relating to males without appearing even more misogynistic than they are already perceived (AbuKhalil, 2005). Through a critical examination of modernization theory and discourses around gender and education, this paper utilizes a mixed-methods comparative approach to examine the creation of a reverse gender gap in education in the GCC. Micro-data was collected from students, parents, teachers, faculty, and education policy makers. This was complemented by macro-data from GCC country-level education plans and reports from international organizations. The paper finds that even though countries in the GCC are not aid recipients, they still speak the language that donor organizations and other international development organizations wish to hear regarding gender (Ridge, 2009; Chabbot, 2003). The result has been a myopic, one-sided approach to gender issues with a focus on girls’ education in the face of increasing educational inequalities for boys. The paper also finds that this may have a significant impact in terms of private and social returns to education and broader implications for Gulf society as a whole. The paper is of significance for education across the Middle East as it explores how international discourses can narrow the focus of country level education policies to issues that may or may not be of relevance to them.