Most Gulf-related research tends to focus on political economy or security / foreign policy. While these topics are undeniably of great importance, in particular to the international audience, analysis of the internal workings of the Gulf’s rentier states is equally significant both in the broader academic understanding of these states and in the formation of appropriate and effective policies toward them. Bearing that in mind, this paper will examine the role of tribes in Qatar and the UAE, arguing that participation in tribal politics in fact is a form of involvement in civil society and local politics more broadly. The small Gulf states have often been described as “tribes with flags.” While this description is frequently used, it is rarely explained – in particular with regard to these least studied states of the Arabian Peninsula. Many researchers defer to rentier state theory to describe such states, claiming that wealthy Gulf states do not experience meaningful domestic political life. This paper will contest that characterization, using past Arabic and English studies of tribalism in the Middle East generally and in the Gulf states specifically, in addition to extensive fieldwork undertaken by the author in 2013-2014 in Qatar and the UAE. This paper will examine the role of tribes as members of civil society, for the first time granting these traditional groups agency as modern political actors. It will also answer critical questions about the nature of tribal politics in states often described as “apolitical.” Do tribes hinder or advance popular participation in government through uninstitutionalized means? Has the strength of tribes prevented the growth of independent political parties in such states? In what ways does the political role of tribes change our understanding of the small states of the Gulf? The study will also examine how two very different GCC governments, the Qatari and the Emirati, have handled tribalism, and its enduring political influence, in their domestic government policies. The paper will contribute to the advancement of understanding of the internal politics of the Gulf, in particular going beyond the traditional rentier framework by granting political agency to internal actors of such states.