Steve Royston

The Trench Revisited: Another View of Saudi, Oil and Progress

The Trench Revisited: Another View of Saudi, Oil and Progress

The Trench is the second in a quintet that explores the corruption of society by oil, and of those who extracted it, exploited it and enriched themselves in the process.

STEVE ROYSTON: The Trench is the second in a quintet that explores the corruption of society by oil, and of those who extracted it, exploited it and enriched themselves in the process.

 Abu Muhammed

‘A White Wife and A White Life’: The Goal of the Colonised?

‘A White Wife and A White Life’: The Goal of the Colonised?

‘In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.’ Thurgood Marshall A recent article on the Al Jazeera News website by Sudha G. Tilak titled Whitening Cream: Fair deal for India’s Women? —took me back to the days growing up black in the US; years before the hay days of […]

 Abu Muhammed

Disaster: ‘Wasta’ Undermines Saudi Education System

Disaster: ‘Wasta’ Undermines Saudi Education System

ABU MOHAMMED: I couldn’t help myself. The culture of cheating induced a rant at my students. They didn’t understand. ‘This is life’, one of them replied

 Abu Muhammed

Rethinking Education To Build Real Saudi Prosperity

Rethinking Education To Build Real Saudi Prosperity

ABU MUHAMMED: The only thing stopping Saudi from becoming a superpower is Saudi. A nation cannot truly be great until it can educate its own.

 David Westley

News Analysis: The UAE Five, A Closure?

News Analysis: The UAE Five, A Closure?

NEWS ANALYSIS: “This has become a very dividing case in the U.A.E.,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdullah… He’s not wrong: On Twitter some Emiratis called for the death sentence to be applied to the five.

 James M. Dorsey

GCC: Winds of Change Kept At Bay – At What Price?

GCC: Winds of Change Kept At Bay – At What Price?

JAMES M. DORSEY: Their reluctance to be proactive rather than reactive has so far shielded the GCC from the revolt. The question is for how long, and what’s the price?

 Common Ground News Service

What Shape Should “the New Libya” Take?

What Shape Should “the New Libya” Take?

DR GHASSAN MICHEL RUBEIZ: It’s understandable that there will be significant differences in how various parties see Libya’s future. There are, though, important areas where agreement is needed

 Juan Cole

Top Ten Myths about the Libyan Revolution

Top Ten Myths about the Libyan Revolution

JUAN COLE: It is worthwhile reviewing the myths about the Libyan Revolution that led so many observers to make so many fantastic or just mistaken assertions about it.

 Steve Royston

Where is the ‘Arab Lobby’ in the United States?

Where is the ‘Arab Lobby’ in the United States?

STEVE ROYSTON: There are many reasons why the ‘Arab Voice’ is so weak in the United States. But that doesn’t give leaders and opinion formers an excuse.

 Tabsir

Threats to the ‘Arab Spring’ Growing by the Day

Threats to the ‘Arab Spring’ Growing by the Day

DANIEL M. VARISCO: Where there was once optimism of fundamental change taking hold as a spirit of freedom swept the region, there is now growing pessimism.

 Juan Cole

Qaddafi Threatens West With Al Qaeda Alliance

Qaddafi Threatens West With Al Qaeda Alliance

JUAN COLE: As the unfolding disaster in Japan distracts the world’s attention Qaddafi’s re-conquest of Libya rolls on. There will be scores to settle…

 Steve Royston

What’s Needed for Democracy in the GCC

What’s Needed for Democracy in the GCC

STEVE ROYSTON: This post is more than a five-minute read. I apologise, but I don’t apologise: Sometimes you need more than a few hundred words.