GCC Cooperation Key to Tomorrow’s Challenges
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: Recently I attempted to capture some of these aspirations. On Twitter, I asked: “What do Gulf citizens want from the summit?”
Wikileaks, The U.S. and the New Global Order
JONATHAN COOK: At work here is a set of global forces that the US, in its hubris, believed it could tame in its own interests. By the early ’90s that arrogance manifested itself in the claim of the “end of history…
How Saudi Arabia’s Media is tacking Wikileaks
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Saudi media is taking note of the WikiLeaks phenomenon. This piece from Arab News reflects the best and smartest policy that the Saudi government could follow: refuse comment.
What the Wikileaks reveal about the Arab League
MICHAEL J. TOTTEN: The publication of these leaks is eerily reminiscent of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed a decade-long attempt by U.S. officials to distort and conceal unpalatable truths about Vietnam.
Qatar and Her Neighbours in the Cablegate Releases
DAVID ROBERTS: Qatar maintains a close relationship with Iran to safeguard its “trillions of dollars of potential wealth”. Nevertheless, the Head of the Army noted that “we’re neighbours, we’re not friends…”
The ‘War of Ideas’ That’s Raging in Saudi Arabia
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Reports from within Saudi reveal the strength of the struggle to win the hearts of minds of its citizens; between modernists and those seeking a return to a great age in the past.
Top 10 Twitter Users in Saudi Arabia
AHMED AL-OMRAN: Twitter’s swept the world but has it made serious inroads into Saudi Arabia? Yes! And here’s my personal ‘Top Ten’ countdown of the Kingdom’s leading Twitter users.
The very real problem of ‘reverse culture shock’
AMERICAN BEDU: When expatriates first arrive in their new country of residence it’s common to experience ‘culture shock’. But when they return to their home country many face the same – in reverse.
Saudi’s Succession – ‘Reading Tea Leaves’
JAMES M. DORSEY: With King Abdullah recuperating in the United States, many of the key players who will play a part in the succession to a new generation have returned to the Kingdom.
The Power, and the History, of the Thaler
STEVE ROYSTON: Thaler Tales was published in 2006, so this is not exactly a hot-off-the-press post. But hey, the thaler’s been around for 250 years, so no matter.
Are they Messengers or Missionaries?
STEVE ROYSTON: Successful companies tend not to fire their communications people. That’s not to say that politics, ambition and personal fiefdoms won’t get in the way
The Booming Voice of Pent-Up Middle East Anger
JAMES M. DORSEY: As dark as that moment was for Casablancan rockers, the trial was a turning point setting Morocco on a path to becoming one of the Arab world’s more liberal societies when it comes to alternative lifestyles.
Saudi Arabia: A Saudi Mother Speaks Out
American Bedu interviews a Saudi woman who is a mother of three active children. She lives in Saudi Arabia although spent time outside of the Kingdom. She has kindly agreed to answer some questions about her life, views and perspectives.
Saudi Arabia and The Cover Up of Polygamy
AMERICAN BEDU: There does not seem to be a pattern on which wife (Saudi or foreign) was the first. However, in all cases I am aware of, not one wife is happy that their husband chose to exercise the right of polygamy.
Saudi Arabia: How Far Can a Fatwa Go?
My analysis of the fatwa is that the conservatives of Saudi society are not ready to see women as cashiers. The majority of grocery store cashiers in Saudi Arabia are foreign nationals from Pakistan and India.
Censorship over KSA Unemployment
I have written on unemployment before. The situation is desperate. It’s bad for men and much worse for women… According to Mr. Al Dosari 12000 Saudis apply when only 45 positions are announced…
A Monument of Tolerance in the Heart of Dubai
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: Nestled in one of Bur Dubai’s older districts is one of the emirate’s best kept architectural secrets: the Ismaili Centre of Dubai.
Radio Daze – Why Saudi Radio gets no Reception
When MOCI, after 3 years of stagnation, finally decided to grant licenses for new radio stations, the average price was around SR50 million…
Gender Apartheid: Is a ministry for women needed?
Last week news came out that the government is seriously considering a women’s affairs ministry, but is this really gender apartheid? In Saudi, women are “the other”, something to be taken care of and guided lest it go wayward.
