Steve Royston

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem – Life on the Checkpoints

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem – Life on the Checkpoints

STEVE ROYSTON: Israel will not allow Palestinian men to enter until they are 28, although another told us the age was 32, which is possible as the rules are constantly changing.

 Steve Royston

In Vino Veritas: Seeing Derivatives as They Are

In Vino Veritas: Seeing Derivatives as They Are

STEVE ROYSTON: This has probably been pinging around inboxes around the world by now, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s a treat.

 Steve Royston

Jerusalem Postcard: Tears, Trinkets, Traffic

Jerusalem Postcard: Tears, Trinkets, Traffic

STEVE ROYSTON: “When we enter Jerusalem, you will be surrounded by people who will try to take your money. I know these people…”

 Steve Royston

Istanbul Postcard: Still Arguing After 18 Centuries

Istanbul Postcard: Still Arguing After 18 Centuries

STEVE ROYSTON: Spiritually, today’s Istanbulus are not so different from their Byzantine predecessors – they still delight in debate and intrigue.

 Steve Royston

Middle East Project Management: An Oxymoron?

Middle East Project Management: An Oxymoron?

“You have to realise”, the colleague said, “no project we undertake makes sense unless preceded by three hidden words: “The appearance of….”

 Steve Royston

Saudi Arabia: A Glimpse Through the Myths

Saudi Arabia: A Glimpse Through the Myths

STEVE ROYSTON: Received wisdom portrays a backward, oppressive society, dominated by religious extremists and a monarchy whose main mission is self-preservation.

 Steve Royston

Palestinian Hope – Voices for a Lost Cause?

Palestinian Hope – Voices for a Lost Cause?

STEVE ROYSTON: “This military occupation has lasted for over 64 years and is an affront to humanity and civilised values. It is high time that the international community took some responsibility.”

 Steve Royston

Why Britain Should Support Palestinian State

Why Britain Should Support Palestinian State

STEVE ROYSTON: Weighing up the diplomatic pros and cons on the Palestinian statehood vote David Cameron should take a bold step

 Steve Royston

Jerusalem – The Biography: A Compelling Story

Jerusalem – The Biography: A Compelling Story

STEVE ROYSTON: It’s a city that is sacred to Muslims, Christians and Jews but it appears to have attracted its fair share of ‘complicated characters’ in its rich past.

 Steve Royston

Riots in the UK – “It was the best day of my life”

Riots in the UK – “It was the best day of my life”

STEVE ROYSTON: There will be riots again. If we live in a society prizing individual liberty and “order”, the balance will go out of kilter from time to time.

 Steve Royston

Default: Political Cowardice & Ratings Agencies

Default: Political Cowardice & Ratings Agencies

STEVE ROYSTON: I would suggest that to downgrade US debt while leaving other sovereign debts at a higher rating is a meaningless exercise.

 Steve Royston

Powerless: Why We’re At the Mercy of the Markets

Powerless: Why We’re At the Mercy of the Markets

STEVE ROYSTON: Whereas the blind are at least able to steer clear of walls and ditches, the rest of us don’t have the faculties even to recognise the wall.

 Steve Royston

Why I’m Optimistic About the Future of Bahrain

Why I’m Optimistic About the Future of Bahrain

STEVE ROYSTON: It’s been a very bad time in Bahrain recently but a recent programme involving all sections of the island’s youth provides hope for the future.

 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.

 Steve Royston

How Blogging Can Be Your Company’s Voice

How Blogging Can Be Your Company’s Voice

STEVE ROYSTON: “If you manage to persuade your CEO to write a blog, you’d better make sure he or she writes lively content. Otherwise their blog will have the opposite effect…”

 Steve Royston

FIFA Needs a “Day of Rage” to Restore Faith

FIFA Needs a “Day of Rage” to Restore Faith

STEVE ROYSTON: As his formerly loyal colleagues turn on each other like rats in a cage, and Blatter lectures us like Hosni Mubarak, FIFA needs a day of rage.

 Steve Royston

After the Deluge: The Spirit of Jeddah that Endures

After the Deluge: The Spirit of Jeddah that Endures

STEVE ROYSTON: I’ve been visiting Jeddah for more than 20 years but haven’t been there since the floods. I was curious to know if it had changed.

 Steve Royston

Libelling the Dead & the End of History

Libelling the Dead & the End of History

STEVE ROYSTON: Ending the principle that you cannot libel the dead would make it almost impossible to discuss the past without fear of litigation.

 Steve Royston

Bahrain: The Curious Case of the Iranian Flotilla

Bahrain: The Curious Case of the Iranian Flotilla

STEVE ROYSTON: So our nerves are rattled by reports of death squads, and soothed the next day by the news that in fact they ain’t going anyway, and that in any event there were no suicide bombers on the boat.

 Steve Royston

Middle East Blogs – Ten Sites CNN Missed

Middle East Blogs – Ten Sites CNN Missed

STEVE ROYSTON: My only quibble about CNN’s list is that it picks up exclusively on Arab writers and – with the honourable exception of Mahmood the Bahraini Blogfather – most of the writers seem relatively young.