Saudi Tourism: Is It Finally About To Happen?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: We’ve had many false dawns on the Saudi tourism story but we may be on the cusp of a breakthrough now.
Sectarian Divisions Being Played Out on the Football Field
Sectarian divisions fuelling conflict across the Middle East have spilt on to the soccer pitch with Iraq’s decision to boycott the Gulf Cup and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) warning the Iraqi government not to interfere in the game. It is hard to separate the divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that governments in Bahrain […]
‘Buy Low, Sell High’: Gulf Investors New Football Strategy
JAMES DORSEY: The recent acquisition by a Saudi Prince of a lower-tier English football team points to a new direction for Middle Eastern magnates
A Natural Evolution: Don’t Meddle With Culture, Government.
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s a discussion without end – what should governments do or not do to promote authentic Arabic culture? And what does this actually mean?
Women’s Life in Bahrain: A World Away from Dhofar
SUSAN AL SHAHRI: My first ever trip to another GCC country has been a real eye-opener, particularly when it comes to the place of women in society
Bahrain: My Blueprint for Its Economic Success
STEVE ROYSTON: Bahrain has a growing young population and the challenges the island state faces in ensuring they’re fully employed are considerable
Definitions: What Exactly Is Islam and What Is It Not?
ABU MOHAMMED: There is a great deal of misunderstanding concerning the nature and practice of Islam. Here are some key points.
Race in Arab World: Is There a ‘$1 Million Advantage?’
ABU MOHAMMED: Skin colour, according to Jesse Jackson, conferred a significant financial benefit. Is the same true in the Arab World?
‘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 […]
Starving and Broke: Yemen’s Renewed ‘War on Terror’
RAMZY BAROUD: The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is largely rooted in the fact that the country is an open field of competing interests…
‘Destroy All Churches’: Will The Edict Be Followed?
AMERICAN BEDU: The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has made a startling call. What will King Abdullah do?
Conserving Beauty: The Majestic Arabian Oryx
AMERICAN BEDU: It’s not the first creature that comes to mind when Saudi Arabia is mentioned but the Oryx is a feature of many desert trips
“The Devil’s Seeds”: Life’s Grim For Illegitimate Saudis
ROB L. WAGNER: It wasn’t always this way – illegitimate children were in times past absorbed. The stigma today inflicts generations of damage.
Bahrain and Iran – Danger or Distraction?
STEVE ROYSTON: Should the Iranian threat – whether in terms of moral support or actual intervention – be one of Bahrain’s principal concerns?
Hostage Taking in Yemen: Rules of Engagement
DANIEL M. VARISCO: For many years foreigners taken hostage in Yemen had little to fear. That was until Al Qaeda killings in the mid-2000s.
Arab Spring: All Pain, No Gain, Just the Same?
RANIA AL MALKY: Is it logical that the ousted Mubarak, responsible for the disintegration of Egypt’s institutions is now living in a five-star hospital suite…
The Grade Factories of Education: Saudi Schools
ABU MUHAMMED: Eventually I figured out why no one seemed receptive: The first is that most government and private schools are being run for profit.
Odds Stacked Against Peaceful Change in Yemen
RAMZY BAROUD: A brutal crackdown, a divided opposition and U.S regional strategic interests are the principal obstacles to democratic change in Yemen. A tough call then.
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.
GCC: Muslim Brotherhood Fears Over Arab Spring
SULTAN AL QASSEMI: UAE national observers commented in private that many names on the UAE petition calling for an elected parliament were UAE members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
