Added on 26/12/2011
Susan Al Shahri
Muscat , Oman , Salalah
SUSAN AL SHAHRI: You’re a frequent flyer, you’ve booked your seat in advance but you know the boarding pass guarantees you nothing but annoyance.
Added on 12/12/2011
Susan Al Shahri
Christmas , Media coverage , Oman
SUSAN AL SHAHRI: They start us young on the ‘Omani Red Ribbon Events’, and they litter our lives.
Added on 07/12/2011
Dhofari Gucci
Baghdad , Oman , Oxford , Royal Opera House , US Federal Reserve
NADIA: The Grand Mufti of Oman has deemed it unacceptable for Muslims to visit the newly opened Royal Opera House in Muscat. Much debate has ensued.
Added on 29/11/2011
Susan Al Shahri
Andrea Bocelli , Muscat , Oman , Royal Opera House , Sultan Qaboos bin Said
SUSAN AL SHAHRI: I am so proud of the progress of Oman. The opera house will take tourism to a new level, thus boosting our economy and providing more jobs to Omanis.
Added on 16/11/2011
Tabsir
Al Qaeda , Arabian Peninsula , Civil society , France , Lebanon , Muscat , Oman , Omani government , security official , the Associated Press , Yemen
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.
Added on 28/10/2011
thehedonista
Abu Dhabi , Al Hamra , Al-Hijrah , Amman , Beirut , Blue Mosque , Christmas , Cyprus , Damascus , Dubai , Dubai Mall , Easter , Eid , Eid Al- Fitr , Eid Al-Adha , Food and Drink , India , Islamic New Year , Istanbul , Kerala , Muscat , New Year's Day , Oman , Photos , Sofia , Sri Lanka , Tunis , UAE's National Day , Umbria , United Arab Emirates
THE HEDONISTA: Eid al Adha has been my favourite – the last few years it has fallen far enough out of summer it occurs with the change of season.
Added on 25/10/2011
Susan Al Shahri
Arabian Sea , British Columbia , Golf , Ibn Battuta , India , Marriott Hotel , Mirbat , Oman
SUSAN AL SHAHRI: The little known Mirbat is home to some of the most beautiful unspoiled white-sand beaches in Oman, while its bays are home to an incredible variety of marine life…
Added on 23/10/2011
David Westley
Egypt , GCC , Iraq , Kuwait , Libya , Middle East , mp3 , Oman , Qatar , Tunisia , United Arab Emirates , World Bank
NEWS ANALYSIS: The World Bank report ignores uniqueness. Could you honestly say that Saudi Arabia is a more hospitable place than the UAE?
Added on 20/10/2011
Rob L. Wagner
Abu Dhabi , Ali Sabat , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Chechnya , Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice , Holy Qur'an , Indonesia , Morocco , Oman , Philips , Poet , Qatar , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice , Saudi court , Shoura Council , Sudan , Tara Umm Omar , Turkey , Yanbu , Yemen
ROB L. WAGNER: A recent ruling by the Shoura Council in Saudi Arabia has brought the issue of black magic to the fore again. Its influence is huge.
Added on 09/10/2011
David Roberts
Ali Khamenei , America , Bahrain , Food and Drink , Gulf Cooperation Council , Hizballah , Iran , Iraq , Journalism , Journalist , Kuwait , Manama , Manama’s Pearl Square , Martial law , Middle East , Oman , Persian Gulf , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Shura Council , Tehran , The Wall Street Journal , United Arab Emirates , United States
DAVID ROBERTS: The Wall Street Journal has published a very curious piece indeed on the relationship between Iran and Bahrain. It’s long on allegation but very short on proof.
Added on 06/10/2011
thehedonista
AED , Afghanistan , Asia , Carrefour , China , Dubai , Egypt , India , Indonesia , Oman , Syria , Turkey , UAE , Vietnam , Yemen
THE HEDONISTA: ‘No photos’, ‘No Fixed Price’, ‘Come back later?’ Ah yes, the recurrent phrases heard buying ‘Dubai Kitsch’. So what’s the best way to go about it?
Added on 30/09/2011
James M. Dorsey
Abdullah , Abu Dhabi , Arab Spring , Bahrain , Banking , Dubai , East Africa , Egypt , fencing , GCC , Gulf Cooperation Council , handball , Jordan , Kuwait , Libya , Manama , Middle East , Morocco , North Africa , Oil , oil prices , Oil wealth , Oman , Pandora's box , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Sultan Qaboos bin Said , Syria , Tunisia , United Arab Emirates , Yemen
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?
Added on 15/08/2011
Rob L. Wagner
Abdul Aziz Al-Asheik , Ahmad Eid Al-Harbi , Alwaleed bin Talal , Bahrain , Basketball , Big Adventure , Brazil , Dubai , FIFA , Football , Germany , Iranian Football Federation , Jeddah , Kings United , Kuwait , Ministry of Education , Olympics , Oman , Ramadan , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Soccer , United Kingdom , United States , Women , Women's issues
ROB L. WAGNER: ‘Unseemly’, ‘undignified’ and ‘a threat to players’ virginity’ in the eyes of religious conservatives but women’s football is making major strides in Saudi Arabia.
Added on 30/07/2011
The View From Fez
Africa , Carrefour , Casablanca , Europe , Middle East , Morocco , Muscat , North Africa , Oman , Retail , supermarket chain
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: The big boys from Europe are moving aggressively into the Moroccan retail space and they’re squeezing the profit margins of souk operators.
Added on 26/05/2011
Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdullah
Abdulkhaleq Abdullah , Arab Gulf , Bahrain , Barack Obama , Democracy , Egypt , Gulf News , Iraq , Kuwait , Libya , Middle East , Oman , Pandora's box , President , Syria , Tunisia , UAE , UAE University , United States
ABDULKHALEQ ABDULLAH: The situation in Bahrain has seriously unnerved other Gulf states and has significantly undermined attempts to promote democracy throughout the region.
Added on 14/05/2011
thehedonista
Al Ain , Al Hamra , Australia , Dubai , Golden Tulip hotel , Hajar mountains , Muscat , Oil , Oman , Photos
THE HEDONISTA: ‘One smile begets another’ and the people of Oman are very generous with their smiles. They’re also very keen to share their hidden gems…
Added on 27/04/2011
Juan Cole
Ali Abdullah Saleh , Bahrain , Bashar al-Assad , Damascus , Egypt , Gaza , Gulf Cooperation Council , Hamas , Hosni Mubarak , Iraq , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon , Levant , Libya , Moroccan government , Mosul , Natural gas , Oil , Oman , President , Prime Minister , Riyadh , Sultan Qaboos , Syria , Tehran , Turkey , United States , Yemen
JUAN COLE: The Arab Spring is still producing some positive reforms and questioning of past corrupt practices, and even major governmental change.
Added on 24/04/2011
Mishaal Al Gergawi
Algeria , Bahrain , Dubai , Entrepreneurship , GCC , health care services , higher oil prices , Iran , Oil , Oman , Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries , Public Relations , Venezuela
MISHAAL AL GERGAWI: The GCC is at a crossroads – its growth requirements are in direct conflict with the needs of the world’s net consumers of oil.
Added on 19/04/2011
Steve Royston
Australia , Bahrain , Cairo , Canada , China , Cyprus , Delhi , Dubai , Egypt , Employment , Europe , European Union , Expatriates , Far East , Germany , India , Indonesia , Ireland , Japan , Jeddah , Jordan , Lebanon , London , Los Angeles , Malaysia , Manama , Middle East , Moscow , Naples , Oil and gas , Oman , Red Sea , Rio , Riyadh , Russia , Rwanda , Saudi Arabia , Social Media , South Korea , Syria , Thailand , Turkey , United Kingdom , United States , Yugoslavia
STEVE ROYSTON: One year ago I wrote the 10 good reasons to work in the Middle East. I would not change one of them. I have, however, added 10 reasons you may not want to.
Added on 11/04/2011
David Roberts
Abdullah , Abdullah II , Bahrain , Bahrain’s government , Doha , gas field , Gulf Co-operation Council , Gulf News , Hizballah , Iran , Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps , Iraq , Islamic Republic of Iran , Jordan , Josh Rogin , Kuwait , Kuwait Times , League of Nations , Levant , Muscat , oil fields , Oman , Qatar , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Saudi government , Shia , Spy , Tehran , UAE , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom
DAVID ROBERTS: These events take place in the context of growing Shia power, encapsulated by the notion of a Shia crescent ‘enveloping’ the region…