Bad Timing For Dubai’s First Soccer Hedge Fund
JAMES M. DORSEY: A Dubai bank has launched the region’s first alternative soccer fund modelled on European funds – amid rising fan opposition.
News Analysis: UAE’s ‘Forced’ Expat Pension Plan
NEWS ANALYSIS: Is it going to be mandatory? If so, do you have control where your funds are invested? What happens if you are only in the UAE for a 12 or 24 month period…?
Women and Marriage: What’s in it For Us?
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Why should women get married? The lived reality for women that is wildly different from the theory of matrimonial bliss.
News Analysis: Bad Week For Abu Dhabi Projects
NEWS ANALYSIS: It’s been a sobering week for anyone involved in the construction industry in Abu Dhabi. What’s happening and why now?
Eid is Just Around the Corner: So Where to Go?
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.
Slurs, Accusations, and the Courts in the Digital Age
ALEXANDER MCNABB: … It does leave you wondering what would happen if a truly complex case of Internet fraud or identity theft did come up for the Dubai courts to make judgment on…
News Analysis: Build It & They Still Won’t Come
NEWS ANALYSIS: CB Richard Ellis delivers another report telling us what we already know – there is simply too much property in Dubai, and investors aren’t having any of it.
The Nobel Women: Changing the World Masterclass
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: I am sure her award will have detractors who claim that it is a conspiracy to “westernise” Muslim women…
News Analysis: Saudi Best for Business. Really?
NEWS ANALYSIS: The World Bank report ignores uniqueness. Could you honestly say that Saudi Arabia is a more hospitable place than the UAE?
News Analysis: Saudi ‘Plan’ to Cull 3 Million Expats
NEWS ANALYSIS: It is interesting to note the report comes after a meeting in Abu Dhabi, which has been one of the most aggressive government entities removing expatriates
Emirates Identity Card: A PR Horror Story
ALEXANDER MCNABB: So, three years later, we have a real deadline (“We’re serious this time, we’re telling you!”) with a fine to be imposed upon those not complying,
ENOC PR: What’s Behind the Curious Timing?
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Quite why the company has broken its silence now remains to be explained, but one is left with the feeling there’s something…
“When A Man Is Tired of The Palm He Is Tired of, Ah, Luxury Life”
JAMES MULLAN: It’s the so-called ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, it’s ‘Iconic’ but for some people The Palm simply doesn’t measure up.
Gitex: Not Just a Trade Show, Part of Dubai Itself
ALEXANDER MCNABB: The miracle is that it’s still with us at all – all the other great horizontal computer shows barring Hanover’s CeBIT have tanked.
Big Claims By ‘WSJ’ on Iran & Bahrain. But Proof?
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.
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?
‘No Government Support’ for Arabic Literature
M. LYNX-QUALEY: Unlike most Western governments there is little appetite among any Arab government for the translation and promotion of literature. It’s a great shame.
UAE Gears Up for Elections – But Will the Voters Show Up?
ALEXANDER MCNABB: Gulf News’ editor Abdul Hamid Ahmad points out not all Dubai candidates have been active. “They do not have the motivation..”
People, Not Technology, are Agents for Change
SHELINA ZAHRA JANMOHAMED: Let’s not diminish the creativity and courage of the Arab Spring by attributing great sacrifice to amorphous, faceless technology.
It’s Official: Morocco is Now Malaria-Free
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: Bad news for mosquitoes is good news for residents and tourists. Malaria has finally been eradicated from Morocco.
