Best of the Arab blogs

Listed below are some of the more interesting blogs from or about the Arab countries.

Readers are welcome torecommendothers. Criteria for inclusion:

The blog should be about the region or a specific Arab country.
It should be written in English (or French at a push).
It should have something interesting to say.
It should be reasonably active, with new posts at least once a month.

A collection of articles about bloggers and blogging in the region can be found on theArab Media and Societywebsite.

NEW:Click hereto view a compilation of the latest blog posts

GeneralMiddle East blogs

Abu Aardvark
Observations on the Arab media and related matters, by Marc Lynch, who previously bloggedhere.

al-bab
Nooks and crannies of the Middle East, by Brian Whitaker

The Angry Arab
Outrageous and outraged, As'ad Abu Khalil (based in California) provides an entertaining read, whether you agree with him or not.

Arabist Network
General discussion about the region, but with a focus on Egypt.

Friday Lunch Club
"Journal of prickly and lame writings and thoughts on the Middle East"

Hammonda
"Politics, language, media, glam!" by Andrew Hammond

Informed Comment
Daily observations by the prolific Juan Cole, Professor of History at Michigan University.

Jadaliyya
A group blog from the Arab Studies Insitute

Just World News
"Info, analysis, discussion - to build a more just world" by Helena Cobban

Maghreb Blog
"A forum devoted to current political, economic trends, and news of the Maghreb region"

Tabsir
"Insight on Islam and the Middle East"

Tabula Gaza
"Writing in between the lines of fact and fiction"

The Moor Next Door
Maghreb affairs, geopolitics, international relations

Themedblogs

Ad Blog Arabia
Zeid Nasser and Ahmad Humeid look at the latest advertising campaigns in Arab countries

Algerian Cuisine
Cookery blog by chef Farid Zadi

Arab Climate Change
"Documenting impacts of climate change on Arab countries and their mitigation and adaptation responses in policy and practice"

Arabic Literature (in English)
A literary blog

The Arabophile
A literary blog in Arabic and English, byYoussef Rakha.

Arab Politecture
Architecture and the built environment in a changing social and geopolitical reality, by Rammy El

Awal nu Shawi
Blog dedicated to promoting Tashawit, a variety of the Berber language.

Culture et Politique Arabes
Arab culture and politics (in French)

Jabal al-Lughat
"Climbing the mountain of languages"

Jihadica
"A clearinghouse for materials related to militant, transnational Sunni Islamism, commonly known as Jihadism"

Mepop
Middle Eastern popular music

Moorishgirl
A literary and cultural blog by Moroccan-born Laila Lalami, author ofHope and Other Dangerous Pursuits.

The Tanjara
A cultural/literary blog.

The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer
Politics on and off the pitch, by James Dorsey

Virtually Islamic
"News, commentary, information and speculation about Islam in the digital age"

Algeria

Algerian Cuisine
Yes, it's about food. By Farid Zadi

Maghreb Blog
"A forum devoted to current political, economic trends, and news of the Maghreb region" by Mohamed Daadaoui

The Moor Next Door
Maghreb affairs, geopolitics, international relations

Bahrain

Bahrain Politics
by Justin Gengler

Bint Battuta
"Anecdotes, musings, the usual"

Mahmood's Den
"An Arab man's attempt at bridging the cultural gap and trying to make a difference. Failing a lot. Succeeding once in a while."

Egypt

3arabawy
By Hossam el-Hamalawy, an Egyptian journalist based in Cairo.

Arabist Network
Some of the best analysis of Egypt.

Baheyya
"Egyptian analysis and whimsy"

Big Pharoah

Bikya Masr
"Breaking through Egypt's clutter"

Cairo Freeze
A cartoon-blog by Tarek Shahin

Egypt Blog
"Egypt, Religion, Islam, Christianity, Secularism, Atheism, Egyptianism, freedom of religion, freedom of non-religion, etc..." by Mamduh Shawqi, Heliopolis.

Egyptian Chronicles
"I am just an Egyptian Girl who lives in the present with the Glories of a great Past and the hope of a better Future"

Egyptian Sand Monkey
"Be forewarned: The writer of this blog is an extremely cynical, snarky, pro-US, secular, libertarian, disgruntled sandmonkey. If this is your cup of tea, please enjoy your stay here. If not, please sod off."

Fustat
"2 old, 2 bored, 2 much"

Inanities
"Unfortunate tendency to completely forget both landmark and ludicrous happenings in my life has compelled me to record events of note and of not"

Misr Digital
By the famous Egyptian blogger, Wael Abbas (in Arabic)

Wee Kite
"Even small wings can touch virgin skies" by Wael Nawara

Iraq

Bassam Sebti
Iraqi journalist, writer and editor

The three blogs below were famous around the time of the Iraq war of 2003 and its immediate aftermath. They are no longer updated but are of historical interest.

Where is Raed?
Written under the pseudonym of Salam Pax, this blog became famous for its accounts of life in Iraq during the last months of Saddam Hussein's rule. It is no longer updated but is still worth reading.

Baghdad Burning
by Riverbend. "Girl blog from Iraq... let's talk war, politics and occupation."

Iraq The Model
"New points of view about the future of Iraq"

Jordan

Arab Observer
"Social issues, individual freedoms and human rights in the Arab world"

Black Iris
By Naseem Tarawneh

Deema22

Impatient Bedouin
"Simply writing what others cannot afford to say." (Mainly about Jordan and Kuwait)

Observations of a Jordanian

Lebanon

Al-Bayt Baytak
Writings from the Middle East

Blogging Beirut
"The other Lebanon"

Qifa Nabki
"Qifa Nabki is the pseudonym of a Beirut-based analyst"

Kuwait

Impatient Bedouin
"Simply writing what others cannot afford to say." (Mainly about Kuwait and Jordan)

Libya

Khadija Teri

Libyano

Libya SOS

Mauritania

Dekhnstan
By Nasser Weddady: "Dekhnstan obviously is the land of the Dekhn and is not to be confused with the other stans because it is located in Africa ... Dekhn is Hassanyia slang for Mauritanians"

Morocco

Comme une bouteille jetée à la mer!
(In French)

Ibn Kafka
(In French)

The Moor Next Door

The view from Fez
Observations from the old medina.

Hisham Almiraat
Blogger from Morocco

Maghreb Blog
"A forum devoted to current political, economic trends, and news of the Maghreb region"

A Moroccan about the world around him
"I am a Drift Generation poet, fiction writer, and social and political commentator."

Oman

Dhofari Gucci
"Random ramblings about life in Salalah"

Muscat Confidential
"Biased and usually irreverent opinions on life and business goings on in the Sultanate of Oman"

Muscat Mutterings
"Life and news in Oman"

Susan al-Shahri
Her "54° East" column fromMuscat Daily

Andy in Oman
A Canadian Christian English teacher living in Oman

Palestine

From Gaza, With Love
"Women, health, children and human rights in Occupied Palestine". A blog by Dr. Mona El-Farra.

Gaza Mom
"Palestine, politics, parenting, and everything in between" by Laila El-Haddad

Miriyam – Palestine Online
An academic-leaning blog by anthropologist Miriyam Aouragh mainly focusing on the impact of the internet in relation to the Palestinian struggle

Saudi Arabia

American Bedu

Crossroads Arabia
Written by an American ex-diplomat and "dedicated to the proposition that US-Saudi relations are important for both countries".

Qusay
Thoughts on different things…

Riyadh Bureau
Written and produced by Ahmed al- Omran

Saudi Jeans
"Rants and raves from Saudi Arabia."

Saudiwoman's Weblog
by Eman Al-Nafjan

Jeddah Daily Photo Journal

Susie's Big Adventure
An American woman moves to Saudi Arabia

The Religious Policeman
"A Saudi man's diary of life in the 'Magic Kingdom', where the Religious Police ensure that everything remains as it was in the Middle Ages." (Entertaining but no longer updated.)