The right of people to act collectively – and independently of governments – for the sake of shared interests, purposes and values is one of the building blocks of a free and open society.
Arab governments have traditionally sought to restrict such activity, though the Arab… Read more
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Old habits die hard, and some of the new Arab leaders seem unable to break away from the authoritarian mindset. In Egypt, President Morsi has produced a new draft law "regulating" the activities of NGOs and human rights groups in much the same way that the Mubarak regime used to regulate… Read more
As unresolved problems pile up in Egypt, yet another issue – one of vital national importance which has been rumbling in the background for years – has suddenly come to the fore. Water.
On Tuesday, Ethiopia announced that it has begun diverting the Blue Nile as part of a hydroelectric project known… Read more
Hizbullah's public confirmation of its military intervention in Syria continues to make waves. Here are some of the latest developments:
The United States yesterday described the intervention as "an unacceptable and extremely dangerous escalation" and called on Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters… Read more
The boundaries of today's Arab states are mostly the historical result of foreign rivalries. The lines that external powers drew on the maps often took little cognisance of ethnic or tribal identities and, ever since independence, Arabs have been grappling with the consequences.
Over the… Read more
The Villaggio shopping mall in Qatar, which proclaims itself as Doha's "newest and the largest family entertainment destination", was designed with an Italian theme. At the end of one corridor there's a gondola and behind it a large fresco depicting Venice.
Visitors often stop by the… Read more
For months, the bodies of Hizbullah fighters killed in Syria have been returning to Lebanon for burial. At first the Lebanese Shia movement drew a veil over the circumstances – and country – of their deaths. Then, as the casualties became more difficult to conceal it changed tack and the men were… Read more
Dozens of migrant building workers who joined a strike earlier this month in Dubai are now facing deportation.
Thousands of mainly Asian workers employed by Arabtec – one of the Gulf’s largest construction firms – stopped work on May 18 but returned after four days when police intervened. Unions… Read more
Six men were executed in Saudi Arabia yesterday, bringing the total so far this year to at least 47. Of those, at least 19 were non-Saudis according to Amnesty International.
In the south-western province of Jizan, five Yemenis were executed after being convicted of murder… Read more
Amid growing political uncertainty in Algeria, copies of two newspapers were seized from the printers on Saturday night over reports claiming that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was in a coma.
The 76-year-old president has not been seen in public since April 17, when he attended the… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
