Blog archive all
28th April 2016
The recent Arab Youth Survey – widely reported by the world's media and personally endorsed by the ruler of Dubai – made a number of important claims.
One was that a majority of young Arabs (52%) agree that "religion plays too big of a role in the Middle East". This was highlighted in the survey as… Read more
27th April 2016
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, based in Dubai, is one of the Middle East's most prominent PR firms. It boasts on its website:
"ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller has played a pivotal role in the development of the Middle East public relations industry. Through its longstanding commitment to providing innovative… Read more
26th April 2016
"Mashrou' Leila are one of the most notable indie pop bands in the Middle East – and one of the most controversial. With a lead singer who is openly gay and lyrics sung in Arabic that satirise Lebanese society and politics, the band are overturning the status quo in Arab pop." – … Read more
26th April 2016
Renouncing Islam is a crime punishable by death in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In practice, though, the law isn't implemented nowadays. On the rare occasions that an apostasy case comes to court, the accused person is usually allowed to flee the country or… Read more
25th April 2016
The annual Arab Youth Survey has been getting a lot of media attention since its findings were published earlier this month. Worldwide, it has generated a couple of hundred news items and three Emirati newspapers – Gulf News, The National and Khaleej Times – have produced no fewer than 17 items… Read more
20th April 2016
"I was annoyed to see, once again, the UAE being included in the lists of global 'tax havens' trotted out after the Panama data was leaked," Frank Kane writes in a column for the Emirati newspaper, The National. He continues: "To group the Emirates together with the British Virgin Islands, or… Read more
19th April 2016
Saudi Arabia, elected to the UN Human Rights Council three years ago in dubious circumstances, continues to play a negative role in the organisation's affairs. During the most recent session of the council, last month, it took a stand against protecting women, children and sexual minorities from… Read more
16th April 2016
The decline of GNRD, the strange NGO-type organisation linked to the United Arab Emirates, continued this week when its accreditation at the European Parliament expired.
In its heyday, GNRD had 15 people registered for lobbying purposes in Brussels, with permits granting them access to the EU… Read more
15th April 2016
A survey of attitudes among British Muslims has been generating controversy this week. The survey's aim, in the words of Channel 4 who commissioned it, was "to get a better understanding of British Muslims’ attitudes to living in Britain and British institutions".
Much of the subsequent media… Read more
15th April 2016
A survey of attitudes among British Muslims has been generating controversy this week. The survey's aim, in the words of Channel 4 who commissioned it, was "to get a better understanding of British Muslims’ attitudes to living in Britain and British institutions".
Much of the subsequent media… 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
