Blog archive all
Five Arab League countries – Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iraq and Syria – are among the bottom ten in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index issued by Transparency International.
The United Arab Emirates, in 22nd position worldwide, is narrowly ahead of Qatar as the least corrupt Arab country.… Read more
The Saudi Gazette published a disturbing article the other day in which a number of Saudis talked about relations with their foreign servants – and defended what amounts to slavery.
The article highlights one of the many iniquities in Saudi Arabia's "sponsorship" system for employing… Read more
For the last month or so, as regular readers will know, I have been following the story of Saudi Arabia's crackdown on migrants. I have spent hours gathering information from open sources in an effort to get a clear picture of what is happening – and this is my fourteenth blog post on the subject… Read more
Saudi Arabia has deported 71,118 “illegal” foreigners since its crackdown on migrant workers began on November 4, according to latest figures from the kingdom’s Passport Directorate.
This total is likely to continue increasing because of delays in processing deportations since many of the… Read more
Amid all the debates about the future of the Middle East there's one issue of fundamental importance to millions of Arabs that hardly ever gets discussed. The issue is housing.
Housing is a thoroughly mundane topic and even when writers turn their attention to the built environment of Arab cities… Read more
A 29-year-old American is imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates over a comedy video posted on YouTube.
Shezanne "Shez" Cassim, who had been working in Dubai, was detained on April 7 and more than seven months later there is still no sign of a date being fixed for his trial. Several… Read more
Saudi Arabia's crackdown on migrant workers continues to stir up racist sentiment, and the latest example is a column in Arab News headed "Say no to expats calling for Saudi citizenship".
The writer, Abdulrahman al-Zuhayyan, trots out a familiar collection of xenophobic prejudices: foreigners in… Read more
Military luxury: Al-Masah Hotel in Cairo
Al-Masah Hotel and Spa describes itself as a place "to escape the noise and the pollution" of Cairo, a place to enjoy quiet, contemplative moments sitting under a pergola with the drink of your choice.
"Since 2006, al-Masah Hotel has… Read more
A report published this week sets out to identify 10 foreign languages that British people are most likely to need during the next 20 years. Not surprisingly, the list includes Arabic and Mandarin Chinese – two languages which are not much studied in Britain at present.
The report, from the… Read more
Presidential extension?
Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
Presidential contender?
Ahmad Saleh
Following the uprising that led to the fall of President Saleh in Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi was "elected" to replace him.
Hadi's victory was scarcely… 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
