Abu Dhabi: local art hard to find

Economist correspondent blogs about the difficulty of finding local art in Abu Dhabi. Ironic, given the emirate’s aspirations.

Read Full Post »

Culture in the Gulf

It’s been clear for a a few years now that Abu Dhabi has been seething with envy towards its oil-poor, commercial super-hub neighbor. Naturally, it wouldnt make too much sense to compete in the same niche. And so they’ve picked culture (no new news, really, though), a concept which, for some reason, i find hilarious.

Read Full Post »

“Dubai construction workers strike”

Jazeera reports on labor strikes in Dubai on Sunday:
[O]n Sunday, labourers ignored threats of deportation and refused to go to work, demanding pay increases, improved housing and better transportation services to construction sites.
[..]
Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi, Dubai’s minister of labour, described workers’ behaviour as “uncivilised”, saying they were tampering with national security and endangering residents’ [...]

Read Full Post »

Saudi divorce over face?!

i found this to be absolutely hilarious.
Since it’s in Arabic, briefly: Woman got fuming mad, left her husband’s house because he purportedly tried to sneak a glance at her face while she was asleep. Funnily enough, they;’ve been married for some 30 years and have children. Now, i know that Khamees (e)Msheit is one of [...]

Read Full Post »

Labor in Qatar

The Angry Arab has posted an anecdotal letter on the plight of laborers in Qatar. Naturally, this extends to other gulf countries like Saudia and the Emirates.

Read Full Post »

NPR’s Iran and its Neighbors series

National Public Radio has a six-part series on Iran and its neighbors that’s up on their website. According to the series, while Iranian leaders have long perceived their nation as the deserving leading power in the Middle East, it has only ever stumbled along trying to get there. It is only recent external factors that [...]

Read Full Post »

“Losing My Jihadism”

Someone pointed me to this article in the washington post by a writer (and apparently former imam) who tried salafism and decided the violence wasnt for him. He advocates Islam’s need for a reformation. Needless to say, he’s rather unliked.

Read Full Post »

Dubai: Improved Labor Conditions?

I’ve previously pointed to an article the Middle East Report by Ahmed Kanna on the horrible situation of migrant workers in Dubai. According to this NYT article it seems that consequent to recent worker agitations (including thousands of people blocking traffic and smashing cars) the Dubai Ministry of Labor is finally looking into both reforming [...]

Read Full Post »

Bedouin Ostriches?

Very nice article in bidoun by someone i’ve crossed paths with. I thought her intelligent and intriguing. This is engaging and enlightening. On the fates of the Al-Murrah bedouin warriors since the advent of modernity to the arabian peninsula. It doesnt hurt the writing that she happens to be one of them.
And, no, it’s [...]

Read Full Post »

Of Slums ands Skyscrapers

I caught this article on Forbes a couple of days ago. A couple of excerpts:
This year, the world will pass a milestone so profoundly significant that 2007 will become a touchstone for future historians. For the first time, more people will be living in cities than in the country.
and
By 2030, an estimated 5 billion of [...]

Read Full Post »