NAWAF ALSABAH WRITES — The new Arab uprisings of 2018-2020 have demonstrated that instability in the Middle East can result from regional states’ domestic turmoil. A case in point: threats posed to the national security of the tiny Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as a result of these recent Arab Spring…
Category: United Arab Emirates
GULF GEOPOLITICS: WILL THE LACK OF UNITY ENTICE THE U.S. TO GO IT ALONE?
SENAY EMMANUEL WRITES — Last month, Arab leaders held an emergency summit in Mecca to address threats presented by Iran, following attacks on oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While Saudi Arabia described the attacks as “naked aggression,” Iran denied having anything to do with them.…
Dubai: A Global Tech Leader
SARAH AL MUWAD WRITES– The world’s first operational robot policeman does not need a visa, insurance coverage or hours of training, and is ready to interact with residents and millions of tourists. This body of bolts and nuts, standing at 170 centimetres tall and weighing 100 kilograms, can determine a…
QATAR: Asia Cup Reveals Just How Deep the Political Crisis runs in the Gulf
ABDULMOHSAN ALMUTAIRI WRITES– What do football and a sociopolitical blockade in the Middle East have in common? Many of us would say, “not much.” Tensions between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar were apparent during the 2019 Asia Cup, held between January 5 and February 1, when the UAE…
DUBAI: Dolce & Gabbana Host First Ever Fashion Show In The Middle-East
DUBAI: On Sunday, October 6th, world-renowned designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana held their first ever runway show in the Middle East. Dubai was the Italian designers’ chosen stop on a three -year -world tour, and they did not disappoint. The customary extravagance of both the city and the artists…
MOVING ON: Alexis Cruz Bids Farewell to Asia Media
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES — The end of summer marks the start of the academic year, and I am ecstatic to go back to school. But this time, I will be in graduate school pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy at the USC Price School of Public Policy. I figured…
UAE: Bringing the Fight to Social Media
ALESSANDRA DALY JOHNSON WRITES – A new social media war has begun. On July 8, the United States and United Arab Emirates announced the launch of an information warfare center to combat the ‘slick’ social media presence of the Islamic State (known also as IS or Daesh). In a press…
SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudis Strike Back
TRISTAN WILLENBURG WRITES– Western ideas clash yet again with Middle Eastern realities. Saudi Arabia will no longer issue or renew the visas of Swedish nationals and has withdrawn its ambassador from Stockholm in response to the comments of a senior Swedish official. An arms deal between the two countries has also fallen apart over the…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Hooray for Tollywood
ALEX DALY JOHNSON WRITES – The United Arab Emirate’s 2nd annual Bengali film festival, Abhijaan (“Expedition” in English), ran from February 5 to 7 last week. West Bengal of India has had a film industry dating back to the early 1890s, and many critically acclaimed films have originated in ‘Tollywood,’…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: First Female Fighter Pilot? Right on!
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES- Watch out, boys! Emirati first female pilot, Major Miriam al-Mansouri, led an air raid against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last week, a slap in the face for jihadists who believe women should be submissive to men. The 35-year-old fighter pilot proved her skills were on…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn, Oh my!
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – Last week the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the inception of the ‘Arab Social Media Award’ in the Gulf region to promote proper and acceptable social media use and to encourage awareness of the concerns associated with social media. Due to the UAE’s growing population of…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Nation Says ‘No’ to ‘Noah’
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – Just before its global premier, the Hollywood-produced film Noah was banned from the silver screen in three Arab countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, due to its religious themes. The $125 million film, starring Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, features the biblical story of Noah,…
QATAR: Father Doesn’t Know Best
AHMAD ALKHUZAM WRITES – Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousef al-Qardawi recently finagled his way onto Qatar state television to blast the United Arab Emirates for opposing Islamic influence in the region. (Yes, it’s complicated. Something like a Canadian getting on Mexican TV to blast the U.S.) What’s not complicated is…
QATAR: The UAE is NOT Happy
ALEXANDRE GUIRAUD-COINTREAU WRITES – The United Arab Emirates has been insulted and demands the offender stop: Egyptian-born Muslim cleric and head of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated International Federation of Muslim Scholars (IFMS), Yousuf Al Qaradawi, who resides in Doha. According to Gulf Times, the clash began over the topic of the…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: UAE Presents “The W*** of W*** S*****”
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – The Wolf of Wall Street, the contentious, prize-winning film directed by Martin Scorsese, was released in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with significant scene deletions and other adjustments. Due to the film’s abundant use of derogative language (over 500 curse words) and lurid scenes of drug abuse…
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Annual Media Summit Discusses Promising Digital Era
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – The 2013 Abu Dhabi Media Summit was conducted in the United Arab Emirates’ capital last week to discuss the world’s ongoing digital revolution. With Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) as an event partner, this three-day occasion focused on advancing the digital proficiency of the Middle East, the…