Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states woke up on Monday morning to what is the most severe crisis in the regional block’s 38 year history to date. In a closely coordinated series of statements, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, along with Egypt, announced the severing of ties with the peninsular state of Qatar. Judging by the Qatari reaction so far, it seems the Gulf States’ patience will be tested. Read more »
Articles
How the CIA Secretly Funded Arab Art to Fight Communism
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, details began to emerge about the CIA’s covert role in using art as a tool for political ends during the Cold War. But while much is known about CIA funding for American art during the Cold War, their support for Arab art during the same period has rarely been discussed. Read more »
My 350 on Donald Trump: Widening the Gulf
The Gulf Arab states will welcome the end of Obama’s administration. But there are no guarantees that Trump will be a better partner. Read more »
How art can help diffuse Middle East tensions
Some Gulf Arab cities led by Dubai have defied the regional swing into sectarianism and suspicion by publicly displaying art from across the Middle East. With its vibrant 90,000-strong Iranian community active in cultural and commercial sectors, Dubai is today an essential link between communities on both sides. Read more »
Mona Hatoum: The First Contemporary Arab Artist?
Attempting to pinpoint a specific date in which modern Arab art gave way to the contemporary is bound to raise more questions than answers. I propose that Arab contemporary art timeframe begins with artists who have come of age in the decade between the early 1980s and the early 1990s due to their general readiness to adopt the latest technologies and concepts in their work. In my opinion the artist that best embodies this definition is Beirut born British-Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum. Read more »
Poor Telecom Services hold back UAE Vision 2021
Welcome to the United Arab Emirates. A country that excels in almost every possible field be it sports, logistics, transport, finance, tourism, culture, art and education. In almost every field that is, except telecommunications. When it comes to ICT and telecom services this great country is being shortchanged. Read more »