Dr Elias Zerhouni’s story was not so different from many Arab youths, growing up as he did in 1960s Algeria at a time in which his country was struggling for independence from French colonialists. In 1975, at the age of 24, he made his way to the United States where he joined Johns Hopkins University as a resident trainee and worked his way up to the executive vice presidency of the university. Read more »
The National
Mobility for all is not a luxury, it’s a basic right
In the UAE many of our public and private institutions have yet to accommodate people with special needs. Others have made an effort, but could still do with a bit of adjustment. Read more »
The Arabs Need a Nelson Mandela, Who Knows When to Go
We desperately need a visionary leader in the Arab world, monarch or republican, who steps aside and oversees in his lifetime a peaceful democratic transfer of power. That would truly be a “special case” that we could all be proud of. Read more »
A Jealous Wife’s Revenge Makes for Bad Law
Every once in a while, somewhere in the world, we come across a case that proves either overtly or implicitly that men can get away with things that women can’t. Read more »
I Don’t Want to Cause a Diplomatic Incident, But…
Members of the six UAE ruling families (who number in the thousands, many of them youngsters), members of the Federal National Council, Government ministers, ambassadors and envoys, advisers to the rulers and tribal sheikhs and their families are all entitled to a red travel booklet that carries the country’s national emblem — a UAE diplomatic passport. Read more »
The Gulf Can’t Deal with Iran Until Iran Deals with Itself
Since the 1979 revolution Iran has tried its best to maintain a sense of normality. But it is a classic example of a country that has not come to terms with itself, and that poses a challenge for the Gulf countries in trying to decipher how to deal with its northern neighbor. Read more »