على مدى الأسابيع الماضية نشرت الصحف البريطانية أخباراً غير مشرفة عن قلة من العرب الزائرين الذين أمضوا إجازة الصيف في بريطانيا. ومع أن الأغلبية العظمى من السياح الإماراتيين والخليجيين الذين يرتادون لندن ومدناً أخرى يحترمون القانون فإن أخبار تلك القلة ومساوئها هي التي يتم نشرها.
Archives for 2010
BlackBerry Messenger: the UAE’s Fifth Estate
“This BlackBerry Messenger rumor mill in the UAE is getting out of hand.” I had posted this tweet several days before the UAE announced a ban last week on BlackBerry services by next October if Research In Motion (RIM), the smart phone’s manufacturer, didn’t meet the country’s regulatory conditions. Read more »
The Gulf States Already Have Links with Israel
Should the Gulf countries maintain contacts with Israel if this would make life easier for Palestinians? Could having such ties propel the Middle East peace process forward? Read more »
A Bad Omen: The Iraqi Elections Impasse
The Arab Gulf states have mostly sat on the sidelines since the 2003 war. Even Qatar, diplomatically the most active state in the Gulf, has been conspicuous by its absence from the Iraqi arena. Indeed, the peninsular emirate has recently successfully mediated similar situations in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon — the latter crisis ending with the formation of a Lebanese government last November after five months of heavy-handed negotiations. Read more »
Moderate Saudi Voices Have Found a Home in the UAE
Over the last few years, an array of prominent Saudi intellectuals have come to call the UAE their home. As the midway point between the West and the East, the magnetic draw of the Emirates is understandable; it has become a cultural oasis for those who are intellectually hungry. Read more »
المثقفون السعوديون في الإمارات
ينظر إلى دول الخليج على أنها مجتمعات يكمل بعضها بعضاً، ولكن أصبحت بيئة الإمارات خصوصاً تجذب نسبةً كبيرة من المثقفين والإعلاميين الخليجيين، والسعوديين على وجه التحديد الذين ينظرون إليها كنقطة التقاء بين حضارات الشرق والغرب.