In the Middle East, Dubai stands as a beacon of development, a city that refused to be dragged down by hopelessness that plagues its neighbourhood. For where there was once an endless expanse of sand lie thriving communities, ports, media and financial centres. A city that constantly reminds us even in the worst of times that peaceful coexistence is possible. Read more »
Charity, the best Gulf lobby of them all
Today, Gulf states and nationals are starting to understand the importance of non-anonymous charity in combating xenophobic sentiments towards Arabs and Muslims as a result of the actions of some misguided terrorists. For the Gulf States, charity is the best form of lobbying. Read more »
Finding Value Stocks in the GCC
In this piece, Sultan argues in favor of a list of GCC stocks he prefers more than others. Read more »
Dubai, tennis and The Lord of the Rings
The next time you read a Dubai-bashing article in the western press, remember that there is potentially more accuracy in The Lord of the Rings – which took place in a world that never existed. Read more »
Of Arabs, Jews and an internet that never forgets
Technology doesn’t always work in one’s favour, which could be something very positive for governance in the Arab world as we lack even the basic understanding of transparency. For example, it may keep officials in check when they finally realise that their actions, intentional or not, are recorded for ever and can’t be undone. Who knows? Maybe, thanks to the internet, one-day corruption in the Middle East will once again become taboo, rather than practised in broad daylight. Read more »
The Return of the Nanny State
It was the stuff that dreams, or nightmares, are made of, depending which side of the fence you sit on. Kuwait finally caved in to the demands of hundreds of citizens to write off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loans that they have accumulated in mortgages, personal loans and car loans. To any GCC pundit, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Here’s why, Sultan explains in this article. Read more »