A mixture of native and expatriate women across the Arab Gulf States have also played a major role in nurturing the arts movement that is now flourishing and valued at over $100 million annually in Dubai alone according to one estimate. These pioneers have also spurred a generation of younger women from all walks of life that have contributed into making the art scene in the Gulf States what it is today. Read more »
Kuwait Art Museum Succeeds Where Others Have Failed
As the art world descends on the Gulf cities of Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Doha, each March visitors would well to keep in mind another Gulf city that was in every sense an art and culture pioneer. Read more »
The new generation and the future of the broader Middle East
In the wake of the Arab uprisings some governments may have changed but the challenges remain the same. The recent rise to power of untested Islamist political parties means that they will have to tackle issues for which previous governments have failed to find solutions. Read more »
The new generation and the future of the broader Middle East
In the wake of the Arab uprisings some governments may have changed but the challenges remain the same. The recent rise to power of untested Islamist political parties means that they will have to tackle issues for which previous governments have failed to find solutions. Read more »
Treasure troves of history and diversity
Billions of dollars are being spent by the Gulf states on cultural projects and museums, including ones dedicated to photography, cars and calligraphy. However, the most important of these projects are the so-called ‘national’ museums, that ideally would tell the story of the country. Through documentation, study and interpretation, they could encourage critical thinking and a celebration of diversity. Read more »
Qatar’s Brotherhood Ties Alienate Fellow Gulf States
The Arab Gulf States may not admit it publicly, but a schism is slowly emerging between these countries in the wake of the rise of Islamist powers in the region. Qatar, on the one hand, has wholeheartedly endorsed the new Islamist powers of the Arab world in the form of the Muslim Brotherhood, while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been skeptical at best. Although disagreements concerning external relations have previously emerged within the Gulf Cooperation Council states — for instance, some states have stronger ties with Iran than others would like to see — this is the first time that a member state has allied itself closely with a party that another member state accuses of undermining its system of government. Read more »