This spring the UAE is hosting arguably the most prestigious art event in the Middle East. The 9th Sharjah Art Biennial features scores of artists from around the world as well as theatrical performances and a celebration of Jerusalem as the Unesco Arab Capital of Culture. But what does that have to do with what is usually a socio-political column? Quite a lot, in fact. Read more »
The National
Why Irena should find her home in Abu Dhabi
Over the past few months a quiet effort has been underway in one of the most recognizable buildings in Abu Dhabi. A team has been carefully assembled under specialized leadership and their mission identified. Their target has been established: her name, Irena, born in Bonn in January 2009 and now in need of a home. Read more »
Mandatory military service for our defence and future
A rigorous, secular and egalitarian military service can secure the Gulf’s future like it secured Switzerland’s past. Read more »
Dear Iran: Our Islands for a Gulf that carries your name
As tensions continue to rise in the Gulf because of religious, foreign and nationalistic forces, a breakthrough in the north-south divide would be a giant step forward. So I propose a solution: the Arab Gulf States recognise once and for all the name “Persian Gulf” for the 7,000-year-old, 600-mile body of water that separates us from our Iranian neighbour; and in return, Iran ends its occupation of the Arab islands and returns their sovereignty to the United Arab Emirates. Read more »
A Waltz with President al Bashir of Sudan
It was a cold October night last year when I entered the Curzon Soho cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue in London to watch Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir, the Israeli movie that retells in animation the story of a group of Israeli soldiers who stood idle as the Lebanese Forces Christian militia group massacred the Palestinian refugees of Sabra and Chatila. 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 »