A recent study conducted by the American University in Cairo found that 78 per cent of Arab internet users have never typed in Arabic. There is no doubt that internet giants like Microsoft, Google, Wikipedia and Yahoo have played a large part in the spread of Arabic online but a large number of Arabs would not be able to share their thoughts in the Arabic language if it weren’t for Yamli. Read more »
Arab World
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 »
The Arab League: This Moribund Body Needs A New Home in the UAE
Predating the United Nations, the European Union, Asean and almost every other regional body is an institution based in Cairo known as the Arab League. Read more »
A trip to a museum does not do justice to Sheikh Zayed’s vision
It was a cold January day in London in 1968 when the British prime minister, Harold Wilson, announced that his Labour government would end what he saw as his country’s security responsibilities east of the Suez canal, including the Arab Gulf states. The reaction of one Arab leader in particular to this remarkable news is instructive. Read more »
Art’s Powerful Message for the Merchants of Death
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 »