Saudi Arabia
The Ways in Which the Economic Crisis Has Penetrated the MENA.
One of the most interesting aspects of my travels was to both implicitly and explicitly hear and see the impact of the economic crisis originating from the States’ bad banking and lending practices on MENA countries. The following are stories that cover the arrhythmiac economic heartbeat of the some of the Arab countries: Expats in UAE [...]
18 Arab Leaders You Would Want with You in a Bar Fight
This post is not a political statement. It is simply a list of the Arab political figures you would want on your side if a bar fight were to break out. Because there are not that many, most of them are wimps once you take away their mukhabaraat, I had to throw in a few [...]
A Jewish Professor Wins Big in Arab Land
Forget the Swine flu for a second the news are in, an American professor has made the news by becoming the first Jew to win a prestigious Arab prize—no, not land this time. The King Faisal International Prize in Medicine also known on the street as the “Arab Nobel Prize.” Was awarded to Stanford professor [...]
Swine Flu Haiku
Dear sweet Lebanese,Please stop kissing each otherThanks, The Management. Israel’s got swine fluWait – no – it’s Mexican fluYeah…that’s not racist. Netanyahu’s scaredIsraelis love to travel…And lock others in. If Saudi gets it,Will they still call it swine flu?Only time will tell. Syria’s carefulNo breeding of piggies therePhew, what a relief. Emirates: alert!Better watch out [...]
Swine Flu – scratch that, Mexican Flu – hits Israel
With over 79 confirmed cases, and an estimated 170 dead from swine flu, I would be remiss not to post about it. Although most cases have been in Mexico, just today cases were reported in New Zealand and Israel, adding to the small numbers confirmed in the United States and Europe already. This guy’s just [...]
Saudi Women Boycott Lingerie Shops
Welcome to the Kingdom, where in order to buy lingerie, one must enter a shop staffed by men, discuss one’s size and other needs with said male sales associates (as well as let them handle the pretty underthings), and all without being allowed to try anything on. Apparently, Saudi women are fed up with the [...]
E!Maam Skeet: Singing Saudi Superstar
A former imam of a Saudi mosque had a surprising announcement to his countrymen: he is releasing his first music album. Abdullah Al-Skiti, the imam from the mosque of Alkhabra, is wiping the dust of his small town from off his shoes and going public with the declaration of his rather controversial ambitions. He’s currently [...]
Whatever you do…
Don’t fly British Airways to Jeddah! (click on image to enlarge)
Obama the Ottoman: His Trip to Turkey Forces the Parallel
Renewed American engagement with the Middle East has been aggressive on all fronts, hinting at what could be the beginning of a new imperial order, albeit one that resembles the dying days of old empire there. Obama’s announced trip to Turkey brings to mind American foreign policy’s growing resemblance to one stage of the Ottoman [...]
Saudi Patience is Famously Short
Do borrow the lingo of my teenager cousins: “Whatever.” Saudi patience is running out By Turki al-Faisal Published: January 22 2009 20:15 | Last updated: January 22 2009 20:15 In my decades as a public servant, I have strongly promoted the Arab-Israeli peace process. During recent months, I argued that the peace plan proposed by [...]
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