Women covering their faces is an issue that many Western women find abhorrent. I am asked about this frequently having lived and worked in the Middle East for nearly a decade. Western women do not understand that a face covering is not always a symbol of oppression. Some of the strongest and outspoken women I have met wear the hijab and do not have...
New Zealand PM bows out
Here's an article from The Economist which, while talking about John Key's resignation, states that NZ is "one of the most successful countries in the world. While this is debatable, there is no doubt that Key has had successes- namely international recognition- along with failures, housing, immigration and the environment. We have yet to see whether the new Prime Minister, John English, will have the same success.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The relationship has gone from strength to strength especially recently with Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Israel has returned 95 looted archaeological artifacts to Egypt. This story explains what is happening. By Mohamed Sabry for Al Monitor December 15, 2021 Egypt receiv...
Israel plans projects in Jerusalem that will change the regional geopolitical map. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. The Israeli government plans to advance a plan to build thousands of housing units in Jerusalem as part of a broader plan aimed at bringing about a comprehensive and major change in the geopolitical map of the Middle East. This plan precl...
Egyptian banks use financial technology to innovate. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes from Cairo. Egyptian banks have enhanced their digital services, especially since the corona pandemic. According to a statement by the Central Bank of Egypt, the National Bank of Egypt has implemented 13 programmes to enhance financial inclusion. These financing programm...
There were clashes between Iranian and Afghan forces near the Iranian-Afghanistan border on Wednesday (1 December 2021), according to news reports. These clashes have not led to any casualties and have been described as a "misunderstanding". Iran is one of the few countries that has retained a diplomatic presence in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, de...
In recent years, the West's relationship with Iran has not been easy, especially as regards to Iran's intentions to refine uranium. The West thought that Iran was "controlled" when the US and the EU came to a "nuclear' agreement with it. But it all went bad when the US unilaterally pulled out of the deal three years ago and imposed sanctions on the...
A report by the UNDP says that it is still possible for Yemen to recover even though it has been in a civil war for seven years. If the war were to stop now Yemen could eradicate extreme poverty within a generation. The findings of the report are outlined below. The report projects that in the last six years the crisis has caused Yemen to miss out ...
Impact investing is growing in popularity as more people seek good returns while investing ethically. Lucia Dore summarises the results of a survey conducted between 2016 and 2021. According to Investopedia: "Impact investing is a general investment strategy that seeks to generate financial returns while also creating a positive social or env...
Many gains were achieved by the visit of the president of Tanzania to Egypt, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan's visit to Egypt on November 10 has affirmed the strength and importance of Egyptian-Tanzanian relations. Experts and diplomats stressed that the relations between Egypt and Tanzania have been very strong fo...
Ahmed Abdul-Rahman talks about the various cultures that are in the Middle East and the contribution it has made to the world. Most of the time, analysts and foreign and international policymakers lose sight of the fact that the Middle East has been very important in the development of human civilization. The ancient and diverse cultures and monoth...
I read this article with intrigue, interest and no surprise. The Arab Gulf countries are pragmatic. In 2013, a conference was held in Dubai at the Madinat Jumeriah – which I attended- hailing the end of the Assad regime. How would the country rebuild in the post-Assad era? Investors from across the Gulf were invited to attend the event. How the tid...
There needs to be a more realistic geopolitical approach to the Middle East, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. He explains how different approaches in the region have affected the Arab world and what should be done to ensure a better outcome. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Arab world was dominated by the "politics of axes". The Middle East region and its...
Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains how Egypt's link to the African continent will benefit Egypt and the African continent. Egypt is always trying to create more cooperation and trade interdependence with the countries of the African continent. To achieve this goal, it has signed a number of economic and trade agreements, such as COMESA (Common Market for ...
While I was reading about Middle East air travel- which is down 67 per cent on pre-Covid levels- I was prompted to read about Lebanon. On top of its many disasters- a continuously falling Lebanese pound, a recession, an only recently formed government, and on-going corruption across the country, the Covid-19 pandemic, now it has a spat with Saudi A...
Lebanon is in dire straits economically and politically and has been for the last 12 months at least. The media is suffering as a consequence of the recession. Staff have been laid off and numerous media outlets have closed or are closing. Another media outlet is closing as this article outlines. November 3, 20211:08 AM NZDT Last Updated 20 hours a...
The success of the legislative elections are crucial for the future of Iraq. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. Iraq's legislative elections were held on 10 October, in which 3,243 candidates, including 951 female candidates, competed in 83 electoral districts, for 329 seats. Women had a 25% representation and minorities had nine seats. The Iraqi co...
The most important challenges facing the Middle East are highlighted in a survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Our regular writer, Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, explains the results. The challenges facing the Middle East - terrorism, extremism, civil war, foreign intervention, sectarianism, corruption, and authoritarianism - are both hor...
The "normalization" of relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, as a consequence of the Abraham Accords signed on August 13, 2020, could lead to increased trade between Israel and Japan and Israel and India. Even perhaps with Saudi Arabia. All countries have good relations with the UAE and have a significant presence there. Econ...
Intractable conflicts and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are changing the balance of regional and international power, according to a book on the region. Ahmed Abdul-Rahman delves into the arguments. When will peace come to conflict areas in the Middle East? This is a simple question but is problematic and complex to answer. The question ...
How has Egypt become the third largest Arab economy in 2021? Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains. Egypt is ranked third by gross domestic product (GDP) in the Arab world, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to Forbes Middle East magazine. Egypt GDP is expected to reach US 394.3 billion, compared to USD 361.8 billion in 2020. Egypt ranks 9th in ...