As any proud Arab will tell you, the Arabic language has a long and illustrious history. It is the language of the Qur’an, as well as that used by poets and philosophers across centuries of Islamic civilization. However, it is also well-known that most Arabs do not speak standard Arabic in their everyday lives, adopting one of a wide-range of colloquial dialects instead. Arabs from Morocco to Oman and from Iraq to Tunisia might claim to speak the same language, but the reality is that the regional varieties are often ...

Egypt's Mohamed Salah gestures as he takes part in a training session prior to the international friendly football match between Egypt and Tunisia at the Cairo International Stadium in the Egyptian capital on January 8, 2017. MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP

Real Madrid and Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo kisses his trophy after winning the The Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016 Award next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, on January 9, 2017 in Zurich. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Serbia's Novak Djokovic (L) poses with the winner's trophy after beating Britain's Andy Murray during their final tennis match at the ATP Qatar Open in Doha on January 7, 2017. KARIM JAAFAR / AFP

As ridiculous as it may sound, travelling these days has become more complicated, more tricky and definitely more ridiculous. From not being allowed carry a bottle of shampoo through security to the widespread racial profiling of Arabs and Muslims, there’s a very wide spectrum of opportunity for things to go terribly awry for the average traveller. So in light of the completion of the horrendous year that was 2016, you might find yourself feeling ready for a challenge as the new era of 2017 unfolds. Indeed, ff you find yourself ...

When President Barack Obama came into office eight years ago, he inherited the blowback from George W. Bush’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Hopes were high as he expressed intentions to improve US relations with the Islamic world, with plans to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and establish Arab-Israeli peace . Yet, critics say his own actions and inactions throughout two terms of office has contributed significantly to the unraveling of the Middle East. The intervention in Libya, continuation of the Afghanistan war , as well as the ...

Egyptian architect and photographer Ezzat Hisham has captured scenes of the daily life of workers in the limestone quarries of Minya , in Egypt's southern desert. He spoke to Al Bawaba about what motivated his stunning series of images that depict one of the most dangerous jobs on earth. Winter snows do blanket parts of the Middle East, but in the desert quarries of Minya, workers toil in a year-long blizzard of lethal white stone dust. Hisham, who is pursuing a career as an event photographer, posted the otherworldly images ...

Spain's Rafael Nadal receives his trophy from Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, after defeating Belgium's David Goffin in the final match of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2016 in Abu Dhabi on December 31, 2016. NEZAR BALOUT / AFP

2016 was quite a year for the Middle East: The war in Syria grinds on into its sixth year, and conflict from Yemen to Libya continues to destabilize the region and drive families from their homes. While Daesh lost some major ground in Iraq and Syria, lone wolf attackers and Daesh cells stepped up bombings and shootings in Europe. But amid the turmoil, photographers also managed to capture moments of beauty, humanity and simple pleasures. Here are 14 of the year's most memorable images.

AC Milan's players pose with the trophy after winning against Juventus during the Italian Super Cup final match between AC Milan and Juventus in Doha on December 23, 2016. AC Milan beat Juventus to win the Italian Super Cup in a penalty shootout, the first trophy the Rossoneri have won since 2011. KARIM JAAFAR / AFP