Mass transit in Amman, Jordan’s capital, is a miserable mess. There are some bus routes and a fleet of services, both of which require a decent command of Arabic and an understanding of this city where not all streets are labeled. Several taxi companies operate in Amman, and you can hail a cab almost everywhere in town, but it’s a crapshoot whether you’ll actually be allowed in the car. Usually, you won’t even be offered a reason, they just stare and press on the gas pedal leaving you confused — ...

Baby names — considered one of the most important decisions in a parent’s life, the choice is under enough scrutiny. If you’re living in Saudi Arabia, achieving that family milestone just got harder. Saudi Arabia is known for some questionable practices: public executions, a ban on women driving , and segregated gender lines for grocery shopping. But a list of banned baby names ranks high up on the list. If you’re a parent planning on having kids anytime soon, you may want to take a look at this complete list ...

Want a tattoo in Arabic? Using Google Translate to get inspiration for ink stencils? Think again. Although there are many beautiful calligraphic designs, it doesn’t take a genius to work out using the internet to translate Arabic is an epic fail. Most Arabic keyboard fonts aren’t great for a start, and Google Translate tends to break letters into unconnected individual forms that don’t make sense. For all you know, you could be getting gibberish inked on your body (is your temple)! Bad tattoos in other languages are nothing new. Remember ...

Legendary US radio DJ Casey Kasem died last June, leaving a long-reaching legacy in American modern music. He not only entertained radio listeners as the host of popular music countdown shows, but was also an effervescent voice-over actor. (He was Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" cartoon series!) Kasem was just one of many Lebanese entertainers “instrumental” in American modern music. Born Kemal Amen Kasem in Detroit in 1932, he was the son of Druze parents from Lebanon and enthusiastically embraced his Arab roots. He promoted Lebanese artists , supported Lebanese charities ...

While gay pride is having its moment around the world, we at Al Bawaba are celebrating the lesser-known concept of ‘Arab Pride’! There are countless reasons for us to be proud of our heritage, despite the pervasive negative portrayals of Arabs in the Western media. There’s no denying that Middle East politics are messy - and brutal jihadists don’t help our image any - but beyond the battlefield are notable Arabs who have shaped our world in various ways. From groundbreaking discoveries in science, literature, astronomy, maths and medicine in ...