Going on vacation or a business trip could be a good or bad thing according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index figures, which were released this month. Passport holders from Middle Eastern countries have some of the weakest travel documents with Arab states ranking in the last ten positions. The world is your oyster? Think again! It’s not all closed doors though. The UAE managed to hit 34th position out of 94 countries, according to the study because Emirati passport holders are now allowed to travel in the ...

Headdresses are more than just an accessory for worship, as Middle Easterners of all religions use head coverings . Their style choice reveals loads of info about the wearer's nationality, status, and religion (as example, a Muslim man’s head cover should enable his forehead to touch the ground during salat (prayers). Since ancient times, the skullcap (taqiyah or `araqiyeh), fez (tarboosh), turban (ihram), and draped headscarf (keffiyeh) have protected Arab men from the sun, sands and hot (or cold!) winds of their desert environment. Over time, male styles moved from ...

Arabs have been subject to many conflicts, much political turmoil and lots of religious persecution . Throughout the centuries many have fled their home countries, looking for a new start and ultimately establishing large Arab populations outside of the Middle East. From the Ottoman Empire's rule in the early 1900s, to Lebanon’s civil war in the 1970s, to the ongoing Syrian conflict , many conflicts have led to the Arab Diaspora. Some populations are new, others have been around for centuries. In 2014 a n estimated 7 million Arab migrants ...

A recent report by artnet news put total sales of Middle East-produced fine art at over $399 million USD since 2011. Set against total sales of European or North American artists, the number’s not exactly a masterpiece. (Consider that sale of a single piece - a 1969 triptych by British painter Francis Bacon - fetched $142.4 million at a Christie’s auction in 2013, making it the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction.) But these figures do reveal a healthy market for regionally produced art, and a growing appetite for ...