Quite frankly, and not so suprisingly, much of the news from the Middle East - never the quiet corner of the globe - this year has been pretty awful. The headlines have been largely dominated by terrible and intense conflicts: The rise of Daesh (still ISIS/L to some, the Islamic State to others) and its brutal, repressive tactics ; the sieges of Mount Sinjar and Kobani ; Israel’s war in Gaza and tensions in Jerusalem ; and ongoing state repression in Egypt. With the exception of a few bright spots ...

*SPOILER ALERT* Do you guys remember when you first figured out Santa wasn't real? Did it happen at a Christmas party when a man dressed as Santa Claus pulled off his faux-beard (to unveil a more grizzly and real version!) and you realized it was Mustafa from next door? We can relate. This year for Chrismas, Al Bawaba compiled the best Arab Santas we could find on the Internet for you. You're welcome. And it's just as well we did, before our good Santas of the Holy Lands got stopped ...

Still doing your holiday shopping? Or maybe looking to ring out the old year with some new bling? Sometimes even billionaires need help finding pricey, novelty toys . When a Saudi prince needs a Hermès helicopter or some bespoke luggage made from spaceship materials, he calls Benedict Wormald, concierge to the uber-rich. Wormald is a “procurement specialist” for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) - the top 1% of the world’s richest 1%! Part broker, part designer, part concierge, the principal of London-based Benedict and Company can procure anything for anyone, anytime, anywhere ...

The Gulf is known for being over the top, so it should come as no surprise that many Gulf countries compete with one another for random and quirky world records. From the tallest chocolate structure to the biggest car parade and longest gold chain , here are some of the funniest Gulf World Records. Guess that’s what you do when you have tons of money lying around. And remember, Guiness is good for you!

Scandal (or fadee ʿ ha in Arabic) in the Middle Eastern city has been this year’s hot topic, and as Christmas fast approaches, Santa has added many new entries to his “Naughty List.” Because they have it all, we (not so) secretly love to see celebrities go wild and get into trouble. Whether it’s Kim Kardashian “breaking the Internet” with her naked bum or Myriam Klink posing in the nude behind Iran’s flag, those scandalous moments will live in our minds and bookmarked pages forever. Yes, there’s no escaping the ...

Hart signs new Manchester City deal

We may not play host to the Oscars or the Emmys, but our region can still reel in the sexy celebs for red carpet events. The Dubai International Film Festival drew in some ravishing formal wear draped across stars from both near and far over the past week. In full disclosure, a few of our Middle East A-listers sported embarrassing outfits that cannot be considered Al Bawaba approved. However, it wasn’t just the visiting Hollywooders like Eva Longoria and Emily Blunt that attracted our attention with their choice of apparel ...

Thousands of messages of support were posted online for Muslims in Australia fearful of an Islamophobic backlash in the wake of a shooting at a Sydney cafe that left three dead, including the gunman. When good samaritan Rachael Jacobs posted a Facebook message about a Muslim woman on her commuter train silently removing her hijab, it was picked up by the world: "I ran after her at the train station. I said 'put it back on. I'll walk with u'. She started to cry and hugged me for about a ...

Sure, we’ve got our share of problems out here in the Middle East -- destitute poverty and income inequality being among them. But the MENA region is also an epicenter of wealth and philanthropy that’s taking global markets by storm. Arab philanthropists have not only dominated local markets, but are also putting the region on the map in the international economy’s megapond. Every year, much to the discontent of Saudi Prince and mega-millionaire Al-Waleed Bin Talal , Forbes rates the Arab world’s top billionaires. But perhaps the better way to ...