It may seem crazy what I’m about to say, but listen up, world - the Middle East has been gripped by happy-ness! A new wave of demonstrations has swept across the region, mostly youth-led and occurring in very public places. From the Gulf to North Africa, people are rising up in opposition to negative imagery and pessimistic headlines about civil protests and economic woes. So why is it making us so miserable? Their message is simple and powerful; it’s amplified through social media; and it’s based on Pharrell Williams ’ ...

Want to see the Middle East landscape from a new perspective?! How about running...hundreds of kilometers through it? Millions of tourists make the trek to the region every year to sun themselves on the shores of North Africa or the Red Sea, but a select few come for a slightly different reason: to participate in some of the most grueling road races on the planet, and what extreme athletes refer to as “ ultramarathons”. Morocco kicked off its annual Marathon of the Sands (Marathon de Sables) this week, which is ...

Thursday 10 2014

Arabian Business magazine released its 2014 list of 100 most powerful Arabs this week, featuring a star lineup of Arab women and men making a powerful and positive impact all over the planet. Over 2,400 individuals were nominated for over nine different “powerful” categories: Leaders, Pioneers, Legends, Geniuses, Heroes, Creatives, Thinkers, Entertainers, and there is even a special category for the young’uns as “Generation Next.” So who are these great and powerful ones, you may ask? According to the magazine, power is influence ; “the more people you influence, the ...

April 6 2014

Thinking about visiting the Middle East’s ancient monuments ? Break out your snorkel and flippers! Scores of UNESCO World Heritage Sites will be underwater in 2,000 years’ time according to a study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. It’s hard to get hopped up over that extended timeline – or – is it? Just think of everything we'd never have seen if historical seas rose at that clip! “Our analysis shows how serious the long-term impacts for our cultural heritage will be if climate change is not mitigated ,” ...

The Dubai World Cup (DWC) is a thrilling day of thoroughbred competition where the final event is known as “the world’s richest horse race”, with the winner trotting off with a million bucks! We’ve shown you some of the glittering gals and guys who perch in the grandstands wearing feathers and fedoras - but what about the real action? How did the horses do? Held annually since 1996 on the last Saturday in March, it offers eight thoroughbred races capped off by a dedicated race for purebred Arabians. The nine-race ...

As “the world’s richest horse race,” with the four-legged winner of the Dubai World Cup trotting off with a million bucks, watched stallions jockey for position on the track, it was not the only thing that brought the other fine stallions (of a different breed!) to the annual Dubai World Cup! Once the fabulous hats and smiles were on, racing-enthusiasts were ready for an exciting day of betting on their lucky horses, and for striking a post left, right and centre for the fashion-hungry press on-site. Towering hats of dangerous ...

march 30 2014

Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi simultaneously became Egypt’s most loved and hated man in July 2013 when the army chief ousted President Mohamed Morsi from office. Having been an assumed ally of the Muslim Brotherhood due to his appointment as Morsi’s right-hand man, Sisi made millions of enemies when he was seen to be behind the brutal crackdown on Egypt’s Islamists in August 2013. Despite this, Sisi is the favorite to win in Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections...even his adversaries know it. Seen as a savior of those ...

march