As one of the five pillars of Islam, the ceremonies of Hajj are endowed with the most essential concepts of Islam -worship, spirituality, and social justice. In their quest to fulfill one of Islam’s five pillars as well as recovering a clean slate akin to “just coming out of their mother’s wombs”, it is no surprise that millions of Muslims flock to Mecca each year to undertake this journey of a lifetime -- or for others, for their frequent flyer experience. We at Albawaba thought to go on a journey ...

James Brown might have sung that “It’s a man’s man’s world”, but he couldn’t have been more wrong! (and he knew it too with his concessionary -- but it ain’t nothing, without you) The Middle East might be dominated by tyrant dictators (looking at you, Assad) and Sheikhs issuing fatwas every half an hour, but there’s a new vanguard in the region made up of strong, powerful women who are causing a stir amongst the patriarchs. There are plenty of issues to go around in the Middle East and each ...

There’s one thing growing faster than Nancy Ajram’s popularity in the Middle East - and that’s the sale of smartphones. According to a recent Global Intelligence Report, smartphones are the most desired devices among the 18-34 year age group in the Middle East (sorry argilehs ). In addition, more than half a billion people in the region are expected to use a mobile phone sometime this year. That’s a lot of people. And what do people use their mobile phones for? Apps. We use our smartphones constantly to navigate our ...

In English, it’s names like Mavis, Gertrude, Esther, Mildred, Phyllis, Agnes or Winnifred that we associate with the older fuddy duddy generations of bifocal spectacles and zimmer frames. Arabic is no exception in naming fashion and lends its own idiosyncratic counterparts to this trend. There are a distinct set of names, once popular, that evoke a whince, a grimace or even a sigh of relief from the teenagers of today that they dodged the naming bullet. These classic Granny names are being consigned to the ‘old school’ and the preserve ...

There’s an old Arab saying: When you have your health ,you have the whole world. Luckily, the denizens of Araby are good at putting their Arab money where their mouths are when it comes to living the aphorisms a’plenty on good health - there are many things about the Middle Eastern lifestyle that are conducive to maintaining sound health and indeed longevity. Countries like Qatar, (obesity rates notwithstanding) the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Syria have among the highest life expectancies on the planet, we are told. This is hardly ...

Suspicion, slurs and stings -- these are the comments a stigmatized single woman in her thirties is most likely to be subjected to in the Arab world. As the Middle Eastern wedding season draws to a close, during which it seems that everyone you have ever met (and their cousin/dog/camel) is getting hitched, the plight of the single 30-something female in the Arab world is at the forefront of familial discussions and headshaking. A Middle Eastern singleton is no Carrie Bradshaw, celebrated for remaining a strong and independent woman bucking ...

Even though the UAE has some strict Islamic laws governing daily life in the Emirates, Western celebrities can’t seem to keep away from the Gulf, fast turning into celeb-central. Regulars on the beaches of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, now some of our favorite music acts are returning to the UAE - to hit up the the stage, not the sands! Cosmopolitan cities and luxurious lifestyle, it’s no wonder Western stars love the UAE. Bulging paychecks at the ready to sweeten the deal, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are drawing in the ...

Although only unified in 1932, human habitation in Saudi Arabia goes back 20,000 years. Those Saudis must be doing something right for all the bad rap they get as running an inhospitable Kingdom (but for its salary/oil reserves)! In honor of Saudi Arabia’s 81st national day, we’re going to show you why living in the Kingdom is nothing short of majestic. A vast expanse of desert with no form of centralised control in the 19th century, rival tribes and sects battled it out for control of Arabia for hundreds of ...

Every year, thousands of music lovers and worshippers of stone temples (not Pilots or Rolling Stones, or even 'stoners', but the preserved ancient ruins and theaters in use as venues for performance) attend music and art festivals amongst the rubble and ruins of ancient civilizations across the Middle East. As the dusty vestiges of each old city are transformed into magical settings, it is as though particularly inspired performers have been resurrected into Roman Gods and Goddesses. 2013 could be called “one for the ages,” filled with star-studded festivals year-round ...

Syria is SO last season - we like our military on the catwalk, not in the form of airstrikes. Forget politics - it's in the Middle Eastern fashion world where things get really heated and frought, knotted and browed! Delving into the latest looks in designer wardrobes, how can our racy region actually rock the season’s must-haves in the Middle East where modest equals hottest ? Many hot, young and trendy rich Arabs are self-confessed fashion freaks. You wouldn’t enter their homes without spying a copy of Vogue, Elle or ...

As John Kerry forays further and further into Middle Eastern crisis -- looking to set things right in Syria and Palestine/ Israel, no less, and only in the capital of disputed territory, Jerusalem, this week -- we look at some of his potential partners in peace on the Israeli side of the field. Who are the newer and ‘fatter’ figures in the Israeli halls of power? Or are the political kingpins of the Jewish state still thick on the older guard of re-shuffled ‘war-criminals’ (Arab dictator style) from ancient battles ...