Gulf & Arabian Peninsula Archives
May 04, 2006
Banking Services in KSA: A Rant - Part II
[See Women's Banking Services in KSA: A Rant - Part I]
I walked out, made my way round the corner and through the glass automatic doors of the men's banking halls upon which about one hundred employees, customers and floor staff looked up and fell silent.
At this early stage I should mention that the banking sector in Saudi Arabia has been subjected to the most comprehensive Saudisation process where only a few employees, and those only in the higher more strategic echelons, are non-Saudi. Since I had walked into a run of the mill retail branch, every single man who was looking at me was Saudi and in full white thobe and head dress, a daunting sight for any female.
Continue reading "Banking Services in KSA: A Rant - Part II"
Posted by bint ash-shaitan at 05:06 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
April 30, 2006
Shadid on Dubai
Anthony Shadid continues to do first-rate journalism for the Washington Post. This Sunday's article is a comprehensive, warts-and-all look at Dubai & its boom. It's well worth reading in its entirety, covering the boom atmosphere, the mad internationalism of the scene, and the disquiet with which these changes have been greeted by many Emiratis. (One thing he doesn't cover is the continued pervasive sexism of the criminal code, as documented by Secret Dubai on many occasions.)
But I'd like to focus on his section on the Asian migrant workers. Shadid gives a quick summary of the overall situation, including the recent labor unrest at the Burj Dubai, and then interviews a couple Bangladeshi migrants. The key to the whole issue as I see it resides in this quote from one of them:
"We're here to earn money, not for happiness," Amin said. "No one comes to this country for happiness."
Continue reading "Shadid on Dubai"
Posted by tomscud at 05:58 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
April 22, 2006
Peace in our time?
Let us hope this means an end to talk of airstrikes and invasions. I do not much care for the idea of being caught up in the Gulf's fourth shooting war since 1980.
Posted by dubaiwalla at 02:58 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Waiting for Good Doha: Qatar - Dubai = Soul?
Wall Street Journal Reporter Yasmine El-Rashidi cellphoned this comment within the past few weeks to Christopher Lydon's Open Source:
I think Qatar will eventually — quietly — rise above Dubai. . . . Qatar’s growth is more startling than Dubai’s. In terms of the “material” offerings . . . it has everything Dubai has but not branded as the biggest and best in the same way. The difference between Doha and Dubai is soul. Doha’s Emir is a visionary in his own right, [he has] taken gas wealth and created self-sustaining industries, . . . [and] with it created hubs of culture in the region — the Qatar Islamic Museum . . . [is] exceptional. The Doha Debates . . . take place out of Doha’s Education City, which is evolving into a regional center. . . .
Not having been to both, I defer to learned Aqoul Gulfologists to evaluate. I also leave it to our cunning linguists to decide if Qatar is best pronounced Gudder, or Cutter, or Catarrh, or Guitar, etc.
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 06:26 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
April 06, 2006
Labour Rights in the Gulf
For decades now, the Gulf countries have built themselves up using a combination of abundant capital and cheap labour. Owing to their relatively small population bases and large oil revenues, importing workers from poor neighboring countries has been easy. Since the 1960s, each decade has seen a large rise in the numbers of expatriates in the Gulf. Proportions vary between the various countries, but the numbers are highest in the UAE, where non-citizens account for some 85% of the population and over 90% of the workforce (including 98% of the private sector).
Continue reading "Labour Rights in the Gulf"
Posted by Top Secret Anonymous Guy at 12:42 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
March 19, 2006
Women's Banking Services in KSA: A Rant
Due to a prolonged absence from the Kingdom of Saud my bank account (hosted in a financial institution the child of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and what was an infidel country last time I last looked) was frozen as no transactions had been conducted in over a year. Getting it unfrozen I assumed would be a straightforward enough matter as I made my way to the women's branch. Upon entering a small marble floored hall I beheld two female employees seated in workstations each side of an idoor floral plant arrangement and about a dozen other female clients seated atop plush leather furniture each apparently suffering from some degree of exasperation. I took a seat while trying to fathom what system of queueing was in use. As one client emerged from one office and another waiting sprung to her feet and darted in behind her, I surmised it was every woman for herself.
Continue reading "Women's Banking Services in KSA: A Rant"
Posted by bint ash-shaitan at 10:15 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
March 10, 2006
DPW, Some Round Up Thoughts on the Blow Back
I shall make this briefish note as the DPW fiasco continues to steam ahead. In many ways this is good for me personally as I expect increased in-region / non-US flows for MENA money. But it is bad for investment in the US, bad for US MENA policy and reveals as clearly as clear can be the deep vein of anti-Arab bigotry hiding beneath the surface in the United States. A loss for moderation, a loss for state security interests and a loss for economic efficiency and investment in key assets. Yes, bravo to ignorant know-nothing racist jingoism. This blows back not only to commerce, but also to our pious middle conversation, make no mistake about it.
Continue reading "DPW, Some Round Up Thoughts on the Blow Back"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 11:35 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
March 09, 2006
Score One Own Goal for US Know-Nothing Nativist Bigotry & General Islamophobia
Well, the irrational forces of bigotted know-nothing nativism and bigotted Islamophobia won out, DPW has finally said fuck it, keep poorly run ports, we'll take the profitable parts of P&O , or as the statement went,
“Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the US, and to preserve that relationship...DP World will transfer fully the US operation of P&O Ports North America Inc to a United States entity,” Edward Bilkey, the company’s chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Only yesterday the head, Mr Sharaf,
acknowledged ... that the US facilities were a small part of the deal and less profitable than other P&O container terminals. His remarks came as the White House appeared to soften its support for the deal and the House of Representatives pressed ahead with plans to block the transaction.
It is also of note that private equity groups, smelling blood in the water,
have approached DP World about buying the US operations, people familiar with the matter said. Industry observers said logical candidates included Blackstone and Macquarie, the Australian bank.
Well, mark one of up for the forces of blind bigotry and irrational anti-Arab xenophobia with all the dark hand waving about "connexions" and "associations" and the utter inability to distinguish between Saudiyah and the rest of the Arab world.
Continue reading "Score One Own Goal for US Know-Nothing Nativist Bigotry & General Islamophobia"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 07:08 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 06, 2006
Strong words in Saudi
A startlingly strongly-worded editorial in the Saudi English-language newspaper Arab News, criticising the muttawa after various embarrassing disturbances at the recent Riyadh Book Fair:
"This can’t be good, especially in such a gathering. In this time and place, when the whole country is moving toward modernity, globalization, democracy and reforms, we still have people going around with sticks and unquestionable authority to enforce their narrow view of the world. They only represent a minority of the Muslim world but behave as though there is no Islam but theirs."
Link via the Religious Policeman, who comments:
"...maybe the press are just starting to mount a campaign against the Muttawa. Someone in very high places will have sanctioned the Riyadh International Book Fair, and they may be less than amused at the antics of Brother Naif's Muttawa. So perhaps they authorized this article in the "Arab News"."
The RP is watching "with bated breath". He is not the only one.
Posted by secretdubai at 03:54 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
March 05, 2006
Dubai: Some Background
For those members of our readership who hadn't come across Dubai before the P&O deal hit the headlines, here is some basic information about the city.
If you were to arrive in Dubai and look at all the glass and concrete buildings, you might easily believe yourself at first to be in a medium-to-large American city. This is not true – the city runs along rather different lines from any in the West, and similarities are often only superficial. However, there is one important way in which Dubai resembles the United States: the business of Dubai is business.
Continue reading "Dubai: Some Background"
Posted by dubaiwalla at 10:43 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Bedfellows & Commerce: Israel's Zim Lines Supports DPW (Updated)
Sadly my work is distracting me from the fun of the ongoing Bigotted Know Nothing Nativist Ignoramus Mob Madness surrounding DPW's takeover of UK's P&O and the incidental acquisition of the operating leases for port operations at six major US ports (although in the UK and globally sanity has prevailed*), I wanted to augment my dear friend and colleague, Secret Dubai's post on Israeli support for Dubai and DPW with specific reference to the Israeli shipping line Zim's statement of support; I should say it comes as no surprise to anyone with experience in the region that some Israelis would step forward on this, even in a politically delicate situation - not so oddly it is the moderates on all sides trying to do business that know each other.
Continue reading "Bedfellows & Commerce: Israel's Zim Lines Supports DPW (Updated)"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:57 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
February 28, 2006
Pre-stomped idiocy: Iran's Oil Bourse
The vast threat to the dollar of euro-denominated oil sales has been a sub-theme of some of the less reality-based discussion on the Left of the "true" causes of the Iraq war.
Now it's coming up again, but this time related to Iran's "oil bourse". John Pilger is apparently responsible for the latest round of hype:
Blair knows this. He also knows the real reasons for an attack and the part Britain is likely to play. Next month, Iran is scheduled to shift its petrodollars into a euro-based bourse. The effect on the value of the dollar will be significant, if not, in the long term, disastrous. At present the dollar is, on paper, a worthless currency bearing the burden of a national debt exceeding $8 trillion and a trade deficit of more than $600 billion. The cost of the Iraq adventure alone, according to the Nobel Prizewinning economist Joseph Stiglitz, could be $2 trillion. America's military empire, with its wars and 700-plus bases and limitless intrigues, is funded by creditors in Asia, principally China.
Fortunately, saner heads have already gotten to the question. I will refer all readers to Daily Kos contributor extraordinaire Jerome a Paris: Let me kill off once and for all the Iranian oil bourse story.
Continue reading "Pre-stomped idiocy: Iran's Oil Bourse"
Posted by tomscud at 08:58 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 17, 2006
MENA Investment & FDI: Oh my, they control our ports (Updated: Dubai & US Ports)
Foreign direct investment often provokes among the less than economically literate frightened reactions about loss of control - sometimes justified but in general, not. That politicians exploit tribal fears of foreigners controlling the jewels of the nation (whichever nation) is perhaps not surprising. It is always depressing. As we pass through a small storm of Islamic versus Western tensions, it is not surprising that the forces of unreason, emotive fear sweeping MENA, etc. have had an influence.
[Update: related post chez my Lounsbury den of iniquity, with respect to blog commentary and xenophobia, a small obs and question posed.]
[Update II: My coyness aside, a discussion of the Dubai Port World - US Ports issue broke at at the above commentary linked at Lounsbury - after some obligatory beating of a sensless commentator sensless.]
Continue reading "MENA Investment & FDI: Oh my, they control our ports (Updated: Dubai & US Ports)"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 02:56 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 04, 2006
Upon Leaving Foreign Climes, Gulf Hospitality and Sabotaged Reunions
Travelling to Saudi Arabia is always, to put it euphemistically, a rich experience. Travelling to Saudi Arabia from a Western European country as an unmarried fatherless Muslim female (on a direct flight that leaves no time for a merciful hiatus in a half-way house such as Bahrain or Qatar) feels like being beamed up by Scotty.
The trauma starts early, before leaving the faceless European airport. Travellers to Saudi Arabia are easily distingushable from other holiday makers and business travellers. They have that haggard look of the condemned about them, the look of the drowning man coming up for one last gasp of air before his frantic splashes subside. Saudi matriarchs sit apathetically as their children explore the terminal followed by even more apathetic Asian maids. Arab expat families and couples carrying their Harrods and Selfridges bags tour the duty free area refusing to sit down to roll over and die as the generic Lebanese looking woman circles the terminal in her high heels mindful of the fact that this is her last public performance for some time. Expat white workers are the most desperate of all as they sit in airport bars quickly and deliberately downing rounds of drinks, each one a different concoction. One doesn't know if this is to lull themselves into a stupor to soften the blow or if this is just a binge before the fast.
Continue reading "Upon Leaving Foreign Climes, Gulf Hospitality and Sabotaged Reunions"
Posted by bint ash-shaitan at 10:17 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
February 01, 2006
Foreign Workers and Labour Rights in the Gulf
Last year I attended a Sunni-Shia wedding for an old friend of mine (this is an entry on its own, but for another time). It was a truly international affair with guests from North America, Europe, the Mideast, Africa and Asia. One of bride’s relatives flew in from the UAE with her husband, two young children and two nannies in tow. One nanny for each child of course: a young south Indian man for the boy and a Filipino woman for the girl. Both children were absolutely insufferable and threw tantrums constantly, only to be whisked out of sight or amused in a desperate fashion by their respective nannies until they settled down. After a time I began to suspect the boy was developmentally delayed (this is not simply because he was supremely irritating, there were clearly speech issues), but it seemed as though neither parent had noticed. His nanny, barely literate and sweet-natured, was tasked mainly with keeping the child happy, clean and well-fed. He clearly did not have the authority to discipline, a fact that the boy realized and used to his advantage. The girl was somewhat quieter, but the dynamic with her nanny was largely the same. Both nannies were subjected to verbal and physical abuse by their tiny and tyrannical charges, but they bore it gamely, if at times wearily. The parents, while not overtly classist/racist, were still very condescending when interacting with "the help". Naturally, their children noticed and imitated this behaviour.
Continue reading "Foreign Workers and Labour Rights in the Gulf"
Posted by eerie at 09:35 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
January 20, 2006
Media, Business & Problems
Our Dear Father of Aardvarks has an interesting posty on al Jazeerah's market position and some recent claims that al Arabiyah is beating it out that has interest from both commercial and socio-political points of view.
Continue reading "Media, Business & Problems"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 12, 2006
100 Dead in Mecca Haj, Maybe Many More [Updated 12 Jan, 2006: 345 plus dead]
Sad to hear of the unnecessary deaths of worshippers at the Haj in Mecca by a crowd crush, apparently. Reports indicate first figures of 100 dead may be exceeded by a factor of 3 or more.
At this point, we can ask: shouldn't the authorities be ready for this risk? This type of thing has happened, what, three times now? It is understandable that the growth of transportation in modern times may have made the city unprepared at certain stages for larger crowds, but this is not some economically deprived area, unable to create infrastructure or employ crowd specialists?
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 11:00 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
January 11, 2006
Free Trade? Oh, man! -- Event in D.C. on US-Oman Agreement
The US-Omani Free Trade agreement is the subject of this (free attendance!) meeting in Washington DC at the CATO Institute Wednesday January 18 at noon, followed by a (free!) lunch, for those Western Hemispheroids who are interested. I, if able to be there, or other readers, may pass along (free!) questions/comments volunteered. Speakers on (free!) trade include:
Maqbool Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Oman
Salem Ben Nasser Al Ismaily, Omani Center for Investment Promotion and Export Development
Fred McMahon, Centre for Globalization Studies, Fraser Institute
Subject: "Advancing Economic Freedom in the Middle East, The U.S.-Omani Free-Trade Agreement"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 10:18 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 05, 2006
Mecca: Saudi Building Codes
A horrible illustration of what corruption does for you: a Haj hostel collapses killing at least dozens.
Now not that old buildings don't collapse from time to time, but corruption in KSA clearly is a reason for this (and the constant problems KSA has with the Hajj and fatal accidents tied to poor infrastructure, although to be fair to the Saudis - why escapes me at the moment - one has to acknowledge that many moujahiroun on Hajj have no clue as to how to behave in urban circumstances).
Continue reading "Mecca: Saudi Building Codes"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 06:25 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 03, 2006
Plus ca change
From Dubai (1976) - Robin Moore:
"He couldn't help but feel, after ten years' service in such Arab countries as Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and the Gulf States (he was always careful to think and say Arabian Gulf, not Persian Gulf, in Arab countries), that there was a very legtimate Arab point of view on the Middle East conflict between Arab and Jew. It was his observation that American diplomacy was weighted in favour of Israel and that the Arab outlook was either distorted in the American press or in American thinking, or it was ignored. He had seen all sides of the question in intimate, close-up detail. He had learned to speak Arabic well and Hebrew passably and he understood the grievances on both sides equally. And he still thought the Arab world, which to date had made little effective protest within the American power structure, was getting the splintered end of the stick."
Posted by secretdubai at 10:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 24, 2005
The bubble bursteth?
A Christmas crash for soaring sandland stocks:
Retailers dump UAE stocks
Posted: Friday, December 23, 2005
Dubai: Retail investors put the skids under UAE shares and drove the Dubai market perilously close to the 1.000 point level that analysts say could trigger an institutional sell-off.
The Dubai index, which has fallen steadily since hitting a record high on November 9, closed 4.79 per cent lower at 1,003.72 points. The Abu Dhabi index finished 3.03 per cent down at 4,984.21 points.
Brokers said retail investors were behind most of the selling.
'There is real fear among the small, day traders. This is a clear sign that sentiment has turned,' said Mohammed Yassin of Emirates Capital Corporation.
In Dubai more than 78 million shares traded hands, just above the daily average for a week that has generally seen moderate volumes. The focus next week will be whether the market can keep the index above the key support level of 1000.
'If the index falls below that level then some institutions will have to start selling. I don't expect panic but there will be a gradual sell-off, which could exacerbate the correction,' said one fund manager. [Reuters]
Posted by secretdubai at 04:28 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
The bubble bursteth?
A Christmas crash for soaring sandland stocks:
Retailers dump UAE stocks
Posted: Friday, December 23, 2005
Dubai: Retail investors put the skids under UAE shares and drove the Dubai market perilously close to the 1.000 point level that analysts say could trigger an institutional sell-off.
The Dubai index, which has fallen steadily since hitting a record high on November 9, closed 4.79 per cent lower at 1,003.72 points. The Abu Dhabi index finished 3.03 per cent down at 4,984.21 points.
Brokers said retail investors were behind most of the selling.
'There is real fear among the small, day traders. This is a clear sign that sentiment has turned,' said Mohammed Yassin of Emirates Capital Corporation.
In Dubai more than 78 million shares traded hands, just above the daily average for a week that has generally seen moderate volumes. The focus next week will be whether the market can keep the index above the key support level of 1000.
'If the index falls below that level then some institutions will have to start selling. I don't expect panic but there will be a gradual sell-off, which could exacerbate the correction,' said one fund manager. [Reuters]
Posted by secretdubai at 04:28 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
December 23, 2005
Skeletons aren't the only things in closets here
The least bad local paper ran two stories alongside one another yesterday, each ostensibly about Elton John's marriage to (well, civil partnership with) David Furnish. What I found interesting was the way the first and second stories differed.
The first, which was longer and given the top of the page, exclusively quoted people who opposed gay marriages. The people who were quoted could reliably be expected to take a particular line- two were figures from local churches and two more were prominent UAE academics, (unfortunately but predictably) including one who wants to register the UAE's first independent human rights organization. That fact was notable by its absence from this article.
The second article was somewhere between neutral and pro-gay marriage. The only national quoted opposed gay marriage in his own backyard. The last names of people who are quoted do not appear in the article; neither do their places of work (contrast with other article). Also note the phrase "gives a stuff" in this 'family' newspaper. But what grabbed my attention was the first line:
For the rest of Dubai Elton John's wedding is a minor event. But for one shadowy and little-understood minority of Dubaians, it is a very special day.
The author simply cannot explicitly acknowledge that there actually are gay people here. Whenever anyone is caught for 'immoral activities,' the media always describes them as some sort of freaks whose acts are alien to all that the local culture stands for, but a tiny aberration in an otherwise moral country. I suspect it is going to be a fair while before that changes.
Posted by dubaiwalla at 08:58 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 18, 2005
Yemen, Democracy and Stupidity
U.S. Ideals Meet Reality in Yemen
By David Finkel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 18, 2005; A01
An interesting if excessively personalised article on the ludicrous Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) initiative and other US Gov "democratisation" efforts in the MENA region.
Continue reading "Yemen, Democracy and Stupidity"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 10:53 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
December 07, 2005
The Saudi Women's Driving Protest: 15 Years Later
Faiza Ambah writes in the Christian Science Monitor on the 15 years that have elapsed since a dramatic protest by some Saudi women over their lack of driving rights.
Just to be a curmudgeon, I note this passage: "But the opposition to driving often comes from women themselves. A group of some 500 women, including university professors, doctors, journalists, and teachers, sent a petition to King Abdullah in July saying they wanted things to stay the way they were."
Continue reading "The Saudi Women's Driving Protest: 15 Years Later"
Posted by Matthew Hogan at 07:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 29, 2005
Sex!
Because let's face it, it's the entries with sex that seem to attract the most attention.
First, the scary. The UAE is planning hormone treatment for gay men.
Next, a somewhat amusing story about marriage in Saudi Arabia.
And finally, the story of a stupid fake pimp in Bahrain. Note how people from other Gulf states visit Bahrain- much as they do Dubai- for leisure activities that would not be tolerated at home.
Posted by dubaiwalla at 11:09 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
November 23, 2005
Sharia Products: Market grows for Muslim investors
Laying in bed mildly delusional from anti-haemorrhagatic drugs and other items, I thought I might indulge myself in a reflexion on an interesting arty from The Financial Times on Islamic Finance and products.
The arty in question Market grows for Muslim investors covers some interesting territory even if it is a bit general.
As I can not think of a better time to indulge in commentary on sharia products than when slightly delusional from from anti-haemorrhagatic drugs, what follows are some comments on the text itself:
Continue reading "Sharia Products: Market grows for Muslim investors"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:09 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 28, 2005
Ahmadinejad and Israel
What's going on in Iran? First the country's president calls for Israel to be "wiped off the map." Naturally, this doesn't go down well at all internationally, with the Israelis going so far as to call for Iran's expulsion from the UN. So Iran's Moscow embassy issues a statement saying the president didn't mean to "speak up in such sharp terms," and we are reminded that such statements are made all the time during rallies but don't really mean anything.
So the new president made a stupid diplomatic error, not realizing his new position makes his words carry more weight. And after his country's ambassadors are summoned to various European capitals to explain their government's actions, all this will die down, right? So then why is Iran stupidly upping the ante by ordering its diplomats in Western countries to launch protests there against Europe's attitudes towards 'Zionist crimes'? My own take is that Iran's foreign policy, more or less directionless since Ahmadinejad came to power a few months ago, is starting to go down the tubes.
Posted by dubaiwalla at 06:18 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
October 22, 2005
"Not the kind of state the coalition had hoped to create"
Prospect magazine has a very interesting article by Rory Stewart, a former governing deputy for the UK in two southern Iraqi provinces. He discusses in considerable detail the different Shi'ite political parties (and their associated militias) and the ways in which they have held used their power in the South, before concluding:
The new order in southern Iraq is, in short, hard to define. It is an improvement on the political exclusion and sadistic inhumanity of Saddam and has a great deal to teach the Sunni areas about prosperity, security and politics. But it is also reactionary, violent, intolerant towards women and religious minorities and uncooperative with the coalition. The new leaders have dark histories and dubious allies; they enforce a narrow social code and ignore the rural areas.
Continue reading ""Not the kind of state the coalition had hoped to create""
Posted by tomscud at 06:46 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 19, 2005
Iraq: Lowered Expectations
I’ll be honest with you, nobody around here wants to write about Iraq. Sure, the country has the trappings of democracy: political parties, elections and a draft constitution that may soon be ratified by popular referendum. It's certainly useful to ramble on about these "accomplishments" when uncomfortable questions about troop withdrawals come up, but do they really reflect democratic development? What do a bunch of purple fingers mean in the face of growing insurgency, ethnic/sectarian attempts to maximize factional interests, a constitution that favors federalism and obvious signs that religious conservatives are now a dominant political force?
There are a good number of governments that do not represent citizens or uphold individual rights in spite of their constitutions, referenda, elections and political parties (Miss Mabrouk has a nice summary of Egypt's election shenanigans). Just because Iraqis have gone to the polls a few times doesn’t mean they have a functioning democracy or even a self-sustaining government, for that matter. Iraq’s financial situation (or put another way, its utter dependence on the US taxpayer) is a useful example of non-viability. FT notes that the Iraqi government’s reliance on US assistance has resulted in a disincentive to curb its own expenditures:
Some US officials are also arguing that the US has to start disengaging from its role as Iraq's economic prop. This push has alarmed defence contractors, which are lobbying against such a move.
The $10bn (€8.3bn, £5.7bn) of US taxpayers' money spent so far on economic reconstruction has had limited effect, officials and analysts say, in part because of the insurgency and high insurance costs. The aid also serves to discourage the Iraqi government from making tough decisions, such as cutting back food and fuel subsidies that consume close to 40 per cent of their budget, which is projected to run a $6bn deficit.
Continue reading "Iraq: Lowered Expectations"
Posted by eerie at 11:06 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 11, 2005
Ramadan TV & Terror
Of interest to the media, terror and culture people here, a fine little story on a Ramadan soap that I have been following (or rather, am forced to follow unless I hole myself up in my office) on MBC: Syria launches terror-themed soap for Ramadan.
I caught this referenced online somewhere, but had actually been watching the series without knowing where it was going, although the last episode (10 September on MBC) gave the game away with the somewhat dime Khaliji character getting brainwashed by a ultra-Salafi takfiri type activist. That and the chica who is the implied wheel-chair bound narrator pulling or slipping back her hidjab to show nasty scarring.
Continue reading "Ramadan TV & Terror"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:11 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 04, 2005
Ramadan Competition (updated)
Once again we have the peculiar situation of Ramadan beginning on different days in the region
Middle East Muslims begin Ramadan. Although not noted, Morocco and Tunisia, like Oman are going to start a day later.
Whether true or not, there is widespread perception (among Maghrebines) that these decisions (in the case of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria) are political - to show "indepedence."
A queer dynamic.
[An Update & Clarification]
Per a comment made, I believe I should expand and clarify for certain sub-literates who were or are unable to parse this and thus came to the rather queer understanding this comment was motivated by a lack of understanding of how Ramadan works:
Continue reading "Ramadan Competition (updated)"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:57 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 02, 2005
US Military Drops Corpse-for-Porn Investigation
I was having a pretty good Sunday up until a couple of hours ago. Had just picked up a few books on Averroes (Ibn Rushd) to get in the mood for an upcoming trip to Andalucia with a few of the ‘Aqoul authors when I noticed something rather disturbing on Miss Mabrouk’s blog:
Net body photos inquiry dropped
A preliminary investigation had failed to determine if US soldiers had posted the gruesome pictures and whether these showed actual war dead, officials said...
"If the army thinks it's in its interest to investigate something, we will.
"There are multiple challenges here. One is the anonymity of the sources, dates, times, locations, units, anything that is reasonably identifiable that we can work off of.
"Any time new information becomes available that's credible... they potentially could reopen the case," [Colonel Joseph Curtin] said.
Continue reading "US Military Drops Corpse-for-Porn Investigation"
Posted by eerie at 05:13 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
September 29, 2005
IPO madness
Earlier comments here have drawn attention to the surplus of liquidity in the region, and the resulting stock market bubble. So what happens when there's an IPO for a UAE company and no way to apply for shares in Abu Dhabi?
[T]he Dana Gas IPO brought chaos to UAE banks with would-be subscribers falling over themselves to pick up application forms. All flights from Saudi Arabia to the UAE have been booked solid for days and 33,000 people crossed the border in the past four days, according to local officials.
Several banks had to close their doors to control the crowds and some banks reported scuffles as the crowds struggled to get to the counters. At least one incident was reported in which a security guard was roughed up.
New laws regulating IPOs will soon be ready in the UAE. But I believe a stock market crash is inevitable regardless.
Posted by dubaiwalla at 02:01 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 28, 2005
Big Media Catches On: Images of Iraqi Carnage Exchanged For Porn
Well, seems like the BBC, FT and others finally noticed that website where photos of dead Iraqis were posted in exchange for access to amateur porn.
We mentioned it on August 21, after Nur al-Cubicle's commentary popped up on the 'Aqoul feed aggregator.
I really can't think of a more abhorrent combination for Arab sensibilities. Has it hit the sats yet?
Posted by eerie at 02:51 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Sexy Arab Abaya Women, Assumptions: US Pub Diplo Meet in KSA
Returning to a subject more or less dear to 'Aqoul, women in the Arab world, for a moment, I wanted to draw attention to this intriguing article from the visit by US public diplomacy director Karen Hughes to Saudi Arabia: Saudi Women Have Message for U.S. Envoy
Let me first say little in the article was surprising to me (including Ms. Hughes surprise that the "Sisters" did not look at their cultural heritage and mores in the same light as she expected), but it is a useful one for reflexion. Thus some comments on the article:
Update: The Financial Times also has this story. Better done actually.
Continue reading "Sexy Arab Abaya Women, Assumptions: US Pub Diplo Meet in KSA"
Posted by The Lounsbury at 09:25 AM | Comments (20) | TrackBack
September 11, 2005
Well, Secret Dubai Gets High Profile Mention
Nothing like fame for our colleague and friend.
Dubai Opens Door Wide to News Media, but Journalists Note a Catch
The quote: "More controversially, content that verges on the political has also been blocked: Secret Dubai Diary, a quirky blog about Western expatriate life here, was blocked for weeks this summer, raising howls from the blogger community. Etisalat says users can appeal to have a block removed."
Very nice. Quirky, though, irritates.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 08:08 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
August 29, 2005
Iraq: Lessons from History
Wilson was a confident and bullish colonial official who was wrestling with a serious dilemma. How, under intense international scrutiny, could he control a well-armed society that had become increasingly resentful about the occupation of their country? Wilson himself never found satisfactory answers to this question. On July 2, 1920, a revolt, or thawna, broke out along the lower Euphrates. Fueled by a population resentful at the heavy-handed approach of the occupying forces, the rebellion quickly spread across the south and center of the country. Faced with as many as 131,000 armed opponents, the British army did not regain full control until six months later in February 1921. The cost in lives and money of the revolt made the continued occupation of Iraq very unpopular with British public opinion. It also cost Wilson his job. From 1921 onward the British continually strove to cut the costs of their presence in Iraq. Ultimately the decision was made to extricate themselves from he country as quickly as possible. The result was a failure to build a liberal or even a stable state in Iraq. (Toby Dodge - Inventing Iraq)
This passage gets creepier every time I read it. I’ve mentioned Toby Dodge’s book before, partly for historical value and partly as a cautionary tale for people who can’t grasp the complexities associated with “remaking” a region. The reason I am flogging this dead horse yet again is a recent Washington Post article about the US struggle to foster a liberal democracy in the face of strong ethnic and sectarian pressures:
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Posted by eerie at 03:57 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
Sheikhing up UAE education
The UAE's education minister, Sheikh Nayhan bin Mubarak al Nahyan, is planning a massive overhaul of the country's education system. He has been highly critical of the current system: "Exam papers are poor and do not evaluate students' achievement. The entire teaching and evaluation systems are appalling. They allow every student to pass whether he or she studied or not."
UAE blogger Sandsoftime relates her own experience of the country's public education, and why radical reform is desperately needed:
"I had the unfortunate pleasure of going through the public education system here. I am not exaggerating when I say that I still mourn the wasted years of my youth spent in the hell hole that was my school. List of things wrong with school: Poorly paid idiotic teachers typically from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Somalia, etc. A curriculum that you can pass by just memorizing your way through, poorly written text books, crumbling infrastructure (On a side note, I visited my school a few months ago. The desk I used to sit in when I was 10 years old is STILL there more than 15 years later), widespread bullying. In other words, the entire system is designed to kill off whatever latent creativity the students may have. Those who succeed after graduating do so DESPITE their schooling and not because of it.
"Why is our education system such a mess? Because like everything else, we imported it during the 70's. We however made the dumb mistake of basing ours on the Egyptian system and other Arabic systems which themselves are based on the Ottoman System. The Ottoman system was designed around creating subservient civil servants and soldiers out of its population. Have you ever wondered why much of the Arab world is dysfunctional? Because it goes hand in hand with an equally dysfunctional education system.
"This is why national parents prefer to spend the expense on sending thier kids to International Schools here in the UAE. Despite being very expensive, the International schools here are actually pretty good and do an excellent job of preparing the students for their future. One of the side effects is the kids don't have a strong command of Arabic as thier parents, something which has become prevalent among the children of well-to do nationals.
"Our public education system needs to be demolished and rebuilt from scratch. You cannot reform a system that was built on perpetuating repression."
Posted by secretdubai at 04:34 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 16, 2005
Pimping Equity or Pissing it Away?: Private Equity & US Gov Efforts, some quick notes
A somewhat quick note building off of a comment by the esteemed Nadezhda in regards to my rapid note on a new US Gov private equity fund (also with more rough perso comments at Lounsbury ) backed by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a US parastatal investment insurance and financing house whose main line of business is political risk insurance on US direct investments in risky locales.
I have been intending - and still intend to - write some commentary on this specific issue of private equity (or in general equity finance) in the MENA region, but I thought some quick notes on this OPIC backed private equity fund for the MENA region are in order, and in response to some notes by Nadezhda - whose name I have learned to spell now.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 05:45 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 11, 2005
Market Madness or Brilliance? US Gov Private Equity for MENA Announced
At the risk of descending into flackery or something approaching it, I thought a brief comment here might be fun.
OPIC BOARD APPROVES $75 MILLION FOR MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA FUND
Certainly this plays into my personal interests.
[Updated with correction below]
[Update with a question: Is there a debate to be had here regarding using such tools for acheiving a policy goal?]
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Posted by The Lounsbury at 01:06 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 05, 2005
King Abdullah takes the throne
King Fahd, as most will doubtless know by now, has died. The playboy-turned-diplomat-turned- moderniser-turned-COTTHP1-turned-invalid has finally shuffled off this mortal coil, ten years after his last attempt and somewhat more conclusively this time.
I'm not about to praise Fahd for his reign; nor do I feel the need to blame him for the world's ills. He was a man like any other, with a man's strengths and frailties – though perhaps, like many of us, with more of the latter than the former. His incredible wealth exaggerated those traits beyond imagining.
I'm far more curious about what happens next.
There's a tendency on the part of us hacks to look for drama in a situation. It makes it more interesting to read, for sure. But in the case of a subject as complex and as opaque as the House of Saud, it doesn't really help our analyses. I will try to bear that in mind as I run through my thinking on what we're looking at in the Kingdom.
Continue reading " King Abdullah takes the throne"
Posted by yinshuisiyuan at 05:08 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 01, 2005
King Fahd is dead
A time of mourning for Saudi Arabia, as King Fahd dies:
RIYADH, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Saudi state television interrupted regular broadcasting with recitations of the Koran and one Western diplomat said he had information that King Fahd had died in hospital on Monday.
"Sources at King Faisal Specialist Hospital have informed us that he (King Fahd) is dead," the diplomat said. He did not give further details.
Eighty-one year old Crown Prince Abdullah takes the throne, while international observers fret about the future succession.
Posted by secretdubai at 03:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 29, 2005
Furthering Political Integration in the Gulf Cooperation Council
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a grouping of six states on the Arabian peninsula- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE- formed in 1981. Each of the aforementioned states is an absolute monarchy that depends upon hydrocarbons as the primary source of revenue for its rentier economy. The organization’s record on cooperation thus far has been mixed. Significant decisions require the unanimous support of all six member states. The GCC acts an effective bloc only when members’ national interests coincide. However, when consensus cannot be reached, decision-making is blocked.
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Posted by dubaiwalla at 06:45 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 27, 2005
On IMF, Populism, Yemen & Jordan: Populism as Self Defeat, or why subsidy riots are not wins
A small note in response to a note by our friend, the Father of Aardvark(s) (hmmmm, I believe that I should create an Arabised plural, and for the sheer fun of it, a broken one, so from now on, Abu Aardvark to me is Abu Araadvaraak (abusing grammar and presuming Ardvark is a compound word), or in Maghrebine form Bou Aradvrak). on the 'victory' of the Yemani street in reversing the revision of subsidised petrol prices.
Posted by The Lounsbury at 03:09 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 26, 2005
Turns Out Iran's History Begins Before the Hostage Crisis - Part 1
Why is this guy blathering on about Iranian history?
It turns out that Iran's history begins before the '79 Hostage Crisis.
The first book I'm taking notes from wants to start even before Mohammed (pbuh, of course). The book is Roots of Revolution by Nikki R. Keddie w/ a section by Yann Richard.
Now, some of you may ask why I didn't go straight to Ervand Abrahamian's* The Iranian Mojahedin. There's more than one reason why. To start, his work is disputed by the PMOI. For me to use his work to gainsay the PMOI seems needlessly arbitrary. Second, I need at least some sort of a minimalist landscape to use as background for the portrait of the MKO in my mind. I need some deeper history. Third, that book's not in at my local library.
It's interesting that in the preface both Juan Cole and Michael Ledeen are given thanks for their help in making the book possible. These are two folks who are seen in American, popular, political culture as residing on opposite sides of a fence- one a pro-neocon visionary and the other a librul with qualms about nuking Mecca. The book was published back in 1981 when, presumably, the differences between the two fellas were less hyped.
Continue reading "Turns Out Iran's History Begins Before the Hostage Crisis - Part 1"
Posted by Simon W. Moon at 07:10 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 23, 2005
Another 9-11: Christmas for the Mojahedin-e Khalq?
According to former CIA agent turned journo, Philip Giraldi, Cheney has told STRATCOM to draw up a plan for responding to another major terrorist attack on the US with an assault on Iran. It'd be a full scale affair including "a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons." And, "As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States."
The piece is featured in Aug 1 print edition of American Conservative Magazine
Hopefully, this is what Senator Kyl would call "over the top bluster" on Mr. Giraldi's part. If not, if there's some substance to this characterization of the plans, another tragic attack on the US could be the opening the Sazeman-e Mojahedin-e Khalq-e Iran have been waiting for. They may be able to leverage tragedy and their not insignificant support among various US political actors into an expense paid trip to the remains of Tehran.
Posted by Simon W. Moon at 12:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 21, 2005
Secret Dubai Diary Blocked by the UAE
One of 'Aqoul's contributors, secretdubai, now has firsthand experience with UAE's strict internet censorship practices. Her blog, Secret Dubai Diary, was apparently blocked by UAE's Etisalat internet provider after she published a (rather funny) poem based on Gilbert & Sullivan.
The resulting furor has been picked up by local news:
Bloggers express disappointment over web block
Secret Dubai Diary, a weblog that examines UAE life from an occasionally ironic perspective, was blocked for visitors using Etisalat servers on Sunday.
"I have never heard or read of a Dubai blog being blocked before," says Adnan Arif, an award-winning UAE-based blogger. "Out of all the UAE-based blogs it is the most interesting. It is probably the first blog to hit on a formula that works for local readers."
Continue reading "Secret Dubai Diary Blocked by the UAE"
Posted by eerie at 12:24 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 03, 2005
Burning bridges, breaking borders
Gulf Arabs and expats are fairly consistent in their opinion of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom and its oppressive laws and corruption are resented and despised, and businesses trips to the Kingdom are generally loathed and dreaded. The statement: "I've got to fly to Riyadh tomorrow" provokes more sympathy and spine-shuddering among males (given female expats are lucky enough to usually escape the experience by dint of owning a vagina) than any personal tragedy.
Now Saudi Arabia is objecting to a causeway that the UAE plans to build to Qatar, to make travel easier. One could already travel between the UAE and Qatar by land, if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wasn't so backwards, restrictive and uncooperative as to make it impossible for anyone to pass through a tiny bit of its land. Land which - according to some maps and opinions - does not even belong to KSA anyway.
Click maps to enlarge
According to other reports, Saudi Arabia is also dead set against the building of a bridge that Qatar and Bahrain are currently planning to build. “This is because Riyadh fears this kind of bridges would enhance the affinity and rapprochement between the small member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council."
"Relations among the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain are currently witnessing improvement, making the kingdom to see how their relations develop within the Gulf environment. This follows the distancing of Bahrain and UAE from the kingdom in recent times, while Oman is closer to the new Gulf bloc of the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. As for Kuwait, it is now keeping a close eye on the developments before it decides where to align itself", the report said.
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Posted by secretdubai at 01:21 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 02, 2005
The Struggle of Moderate Islam
The following letter was written to the Khaleej Times newspaper on 26 April 2005.
Moderation good for Muslims
"ISLAM recognises no theocracy, and no overlordship of any religious leader or party. Each believer prays directly to God without any intermediary. So in a way, the authority of our clergy rests on very shaky foundations." Irfan Hussain (KT, April 21) has hit the nail on the head.
I really appreciate you for publishing this wonderful opinion. Some clerics go rampant not only in Pakistan, but also in Bangladesh and many other developing Muslim nations. Muslim parents in these countries send their children to 'madrassas' to learn about Islam and its beauty.
But, unfortunately, the children learn an extreme form of Islam created by misinterpreting the teachings of Holy Quran and the 'hadith' in an aggressive way by these clerics. They merely take advantage of the poverty and illiteracy to inject the doctrine of violence and hatred in the veins of young pupils. They portray the image of non-Muslims somewhat like 'untouchables'.
The acquiring of knowledge is treated as a sin and moderation is seen as transgression. The beauty of Islam is completely destroyed. Thus, the religion of peace is transformed into a religion of terror. The teachings of these clerics suggest Muslims are born only to go for ‘jihad’ and dying irrationally will help them acquire salvation.
Jihad is allowed only when the enemies target us, and the killing of innocent people for the sin they never committed is not jihad, but an extreme sin. God created every human being and only God has the power to take the lives of His creatures. Islam teaches us to respect life, not destroy it. These clerics should not be encouraged. They transgress, invent, and destroy the true teachings of Islam.
The Muslim governments should keep these people in check in order to progress and make our mark in the world. The acquiring of knowledge should get top priority. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always taught the believers to acquire knowledge and to spread knowledge. We should follow his holy teachings.
— Mohd. Salekun Noor, Fujairah
Posted by secretdubai at 04:39 PM | Comments (3)