Is there light at the end of the tunnel for the Arab world?
Many in the Middle East are asking if they can be assured of a future which will provide for their needs and aspirations. Unfortunately, a quick look at the map of the area does…
Articles
Columns and opinion pieces, in English and Arabic.
Showing 81–100 of 114
Incompetence, corruption and negligence: Who is to blame?
While going through the local daily papers, I came across several headlines that continue to signify the inability of government departments to address outstanding shortcomings that are responsible for the delay of progress in…
Stop these preachers of hate!
A Gulf paper reported the suspension of the Twitter account of a Saudi preacher who urged followers on social media networking websites to celebrate the death by suicide bombing of dozens of protestors in Yemen thought…
Jeddawis have had enough of false promises
Recent newspaper reports have focused on the tragic deaths of a father and son who both fell into an uncovered manhole in Jeddah.The incident has caused great alarm and has opened the wounds of…
Malala’s heroic struggle for education
Friday’s announcement that the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India was not a surprise to many. At 17, Ms. Yousafzai is the youngest…
Let’s teach our youth to accept and build not to destroy
The decision to attack the so-called Islamic State or “Daish”, as it is called in Arabic, strongholds in Syria and Iraq was welcomed by many, if not by all. This organization or cult has…
Compassion starts at Arafat
Today hundreds of thousands of Hajis are gathered on the plains of Arafat. All dressed in white and from all over the world.Black, white, Africans, Asians, Caucasians, Orientals, Anglo-Saxons, they have all come to…
Let’s make government innovation a high priority
A center for government innovation was opened earlier this month in Dubai. The first of its kind in the Arab world, it will research and provide services including the organizing of government creativity labs…
The battle against domestic abuse in Saudi Arabia
The social services department in Jazan is investigating the case of a boy who was reportedly severely battered by his father. A picture of the boy’s savagely lacerated skull figured prominently in a local…
Public calls for severe punishment of extremists
In the past few days, two striking cases of misconduct by public sector employees have caught the attention of people at home and around the region. The first was that of a Saudi immigration…
Punish Saudis who misbehave abroad
Two Kuwaiti lawmakers have called for revoking the passports of any Kuwaiti who harms the country’s reputation abroad amid embarrassing reports about Kuwaiti travelers making a nuisance and a spectacle of themselves in public.In…
High Noon in Pakistan
In Pakistan a Mexican standoff is taking place. Opposition politician Imran Khan, who recently called off talks with the elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and populist cleric Tahir ul-Qadri are parked in…
Actions, not words, needed to counter terror
There are reports in the Saudi media about directives issued to mosque imams to pray against the Islamic State (IS), also called “Daish”, and other extremist organizations and portray them as “deviant groups”.More needs…
We want friends, not masters!
The savage bombing of Gaza, its total demolishing and the targeted killing of Palestinian children by Israeli airstrikes truly shocked ordinary people throughout the world. Images of blown-apart children, mutilated bodies, burned out mosques…
The cycle of violence in Gaza cannot go on
The relentless Israeli bombing of Gaza for the past few days continues unabated. In fact it is increasing by the hour and the death toll is rising. Most affected are children and women.What is…
Leading from the front
Opinion: I read an article recently about how over 50 percent of employees in government offices are either late or do not turn up for work and that their productivity leaves much to be…
For whom does the bell toll in Syria?
It was reported recently that some European states arrested “jihadi exporting cell” members and intercepted would-be jihadis on their way to fight in Syria. Also, in Britain a couple of weeks ago, there were…
Saudi Arabia will no longer tolerate rude behavior!
There was a report in the local press about the suspension of a security guard found standing in an inappropriate manner at the Holy Kaaba. The picture taken by a visitor went viral on…
I was determined to have it our way
Today I take a step forward from the day-to-day running of a newspaper. I have always been a media person, and journalism has always been my passion. Although I’ve had the privilege to be…
We need a health care system that is a credit to the nation
The coronavirus (MERS) crisis and the scare it is giving to society should be viewed as a test case. We have been hearing about this virus for almost two years and every report on…