Gulf region
All countries-
War in the Persian GulfWhen data centres become targets
Backed by the US, Gulf states have invested heavily in AI infrastructure, giving Iran a strategic target: a single strike could disrupt banking, healthcare and public services. But there are ways to protect civilian computing infrastructure from attack.
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Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-SudaniIraq's economic reform experiment
Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani is banking on hands-on reforms and new infrastructure projects to restore trust in the state. His approach has delivered short-term stability and popularity. But Iraq's oil dependence and economic weaknesses remain.
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Iran WarWill the Gulf states stand together?
Hard hit by Iranian attacks, the business model of the Gulf states is under attack. Yet they are far from defenceless: with coordination—and unity—they could establish themselves as powerful agents of change.
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Bushra Khalfan's "Dilshad"Three generations of Omani history
Bushra Khalfan's award-winning "Dilshad" traces the story of one family through 20th-century Oman, shedding light on the untold stories of marginalised women and their fight for agency.
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Muslim month of pilgrimageHajj – a vision of interfaith solidarity
When Muslims turn to the Kaaba as a common centre point, they are reminded of their sacred bond with the entire human race and their special relationship with the other Abrahamic religions
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Saudi ArabiaWomen drive the Kingdom's thriving startup scene
A flourishing entrepreneurial scene is transforming the Saudi business world. Startups contribute to the nation's branding efforts and aim to tackle unemployment, as the Gulf state aims to move away from its dependence on oil
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Reform IslamTranscending the secular-sacred divide
Sherman Jackson's "The Islamic Secular" makes a compelling case for an alternative understanding of 'secular', which is neither outside religion nor a rival to it
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Desert X AlUla 2024"The desert is demanding new ways of seeing"
Over the past three years, there has been a shift in perception around the Saudi Arabian art scene, and at this year's DesertX, artists benefitted from freer expression
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Climate change in IraqWhen the water buffalo die
Iraq is one of the nations hardest hit by climate change. But the 'land between the two rivers' isn't just drying out, it's also battling groundwater contamination as a result of oil production
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Women's rights in Saudi ArabiaAisha al-Mana – the first woman to drive a car in Riyadh
When people talk about feminism in the Middle East, they usually mean women in Cairo, Beirut or Damascus. Saudi-Arabia, on the other hand, rarely gets a mention. Local activist Aisha al-Mana proved a trailblazer for women in the region
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Bahla: 'City of djinns'Magical myths haunt ancient Omani oasis
Deep in Oman's parched interior, the ancient oasis town of Bahla abounds with myths of camel-eating, fire-mouthed hyenas and men turning into donkeys – a reputation for magic and mystery that persists to this day
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Regional perspectives on the Gaza warThe Middle East conflict is back
In recent years the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had gradually become uncoupled from the other lines of conflict in the Middle East. This "encapsulation of the Middle East conflict" may be off the table for now, but it does nothing to change the parameters of the larger regional struggle for dominance
