As the world marks Arabic Language Day, it is only fair to pay tribute to this rich dialect that has inspired many western languages. Many younger Arab generations are constantly accused of abandoning Arabic for the sake of learning western …

Global democracy has had another bad year, but popular protests show the potential for democratic renewal, The Economist Intelligence Unit reports. After showing stagnation in 2018, the EIU’s Democracy Index – which assesses the global state of democracy – deteriorated …

From Salvini to Orbán, ethno-nationalists are hijacking religious themes to fuel their agenda. Progressives need to fight back By Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Anton Jäger, for The Guardian (*) Why are so many religious citizens drawn to the rhetoric of authoritarian …

By Khalid Al-Jaber and Giorgio Cafiero, for LobeLog (*) Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain’s football associations recently announced that they would participate in the Arabian Gulf Cup football tournament, which begins tomorrow. As many experts have …

New survey data shows that demonstrators feel more important, and prouder to be Iraqi, than before ! By Munqith Dagher, for The Washington Post (*) Iraq’s recent demonstrations are among the bloodiest protests in its modern history. Nearly 500 Iraqis …

As the government relaxes restrictions on men and women working and socializing together, coffeehouses are on the front lines of change. By Vivian Yee, for The New York Times (*) RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—For insight into these head-spinning times in Saudi …

The aim of this guide is to assist members of EuroMed Rights and other human rights NGOs to understand EU policies and decision-making structures, taking into account the changes introduced by the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) since 2015, the EU …

By Agnes Helou, Journalist and writer, for Defense News (*) The so-called Arab NATO, a U.S.-led initiative, has the potential to address threats to the Gulf and the Middle East. So what is delaying the creation of such an alliance? An …

The decision to leave the oil cartel is aimed at reinforcing the country’s autonomy from its Persian Gulf neighbors. By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, for The New York Times (*) The surprising declaration by Qatar about leaving OPEC on Jan. 1 …

Musical chairs in the Iraqi parliament can no longer solve the country’s problems. By John Hannah, for the Foreign Policy (*) The United States faces an increasingly urgent set of first-order policy questions in Iraq. Spoiler alert: The answer is …