Gulf Region
All countries-
Qatar 2022
Migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap
Shafeeq Saqafi paid $3 for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when he sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi's side salvage their World Cup
-
Richard Serra sculpture in Qatar desert
4WD pilgrimage to acclaimed installation
Deep in the Qatari desert, security guards have a lonely time keeping 24-hour watch over one of the world's most isolated artworks, created by renowned U.S. sculptor Richard Serra
-
Qatar and FIFA World Cup 2022
The limits of liberalisation
Qatar’s hosting gig may have propelled the country into the international spotlight and impacted the domestic debate on social reform, but has there been any lasting progress? By Alainna Liloia
-
Lamya Kaddor on the Qatar World Cup
"Address problems, but acknowledge progress"
Lamya Kaddor, MP for Germany’s Green Party, visited Qatar with a group of parliamentarians. In interview with Claudia Mende, she advocates a differentiated picture and urges that progress in human rights also be recognised
-
Football in the Middle East
Freedom vs. oppression
"Rebel Game: The Power of Football in the Middle East and the Qatar World Cup", an anthology published by Middle East researchers Jan Busse and Rene Wildangel, takes the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar as its basis for grappling with the socio-political and historical relevance of football in the Middle East. By Mirjam Schmidt
-
Let's talk about sex, habibi!
Love and desire from Cairo to Casablanca
Berlin journalist Mohamed Amjahid writes humorously and very intimately about how people experience love and desire across North Africa. Melanie Christina Mohr read the book
-
Arab League 2022
Hopeless reunion in Algeria?
After a two-year hiatus, the Arab League re-convened at the beginning of November in Algiers against a backdrop of uncertainty and discord. By Pierre Boussel
-
Germany and the Gulf
Balancing ethics and economics
Germany needs a strategy when brokering deals with countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates that allows it to maintain its own moral compass. By Sebastian Sons
-
Protests in Iran
On the eve of a new world era?
Just as the Islamic Revolution fundamentally changed Iran 43 years ago and had an impact far beyond the country's borders, the current wave of protests sweeping the country is set to change more than just Iran. The era of political Islam is coming to an end. By Ali Sadrzadeh
-
Saudi Arabia
Do billion-dollar investments overseas hide a political agenda?
Saudi Arabia is using its oil wealth to invest huge sums in other countries, apparently to diversify its own economy. Critics are concerned that the build-up of financial muscle abroad could be used for political ends. Cathrin Schaer reports
-
Gender rights in the Gulf
UAE ups the ante on LGBTQ community
Queers have so far managed to live in the Gulf state by keeping a low profile. But UAE’s new crackdown on the LGBTQ community might change that, writes Jennifer Holleis
-
FIFA, France and Qatar
Qatar Airways' own goal
While the ongoing legal dispute between Qatar Airways and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has sent shockwaves across the entire global aviation sector, it may also threaten preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. By Stasa Salacanin