Countries across the Middle East have hunkered down and closed shop during the coronavirus pandemic. Other countries around the world have done the same. Although the severity of lockdowns has differed everyone has suffered, especially small businesses, and those in the tourism, aviation and the hospitality sectors. Some of the strict restrictions ...

I was shocked to read this article about the World Health Organization (WHO) and what it intends to do in Yemen. WHO is likely to suspend 80% of the health care services in the country by the end of this week. That is happening as a consequence of President Trump's decision to withdraw its funding from WHO. It's a perfect storm. With an on-going wa...

Following on from yesterday's article where I talked about the United Arab Emirates and its response to COVID-19 I'm posting this article from today's Arabian Business on the fact that the UAE is now undertaking mandatory testing for all citizens and residents. Tue 21 Apr 2020 07:49 AM UAE performed 25,795 tests and confirmed 484 new infections in ...

I've been curious to know how the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Dubai, in particular is handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the countries in the Gulf Co-operation Council, the UAE has the second highest number of deaths and cases, next to Saudi Arabia. My friend, and former colleague, tells me that the schools are closed until September- home s...

The economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been hard hit by COVID-19- as have most economies in the world. The difference is, is that money in the UAE is one of the few things that the emirate has going for it. Most people are there to make tax-free money (well, they were until VAT at 5% was imposed at the beginning of 2018). During the fina...

There is so much going on in the Middle East at the moment- the scourge of COVID-19 across the region; the war in Yemen; tensions between Iran and the US; the war in Syria; the troubled politics in Turkey, the oil-price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia and the inability of the political parties in Israel to form a government -even after a third ...

The COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity for society and "older people" in particular to use technology to engage with others, in all societies. This issue is discussed by Robynne Allison Fletcher in her regular column on technology. It's difficult to understand why coronavirus has got everyone in such as stew. It's not necessary to go back as f...

Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is struggling with meeting the demands of keeping COVID-19 under control. 9,755 Israelis have so far tested positive for Covid-19; 79 people have died. The Ultra-Orthodox Jews believe they are a scapegoat for his failings. It is testing the alliance with Likud (however informal) on which Netanyahu so depends for ...

The UAE aims to be at the forefront of medical science. That has the main reason why the free zones were formed, and in the case of medicine, Dubai Healthcare City- about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi, the capital. This article by the Oxford Business Group gives one opinion of how COVID-19 is impacting the United Arab Emirates. It also inclu...

The United States has released some US $40 million in emergency humanitarian assistance throughout the Middle East and North Africa to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Palestinians, West Bank and Gaza, are not getting it. This article explains how and why American aid is distributed. By Bryant Harris in Al Monitor The United States recentl...

Crude oil is priced at about $20 a barrel, well below its high of $150 a barrel some 10 years ago. Now that COVID-19 is affecting the whole world the oil price is unlikely to go higher. There is a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia, and Saudi is pumping out more oil. Demand is falling. What will happen? Here is an article on the subject by P...

by Lucia Dore The Middle East, like every other world region, has been hard hit by COVID-19. What the numbers are changes each day but, for the most part, the number of infections and the death rates are going up. What we do know is that the novel coronavirus has debilitated countries and individuals all over the world. For the time being, all trav...

COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus, is changing the rules of engagement for much of the world. Israel is no exception. Instead of focusing on eliminating the threat from Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, must focus on eliminating the threat from COVID-19. This article explains more. Mazal Mualem March 19, 2020 Article Summary Prime...

The Middle East is tackling the repercussions of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and a falling oil price. As of March 17, 17 Arab countries had reported COVID-19 cases on their government portals and through official state media: Qatar: 439 cases; Egypt: 166 cases and 4 deaths; Bahrain: 147 cases and 1 death; Kuwait: 130 cases; Iraq: 124 cases and 9 deaths;...

Social media has been pressured to do more in the form of preventing objectionable content. This press release talks about how New Zealand companies are at the forefront of this movement. Three of the world's largest social media companies are being pressured to do more to prevent objectionable content spreading across their platforms in the wake o...

It's impossible not to read about COVID-19, or coronavirus, as the world deals with its contagion. The result of its spread has been terrible. It shows how interconnected the world is, and the economic repercussions, along with the health ones, are huge. Airlines in all countries and tourist-based industries, as some examples, are likely to go bust...

It's impossible not to read about COVID-19, or coronavirus, as the world deals with its contagion. The result of its spread has been terrible. It shows how interconnected the world is, and the economic repercussions, along with the health ones, are huge. Airlines in all countries and tourist-based industries, as some examples, are likely to go bust...

Dominating the news, and much of everything else is COVID-19 or coronavirus. The Middle East has been hit, especially Iran, but not as badly as Italy which is the worst hit country in Europe. Iraq too is struggling and some Iraqis are rejecting coronavirus warnings. This article explains the situation there. Dana Taib Menmy March 12, 2020 The Kurdi...

The Middle East, like other regions, is struggling with COVID-19 (coronavirus). How is the virus affecting work practices? This article explores this issue. Has the world gone mad? Is the world's response to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) proportionate to the risks? While the answers to these questions can be debated, the facts are simple. At ...

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, sovereign wealth funds are still investing. On this press release from the NZ Super Fund it tells of how it has agreed to acquire a significant waterfront land holding in east Auckland, including the Formosa Golf Course. The NZ Super Fund and parties associated with Russell Property Group have agreed to acquire a s...