I was interested to read the recent survey which told of the reluctance of the Arab world (excluding the GCC States) to embrace democracy. Perhaps that is not surprising in light of the fact that democracy in some of the wealthy economies, such as the US and the UK, has proved to be ineffective. But was the so-called Arab Spring been totally unsucc...

What is the ability of desalinated water to compensate for the potential shortfall that will result because of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?  Ahmad Abdul-Rahman investigates. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, mentions water reuse and seawater desalination projects with every talk he gives,...

US president, Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East is against a backdrop of the failure to revive the nuclear agreement with Iran. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes. Despite renewed nuclear talks in Vienna that started taking place more than a year ago, a return to the nuclear deal is no longer in sight. The Iranian regime has increased the frequency of it...

Popular protests about human rights violations and sanctions continue in Iran, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman In recent months, waves of popular protests have escalated in Iran. Some protests are related to the harsh economic conditions, principally as a result of sanctions, and are directed against the Iranian regime. Other protests are linked to human...

The Gulf States have succeeded in preserving their Arabic heritage, while moving towards modernity, prosperity, and diversifying their economies , writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. The Arabian Gulf is a region that extends south from the Indian Ocean to the borders of Turkey and northern Iran.  The population of the Gulf States comprises well-known A...

The US, China and Russia are vying for more control in Iraq. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains how they are going about it. When former US President Donald Trump announced the US's withdrawal from northeastern Syria, he abandoned the Kurdish forces that had fought alongside the US against the Islamic State for Turkey. He also paved the way for the possib...

The World Bank praises the reforms implemented in Egypt since 2016, writes regular correspondent Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, minister of International Cooperation, and Tarek Amer, president of the Central Bank of Egypt and governor of Egypt at the World Bank (WB), held an extensive meeting with members of the delegation of executive di...

In this article Ahmad Abdel-Rahman looks at the outlook for Open Banking in MENA. At the beginning of 2021, fintech quickly grew in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). "The region is no stranger to this sector", says Shaimaa Al-Nazer, a researcher at the College of Computing and Information Technology at Taif University in Saudi Arabia. The wo...

Israel and Iran are getting closer, with greater co-operation between the two countries. Turkey, at the behest of Israel, is stopping terrorists in the country – but not enough to stop a threatened attack on Israeli tourists there. Turkey is a favourite holiday destination for many Israelis. At the same time, the shortage of grain and wheat is hitt...

The Maghreb is important strategically to Europe and to North America, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains the role of the region and its strategic importance. Theorists of international relations differ about the importance and role of geography in shaping foreign policy. However, they all agree that space plays an influential and decisive role. This is t...

I read this article on desalination in the UAE with a great deal of interest. That's because it was a huge problem when I lived and worked there. The economics of water did not make sense then; it still doesn't. It seemed that locals enjoyed the benefits of highly subsidised water, while foreigners had to pay much higher prices. My bill from the Du...

The Middle East could form new alliances in the coming months, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The Middle East is going through structural transformations that will impact the direction of how the region interacts with other countries, said Mahmoud Fahmy, vice president of the National Center for Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Political Sc...

Political stalemate threatens to deepen the division and prolong the conflict in Libya, says Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. Libya is not making progress politically and is in a state of political stalemate. With the election of Fathi Bashagha as second prime minister alongside Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, the country appears to be going back to the past. But it needs...

The United Nations is unable to find a solution to the tragedy in Syria, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. In a desperate attempt to resolve the complex Syrian situation, in October last year the United Nations dispatched its Special Envoy Geir Pedersen to Syria to revive the so-called Constitutional Committee from its two-year slumber. The Committee, whi...

Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes about the challenges facing the Egyptian economy and the prospects for sustainable growth. All economic sectors in Egypt are growing strongly, reducing the unemployment rate. However, many weaknesses such as high prices and high debt, along with many obstacles facing facing the private sector, are creating great challenges...

Ahmad Abd u l-Rahman writes about the challenges facing the Egyptian economy and the prospects for sustainable growth this year.  All economic sectors in Egypt are growing strongly, reducing the unemployment rate. However, many weaknesses such as high price sand high debt, along with many obstacles facing the private sector create great challe...

Will the estrangement between the US and Saudi Arabia push it to settle with Iran ?  Ahmed Abdul-Rahman investigates. As the Gulf Arab states lose faith in the US commitment to their security, they are trying to solve their problems with Tehran, Iran's capital, on their own, as shown by talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran. On Monday, April 25,...

International financial institutions confirm the soundness of the Egyptian economy and praise the government's handling of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes. The Egyptian Cabinet's Media Center published a report that included data confirming the soundness of its economy. The report stated that the country has strengthened the...

There are potential security and geopolitical repercussions of a failed state in Afghanistan, writes Ahmad Abdul- Rahman ​. The rapid and unorganised US withdrawal from Afghanistan has pushed the country into chaos and a devastating, catastrophic situation that could lead to civil war. This has regional and international security and geopolitical r...

There is a promising future for open banking services in the UAE, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks to establish itself as a major digital hub in the Middle East. The UAE, with its young, tech-savvy and entrepreneurial community, is leading the way in financial technology and digital-based companies. The UAE is aware t...