Is one dictatorship being swapped for another?

Is the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, set to become one of the most sought-after places in the world for supplying oil? One would think so, after the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, visited both countries over the last few days to encourage them to increase oil supply. Although the budgets in these...
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Ukraine, the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear talks

The Russian invasion of Ukraine seems to have dragged on for many days, yet it has only been three weeks since it started. Certainly, it seems longer than that. The impact on the Middle East has been significant, both in terms of increasing the price of staple foods such as wheat, along with the price of oil. As Russian oil becomes more expensive w...
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How Egypt plans to increase its exports to Africa

The Egyptian government wants to increase the country's exports to Africa, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. Egypt is aiming to increase its exports to the African continent so that it reaches USD10 billion by 2025. It is doing so because the continent has special geographic importance to Egypt. The most prominent features of the plan are reviewed in this...
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The Russian-Ukrainian war threatens food security in the Arab world

In this article, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman looks at how the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens food security in several Arab countries . The continuing war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion raises fears of a food crisis in several Arab countries. Even though Ukraine is geographically far from the Arab world, the impact of the Russian attack on Ukra...
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The Russian attack on Ukraine and its effects on the Middle East

In this article Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains what some of the geopolitical effects of the Russia-Ukraine war might be on the Middle East. The international conflict between Russia and Ukraine highlights the intensity of conflict between the US and Russia. Russia wants to end American hegemony in the world and shift towards a multipolar system with C...
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The Russian-Ukrainian war: the impact on MENA

The Russian-Ukrainian war is a headache for the world as well as for MENA economies specifically. Ahmed Abdel-Rahman explains how the war might impact them in terms of food supply. The Russian invasion of Ukraine looms large over the world and has prompted the largest number of countries to evacuate their nationals from Ukraine since World War II. ...
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Petrochemicals and other heavy industries set to be the future of Egypt

The petrochemical industry in Egypt is seeking to become more important globally, capturing the increase in global demand, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. He explains how this will be done. The petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilizer industries in Egypt have witnessed a huge leap in exports over the past year. As well as the fact that they are added va...
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How will the Arabs in Ukraine get out?

The nightmare of war haunts the Arab communities in Ukraine, and calls for immediate measures to mitigate the crisis, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. A war in Europe is looming. The chances of a Russian invasion of Ukraine seems likely, despite diplomatic efforts led by several European countries to defuse it. Such a dangerous situation is putting ...
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How will the removal of electricity subsidies change life for Gulf citizens?

The Gulf countries are grappling with several issues now - from the Houthis attacking the UAE to how these countries will deal with the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine- which seems to be happening as I write this. The question now is how far will Russia encroach on Ukrainian territory? These issues too apply to other Arab speaking countri...
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How will the Russia-Iran alliance play out?

In this article, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman discusses the significance of Russian-Iranian competition as well as their alliances in the Middle East, along with its political and economic dimensions. Russia views Iran as vital geographically. It is not only an important land crossings to the warm waters of the Gulf and the Indian Ocean but it is also import...
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Egypt seeks to attract investments in the green economy

The green economy in Egypt aims to attract new investments. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains how the government will achieve this. The visit of the South Korean president to Egypt from January 19 to 21 this year strengthened political and economic relations between the two countries. Both  agreed to the future expansion of joint projects to enhance...
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New corporate tax in UAE will be "entrepreneur friendly"

There is a great deal happening in the Gulf States, from attacks on the UAE by Houthi fighters, the "normalisation" of relations with Israel, oil shortages in Iran which is affecting Iraq in particular, and the UAE's generally "successful" response to Covid. The UAE has also been "successful" in controlling the message. The authorities want to make...
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Egypt's foreign policy aims to resolve regional and international crises

Egypt's foreign policy in 2021 sought to settle regional and international conflicts and offer realistic solutions to various regional and international crises, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has made a major shift in the country's foreign policy. Decisions are made that suit Egypt's long-term goals rather than re...
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What the absence of a regional security system in the Middle East could mean for regional conflict

In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains how the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, in the absence of a regional security system, could play out. The Middle East does not have a regional security system. Instead, the region relies on three factors to give it security: a balance of power, a balance of interests, and peace. These will not a...
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Amnesty International hits back on its report on Israel: it is not anti-Semitic

Amnesty International's latest report entitled "Is Israel committing the crime of apartheid" has come in for a lot of criticism from, unsurprisingly, Israel and Jews and Israelis elsewhere in the world. They protest that the report is bias, discriminatory, and anti-Semitic. Since I have received some of the treatment outlined in the report- and I a...
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How bad is Afghanistan for pregnant women?

Afghanistan has had significant news coverage recently, both because of the US pull out of troops from that country, and because a Kiwi journalist, Charlotte Bellis, who previously worked for Al Jazeera, and was reporting from Afghanistan during the pullout of US troops, has made headlines in different parts of the world. The story goes like this. ...
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Saudi restores full ties with Thailand

After a dispute lasting about 30 years, this week Saudi Arabia has decided to bury the hatchet and resume ties with Thailand. The relationship between the two countries fell apart, when in 1989 a Thai servant, Kriangkrai Techamong, who worked in the palace of Prince Faisal bin Fahd, stole 91 kg in jewellery, including the world-famous 50 carat Blue...
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Annual Peace proposal stresses human dignity and nuclear disarmament

At a time when the world is going through much change as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, attacks on the UAE by Houthi rebels and an imminent attack by Russia on Ukraine, the fact that some people are still focused on peace between countries and how to achieve this is important. Here Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International, a Bu...
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What competition with China or Russia means for the US

Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains why Washington DC has made competition with Beijing or Moscow its top priority. Competition between the US, China or Russia is a top priority for the US Administration. A report published by the US Research and Development Corporation (RAND) said that since the US announced the its 2018 National Defense Strategy: "Strate...
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How has the Egyptian pound fared against the US dollar?

In this article Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains how the Egyptian pound has strengthened against the US dollar over the past year. From the beginning of 2021 until the beginning of 2022, the Egyptian pound has held up against the US dollar. The value of the US dollar, which is determined by supply and demand, now stands at EGP15.66 per one dollar. ...
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