Al Arabiya News

This website is the official English-language portal for the Middle East’s prominent news satellite channel, Al-Arabiya.  Part of MBC Group, Al-Arabiya is one of the top broadcasters of news, analysis and current affairs programmes in the Middle East.

Al-Arabiya English re-publishes many of Faisal’s work relating to the region.

• Merkel, refugees and the need for Arab cultural diplomacy – July 31st, 2016. It was certainly interesting to have been in Berlin over the past few days. Coincidentally, I was participating at an Arab World focused symposium organized by the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), when the Syrian refugee crisis once again dominated the headlines and intensified what seems to be an already existing rift within Germany.
• How can there be guardianship over women in a modern Saudi Arabia? – July 24th, 2016. So much has happened over the past 10 days: a terrorist attack in France on Bastille Day, a failed Turkish coup, Donald Trump officially become the Republican Party nominee and Pakistani reality star Qandeel Baloch was brutally murdered in a so-called ‘honor killing.’
• Neither Chilcot nor Brexit are a reason for Arabs to rejoice – July 9th, 2016. Pity the Arabs, so desperate for a victory that many of us would even rush to celebrate a non-achievement, or even worse, an adversity. Two examples of this sad phenomenon emerged recently out of the United Kingdom: Brexit, where a slim majority of the British population voted to leave the European Union, and the recently announced Chilcot report findings.
• Attacking the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah: significance and consequences – July 6th, 2016. Just when you thought ISIS militants couldn’t add anything more gruesome to their image, they proved us all wrong again on Tuesday when they targeted Prophet Mohammad’s Mosque in Madinah. The Mosque (known in Arabic as al-Masjid al-Nabawi) is one of two holy shrines the kingdom hosts, and was one of three locations in Saudi Arabia targeted by terrorists on the same day.
• Brexit and the Arab Spring: an uncanny resemblance – June 27th, 2016. ‘Brexit’ bears too much resemblance to the ‘Arab Spring’ – and unfortunately – this is not meant in a good way. In fact, in terms of both pretext and the handling of the surprising outcome, there is just so much in common, that one can’t but fear that the same disastrous aftermath of the 2011 Arab revolutions will – inevitably – also be replicated in Europe.
• What do the Saudis want from America? – June 21st, 2016. Much has been said about Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ongoing visit to the United States. However, regardless of the intense speculation by some analysts about the tour’s agenda; I think the trip should be seen as an insight into the new ‘business as usual’ in Saudi Arabia.
• God bless America, land of ‘no religious tests’ – June 15th, 2016. There is a lot one could disagree with when it comes to President Obama’s foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. The situation today is far worse than it was when he first assumed office back in 2009. In contrast, advocates of the so-called ‘Obama Doctrine’ would argue that everything he has done – or more accurately he hasn’t done, particularly in Syria – helped serve US interests and protect American lives.
• Following LGBT attack, Muslims must unite and say: You are not alone, Florida! – June 13th, 2016. It certainly felt like I was back in the Middle East when I woke up yesterday in Washington DC to the dreadful news of the Florida nightclub shooting. After all, when one arrives in America, they expect to escape awful headlines of bigotry, discrimination and hatred.
• From Russia with love? For now, ‘it’s complicated’ – June 9th, 2016. I write this from my hotel room overseeing the Russian Foreign Ministry’s iconic main building, a gigantic Stalinist-style skyscraper that was built as one of Moscow’s famous “Seven Sisters” between 1947 and 1953. Having witnessed the rise and fall of the Soviet empire, the building has recently re-emerged as a global power broker, particularly when it comes to the Middle East.
• Financial rewards aside, the Uber deal actually empowers Saudi Women! – June 3rd, 2016. Saudi Arabia’s $3.5 billion investment in global transportation company, Uber, grabbed headlines yesterday, and rightly so. After all, it was the largest single investment ever made in a private company. The generally mixed reactions were also understandable given that Saudi Arabia has numerous critics. However, one can’t help but say that some of the criticism appeared blatantly misguided and extremely far from the realities on the ground.
• How to prevent the collapse of Egyptian tourism – May 24th, 2016. Firstly, it is important to voice my solidarity with the families of the victims of last week’s horrific EgyptAir crash. It is also important to voice my solidarity with the people of Egypt and its government during this tough time, which is indeed expected to aggravate the economic crisis that has hit the country since the 2011 revolution.
• Why Obama is visiting a different Saudi Arabia this time – April 19th, 2016. It’s amazing how much can change in two years, and it is more amazing when we talk about a country where change has been historically slow, which has always been the case in Saudi Arabia. However, a changed kingdom is exactly what US President Barack Obama is going to witness upon arriving in Riyadh this week.
• The ‘Panama Papers’ succeeded where traditional media failed – April 14th, 2016. I read with much interest Diana Moukallad’s opinion piece, published on this site yesterday. The article argued that the “Panama Papers” project has exposed Arab journalism for no longer producing relevant, investigative content. I agree with Ms. Moukallad on this count. However, I don’t think the problem with Arab journalism is the journalists, but those who manage them.
• The Arabs and President ‘Two-Face’ Obama: what went wrong? – March 28th, 2016. Much has already been written in response to the collection of interviews with President Obama recently penned by Jeffrey Goldberg for The Atlantic. Given the unexpected criticism Obama directed towards almost all of his country’s historic allies, it was no surprise that his remarks were received by a mixture of astonishment and severe disappointment.
• Five years into Syria’s crisis, Riyadh remains vindicated – March 17th, 2016. As the fragile ceasefire helps the dust settle somewhat over Syria, it is time to take stock of who has stood firm through these turbulent years and who has wavered. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia has been among the select few to have kept its position, despite the ebb and flow of the embattled country’s fight for survival. Since the beginning of the crisis, Riyadh has maintained that this regime is murderous and brutal and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go — either via negotiations or through military means, if lasting peace is to be achieved.
• Restoring Arab passion for science: Mission impossible? – March 22nd, 2016. At a recent roundtable discussion hosted by Al Arabiya English, we asked what has gone wrong with Arabs and science given our historical achievements. I asked Science Editor of pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat, Dr. Ahmed Moghrabi, whether it really is “mission impossible” to restore the passion for innovation.
• Only the Lebanese can save Lebanon now – Feb. 22nd, 2016. Much has been said about the tension between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, however, it was HRH Prince Turki al-Faisal who seems to have hit the nail on the head in describing the situation.
• Davos: With the Saudis absent, Zarif’s fairy tales prevailed – Jan. 23rd, 2016. Iranian Foreign Secretary Mohammad Javad Zarif certainly got a free ride at this year’s World Economic Forum. His views on the region went completely unchallenged in the absence of a counter-argument, and due to the format of his session, members of the audience were not able to ask questions or intervene.
• An unshackled Iran can only be countered by a firm Saudi Arabia – Jan. 18th, 2016. With the nuclear deal sealed and sanctions lifted, an unshackled Iran is now a reality. The region – and the world at large – now holds its breath in anticipation of what kind of global player the Islamic Republic wants to be.
• By cutting ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia executed the 48th terrorist – Jan. 4th, 2016. It was as if Saudi Arabia executed yet another terrorist when Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir announced the severing of ties with Iran last night.
• Friday 13th: the price France had to pay for doing what’s right! – Nov. 14th, 2015. Paris will never be the same after last night, and as the French mourn their dead – and we all mourn with them – the reality is that Friday 13 November will inevitably leave a permanent scar on the face of this beautiful city, just like 9/11 did to New York or 7/7 did to London.
• PM Trudeau, many best wishes from the Middle East – Nov. 11th, 2015. Though it has only been a few days into his tenure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to be on an impressive track of restoring Canada’s image as the fair, liberal, caring and proudly-diverse nation it was once perceived as, particularly among many in the Middle East.
• Sheikh Mohammad’s ‘Marshal Plan’ maybe the region’s last chance – Oct. 11th, 2015. I hate to sound pessimistic, but the Arab world’s increasingly disastrous status leaves very little room for positivity. After all, what else could be said of the devastating wars tearing apart Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, a humiliating occupation in Palestine, severe divisions and intense corruption and unrest in Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan?
• Did the Russians just ‘invade’ Syria? – Sept. 28th, 2015. “No,” Assad-loyalists would rush to say when asked if the current Russian military build-up in Syria can be considered an “invasion” or indeed, a new foreign “occupation,” of Arab lands.
• Does Japan need to be involved in the Middle East? – Sept. 17th, 2015. I just returned from Tokyo, where I took part as a panelist at the G1 Global Conference.
• The U.S. and Saudi Arabia: A 21st-century partnership – Sept. 10th, 2015. In Feb. 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with King Abdulaziz al-Saud – the founder of modern-day Saudi Arabia – in a historic encounter onboard the USS Quincy over Egyptian waters.
• We couldn’t save Aylan, but let’s try to save humanity! – Sept. 3rd, 2015. I write these words whilst struggling to hold back a warm tear bound to fall from my eye at some point. After all, editors-in-chief are supposed to be emotionless, cold and detached (particularly in front of fellow journalists in the newsroom). For it is our job to deal with hard news and report impartially on our world’s cruel realities on a daily basis.
• Lebanon… what a load of rubbish! – August 23rd, 2015. Lebanon is sinking in a big load of rubbish; and not just in the physical sense. After all, the one thing that has emerged from the uncollected piles of garbage bags – apart from the nasty smell – is that the country’s ongoing institutional failure has now put everyone in a catch-22 situation, whereby there is no clear winner but a definite loser: the average Lebanese citizen.
• What Tomi Lahren got right and Obama got wrong – July 26th, 2015. Upon watching America News Network’s Tomi Lahren’s recent – and understandably angry – rant over what she described as her government’s “failed, half-way, half-baked, tip-toe, be friendly with Jihadis mentality,” one couldn’t help but think that the world might have been a better place today had someone – as firm and determined as her – been the U.S. president instead of President Obama.
• Can today’s Arab World give us another Omar al-Sharif? – July 12th, 2015. The Arabs are running out of their most valuable resource; and no, I don’t mean oil. I am actually referring to a much more precious, truly irreplaceable resource: good, talented and internationally-experienced human capital.
• Are we living Islam’s darkest hour? – June 27th, 2015. How much terrorism can the world take in 24 hours? Friday 26 June, 2015 will certainly go down in history as a day that pushed the limit.
• Je Suis…Nasser! – June 24th, 2015. ISIS isn’t particularly known for its sense of humor or appreciation of comedy. As such, news that the militants have threatened to kill Saudi satirist Nasser Al-Qasabiwasn’t especially shocking.
• Dubai is the Florence of the 21st century – June 20th, 2015. You can almost feel the vibe that once was when you walk through the streets of Florence. The architecture, the hundreds of old shops and the many magnificent landmarks, such as the Il Duomo, (which remains until this day, the largest brick-built dome in the world) speak volumes of how this marvelous city would have undoubtedly been – back then – the ‘Center of Now.’
• Is it called ‘terrorism’ or ‘violent extremism’? – May 31st, 2015. The two recent attacks on mosques in eastern Saudi Arabia can’t be labeled as anything but evil acts of terrorism. Now, such a classification seems obvious to most of us, as there isn’t a term that is more expressive to describe these ideologically-driven, murderous attacks on a group of innocent people who were simply practicing their basic right of observing Friday prayers.
• At the Dead Sea, Jordan’s message was ‘staying alive’ – May 27th, 2015. Jordanians are not known to be the most cheerful among Arabs; in fact, their reputation is that they constantly frown and rarely smile.
• Camp David should be about more than ‘words and weapons’ –  May 12th, 2015. Recent comments made by the UAE Ambassador to the U.S. can be regarded as indicative of the sentiment most Gulf states have towards the current U.S. administration and its imminent, controversial nuclear deal with Iran.
• The war in Yemen is NOT sectarian! – April 23rd, 2015. With Shiite-Iran backing the Houthi militias coup and Sunni-Saudi Arabia leading the military coalition in response to legitimate President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi’s plea to save the country, it is completely understandable why many people might believe the war in Yemen has sectarian motives.
• Et tu, Pakistan? – April 14th, 2015. The record needs to be set straight on a few issues relating to the recent Pakistani parliament vote to remain neutral with regards to the war in Yemen.
• Australian trade minister: FTA with GCC ‘possible within months’ – April 12th, 2015. Australia and the GCC countries may only be a few months away from signing a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) deal “if a decision is made quickly,” with such a deal having multiple benefits for various Gulf-based businesses and stakeholders, said Australia Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb.
• Why ‘Operation: Decisive Storm’ was needed in Yemen – March 26th, 2015. For far too long, the Iranian-backed Houthi movement was left to meddle in Yemen. Now, while one realizes that war should always be used as a last resort and that every effort to use political and peaceful means should be exhausted; the reality is time after time, Iran and its agents continue to prove that they can’t be trusted and that they will always behave as the rogue players that they are.
• President Obama, listen to Netanyahu on Iran – March 3rd, 2015. It is extremely rare for any reasonable person to ever agree with anything Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says or does. However, one must admit, Bibi did get it right, at least when it came to dealing with Iran.
• The Earth revolves around the Sun… and absurd Fatwas too! – Feb. 21st, 2015. Whether or not you believe the Earth orbits the Sun, it almost seemed like the planet stood still a few days ago when this website broke the story in English about the cleric who infamously doubted the long-held astronomical belief.
• From tourism to terrorism: welcome to post-Hariri Lebanon! – Feb. 14th, 2015. I still remember that beautiful summer night in the early 2000s; Downtown Beirut was just buzzing with a massive amount of residents, expats and tourists who went out every evening to enjoy fine-dining, shopping, clubbing and/or smoking shishas till the early hours of the morning in the then-newly renovated heart of the Lebanese capital.
• What is the relation between women driving and rape?! – Feb. 12th, 2015. Media outlets should always remember that they have a responsibility towards informing the public and as such, must always strive to adhere to the highest possible standards of professionalism and journalistic ethics.
• King Salman needed only ten out of his ‘first hundred days’ –  Feb. 3rd 2015. In U.S. politics, we often hear the term “first hundred days” which is traditionally used to measure the success and accomplishments of a recently elected president during the time that their power and influence is at its greatest.
• Not ‘The Onion:’ Assad says he is ‘against killing of civilians!’ – Jan. 17th. 2015. At first one would think he has stumbled upon a made-up story on The Onion or the Pan Arabia Enquirer, but no; the headline “Bashar al-Assad says he is against killing of civilians” wasn’t satire, it was real… albeit, this is classic example of matter that would have been extremely funny, if wasn’t so sad!
• Vive la liberté! – Jan. 8th, 2015. By all standards, the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo was an atrocious crime not just against France, and freedom of expression, but against Islam itself. Indeed, such acts done in the name of Islam are, ironically, the worst disservice that could ever be done to the religion and its followers; the majority of whom don’t subscribe to the practices and violent acts of the likes of ISIS and al-Qaeda.
• How to win the ideological war against ISIS – Oct. 2nd 2014. There has been a surge in voices critical of the coalition air strikes against the terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Indeed, some critics have voiced concerns over the likelihood of accidently targeting civilians whilst others have refuted the whole idea, arguing that the war against ISIS shouldn’t be physical but ideological.
• Rotherham: When the excuse is uglier than the sin – Sept. 3rd 2014. Perhaps there is nothing that can better describe the horrific revelations that emerged as a result of the recent Rotherham scandal in the United Kingdom than the famous Arabic saying: “The excuse is uglier than the sin.”
• Welcome back, President Obama! – August 10th 2014. It is as if a whole new Barack Obama has emerged over the past few days. Indeed, anyone who has read his recent interview with Thomas Friedman and more importantly listened to his statement regarding the ongoing U.S. airstrikes targeting ISIS fighters in Iraq is right to question whether this is the same U.S. president that has remained idle for so long.
• In response to Patrick Cockburn and Sir Richard Dearlove – July 14th 2014. In a recent article in The Independent, Patrick Cockburn made a number of wide and questionable assumptions relating to Saudi Arabia, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the recent crisis in Iraq.
• How UAE Water Aid can potentially help 2 billion Muslims – July 6th 2014. Surely saving the lives of 5 million people around the world must be a story worth writing about, and given all the negative stories about Islam and Muslims in international press, I think it is only fair that initiatives like UAE Water Aid get their fair share of column inches.
• Maliki is a new Saddam, and its America’s fault – June 23rd 2014. Many American Iraq war veterans must be disappointed; after all, they didn’t risk their lives for all those years so that the country they believed they were helping liberate can fall into the hands of extremists.
• What Dubai can learn from Rome and the Korean Wave – June 17th 2014. The TripAdvisor survey revealed an important point, which is that Dubai was the city ranked lowest for culture.
• Arabs, bribes and World Cup failures – June 12th 2014. Whilst unfortunate, it is certainly not surprising that this is the second consecutive World Cup where only one Arab football team – Algeria – managed to qualify. While most Arabs probably wish the Algerian team the best of luck, very few of us expect them to deliver miracles in Brazil.
• An open letter to President Sisi – June 9th 2014. I write to you today not as a journalist, but as a truly concerned Arab citizen and an avid lover of Egypt, its people, history and culture.
• Not-so-great Britain? How the hammer attack hurt ‘Brand UK’ – April 29th 2014. Two consecutive attacks on UAE nationals visiting London in recent weeks have left several scars: horrific physical ones (such as those left on the victims of the atrocious Cumberland Hotel “Hammer Attack”) as well as reputational scars which are worsened by increasing questions on whether or not London is still the popular tourist destination that it once was among UAE tourists, and Arab visitors in general.
• Qatar: the return of the prodigal son – April 23rd 2014. There might not have been a better opportunity for Qatar to find its way back to the bosom of its neighbors than the last GCC foreign ministers meeting in Riyadh.
• Between the ‘hammer attack’ and the anvil of British press – April 18th 2014. It was interesting to observe how the British media dealt with last week’s “hammer attack” against three Emirati women at a Central London hotel.
• What awaits Obama in Saudi Arabia – March 23rd 2014. All eyes are definitely going to be on Riyadh this week, where U.S. President Barack Obama will be meeting with the Saudi leadership on March 28.
• Hope at the Jeddah Economic Forum – March 20th 2014. Over the past 14 years, JEF has been a platform for dozens of inspirational speakers which included heads of state, prime ministers, entrepreneurs, academics as well as a number of Saudi Arabia’s finest and most influential movers and shakers.
• ‘Shut up your mouse, Obama’ – March 16th 2014. Little did that Egyptian woman know that her spontaneous rant against the U.S. president would be repeated by so many, and that her words would be rejigged into a techno remix that would go viral within days.
• Qatar’s ‘Small State Syndrome’ – March 8th 2014. Qatar is a relatively small country geographically, it only gained its independence in 1971 and in a matter of only a few decades, saw itself transform from one of the region’s poorest nations to one of the world’s richest countries.
• Egypt’s Amr Moussa supports General Sisi for president – Jan. 25th 2014. Speaking to Al Arabiya News in Davos on Friday, veteran Egyptian politician and the chairman of the Constituent Assembly Amr Moussa voiced his support for army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi running for presidency.
• What Rowhani DIDN’T say in Davos – Jan. 24th 2014. Very few people paid attention to what Iranian President Hassan Rowhani actually said as he took the stage at the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Annual Meeting in Davos.
• Egypt PM pledges no return to military rule – Jan. 23rd 2014. Given his earlier statements regarding Sisi, an obvious question to ask the interim Prime Minister was if Egypt was in fact returning to military rule.
• Rowhani: Syria engulfed in catastrophe – Jan. 23rd 2014. Iranian President Hassan Rowhani told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday that “Syria is engulfed in a catastrophe,” describing the situation of refugees as “sad.”
• Amnesty: Assad using starvation as ‘war strategy’ – Jan. 22nd 2014. The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been starving its people and blocking humanitarian access to them as a “war strategy,” which can be considered a war crime or a crime against humanity, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty told Al Arabiya News in Davos
• A social media rant! – Jan. 8th 2014. Sometimes I really wonder if social media is a blessing or a curse; but most of the time I accept the reality that it is both at the same time.
• So that we don’t allow progression to serve regression – Jan. 6th 2014. In their conquest for power, and in the name of religion, Islamic political parties seek to eliminate others. In this sense, Political Islam isn’t any different from the radical Christian right or Jewish hardliner groups.
• Happy New Year, Dubai! – Jan. 3rd 2014. With a record-breaking display involving more than 400,000 fireworks, Dubai’s New Year celebration was about much more than just an incredible show of light and sound.
• Lessons from South Korea – Oct. 31 2013. Having just returned from Seoul, where I attended the 10th annual Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, I am more convinced than ever that the way forward for us as Arabs lies in contemplating the success story happening in the East rather than the West.
• ‘Say something good, or nothing at all’ – Oct. 13 2013. It did not take long for those recent statements, which suggested that driving might negatively affect women’s ovaries, for Saudi Shaikh Saleh Bin Saad al-Luhaydan to become the focus of news headlines around the world.
• Saudi women must drive more than just cars! – Sept. 23rd 2013. The head of the Saudi religious police, Sheikh Abdulatif al-Sheikh, recently made public statements revealing that there was nothing in Shariah Law that prohibits women from driving.
• Giving Assad a license to kill – Sept. 15th 2013. Of all American politicians, it is Senator John McCain who seems to really “get it” when it comes to dealing with the Assad regime.
• Obama’s reluctance on Syria, ‘a grave concern’ – August 25th 2013. It seems almost surreal that U.S. President Barack Obama described the Syrian armed forces’ alleged use of chemical weapons as a matter of “grave concern.”
• Is the West siding with ‘terrorists’ in Egypt? – August 17th 2013. Western condemnation of recent developments in Egypt raises serious questions about whether the leaders of the free world are aware of, or understand, the reality on the ground.
• Be positive about a two-state solution – August 8th 2013. It was almost surreal to witness how the recent announcement of the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which otherwise should be regarded as a positive development, has been met with so much negativity and cynicism.
• Journalism 101… for Professor Marc Lynch – July 30th 2013. In an article recently published in Foreign Policy magazine, renowned American academic and author Marc Lynch criticized an opinion piece by Al Arabiya English columnist Abdelatif el-Menawy, describing it as “astonishing.”
• Mursi, Nixon and the Egyptian military – July 12th 2013. Those living in the comfort and safety of Western democracies cannot easily understand the situation in Egypt. Talking in absolutes, and making statements such as “it’s wrong for the military to oust a democratically-elected president,” seem completely disconnected from reality.
• “It’s the economy, stupid!” – July 4th 2013. Military coup or not, there were tens of millions of Egyptians out on the streets who demanded and then ultimately celebrated theousting of (now former) President Mohammad Mursi.
• Is Al-Jazeera really number one? – June 11th 2013. Times must be turbulent at Al-Jazeera. It was incredibly sad to see the Qatari state-owned broadcaster resort to citing a seemingly non-existent study to claim that it is the most-watched channel in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Keep calm and carry on, London! – May 23rd 2013. Terror appeared to have returned to the streets of London on Wednesday for the first time since the dreadful attacks of July 2005, as a man believed to be a British soldier was brutally murdered by suspected Islamists near an army barracks in Woolwich.
• In defense of our ‘prostitutes’ – March 4th 2013. History was made in Saudi Arabia when the recently sworn-in Shura Council, the country’s consultative assembly, held its first session with thirty women appointees participating for the first time.
• Why we can’t afford an Eisenhowar-ish Obama! – Jan. 24th 2013. Four years ago, I wrote an inauguration day open letter to then president-elect Barack Obama, congratulating him, the American people and all believers in liberty and freedom on his remarkable achievement.
• Dont be evil Google – Oct. 18th 2012. Henry Kissinger once famously said: “an issue ignored is a crisis ensured”; a lesson internet search-giant Google should have picked-up on in dealing with the recent issue-turned-crisis of the ‘Innocent of Muslims’ film.
• An apology on behalf of Al Arabiya – Oct. 13th 2012. With our exclusive coverage on the newly-leaked Syrian security documents coming to an end, the time has finally arrived to voice an opinion about some of things that have been said since we — at Al Arabiya News Channel — began revealing the shocking contents of these documents two weeks ago.
• What you didn’t know about the last days of Mubarak – April 17th, 2012. Through his book, El-Menawy accepts and provides justification for some criticism; however, he also completely denies some of the stories which are said to have happened
• To be free, Twitter must not be free – January 28th, 2012. Twitter, like Google before it, needs to go to new markets and attract new investors and advertisers. Obviously, these markets are not all democratic.
• How “digital un-diplomacy” gave Lebanon its Twitter dawn – November 13, 2011. The site finally got its “moment”,  thanks to both the current and former prime ministers of this country.
• British Muslims… Time for some self-criticism. November 11th, 2011. It always amazes me that some of my fellow Muslim ‘brothers’ tend to be somehow disconnected from the society they live in
• Saudi Succession Committee under the spotlight as country mourns Crown Prince – October 24th, 2011.  Having only been formed in 2006, selecting a new heir to the throne will be the first real challenge this Succession Committee faces
• Saudi Arabia: The challenge comes from within – September 22nd, 2011. Saudis are only now waking up to present-day demographical realities, having seen population grow at a staggering rate of 333 per cent between 1975 and 2009
• In Lebanon, Nasrallah just can’t be stopped… ask the Israelis! – July 7th, 2011. All attempts to negotiate with Hezbollah have failed miserably when it came to convincing them to disarm
• The Case for women driving in Saudi Arabia – June 19th, 2011 . The obvious question here is: so why is it the case that this ban still exists? And why doesn’t the King just issue a royal decree to end this debacle once and for all?