Art History and the United Arab Emirates
Sophie Kazan Makhlouf challenges misconceptions that an authoritarian government precludes politically-critical cultural production.
Gulf
Queer Khaleejis and Western Biases—Individual Freedom at Stake
Christina Paschyn talks to queer activists in the Gulf who challenge the Western narrative on oppression and freedom for the LGBTQ community.
An Island Without a Sea: Bahrain Odyssey
UK-based poet and editor of Between Two Islands, Ali Al-Jamri takes us on a Bahrain journey.
Rebecca Makkai’s New Novel Makes Us Question What We Know
Deborah Williams reviews the new literary thriller from Rebecca Makkai that makes us question everything we know.
“The Stranger”—a Short Story by Hany Ali Said
Far from home, in inhospitable conditions, an unlikely friendship is struck.
Hamad Al Khulaifi: Qatar’s Wildlife Photographer
Bird photographer Hamad Al Khualifi devoted years to documenting the wildlife of Qatar, once reportedly spending two years in the wild to document a Pharaoh Eagle-Owl.
Signs of the Times: Rising Conservatism in Kuwait
Mai Al-Nakib, a writer in the country's capital, interprets the recent rise in conservatism in Kuwait as a symptom of fear.
Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game
Justin Olivier Salhani reviews a new anthology on football and the Middle East just as the World Cup kicks off in Qatar.