James M Doresy Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism is having a field day. Barely three months after the Taliban claimed victory in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the second most populous Muslim-majority state, is moving to join Kabul in becoming an outpost of religious intolerance and Muslim supremacy. In doing so, Pakistan, alongside Afghanistan, has come down on the side of countries like Turkey and Iran that advocate various forms of political […]
By James M. Dorsey The times they are a changin’. Iranian leaders may not be Bob Dylan fans, but his words are likely to resonate as they contemplate their next steps in Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon, and Azerbaijan. The same is true for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The president’s shine as a fierce defender of Muslim causes, except for when there is an economic price tag […]
EARLIER THIS YEAR, while putting together a video about the world’s fastest solvers of the Rubik’s Cube, I decided to devote some time to learning to solve the classic puzzle myself. Tyson Mao, a cofounder of the World Cube Association, came to WIRED’s offices and spent about an hour teaching me his go-to beginner’s method. Afterwards he told me that, with practice, I could probably get my average solve time […]
The transformative potential of multi-industry Blockchain technologies and fintech was in the spotlight as the 4th Future Blockchain Summit and inaugural edition of Fintech Surge got under way as part of GITEX Global, the world’s largest technology showcase of the year, at Dubai World Trade Centre. Dr Farzam Kamalabadi, president of the Future Trends Group and Executive Chairman of Hyper Optimum Organisation (HOO), a Blockchain assets service […]
Arabian Post Staff Africa is set to power the world’s digital transformation with its huge young talent base powering an offshore services export revolution with Egypt in pole position and Ghana set to lead on bridging the digital gender divide, day one GITEX GLOBAL Leaders Vision Summit in Dubai heard today. Speaking on the Africa focus opening day of the inaugural Leaders Vision summit, H.E Dr. Amr […]
K Raveendran Big financial institutions recognize the superiority of blockchain technology, but are intimidated by the prospects of bitcoin replacing them, so they will try to censor, control and manipulate it before ultimately they will be forced to accommodate it on public demand, says Grigory Rybalchenko, founder and CEO of Emirex, an exchange and a marketplace for digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Gregory will be among the top […]
James M Dorsey Societal struggles and reform often take unexpected turns in vast swaths of land stretching from the Middle East into Central Asia. Take education for example. The Taliban have yet to fulfil their promise to allow girls to return to school but primary and secondary Afghan textbooks appear to be a relative bright spot amid all the doom and gloom about the group’s rule. It’s a bright […]
Arabian Post Staff Residential property values in the UAE’s two largest cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have expanded at their fastest pace since 2015, according to provisional data for the third quarter from global property consultancy, Knight Frank. According to Faisal Durrani, Partner – Head of Middle East Research, the UAE’s decisive, rapid and world leading response to the pandemic has caught the attention of the world’s […]
James M Dorsey For at least the last two decades, the United Arab Emirates, aided by some of the world’s foremost consulting and public affairs companies, has waged one of, if not the Middle East’s most successful nation branding campaign. The campaign has been supported by cutting edge technological and economic initiatives; a bold and assertive foreign policy backed by the UAE’s financial and military muscle; a […]
Virgin Hyperloop revealed that they will be showcasing a full-scale hyperloop cargo pod and a cutaway passenger pod as part of DP World’s FLOW pavilion at Expo 2020. “The constant flow of goods has historically driven innovation in the transportation sector and now more than ever, we must continue to future-proof the industry,” said Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Virgin Hyperloop.“Hyperloop is poised to revolutionize […]
Arabian Post Staff Dubai’s non-oil external trade surged 31 percent in the first half of 2021 to reach AED722.3 billion from AED550.6 billion in the corresponding period in 2020. Exports grew 45 percent year on year (YoY) in H1 2021 to AED109.8 billion from AED75.8 billion, which supports the goal of the 10 x 10 programme (one of the nation’s ‘Projects of the 50’ initiatives) to increase […]
James M. Dorsey Saudi and Emirati efforts to define ‘moderate’ Islam as socially more liberal while being subservient to an autocratic ruler is as much an endeavour to ensure regime survival and bolster aspirations to lead the Muslim world as it is an attempt to fend off challenges rooted in diverse strands of religious ultra-conservatism. The Saudi and Emirati efforts to garner religious soft power have much […]
James M Dorsey Indonesian religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for President Joko Widodo as well as Nahdlatul Ulama, the religious backbone of Mr. Widodo’s government when he laid out the agenda for his country’s presidency of the Group of 20. The G20 groups the world’s largest economies. Speaking to the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna as Italy prepared to handover its presidency to […]
James M Dorsey The Taliban’s record in recent weeks on making good on promises to respect human and women’s rights as well as uphold freedom of the press is mixed at best. Afghanistan’s neighbours and near-neighbours are not holding their breath even if some are willing to give the Central Asian country’s new rulers the benefit of the doubt. A litmus test of Taliban willingness to compromise […]
James M Dorsey The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan perpetuates a paradigm of failed governance in the Muslim world based on a centuries-old alliance between Islamic scholars and the state that, according to scholar Ahmet T Kuru, explains underdevelopment in many Muslim-majority states and authoritarianism in most. The takeover also highlights that, in a twist of irony, a majority of competitors for Muslim religious soft power, leadership of […]
James M Dorsey The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will likely clarify what the Gulf’s security options are. Gulf states are likely to monitor how Russia and China handle the perceived security vacuum and security threats in the wake of the US withdrawal and abandonment, for all practical matters, of Central Asia. It will tell Gulf states to what degree Russia and China may be viable alternatives for […]
Cityneon’s First Foray into Artefacts IP Exhibition – Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru Brings the Ancient Andean Civilization Back to Life SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 30 August 2021 – This October, visitors to the world’s premiere of the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition in Boca Raton, South Florida are set to be wowed, as they immerse themselves in the awe of […]
James M Dorsey Pakistani efforts to exploit the Taliban victory in Afghanistan threaten to reinforce ultra-conservative inclinations in Pakistan itself, the world’s second-most populous Muslim majority country, long accused of supporting militant religious groups. The notion that religious ultra-conservatism may not remain contained to Afghanistan may be one reason why US President Joe Biden decided to effectively abandon Central Asia with his withdrawal of US forces from […]
HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 23 August 2021 – The online event AI Day 2021 – Empowering Innovations, organized by VinAI Research (the tech arm of Vingroup) will be held on August 27, 2021, aiming to unlock solutions to developing artificial intelligence in Vietnam. The event anticipates up to 2,000 participants, for the first time bringing together the world’s top-tier experts in AI and leading researchers […]
James M Dorsey Taliban advances in Afghanistan shift the Central Asian playing field on which China, India and the United States compete with rival infrastructure-driven approaches. At first glance, a Taliban takeover of Kabul would give China a 2:0 advantage against the US and India, but that could prove to be a shaky head start. The potential fall of the US-backed Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani […]
James M Dorsey Israel’s first post-Netanyahu government is seeking to rebuild fractured relations with the Jewish Diaspora and rebrand the country as a liberal rather than an illiberal democracy against the backdrop of uncertainty about future US policy towards the Middle East and continued unconditional backing of the Jewish state. Uncertainty about US reliability has been reinforced by the US negotiation with the Taliban and subsequent withdrawal […]
CARS24, one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms for pre-owned cars, has embarked upon a digital campaign by unveiling its brand story on Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower. The company aims to make a paradigm shift in the UAE by taking a consumer’s car buying experience completely online. CARS24 has already sold close to 400,000 cars in other international markets. “With this campaign on the majestic architectural […]
Bringing Direct Resort Investment and Enjoyment Deals to Everyday Investors. HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 July 2021 – LABS Group, an end-to-end blockchain property investment platform, has successfully raised $3,650,000 for Kunang Kunang Resort. Kunang Kunang Glamping Resort is the world’s first-ever community-owned project fractionalized into Rewarding Timeshare (RTS) NFTs, transforming the way investors build their diversified portfolio, with access to diverse assets, low transaction costs and […]
