Middle East

Turkey

Hagia Sophia: Church body appeals for mosque decision to be reversed

The head of the World Council of Churches has appealed to the Turkish president to reversed the decision to turn the former Orthodox Christian cathedral from a museum into a mosque.

11/07/2020

Turkey

Turkey converts Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia museum back into a mosque

The move sparked celebrations outside Hagia Sophia but dismay among Orthodox Christians.

10/07/2020

World

Global startup queen Joy Ajlouny reveals how entrepreneurs can make their millions

Dubai-based serial entrepreneur, Joy Ajlouny, is a self-proclaimed ‘bull in a china shop’.

10/07/2020

World

How are e-tailers in the Middle East using human stories to drive sales?

The Middle East and North Africa e-commerce market was worth $8.3 billion in 2017, according to a Bain and Company report.

10/07/2020

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Artist creates world's largest painting at Dubai's Atlantis

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

In this week's Cult, Jane Witherspoon speaks to the British artist in Dubai who has been creating record-breaking artwork whilst in lockdown.

08/07/2020

No Comment

Egypt reopens pyramids after coronavirus shutdown

They were reopened for the first time in more than three months.

03/07/2020

Turkey

Two dead and dozens injured in explosion at Turkish fireworks factory

There were believed to be around 150 workers at the factory in northwestern Turkey at the time of the explosion.

03/07/2020

World

Why does Emirati entrepreneur Sara Al Madani say no to female empowerment & yes to failure?

From a very early age, Emirati entrepreneur Dr. Sara Al Madani believed her ideas could turn a tidy profit.

03/07/2020

World

Why isn't there one unified sign language in the Middle East region?

There are approximately 72 million deaf people worldwide, using more than 300 different sign languages, according to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD).

03/07/2020

World

Migrant medical staff from the Middle East help fight COVID-19 in Europe

Migrant communities from the Middle East and North Africa have been helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic in European nations to offset staffing shortfalls.

03/07/2020

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Lifting lockdowns, innovating against COVID and staycation trends

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Business Line looks at why ending lockdown in the UK may not save some businesses; a Dubai-based initiative to help innovators get their COVID-fighting technologies to market; and, how an unexpected eco-staycation trend in Italy could provide a welcome boost to local business.

03/07/2020

Turkey

Euroviews. As human rights activists know all too well, you speak the truth at your peril in Turkey ǀ View

In the wake of the attempted coup in 2016, Turkish authorities have been relentless in suppressing what they see as potential threats - including human rights activists now on trial for terrorism-related charges.

03/07/2020

Turkey

Khashoggi killing: Turkish court puts Saudi suspects on trial

A Turkish court is trying in absentia two former aides of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and 18 other Saudi nationals over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

03/07/2020

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Learning to drive an F1 car with Supercar Blondie

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

How do you drive an F1 car? Supercar Blondie finds out when she puts her car knowledge to the test by attempting to drive an F1 car around Dubai autodrome with only 1 hour of training.

03/07/2020

Turkey

Court to rule if Istanbul's Hagia Sophia should be a mosque again

Regular religious services have not been held there since 1934 when modern Turkey's founding president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk signed an order converting the building into a museum. But a legal challenge claims the signature was forged.

02/07/2020

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The price of influence: why brands increasingly favour influencer marketing

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Target explores how influencers are transforming the world of marketing and PR as we know it.

02/07/2020

Turkey

President Erdoğan vows to curb social media in Turkey

Alleged insults were directed to his daughter and son-in-law when they announced the birth of their fourth child on Twitter.

01/07/2020

Turkey

Turkey defends humanitarian NGO chief over controversial LGBT tweet

Kerem Kinik said his comments on Gay Pride Day were aimed only at paedophiles. But they drew a wave of criticism.

30/06/2020

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Astronomers marvel at rare annular eclipse in Dubai

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Astronomers marvel at a rare spectacle that will not appear for another 14 years. For over 2 hours the Moon blocked the Earth's direct view of the Sun.

30/06/2020

Israel

Israel’s annexation plans 'illegal': UN human rights chief

The consequences are likely to be "disastrous for the Palestinians, for Israel itself, and for the wider region," warns UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

29/06/2020

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Innovating out of lockdown

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

From disinfecting Dubai's streets with drones to sanitizing gates, Sci-tech explores some of the innovative technological solutions being employed in the UAE to combat COVID-19.

26/06/2020

World

How has Caracalla Dance Theatre influenced culture in the Middle East?

Lebanese-born Abdel-Halim Caracalla created the Caracalla Dance Theatre during an era when pursuing a career in the expressive arts was not the norm.

26/06/2020

Cyprus

Turkey's growing war of words with Greece and Cyprus over sea drilling

Greece accuses Turkey of resorting to "gunboat diplomacy" near Cyprus, but analysts say the EU must recognise the West is no longer Ankara's only foreign policy partner

25/06/2020

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Shanghai Me - A taste of 1930's China

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

A favorite for Royalty, celebrities and sports stars, Shanghai Me transports its guests back in time to pre-war China. Taste discovers why this fine-dining restaurant has been voted one of the best in the gulf region.

24/06/2020

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"This is insane" Supercar Blondie's F1 crash course

Partner content presented by Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai

Adventures joins social media star, Supercar Blondie, to test drive an F1 racing car in Dubai.

23/06/2020

World

Why might UAE university applications spike in the wake of global pandemic?

The UAE’s e-learning programme, which has been in place since March, will come to an end with the resumption of the academic year on August 30, according to the Ministry of Education.

19/06/2020