Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice president of the United Arab Emirates, likes nothing better than foreign media reports depicting his emirate as the “economic …
Norbert Schiller

Norbert Schiller
I am the curator for Photorientalist.org, an online museum dedicated to 19th and 20th century photography of the Middle East and North Africa. With three decades of experience as a photographer covering the Middle East for major outlets like AP, AFP, and Getty Images, I have developed a deep understanding of its people and cultures. My books include A Million Steps: Discovering the Lebanon Mountain Trail and Wines of Lebanon, which won the prestigious Gourmand Award. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I enjoy hiking, biking, and canoeing with my family
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For hundreds of years, travelers have criss-crossed Lebanon’s mountains and valleys in search of ancient mysteries and hidden treasures, or just to marvel at their majestic splendor. From Alexander Kinglake …
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It is amazing how the oil-rich countries of the Persian Gulf have this ability to zoom in on the most insignificant detail about their country and transform it into something …
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Over the past quarter century, I have witnessed countless presidential and parliamentary elections in the Middle East and North Africa. I cannot remember one that went off without voter intimidation, …
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Many years ago, an Indian friend of mine living in Dubai said to me, “If you want to send a plane to anywhere in the world, including the North Pole, …
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Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union I joined a small group of Cairo-based journalists on a tour of the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. When …
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The first time I saw a truly remarkable museum was when I visited London in the mid-1970s. The British Museum was not only grandiose but each artifact was displayed in …
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I recently made contact with a very old friend of mine living in Switzerland. We had not seen one another for almost 18 years. In fact, the last time I …
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The theme of this year’s World Economic Forum – Middle East, which just ended in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, was “Learning from the Future.” Prominent business …
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The UAE, and particularly Dubai, are on a mission to prove to the world that anything they set their minds to can be achieved. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed …