2007

Local and foreign observers across the MENA region are inconsensus that the region lacks a key ingredient to anythriving democracy: a pool of professional journalists. Thishas created a drought of …

Money talks,” thus reads the clever ad for the Alfa Blom MasterCard. And money talks all right, as this particular card co-branded with the mobile phone operator offers the card …

While corporate governance continues to be the hot topic ina region with a still-evolving corporate culture, it isinteresting to note that even the supposed arch-exponents ofthe practice sometimes fall foul …

The rise of Beirut Port with strong growth of freight volumeand earnings since late 2004 is partly due to the Frenchshipping firm with Lebanese roots, CMA CGM. With claims tobe …

The Lebanese business community gathered recently at one ofBeirut’s posher eateries to celebrate the signing of a tradememorandum between the Beirut and Paris Chambers ofCommerce. However, it was neither the …

As part of Intel’s efforts to promote the use oftechnology with communities around the world and as arepresentative of the “Partnership for Lebanon,” IntelChairman Craig Barrett visited Lebanon last month. …

The growth of bond issuance in Arab markets, includingconventional and Islamic paper, has taken off in 2006-2007.Figures circulated by the financial industry say that bondissuance by GCC corporations reached $18.2 …

So far this has not been a good year for President Bush.First, his plan to pacify Iraq by “surging” more Americantroops appears to have backfired. Since the surge beganIraqis have …

“Climate change? What climate change?” These are the twoquestions I often hear when I mention this issue to Arabofficials. If I insist, they get irritated and change thesubject. Others try …

This was my eighth visit to Baghdad—in many ways, Baghdad feels like a second home, which I’m not sure is a healthy sentiment—my first being as the war wound down …