Saudi Films Challenge Societal Norms at Home, Open Doors Abroad
As the state toys with a cultural opening at home, it is beginning to embrace the power of the arts to improve the country’s image abroad.
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Shift Initiative: Developing Yemen’s Film Scene
In 2014, Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq’s film “Karama Has No Walls,” an account of the March 18, 2011 massacre of 53 protesters gathering for prayers by the Yemeni government, was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary short film.
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Embrace Doha: Generating Cross-Cultural Dialogue in Qatar
Embrace Doha began with the simple idea that a two-way dialogue can create sustainable friendships and connections, and at the same time aid in the preservation of Qatar’s traditional identity as it undergoes intense development and transformation.
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Riyadh Writing Club: Empowering Female Writers
When Hala Abdullah started the Riyadh Writing Club with her best friend, Mashael Alblehed, in 2009, they had in mind an easy way to meet and get inspired by other writers.
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Maitham Al Musawi: Storytelling from Oman through Film
Maitham Al Musawi is a rarity in Oman. In addition to being an orthopedic surgeon, he is an award winning independent filmmaker.
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Art with an Impact: Talking Design with Arfa Rehman
Arfa Rehman is a master’s student in sociology at Oxford University.
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Nuqat: Creative Education and Innovation in Kuwait
Nuqat is a Kuwaiti, non-profit design initiative started in 2009 by Wakim Zeidan, Sara Al Nafisi, Hussa Al Humaidhi, and Dana Al Hilal.
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Shoot Film, Not Bullets: Yemenis Turn to Art to Cope with Conflict
Yemen’s war is a forgotten catastrophe. Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated in August: “Yemen after five months looks like Syria after five years.” All too commonly, civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence in Yemen.
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The Arts of the Emirates: A Presentation on the UAE Visual Arts Sector
The Arab Gulf States Institute, in cooperation with the Middle East Institute, co-hosted a talk about the growing visual arts sector in the United Arab Emirates.
Assad’s Fall Prompts Initial Gulf Unity but Differences and Concerns Are Emerging
Gulf states met the Syrian regime’s fall with unity and pragmatism. But already differences are emerging in response to the political transition and the possibility of chaos, extremism, and a feeble state unable to preserve its territorial integrity.
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Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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