Qatar’s World Cup Increases Gulf Cooperation Despite Recent Rift
Easing away from its embrace of controversial regional political positions, Qatar refreshes its regional and international branding with soft power tourism, sports, and labor reforms.
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The Pope Goes to Bahrain
Pope Francis’ visit to Bahrain showcases the kingdom’s decadeslong effort to champion religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue while also providing critics with a high-profile occasion to question the sincerity of these government efforts and raise human rights concerns.
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Constructing Mars in Kuwait: Young Kuwaitis Lead Space Sector Development
Lama Al-Oraiman, a winner of this year’s Emerging Space Leaders award, pushes for more space education in Kuwait, the development of a local space strategy, and the increased participation of women in the field.
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The Military Dimension of Iran Protests
Recent Iranian military developments are a signal of the regime’s growing perception of vulnerability amid domestic unrest; its suppression strategy benefits from a military operation outside Iran’s borders that it can use to overstate separatist threats.
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Iran Protests: Reform, Revolution, or Status Quo?
The demands of the protesters for regime change are a clear manifestation of the deep frustration and the loss of hope for reform among the Iranian public and seem to signal that the time is ripe for comprehensive change.
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Probing Social Pressures With Textiles and Ice Cream
Emirati artist Maitha Hamdan, featured in a UAE Embassy exhibition in DC situating women in the intimate space of the majlis, uses video performance to explore the more public social restrictions imposed on women.
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Iraq: Dangerous Landscape for Independent Journalism
Neutral journalism in Iraq is stifled by political parties that own media outlets and by armed elements using violence to silence scrutiny and criticism.
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Iranian Efforts to Tout Arbaeen Pilgrimage – and Compete With Saudi Religious Soft Power – Boomerang
Poor organization and outsized financial support for pilgrimage blows back, inviting stinging criticisms of Raisi regime’s administrative competence and priorities.
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Neither Bread nor Freedom in Iran
Protests are likely to continue flaring up in Iran as a function of the regime’s attempt at modernizing the country while denying personal and political freedoms to the children of modernization.
Qatar's World Cup and Public Art: Expanding the Field of Dialogue
As Qatar gears up to host the FIFA World Cup in November, Qatar Museums is ensuring that visitors get a taste of the country’s cultural scene through new public art installations.
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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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