STANDPOINT by Atique Naqvi

The forethought of UAE leaders has boosted tourism in the country and Dubai's Jumeirah Group is committed to its growth, says Gerald Lawless. "As the world grows wealthier and economies recover, people want to travel and see places such as China, the Middle East and the rest of Asia." The interview was published in the March 2013 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Are Middle East conflicts a result of strategic competition? By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** The geopolitical disorder across the Middle East and North Africa is part of a strategic competition that is playing out and could lead to major changes in the Arab world, senior government ministers said in a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on MENA regarding the geostrategic outlook for the region. “We are in the midst of a battle and it requires all countries in the region to be involved,” said Saleh Muhammed Al Mutlaq, Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, referring to his country’s fight against Daesh, the extremist group also known as ISIS. “Fighting this enemy cannot be the task of a single country. Countries of the region have to join forces.” The US and an international coalition including Arab countries are fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria. “This is an issue that relates not just to regional security or any one country’s security, but to glo