STANDPOINT by Atique Naqvi

Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa will bring about accountable governments and allow citizens to have human rights enjoyed more widely, said Kenneth Roth. "There is no reason why the Middle East should be excluded from the same rights and freedoms that people around the world enjoy", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Political and economic threat from ‘Islamic State’ By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** Establishing a democratic system is not an easy task. The fallout of such efforts could be extremely destructive – and as a result some of the Middle East and North African countries are struggling to come back to normal. Libya and Syria can easily serve as the case studies for the research experts who want to explore the devastating aftereffects of the so-called Arab Spring. Besides the perils of instability in a country undergoing changes, the rise of militant groups with extremist ideologies poses a huge political, economic and social risk. Call it Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or just Islamic State, the group has become more voracious with each passing month. Experts worldwide, who claim to have understood the phenomenon of terrorism, are left scratching their heads in bewilderment and frustration with the meteoric rise o...

Major challenges facing the UAE include population growth and a return of liquidity to the markets, but the pickup in oil price will help the economy, according to Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan. "Oil is expected to remain between $70 and $100 [per barrel]. If it stays in that range, it means that a lot of the government projects will continue on schedule", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Being open to investors and different communities is key to fostering growth in this Latin American state, according to Ricardo Martinelli. "If interest rates, which have a tendency to go up do that, that presents some challenge to us. But, we have ample resources to weather out any difficulties", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Being hungry and displaced in Syria By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** Syrians protest against lack of basic services. Hunger as a result of breaking down of food supply chains is not uncommon in conflict-hit areas – Syria is just one example. Though millions of Syrians are currently experiencing ills of war, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has made significant progress over the last few weeks in reaching more people affected by the violence. Owing to improved access through cross-line and cross-border food deliveries, thousands of Syrians in besieged and difficult-to-reach areas are benefitting from the program. In July, WFP food assistance reached a total of 3.7 million people in Syria, an increase on the number of people reached in June (3.4 million). More than 300,000 people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas received WFP food through cross-line convoys in July – double the number of people reached using cross-line convoys in J...

No real winners in Hamas-Israel conflict By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** A Palestinian mother comforts her daughter in the conflict zone in Gaza. Though 192 Palestinians have died in Gaza as a result of week-long armed conflict between Hamas and Israel, Tel Aviv is a bigger loser on the economic front. While rockets fired from Gaza have injured ten Israelis with no deaths recorded, the Israeli cabinet has agreed to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire while Hamas has rejected it. Counting economic costs of the conflict is not easy, but it seems that Hamas has a plan: “Hamas calculates that by expanding the range of its rockets, it can impose significant economic damage on Israel by forcing its civilians into shelters, ports to shut down for fear of ships being hit by wayward rockets, and airports to close, while at the same time disrupting the mid-year tourism season,” says Firas Abi Ali, Head of Middle East Analysis at IHS Country Risk. “Thi...

The world’s biggest petrochemical maker is gearing up for robust economic growth and vast expansion projects in Saudi Arabia, said Mohammed H. Al Mady. "SABIC has undertaken a great development drive with sustainability as one of our strategies.", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.