Among the classical writings on the Zanj movement (255-270/869-883)during the ‘Abbasid caliphate, Al-Tabari (d. 310/922),1 a contemporary,incorporated in his chronicle a very comprehensive narrative, particularlyon the events of the Zanj uprising. Both Al-Mas’udi (d. 346/957)2 and IbnAbi 1-Hadid (d. 656/1258)3 supply us with valuable additions on the Zanj’smilitary expeditions. Of
In Oman, traditional gravity-fed irrigation systems called aflāj (s. falaj) flow continuously, bringing life to arid areas. The water is used both day and night, and before the introduction of clocks and wristwatches, the sun and stars were widely used to time the allocation of water to farmers. Today, several villages still use
This book is a study of the seafaring communities of the Arabian Gulf and Oman in the past 150 years. It analyses the significance of the dhow and how coastal communities interacted throughout their long tradition of seafaring. In addition to archival material, the work is based on extensive field
In “AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain,” David Wearing analyzes not only how Gulf oil and gas have historically impacted GCC-Britain relations, but also reveals how these controversially reciprocal ties benefit Britain through investment and export of arms, goods, and services; while GCC monarchies in turn strengthen their repressive
The economy of Dubai is remarkable in that it has moved away from an oil-based to one in which 95% of its income is derived from non-oil sectors. This diversification has been possible thanks to the real estate, tourism, and transportation sectors, which in turn, have transformed the emirate into
It has become even more difficult for Al-Jazeera to influence Trump, especially considering Trump’s view of liberal news platforms, which he calls “fake news”. As a matter of fact, Al-Jazeera’s “Rightly” initiative may aim to eliminate this deficiency. Qatar-based Al-Jazeera stands out as one of the non-Western world’s media outlets
The 2022 release of Ibrahim Al-Muhanna’s book, Oil Leaders: An Insider’s Account of Four Decades of Saudi Arabia and OPEC’s Global Energy Policy, is timely as it corresponds to the global crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As apparent from the title, the book provides