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The people who make the things, the places and the arguments worth reading about.
Did you know that the web was created by Englishman Tim Berners-Lee (and not by Al Gore as is ‘famously’ thought) in 1991, at CERN, the particle physics laboratory near Geneva? Did you also know that in 1994 there were 10,000 websites and now there are over 100 million? Berners-Lee’s visio
The role of women in the Middle East is evolving because progress and evolution are unavoidable. As German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” Re
Although his assistant asked that I submit my questions in advance of Bespoke’s exclusive interview, Bahaa al-Hariri confesses he hasn't read them. "It's been really busy," he says by way of apology, after we shake hands." I don't like to read the questions before, it makes me nervous." Wa
While Qatar may not automatically ring bells as a sport destination, that’s all set to change. Helen Assaf looks into the tiny Gulf state’s newest and most promising enterprise, Aspire, which heavily invests in sporting talent to guarantee a return of champions.
Olga Berluti rarely grants interviews. Her mind, soul and body are dedicated to her trade. So much so that she also has no time for financial analyses or other diversions that may take her away from her passion. Her quest in life is beyond fashion and art – it is about crafting perfect …
At the age of seventy-four, hotel magnate Adrian Zecha is an hotelier phenomenon, though he’s quick to dismiss it. Currently the executive chairman of Aman resorts and chairman of the luxury hotel management company GHM, Zecha, in a rare interview, talks to Nicolas Shammas about hotels,…
By Rana Ballout I’m Arab…and I’m Proud! A Lebanese friend of mine recently called me fuming from London. She had just ended a spirited conversation with a former White House staff member who demanded, point blank, “Can you tell me what the Arabs have contributed to Western civilization in
A first encounter with an Ahmed Moustafa painting comes as quite a surprise. The colours and configurations of his Arabic letters, inspired by the meaning of the words within them, connect with the viewer emotionally.
Local artisanal work may bring to mind images of your typical uninspired creations. But in the midst of Beirut’s pulsating city, Carole Corm discovers a strong tradition of fashionable and costly cross-stitches that are all heart. Just tucked off Sidani Street in Beirut’s bustling and n…
“We’re in the wrong bloody airport,” says our Libyan host as we touch down in Tripoli International Airport on board the Learjet 45. Of course it wasn’t the city we had faulted on but the actual airfield. It seems that after decades of isolation, Libya has re-emerged still somewhat slee…
The most pertinent question for oil producing countries is what will happen when the oil is gone. But as some of the world’s largest oil producers, the Gulf countries have different ways to cope once the rigs stop pumping. Petroleum and economic expert Dr. Marwan Iskandar debates this i…