· March, 2009

Stories about United Arab Emirates from March, 2009

UAE: Mystery installations

  29 March 2009

Samuraisam has spotted strange installations in the middle of the desert in the UAE after a closer look at Google Earth maps. Help him find out what they are.

UAE: YouTube Ban Possible, Goodbye Flickr

  17 March 2009

Bloggers in the UAE are worried that YouTube may be banned in the Emirates, after access to photography hosting site Flickr has been totally blocked. According to Press reports, YouTube is ranked among the top 10 most popular sites in the UAE and news about its possible censorship has sparked debate in the blogosphere.

Dubai: Dress Appropriately and Behave!

  16 March 2009

“Dubai Executive Council issued a new law prohibiting inappropriate behaviour in public places of the emirate. Such behaviour is nudity, kissing, wearing “disrespectful” clothes and even holding hands. I do respect and welcome Dubai's attempt to protecting its identity and cultural values from any western influence, but could something like...

UAE: Leaked Salaries Making the Rounds

  16 March 2009

“Salaries of journalists and employees of the popular UAE daily, The National, were leaked recently and are flowing around the web,” writes Mohammad Zaher, from Dubai, UAE, who adds: “I refuse to forward the list, or contribute to spreading it. I think we all should not forward it if we...

Arab World: Culture, Culture Everywhere

  12 March 2009

Across the Gulf various cultural festivals and literary events have been taking place in recent weeks, and in this post we hear from some of the region's bloggers who have attended them. However culture is not a politics-free zone; even a book fair or a cultural festival can be a source of tension...

Middle East: Women Looking for a Cause to Celebrate

  10 March 2009

Female bloggers from across the Middle East joined hands in marking the International Women's Day with posts reflecting on the occasion and celebrating the lives and achievements of women who have touched them. In Saudi Arabia, American Bedu admits that while many women in the kingdom may not even be...