Sample Newsletters

Find out what gets our members talking. Click on the links below to read recent articles which have sparked discussion.

Iraq and a way forward

Arab Digest editor William Law’s guest this week is Renad Mansour, a Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme and the Project Director of the Iraq Initiative at London’s Chatham House. Their conversation ranges widely, looking at the current government in place for nearly a year, the continuing role of Iran, what needs to happen to curb the corruption throttling the country and the determination of young Iraqis to replace a system that denies them with one that empowers their hopes and enables their aspirations.

Mass graves for victims of those killed in the devastating earthquake in Morocco [photo credit: @Angryman_J]

Of fathers and daughters

Summary: a Moroccan father grieves for his daughter; a Bahraini daughter risks all to save her father.

Leading Democrats in both houses of Congress are increasing efforts to convince Republicans to lift their hold on $75 million in food assistance for the Palestinians, amid growing concerns about a looming humanitarian crisis that could spark further violence [photo credit: alquds.co.uk]

Palestine and a looming food crisis

Summary: Republicans in Washington have invoked an arcane device to withhold urgently needed humanitarian food aid to Palestinians.

Safer

A Red Sea disaster avoided

Summary: the threat of an enormous environmental disaster in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen has been averted thanks to the UN and funding from Western governments.

Prigozhin, Wagner and the UAE

On 28 June 2023, Arab Digest and Mr William Law published a podcast titled “Prigozhin, Wagner and the UAE” and on 30 June 2023 published an edited transcript of that podcast with the same title. Those publications made the following false statements about Kush for Exploration & Production Co. Ltd (“Kush”) and Emiral Resources Ltd (“Emiral”)

With exhaustion of many important aquifers predicted within the next generation, much of Yemen will become uninhabitable, eventually pushing people out of the country.

An open letter to Yemeni leaders: time is now to act on water

Summary: the foremost expert on Yemen’s water issues has a message for the leaders of the various warring factions: the water scarcity crisis threatens Yemen’s very existence and co-ordinated action must be taken immediately to avert an impending catastrophe.

Summer 2023 Arab Digest book list

Arab Digest 2023 summer reads part 2

Summary: our second instalment of great summer reads offers an indepth analysis of the weaponisation of the information space, a powerful personal memoir, an insightful study of how a decade of violence has scarred Libya, a delightful children’s book, a new edition of Helen Lackner’s seminal study of the Yemen war and the republished Sahar Khalifeh classic Wild Thorns.

Summer 2023 Arab Digest book list

Arab Digest 2023 summer read part 1

Summary: a black comedic classic by one of Egypt’s greatest writers, a brilliant new analysis of Yemen, a breath taking generational novel from Kuwait, a deep dive into security in the Gulf monarchies, essays from Arab LGBTQ+ writers and how MbZ built himself and his closest family members into a regional powerhouse.

Protesters march against Mubarak in Nasr City [photo by Hossam el-Hamalawy, 29 January 2011]

Images: 20 Years of Revolution and Counterrevolution in Egypt

Summary: this week marks 10 years since the coup that overthrew Mohamed Morsi but the events that led to the coup and the events that followed are entwined in Egypt’s story of revolution and counterrevolution captured in these images by Hossam el-Hamalawy.

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