Author: Tayyib el-Sharif

The Soviet Union’s collapse 32 years ago led to rapid change, economic collapse, and violence. In Tajikistan, that violence slid rapidly into civil war. Reflecting on the Soviet Union’s collapse 32 years ago and attempting to draw any sort of conclusion is often a matter of perspective. In his new book, “Moscow’s Heavy Shadow: The Violent Collapse of the USSR,” Dr. Isaac McKean Scarborough, an assistant professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Leiden University, writes of the collapse from one of the Soviet Union’s most distant peripheries — Dushanbe. In doing so, he highlights a perspective not often taken…

Doha, Qatar: Chairman of Qatar Tourism Saad bin Ali Al Kharji has announced that Qatar received over three million tourists during 2023 confirming that Qatar has become a distinctive tourist destination. In his opening remarks at the 26th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, held yesterday in Doha, Al Kharji emphasised Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the unprecedented success in organising it, saying it was a rich experience that can be utilised on the Arab level for the development of the tourism sector. He highlighted Qatar’s hosting of prominent international events this year,…

Frankfurt (18/12 – 14) That there are remarkable advantages in being ignored is not generally recognized. Central Asian countries, historically under the thumb of Moscow, all through the 70+ years of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, were more or less cut off from the outside world. There was little trade or other exchange. The USSR was in fact a grab-bag of ethnicities, religions and languages, controlled with an iron fist by Stalin and afterwards with unbroken dominance through subsequent regimes. Under Soviet management, Central Asia had stayed poor and ignored; it had not developed any hydrocarbon resources to lure…

RIYADH: A robust electric vehicle transition that will support Saudi Arabia’s energy goals can only occur with the needed infrastructure, the CEO of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Co. has told Arab News. Mohammad Gazzaz said the Kingdom has outlined “clear plans” for its ambitions toward electrification, making the need for a framework to fulfill the goals imperative. Research carried out by his firm – a collaborative effort between the Public Investment Fund and the Saudi Electricity Company – outlined that while there is “huge interest” in EVs among the Kingdom’s population, one of the barriers for potential buyers is the lack…

Frankfurt (3/12 – 12) The relatively rapid cohesion of disparate nations, historically competitive or even at war with one another, into the European Union came about in part because of the ongoing threat from the Soviet Union. The specter of a tank invasion from Warsaw Pact nations, today forgotten, was such a reality that the German government kept a major portion of its gold bullion across the Atlantic. The USSR, an ally in World War II after being double-crossed by Hitler – remember the “Non-Aggression Pact signed in Moscow by von Ribbentrop and Molotov – was soon appraised as a…

RIYADH: The non-oil private sector in Qatar continued to maintain its healthy growth in October, as the country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index hits 50.8, driven by improving business conditions. Compiled by S&P Global, the latest survey data from Qatar Financial Center, however, revealed that the newly released figure is down compared to 53.7 recorded in September. Nevertheless, overall growth has been maintained since February. PMI is a composite single-figure indicator of non-energy private sector performance. It is derived from indicators for new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times and stocks of purchases. The latest period saw the headline figure dipping below…

Rome (16/11 – 57) Sri Lanka is mired in a deep political and economic crisis and the country’s then President Rajapaksa has flown out of the country, days after a huge crowd of protesters stormed his residence in July 2022. Protesters for months have demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose government has been blamed for chronic mismanagement of the country’s finances. The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, acute food and fuel shortages, and galloping inflation in its most painful downturn on record. Here is how the crisis unfolded: April 1: State of emergency Rajapaksa declares a temporary state of emergency, giving security forces sweeping powers to arrest and…

Copenhagen (26/10 – 76.9) UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea called on Tajikistan to adapt and review its laws, policies, and practices regarding religion or belief following her 10-day visit. She stated that the implementation of religious freedom and belief in the country is a cause for concern. During a press conference at the UN office in Tajikistan, she also urged Tajikistan’s authorities to “leave the past behind and protect freedom of religion and belief.” Ghanea stated, “This will contribute to development, peace, and understanding in the country. The shadow of civil war looms over…

Brussels (4/11 – 25) It’s an old story, a broken record: war crimes in the Middle East, encouraged and stoked by outsiders with their own agenda. Israel, offended and humiliated by the 7 October attacks (for which they had repeatedly been warned by Egypt. Hamas, encouraged and bankrolled by Israel initially, in its effort to undercut the appeal of Al-Fatah, has turned into Frankenstein’s Monster, breaching a border that was trumpeted as the most invincible in the world, with 24/7 surveillance, sensors to detect tunnels, full camera coverage and on and on – yet several thousand Hamas warriors parachuted in…

The Spice Route is celebrated for the massive influence it had on global trade, culture, religion, language, art, and cuisine. Qatar Museum’s Year of Culture program and Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology are trying to secure UNESCO recognition for the historical and cultural treasure Spice Route. The partners are looking to gather enough evidence for their submission to UNESCO by the upcoming year. The Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture and Indonesia Launch Residency Program to Explore Historical and Cultural Links Between Ancient Arabia and Nusantara announced the partnership on Tuesday. The Spice Route, an ancient trade network…