Most recently, Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan (NTP) in which Vision 2030 maintained a central position. It would radically transform the Kingdom’s economy. Vision 2030 sets out a comprehensive road map to promote more efficient government services and to diversify the Kingdom’s economy by boosting private sector…
A recent “Pew Research Center” (PEW) survey finds the American people divided and uncertain, having mixed views about how assertive a role the U.S. should play internationally. With sharp differences about the greatest threats to the U.S. and the measures to deal with them, the 2016 US Presidential Elections may well decide the future US…
Two terms with the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s prestigious Global Agenda Council (GAC) on “Countering Terrorism” and given the nexus between corruption, organised crime and terrorism made it apparent that without interdicting or eradicating the source of funding of terrorism, this evil could never be rooted out. With my change over to GAC for “Anti-Corruption…
IntroductionThe last and the seventh lecture, “Is Religion Possible?” present the conclusions of the series of lectures compiled as “Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam”. Iqbal has categorized religious life into three periods, firstly the ‘Faith’, secondly ‘Thought’ and thirdly, the ‘Discovery’. The first period involves acceptance without rationalism. The second period, he says, is when…
The killing of the Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike is a major setback for the insurgent movement. His death comes barely a year after the disclosure of the death of the Taliban’s founding leader Mullah Omar. Mansour was reportedly targeted by US drones in Ahmedwal town, 20 kilometres from…
Protecting the coastal and marine environment is not a job simply to be left to governments though they have the prime responsibility. This is the responsibility of all. Local action is critical but so is the social responsibility of corporations and other large institutions and organisations. While environment and wildlife organisations are frequently in the…
The United Arab Emirates recently announced its national strategy of tolerance; this is a giant leap towards further societal cohesion, co-existence, peace and harmony as it will shun any kind of racial, class, sectoral prejudice in the country. While providing equal rights to its citizens it will further strengthen the UAE’s golden traditions of brotherhood,…
China’s interest in maritime trade dates back to early 15th century when, between 1433 and 1495 during the Ming era, Admiral Zheng undertook seven ocean voyages to coastal territories of the Indian Ocean and beyond. Historians credit him as being well accustomed to battle and having sound knowledge about warfare. Over the course of these…
One can perhaps say that history loses its significance in the absence of human diligence and that it is more the reflection of a human mind than the corporeal existence of life. The stages of history were actually the evolution of the human mind on this ever contracting earth with increase in its populations and…
ContextThe results of Iran’s February 26, 2016, parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections could prove to be an important turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic. Coming on the heels of the implementation of the nuclear deal, the election served as a referendum in favor of President Hassan Rouhani’s moderating approach to international…
