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Five years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, the Middle East looks very different—defined by both extraordinary cooperation and unprecedented challenges. In this episode, we unpack how Israel's defensive war on seven fronts affected regional partnerships, why Abraham Accords nations have stood by the Jewish state, and what expanded normalization could look like as countries like Saudi Arabia and others weigh making such monumental decisions.   We also explore the growing importance of humanitarian coordination, people-to-people diplomacy, and the critical role AJC is playing in supporting deeper regional collaboration. From shifting narratives to new economic and security opportunities, we chart what the next five years could mean for peace, stability, and integration across the region. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. This episode is up-to-date as of November 25, 2025. Read the transcript: Building What's Next | Architects of Peace - Episode 6 | AJC Resources: AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace - Tune in weekly for new episodes. The Abraham Accords, Explained AJC.org/CNME - Find more from AJC's Center for a New Middle East Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus  People of the Pod Follow Architects of Peace on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace You can reach us at: podcasts@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript: ANNE DREAZEN: One thing that I have learned from my many years at the Department of Defense is that military instruments of power are not sufficient to really build longlasting peace and stability.  The importance of trade, of economic development, of people-to-people ties, is so essential to what we think of as an enduring or a lasting peace. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: In September 2020, the world saw what had been years–decades–in the making. Landmark peace agreements dubbed the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and two Arabian Gulf States, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain.  Later, in December, they were joined by the Kingdom of Morocco. Five years later, AJC is pulling back the curtain to meet key individuals who built the trust that led to these breakthroughs and build bonds that would last. Introducing: the Architects of Peace. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: It has been five years since Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House. In those five years, Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a massive refugee crisis. The U.S. elected one president then re-elected his predecessor who had ushered in the Abraham Accords in the first place.  And amid news that Saudi Arabia might be next to join the Accords, the Hamas terror group breached the border between Israel and Gaza, murdered more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 more. Israel suddenly found itself fighting an existential war against Iran and its terror proxies on multiple fronts – Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Iran itself. At the same time, Israel also fought a worldwide war of public opinion – as Hamas elevated the death toll in Gaza by using Palestinian civilians as human shields and activists waged a war of disinformation on social media that turned international public perception against the Jewish state. Through it all, the Abraham Accords held. ALI RASHID AL NUAIMI: There are those who work hard to undermine what we are doing. And this is where many question: 'How come the UAE is still part of the Abraham Accords?'  MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi is a leading parliamentarian and educator in the United Arab Emirates. He has served as the Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. He currently serves as the Chairman of the International Steering Board of Hedayah, The International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism. The center is based in Abu Dhabi.  He was one of the first to go on Israeli and Arab media to talk to the general public about the Abraham Accords and was known for correcting news anchors and other interview subjects, that the UAE had not simply agreed to live in peace with the Jewish state. It had agreed to actively engage with the Israeli people. ALI RASHID AL NUAIMI: We saw the importance of engaging with both sides. We saw the importance of talking to the Israeli general public. We saw the importance of dialogue with the government in Israel, the Knesset, the NGO, the academician, businessman. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: That engagement started almost immediately with flights back and forth, musical collaborations, culinary exchanges, academic partnerships, business arrangements–much of which came to a halt on October 7, 2023. But that simply meant the nature of the engagement changed. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas War, the UAE has provided extensive humanitarian aid to Gaza, delivering more than 100,000 tons of food, medical supplies, tents, and clothing, by land, air and sea—about 46% of the total assistance that entered Gaza. It established six desalination plants with a combined capacity of two million gallons per day.  And, in addition to operating field and floating hospitals that treated 73,000 patients, the UAE also provided five ambulances, facilitated a polio vaccination campaign, and evacuated 2,785 patients for treatment in the UAE. From Dr. Al-Nuami's point of view, the Abraham Accords made all of that humanitarian aid possible. ALI RASHID AL NUAIMI: This is why we were able to have these hospitals in Gaza, we were able to do these water solutions for the Palestinians, and we did so many things because there is a trust between us and the Israelis. That they allowed us to go and save the Palestinian people in Gaza.  So there were so many challenges, but because we have the right leadership, who have the courage to make the right decision, who believe in the Abraham Accords principles, the vision, and who's working hard to transform the region. Where every everyone will enjoy security, stability, and prosperity without, you know, excluding anyone. Why the UAE didn't pull out of the Abraham Accords? My answer is this. It's not with the government, our engagement. The government will be there for two, three, four years, and they will change.  Our Abraham Accords is with Israel as a nation, with the people, who will stay. Who are, we believe their root is here, and there is a history and there is a future that we have to share together. And this is where we have to work on what I call people to people diplomacy. This is sustainable peace. This is where you really build the bridges of trust, respect, partnership, and a shared responsibility about the whole region. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: On October 9, two years and two days after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the White House announced a ceasefire would take effect, the first step in a 20-point peace plan proposed for the region. Four days later, President Donald Trump joined the presidents of Egypt and Turkey, and the Emir of Qatar to announce a multilateral agreement to work toward a comprehensive and durable peace in Gaza. Since then, all but the remains of three hostages have been returned home, including Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose remains had been held since 2014, ending the longest hostage ordeal in Israel's history. Finally, the prospect of peace and progress seems to be re-emerging. But what is next for the Abraham Accords? Will they continue to hold and once again offer the possibilities that were promised on the White House Lawn in September 2020? Will they expand? And which countries will be next to sign on to the historic pact, setting aside decades of rejection to finally formalize full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state? The opportunities seem endless, just as they did in September 2020 when the Abraham Accords expanded the scope of what was suddenly possible in government, trade, and so much more.  ANNE DREAZEN: The Abraham Accords really opened up lots of opportunities for us in the Department of Defense to really expand cooperation between Israel and its partners in the security sphere.  MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN:  Anne Dreazen spent the last 18 years as a civil servant in the U.S. Department of Defense. For most of that time, she worked on Middle East national security and defense policy, focusing on Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. And most recently serving as the principal director for Middle East policy, the senior civil service job overseeing the entire Middle East office. She was working at the Pentagon when the Abraham Accords were signed under the first Trump administration and immediately saw a shift in the region. ANNE DREAZEN: So, one thing that we saw at the very end of the first Trump administration, and it was made possible in part because of the success of the Abraham Accords, was the decision to move Israel from U.S. European Command into U.S. Central Command. And for many decades, it had been thought that that wouldn't be feasible because you wouldn't have any Middle East countries in CENTCOM that would really be willing to engage with Israel, even in very discreet minimal channels.  But after the Abraham Accords, I think that led us policymakers and military leaders to sort of rethink that proposition, and it became very clear that, it would be better to increase cooperation between Israel and the other Gulf partners, because in many cases, they have similar security interests, specifically concerns about Iran and Iranian proxies and Iranian malign activity throughout the region. And so I think the Abraham Accords was one item that sort of laid the groundwork and really enabled and encouraged us to think creatively about ways through which we could, in the security and defense sphere, improve cooperation between Israel and other partners in the region. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: But sustaining peace in the region is more than a matter of maintaining security. Making sure young people can fulfill their dreams, make a contribution, build relationships and friendships across borders, and transcend religion and ideologies – even those in the security sphere know those are the necessary ingredients for peace and prosperity across the region.  Despite the efforts of Hamas and other Iran-backed terror proxies to derail the Abraham Accords, the U.S., Arab, and Israeli leaders had continued to pursue plans for an Israeli-Saudi peace agreement and to explore a new security architecture to fight common threats. This spirit of optimism and determination led AJC to launch the Center for a New Middle East in June 2024. In October, Anne joined AJC to lead that initiative. ANNE DREAZEN: One thing that I have learned from my many years at the Department of Defense is that military instruments of power are not sufficient to really build long lasting peace and stability. The importance of trade, of economic development, of people-to-people ties is so essential to what we think of as an enduring or a lasting peace.  And so at AJC, we're actually focused on those aspects of trying to advance normalization. Really trying to put more meat on the bones, in the case of where we already have agreements in place. So for example, with Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE and Morocco, trying to really build out what more can be done in terms of building economic ties, building people-to-people ties, and advancing those agreements. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Of course, that work had already begun prior to Anne's arrival. Just two years after the Abraham Accords, Retired Ambassador to Oman Marc Sievers became director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, the first and only Jewish agency office in an Arab and Islamic country.  After more than 30 years as a U.S. diplomat serving across the Middle East and North Africa, Marc has witnessed a number of false starts between Arab nations and Israel. While the Abraham Accords introduced an unprecedented approach, they didn't suddenly stabilize the region.  Marc's four years in Abu Dhabi have been fraught. In January 2022, Houthis in north Yemen launched a drone and missile attack on Abu Dhabi, killing three civilians and injuring six others. In 2023, the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, Israel's retaliation, and Israel's war on seven fronts dimmed Emiratis' public perception of Jews. As recently as this past August, the U.S. Mission to the UAE issued a dire warning to Israeli diplomats and Jewish institutions in Abu Dhabi – a threat that was taken seriously given the kidnapping and murder of a Chabad rabbi in 2024.  But just as the UAE stood by its commitment to Israel, Marc and AJC stood by their commitment to the UAE and Arab neighbors, working to advance Arab-Jewish and Muslim-Jewish dialogue; combat regional antisemitism and extremism; and invigorate Jewish life across the region. From Marc's vantage point, the Abraham Accords revolutionized the concept of normalization, inspiring a level of loyalty he's never before seen.  It's worth noting the precursor to the Abraham Accords: the Peace to Prosperity Summit. For decades, diplomats had frowned on the idea of an economic peace preceding a two-state solution.  MARC SIEVERS: That idea's been out there for a long time. …It was just never embraced by those who thought, you know, first you have a two-state solution. You have a Palestinian state, and then other things will follow. This approach is kind of the opposite. You create an environment in which people feel they have an incentive, they have something to gain from cooperation, and that then can lead to a different political environment. I happen to think that's quite an interesting approach, because the other approach was tried for years and years, and it didn't succeed. Rather than a confrontational approach, this is a constructive approach that everyone benefits from. The Prosperity to Peace Conference was a very important step in that direction. It was harshly criticized by a lot of people, but I think it actually was a very kind of visionary approach to changing how things are done. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: The conference Marc is referring to took place in June 2019 –  a two-day workshop in Bahrain's capital city of Manama, where the Trump administration began rolling out the economic portion of its peace plan, titled "Peace to Prosperity."  The workshop's host Bahrain, as well as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Emirates participated, to varying degrees.  The plan called for large scale investment, mostly by other countries in the Gulf and Europe, to advance the Palestinian economy, to integrate the Palestinian and Israelis' economies and establish a small but functional Palestinian state.  Angered by Trump's recognition of Jerusalem, Palestinian leadership rejected the plan before ever seeing its details. But as former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman pointed out in an earlier episode of this series, that was expected. The plan enabled Israel to demonstrate that it was open to cooperation. It enabled the Trump administration to illustrate the opportunities missed if countries in the region continued to let Palestinian leadership call the shots. It was economic diplomacy at its finest. And it worked.  MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN:  Benjamin Rogers, AJC's Director for Middle East and North Africa Initiatives, who also serves as Deputy Director of the Center for a New Middle East, said the Center has focused heavily on expanding private sector engagement. Israelis and Arab entrepreneurs have quietly traveled to the U.S. as part of the Center's budding business collectives.  BENJAMIN ROGERS: So people who are focused on med tech, people who are focused on agri tech, people who are focused on tourism. And what we do is we say, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Middle East. No, we do not want to talk about violence. No, we don't want to talk about death and destruction. Not because these issues are not important, but because we're here today to talk about innovation, and we're here to talk about the next generation, and what can we do?' And when you say, like, food security for example, how can Israelis and Arabs work together in a way that helps provide more food for the entire world? That's powerful. How can the Israelis and Arabs working together with the United States help combat cancer, help find solutions to new diseases?  If you really want to get at the essence of the Abraham Accords – the ability to do better and work together, to your average person on the street, that's meaningful. And so one of the initiatives is, hey, let's bring together these innovators, these business leaders, private sector, and let's showcase to Arabs, Israelis, non-Jewish community, what the Middle East can be about. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: People-to-people connections. That's what AJC has done for decades, traveling to the region since 1950 to build bridges and relationships. But providing a platform to help facilitate business ventures? That's a new strategy, which is why AJC partnered with Blue Laurel Advisors. The firm has offices in Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Washington, D.C.. It specializes in helping companies navigate the geopolitics of doing business in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Israel.  At AJC Global Forum in April, founder and Managing Director Tally Zingher told an audience that the Abraham Accords, which effectively lifted the UAE's ban on business with Israel, brought already existing deals above the radar. TALLY ZINGHER: We've been wowed by what the Center for a New Middle East has been able to do and put forth in the very short time that it's been incubated and Blue Laurel Advisors are really delighted to be part of this project and we're really aligned with its mission and its vision. It's quite simple in the region because the region is really driven by national agendas. I think it's no surprise that the appendix to the Abraham Accords was a direct parallel to the Abu Dhabi national vision. It's the key areas of growth in UAE and Saudi Arabia that are now really well aligned with Israeli strength.  We're talking about the diversification efforts of the UAE and of Saudi Arabia. At Blue Laurel, we're quite focused on Saudi Arabia because of the real growth story underway there created by the diversification efforts. But they're focused on water, energy, renewable energy, healthy cyber security, tourism. Ten years ago when you were doing this work, 15 years ago there wasn't as much complementarity between Israel and the start-up innovation ecosystem and what was going on. The region is really ready and ripe to have Israeli innovation be a part of its growth trajectory. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Benjy said there's another advantage to building bridges in the business world – continuity. BENJAMIN ROGERS:Out of the three sectors that we're focused on – diplomatic, business, and civil society – business relations are the most resistant to political conflict. There's this element of self interest in it, which I'm not saying is a bad thing, but when you tie the relationship to your own worth and your own value, you're much more likely to go through kind of the ebbs and flows of the political.  Whereas, if you're a civil society, you're really at the mercy of populations. And if the timing is not right, it's not impossible to work together, but it's so much more difficult. Business is even more resistant than political engagement, because if political engagement is bad, the business relationship can still be good, because there's an element of self interest, and that element of we have to work together for the betterment of each other. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: The economic diplomacy complements AJC's partnership with civil society groups, other non-profits that work to bring people together to experience and embody each other's realities in the Middle East. The Center also has continued AJC's trademark traditional diplomacy to expand the circle of peace. Though Marc prefers to call it the circle of productivity.  MARC SIEVERS: I think it achieved new relations for Israel that were perhaps different from what had happened with Egypt and Jordan, where we have long standing peace agreements, but very little contact between people, and very little engagement other than through very specific official channels. The Abraham Accords were different because there was a people-to-people element. The UAE in particular was flooded with Israeli tourists almost immediately after the Accords were signed, Bahrain less so, but there have been some. And not as many going the other way, but still, the human contacts were very much there.  I think it was also building on this idea that economic engagement, joint partnerships, investment, build a kind of circle of productive relations that gradually hopefully expand and include broader parts of the region or the world that have been either in conflict with Israel or have refused to recognize Israel as a sovereign Jewish state. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: It being all of those things explains why the potential for expansion is all over the map. So where will the Abraham Accords likely go next? The Trump administration recently announced the addition of Kazakhstan. But as the Central Asian country already had diplomatic relations with Israel, the move was more of an endorsement of the Accords rather than an expansion. In November 2025, all eyes were on the White House when Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a visit. In addition to the customary Oval Office meeting, President Trump also hosted the Saudi royal at a black-tie dinner. ANNE DREAZEN: Right now, everyone is really talking about and thinking, of course, about Saudi Arabia, and certainly I think there's a lot of promise now with the ceasefire having been achieved. That sort of lays a better groundwork to be able to think about whether we can, whether the United States can play an important role in bringing Saudi Arabia and Israel to the table to move forward on normalization. Certainly from the Saudis have have made they've cautioned that one of their prerequisites is a viable path toward Palestinian statehood. And we've known that, that's in President Trump's 20-point plan. So I think it remains to be seen whether or not Israel and Saudi Arabia can come to a mutually agreed upon way of addressing that key concern for Saudi Arabia. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: But there are also countries who only a year ago never would have considered a relationship with Israel. With Hezbollah diminished and a moderate and forward-leaning Lebanese government in place, quiet conversations are taking place that could lead to a significant diplomatic achievement, even if not as ambitious as the Abraham Accords. The same in Syria, where Ahmed al-Sharaa is sending positive signals that he would at least be willing to consider security arrangements. ANNE DREAZEN: Even if you don't have a Syrian Embassy opening up in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv,  even if you don't have an Israeli embassy opening up in Damascus, there could be other arrangements made, short of a full diplomatic peace accord that would lay the groundwork for some understandings on security, on borders. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Marc said it remains to be seen whether Oman, his final diplomatic post, will join the Accords. Two years before the signing of the Accords, while serving as ambassador, there was a glimmer of hope. Well, more than a glimmer really. MARC SIEVERS: In Oman, the late Sultan Qaboos, a good, almost two years before the Abraham Accords, invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit him in his royal palace in Muscat. Netanyahu came with his wife, Sarah, but also with a lot of the top senior leadership. Certainly his military secretary, the head of the Mossad, a few other people. As soon as Netanyahu landed in Israel, the Omanis put it all over the media, and there were some wonderful videos of the Sultan giving Netanyahu a tour of the palace and a choir of children who came and sang, and some other things that the Sultan liked to do when he had important guests.  And it was quite an interesting moment, and that was two years before. And that was not initiated by the United States. Unlike the Abraham Accords process, that was an Omani initiative, but again, other than the meeting itself, nothing really came of it. The Omanis took a lot of pride in what they had done, and then they backed away. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Instead, Marc points to the country with the largest Muslim population in the world: Indonesia – especially following recent remarks to the United Nations General Assembly by Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. PRABOWO SUBIANTO: We must have an independent Palestine, but we must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then can we have real peace. Real peace and no longer hate and no longer suspicion. The only solution is the two-state solution. The descendants of Abraham must live in reconciliation, peace, and harmony. Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, all religions. We must live as one human family. Indonesia is committed to being part of making this vision a reality. MARC SIEVERS: We've heard that, you know, Indonesia needs some time to consider this, which makes a lot of sense. It's not something to be done lightly, and yet that would be a huge achievement. Obviously, Indonesia has never been a party to the conflict directly, but they also have never had relations with Israel, and they are the most populous Muslim country. Should that happen, it's a different kind of development than Saudi Arabia, but in some ways, it kind of internationalizes or broadens beyond the Middle East, the circle of peace. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: But in addition to adding signatories, Anne said AJC's Center for a New Middle East will work to strengthen the current relationships with countries that stayed committed during Israel's war against Hamas, despite public apprehensions. Anne recently traveled to Bahrain and the UAE with AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, who has long led AJC's Middle East outreach. There, Anne discovered a significant slowdown in the momentum she witnessed when the Accords debuted. ANNE DREAZEN: I saw a real hesitancy during my travels in the region for politicians to publicly acknowledge and to publicly celebrate the Abraham Accords. They were much more likely to talk about peaceful coexistence and tolerance in what they characterize as a non-political way, meaning not tied to any sort of diplomatic agreements. So I saw that as a big impediment.  I do think that among the leadership of a lot of these countries, though, there is a sense that they have to be more pragmatic than ever before in trying to establish, in time to sustain the ceasefire, and establish a more enduring stability in the region. So there's a bit of a disconnect, I think, between where a lot of the publics lie on this issue.  But a lot of the political leaders recognize the importance of maintaining ties with Israel, and want to lay the groundwork for greater stability. We are very interested now in doing what we can as CNME, as the Center for New Middle East, to help rebuild those connections and help reinvigorate those relationships. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: This is especially the case in Bahrain, which has not seen the same economic dividends as the UAE. ANNE DREAZEN: Bahrain is a much smaller country than the UAE, and their key industries – they have less of a developed startup tech ecosystem than the UAE. And frankly, many of Bahrain's sectors don't overlap as neatly with some of Israel's emerging tech sectors, as is the case with the UAE. So, for example, Bahrain is very heavy on steel and aluminum manufacturing, on logistics. Manufacturing is a big part of the sector.  Israeli tech doesn't really, in general, provide that many jobs in that type of sector. Tourism is another area where Bahrain is trying to develop as a top priority. This obviously was really challenged during the Abraham Accords, especially when direct flights stopped over Gulf air. So tourism was not a natural one, especially after October 7.  Bahrain has really prioritized training their youth workforce to be able to take on jobs in IT and financial services, and this is one area we want to look into more and see what can be done. Bahrain is really prioritizing trying to build relationships in areas that can provide jobs to some of their youth. It is not as wealthy a country as the UAE, but it has a very educated young workforce. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Again, fulfilling dreams, giving youth an opportunity to contribute. That's the necessary narrative to make the Abraham Accords a success.  ALI RASHID AL NUAIMI: It's very important to focus on the youth, and how to create a narrative that will gain the heart and the mind of all youth in the region, the Israeli, the Palestinian, the Arabs, the Muslims. And this is where it is very important to counter hate that comes from both sides. Unfortunately, we still see some hate narratives that come from those far-right extremists who serve the extremists on the Arab side, taking advantage of what they are saying, what they are doing. From the beginning, I convey this message to many Israelis: please don't put the Palestinian people in one basket with Hamas, because if you do so, you will be saving Hamas. Hamas will take advantage of that.  This is where it's very important to show the Palestinian people that we care about them. You know, we see them as human beings. We want a better future for them. We want to end their suffering. We want them to fulfill their dream within the region, that where everybody will feel safe, will feel respected, and that we all will live as neighbors, caring about each other's security and peace.  We have to engage, have a dialogue, show others that we care about them, you see, and try to empower all those who believe in peace who believe that Israeli and Palestinian have to live together in peace and harmony. And it will take time, yes, but we don't have other options. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: But Dr. Al Nuaimi emphasizes that it can't be just a dialogue. It must be a conversation that includes the American voice. The UAE has been clear with the Israeli public on two occasions that attempts by Israel to unilaterally annex the West Bank would be a red line for the relationship between their two countries. But even as the five-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords approached, a milestone that should've been a reminder of the countries' mutual commitments, it took U.S. intervention for Israel to heed that warning. Anne Dreazen agrees that the U.S. plays an important role. She said Israel must continue to defend itself against threats. But in order to create a safe space for Israel in the long term, the U.S., the American Jewish community in particular, can help bridge connections and overcome cultural differences. That will keep the Accords moving in the right direction. ALI RASHID AL NUAIMI: I believe many Arab and Muslim leaders are eager to join it, but you know, they have to do their internal calculation within their people. We have to help them, not only us, but the Israelis. They are looking for a way, a path, to have them as neighbors, and to have a solution that the Palestinian will fulfill their dreams, but the Israeli also will be secure. I think having such a narrative that will take us to the next level by bringing other Arab countries and Muslim country to join the Abraham Accords. MANYA BRACHEAR PASHMAN: Thank you for listening. Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jason Isaacson, Sean Savage, and the entire AJC team for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to Architects of Peace on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/ArchitectsofPeace. The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC. You can reach us at podcasts@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us. Music Credits: Middle East : ID: 279780040; Composer: Eric Sutherland Inspired Middle East: ID: 241884108; Composer: iCENTURY Mystical Middle East: ID: 212471911; Composer: Vicher

À 6000 km de la Belgique se cache un joyau encore discret : Oman. Dans cette version longue de Very Belge Trip, Sara reçoit Maxime (@trekkingetvoyage), créateur de contenu depuis 10 ans, pour un récit immersif et passionné. Ensemble, ils dévoilent un pays de contrastes, profondément ancré dans la tolérance, la spiritualité et le respect.À travers Mascate, capitale paisible et élégante, Maxime partage son ressenti face à l'harmonie entre modernité et tradition, symbolisée par la majestueuse mosquée Sultan Qaboos. Puis cap sur la nature : wadis cristallins, sources chaudes, plages désertes, montagnes et dunes offrent un spectacle permanent.La gastronomie omanaise n'est pas en reste. Maxime nous décrit ses découvertes gustatives, entre épices subtiles et plats simples mais savoureux, dans un cadre toujours chaleureux et propre.Loin des clichés, Oman révèle aussi une culture vestimentaire raffinée et vivante, où le dishdasha et le kumma traduisent l'identité et l'élégance du quotidien.Cet épisode, entre confidences et émerveillement, vous embarque pour un voyage inspirant et dépaysant, parfait pour nourrir vos envies d'ailleurs.Vous rêvez de voyager à La Réunion, à Bali, en Bolivie, au Portugal, en Finlande, au Congo, en Australie, au Botswana, en Irlande, en Grèce ou encore en Italie ? De l'Europe à l'Afrique, en passant par l'Amérique et l'Asie, chaque épisode de Very Belge Trip est une invitation au voyage qui vous transporte sur les différents continents avec des voyageurs belges. Rendez-vous tous les lundis à 14h sur NRJ.be et les plateformes d'écoute.

Oman, situé à environ 6000 km de la Belgique, est une perle méconnue du Moyen-Orient. Dans cet épisode de Very Belge Trip, Sara reçoit Maxime, créateur de contenu voyage depuis 10 ans (@trekkingetvoyage sur Instagram), pour un récit passionnant sur ce pays aux mille contrastes.Terre d'hospitalité et de tolérance, Oman prône le respect et le vivre-ensemble. Sa société ouverte met en avant une religion modérée et accorde une place importante aux femmes. Sa capitale, Mascate, séduit par sa richesse culturelle et ses monuments impressionnants, comme la majestueuse mosquée Sultan Qaboos, célèbre pour son immense tapis persan et son lustre Swarovski.Côté nature, Oman offre un décor spectaculaire : dunes dorées, montagnes escarpées, plages aux eaux turquoise et vallées luxuriantes ponctuées de palmiers. Son climat chaud façonne un paysage unique, propice à l'aventure et à la découverte.Envie d'évasion ? Plongez dans cet épisode et laissez-vous inspirer pour votre prochain voyage !Vous rêvez de voyager à La Réunion, à Bali, en Bolivie, au Portugal, en Finlande, au Congo, en Australie, au Botswana, en Irlande, en Grèce ou encore en Italie ? De l'Europe à l'Afrique, en passant par l'Amérique et l'Asie, chaque épisode de Very Belge Trip est une invitation au voyage qui vous transporte sur les différents continents avec des voyageurs belges. Rendez-vous tous les lundis à 14h sur NRJ.be et les plateformes d'écoute.

Lange Zeit gehörte Oman zu den am wenigsten entwickelten Ländern im Nahen Osten. Doch 1970 weckte Sultan Qaboos das östlichste Land der arabischen Halbinsel aus einem Dornröschenschlaf und führte es in die Moderne. Mit Hilfe der Einnahmen aus der Erdölförderung ließ der Monarch Schulen, Universitäten und Krankenhäuser bauen, baute das Strom- und das Straßennetz aus. Dabei behielt er aber auch die Traditionen des Landes im Blick. Anne Allmeling über den Oman zwischen Tradition und Moderne.

Lange Zeit gehörte das Sultanat Oman zu den am wenigsten entwickelten Ländern im Nahen Osten. Doch 1970 weckte Sultan Qaboos das Land aus einem Dornröschenschlaf und führte es in die Moderne. Mit Hilfe der Einnahmen aus der Erdölförderung ließ der Monarch Schulen, Universitäten und Krankenhäuser errichten und baute das Strom- und das Straßennetz aus. Dabei behielt er aber auch die Traditionen des Landes im Blick. Für Reisende gilt Oman als eine Art Geheimtipp: Während viele Länder der arabischen Welt von Krisen und Krieg geprägt sind, herrscht dort seit fünf Jahrzehnten Frieden.   In diesem Jahr war das Sultanat offizielles Gastland der Internationalen Tourismusbörse in Berlin und wollte die Aufmerksamkeit der weltweiten Reiseindustrie auf sich ziehen. Ein Land für den Massentourismus ist es nicht, aber das Sultanat gilt als stabilstes und sicherstes Land der arabischen Welt. Anne Allmeling war in Oman unterwegs.

Lange Zeit gehörte der Oman zu den am wenigsten entwickelten Ländern im Nahen Osten. Doch 1970 weckte Sultan Qaboos das östlichste Land der arabischen Halbinsel aus einem Dornröschenschlaf und führte es in die Moderne.

Lange Zeit gehörte Oman zu den am wenigsten entwickelten Ländern im Nahen Osten. Doch 1970 weckte Sultan Qaboos das östlichste Land der arabischen Halbinsel aus einem Dornröschenschlaf und führte es in die Moderne.

Lange Zeit gehörte Oman zu den am wenigsten entwickelten Ländern im Nahen Osten. Doch 1970 weckte Sultan Qaboos das östlichste Land der arabischen Halbinsel aus einem Dornröschenschlaf und führte es in die Moderne. Mit Hilfe der Einnahmen aus der Erdölförderung ließ der Monarch Schulen, Universitäten und Krankenhäuser bauen, baute das Strom- und das Straßennetz aus. Dabei behielt er aber auch die Traditionen des Landes im Blick. Jetzt unter Sultan Haitham gilt Oman für Reisende als Geheimtipp: Die Preise sind erschwinglich, die Menschen gastfreundlich. Und "wildes Campen" ist auch erlaubt.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic raised questions about how the health crisis, government-imposed lockdowns, and economic recession would affect religious faith and behavior. While many social scientists expected it to strengthen religiosity as people turned to their faith for comfort in a time of need, others suspected a religious recession could result from the limitations on communal religious activity. In this episode, we speak with three political scientists, Tarek Masoud, A. Kadir Yildirim, and Peter Mandaville, about their new study of religious behavior following the pandemic in the Muslim-majority countries of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia in November and December of 2020.Tarek Masoud is Faculty Director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, Professor of Public Policy, and Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Professor of International Relations at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.A. Kadir Yildirim is Fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Twitter: @akyildirimPeter Mandaville is Professor of International Affairs at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government. Twitter: @pmandavilleCredits and transcript: islamicstudies.harvard.edu/ep-8-pandemic-religious-behavior-muslim-world-tarek-masoud-kadir-yildirim-and-peter

Navneet Ravi Rana writes to Lok Sabha Speaker alleging that Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant threatened her. Arvind Sawant clarifying about MP Navneet Ravi Rana's claim. Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 being conferred on late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman. For more live news download Etv Bharat Download ETV Bharat on App store – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/etv-bharat/id1453416186 Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.etvbharat.android Or watch us live on – www.etvbharat.com ETV Bharat is a Division of Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. , is a comprehensive digital national news platform conceived to deliver seamless news and information services, using video-centric Mobile App and Web Portals. It is first-of-its-kind offering in India in terms of diversity and depth, dedicated journalists network, reach of 24 states with services in 13 languages i.e.– Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese, Odia and English. ETV Bharat is the latest initiative of the five-decade old multi-dimensional Ramoji Group. The Group's highly successful media endeavors include : Eenadu - one of the largely circulated language dailies in the country , and ETV Network with Telugu general entertainment, infotainment and news channels. With a strong lineage of the most trusted media house, ETV Bharat would draw on its strengths of decades' long experience and innovation. ETV Bharat will combine the new technologies of mobile and digital media to engage news and information seekers in a new connected world. It will be driven by a well-established newsgathering setup, technology specialists and other professionals.

The February 1st coup launched by Myanmar's military effectively put an end to the country's tentative transition to democracy as civilian political leaders were imprisoned and the results of the 2020 elections annulled. On Friday, February 19th, the Ash Center hosted a discussion titled Myanmar After the Coup. Joining the Center to discuss these recent events in Myanmar and what they portend for the country's future were Pwint Htun, Non-Residential Myanmar Program Fellow at the Ash Center and Derek Mitchell, president of the National Democratic Institute and former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar. The conversation was moderated by Tarek Masoud, Professor of Public Policy and Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Professor of International Relations at HKS.The transcript for this episode is online here. About the Ash Center The Ash Center is a research center and think tank at Harvard Kennedy School focused on democracy, government innovation, and Asia public policy. AshCast, the Center's podcast series, is a collection of conversations, including events and Q&As with experts, from around the Center on pressing issues, forward-looking solutions, and more. Visit the Ash Center online, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. For updates on the latest research, events, and activities, please signup for our newsletter.

Fast 50 Jahre lang stand Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al-Said an der Spitze des Oman. Eine Herrschaftsspanne, die die aller anderen Herrscher im Nahen Osten übertrifft. Seinem Nachfolger, Sultan Haitham, hat Qaboos bin Said Al-Said allerdings ein schwieriges Erbe hinterlassen: Die Einnahmen aus der Erdölförderung reichen längst nicht mehr aus, um die üppigen Staatsausgaben zu finanzieren. Der neue Sultan muss Reformen durchführen, u.a. im Bildungssystem, auf dem Arbeitsmarkt und in der Wirtschaft.

Podcast Naji: Wisdom from the village Naji is a master of story telling. He speaks and teaches Arabic, German and English and he writes poems in all three languages. This reflects his deep understanding of cultures and he gives amazing insights into Arabic traditions and old norms and how they transform into modern life in Oman. this is very special in Omani society, we don't ask about your religion, language, colour, we just respect you because you are a human being - you are people like usNaji AlShuhaimi Naji grew up in a village and moved to Muscat, the capital city where he teaches in a school. He tells stories about his childhood in a village and his experiences living in a multicultural environment in Muscat's newly built suburbs. When he is in Muscat, he misses the traditional life of the tribes with its wide social networks in the village where everybody knows each other and people take care of each other. Something we have lost in Europe. Naji also shares his dream which is very different from teaching languages. He talks about his impressive Omani beard, its meaning for him and the lion story. Naji loves travelling to Germany, that's were he found white life, street numbers, modern teaching methods and his newly found love for the nature. Now, he tries to convince his students to take good care of the nature as their old fathers did. Traditional teaching will not help develop talents. Sultan Qaboos (bin Said) started this 50 years ago, it is time to change our schools and teaching methods!Naji AlShuhaimi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuwbMzwl-E8 Listen to the first episode of the Oman Podcast Series and read Maha's Talent Profile. Find out more about Oman at the time of the interview in February 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuwbMzwl-E8 Podcast Naji: Wisdom from the village Naji is a master of story telling. He speaks and teaches Arabic, German and English and he writes poems in all three languages. This reflects his deep understanding of cultures and he gives amazing insights into Arabic traditions and old norms and how they transform into modern life in Oman. this is very special in Omani society, we don't ask about your religion, language, colour, we just respect you because you are a human being - you are people like usNaji AlShuhaimi Naji grew up in a village and moved to Muscat, the capital city where he teaches in a school. He tells stories about his childhood in a village and his experiences living in a multicultural environment in Muscat's newly built suburbs. When he is in Muscat, he misses the traditional life of the tribes with its wide social networks in the village where everybody knows each other and people take care of each other. Something we have lost in Europe. Naji also shares his dream which is very different from teaching languages. He talks about his impressive Omani beard, its meaning for him and the lion story. Naji loves travelling to Germany, that's were he found white life, street numbers, modern teaching methods and his newly found love for the nature. Now, he tries to convince his students to take good care of the nature as their old fathers did. Traditional teaching will not help develop talents. Sultan Qaboos (bin Said) started this 50 years ago, it is time to change our schools and teaching methods!Naji AlShuhaimi Listen to the first episode of the Oman Podcast Series and read Maha's Talent Profile. Find out more about Oman at the time of the interview in February 2020.

Jerry Feierstein, Karen Young, and Dania Thafer join host Alistair Taylor to discuss the political, economic, and foreign policy challenges facing the sultanate and its new ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who ascended to the throne following the death of Sultan Qaboos, Oman’s long-time ruler, in early January.  

In this episode of the Sultanate, I talk about the life and death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. On this day, July 23, in 1970, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said took power from his father Sultan Said bin Taimur Al Said in a coup d’état. This was the day that the Sultanate of Oman entered into its renaissance, and this day is celebrated as Renaissance Day. Who is Sultan Qaboos, what is the renaissance, and why is he revered among Omanis? Learn more at the associated episode post on my website. Check it out!  Sultanate Ep 034: Sultan of Oman Links Associated blog post at Beyond the Route Sultan Qaboos Obituary Buy the Symphonic Impressions of Oman by Lalo Schifrin Read Sultan Haitham's first speech Follow the show and find more about Oman at: www.beyondtheroute.com Facebook Instagram Twitter Do you like what you hear? Be sure to tell a friend and tell me what you like in the comments at www.beyondtheroute.com. You can also leave the show a review on iTunes. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Oman: a new Sultan and new challenges The ECFR's Cinzia Bianco discusses the challenges Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarek faces in an increasingly volatile neighbourhood. Can he maintain the legacy of Sultan Qaboos and continue to steer the country's neutral path or will pressures from Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as a distressed economy force him to abandon course?

The Good Neighbour: A Commemorative Lecture on the Life of Sultan Qaboos Jeremy Jones is Senior Associate Member at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and was previously a Research Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has co-authored two books about Oman: Oman, Culture and Diplomacy (Edinburgh 2012) and A History of Modern Oman (Cambridge 2015). He has also consulted for the Omani government since the 1980s.The lecture reflects upon the life and reign of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said and the unparalleled advances it has had on Oman’s society as well as the vital influence he had in promoting the stability of the Gulf region. _________Anglo Omani Society accounts:Instagram: angloomanisociety Linkedin: The Anglo-Omani SocietyTwitter: @AngloOmaniSOCFacebook: The Anglo-Omani Society

"The Life of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said (1940-2020): Context, Reflections, Perspectives" Featuring: Her Excellency Hunaina Sultan Ahmed Al Mughairy, Ambassador (Ret.) Frances D. Cook, Ambassador (Ret.) Richard J. Schmierer, Mr. Timothy Lenderking, and Dr. John Duke Anthony. Recorded February 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. Visit www.ncusar.org for more information.

Mickey Flykick and Aria Salan are joined again by the Flaming Bear of Brisbane comedy Nick Carr to learn about the recently departed Sultan Qaboos of Oman (it's pronounced like Caboose). We learn about the British fucking up, leftist uprisings and where Nick keeps his umbrella.   For more content jump on to www.patreon.com/aintitrich for more fabulous content.  

Oman’s leader, Sultan Qaboos, died last week after ruling the country for 50 years. Qaboos is considered the father of modern Oman, so Phil and Cooper explore his life, the coup d’etat that changed his destiny, and the social and economic realities for Omanis under his rule. And what do we know about his successor? Al-Monitor Gulf Pulse contributor Karen Young joins the podcast to lend her expertise on the overlooked Gulf nation and more. What’s next for Oman following Sultan Qaboos’ death? (Kristian Ulrichsen) Sell-off in Oman reveals privatization with regional characteristics (Karen Young) Russia eyes Oman as mediator for regional crises (Kirill Semenov) Oman minister describes role as 'facilitator' of diplomacy in turbulent region Oman’s humanitarian aid to Yemen also pragmatic (Sebastian Castelier) Extra Listening: Episode #9,  Qatar? I Hardly Know Her (6/7/2017): A group of Gulf countries and Egypt place a controversial embargo on Qatar for supporting terrorism and having diplomatic relations with Iran. Music: Sal Davis - “Sultan Qaboos Song” ( YouTube)

On this edition of Friday Night Live, join host Hafiz Sha'ban, with co-host Abdul Akbar, as they discuss the following the topics: - Ailing leaders of the Muslim world - Western Ally Sultan Qaboo of Oman Dies. What is in prospect for the next generation of leaders? - Special Court Formed for Musharraf Treason Trial 'Unconstitutional', rules LHC. Musharraf's Ping Pong Verdict. What is going on!? - How will your life end? Video of Sheikh passing away whilst delivering a lecture has gone viral: What lessons and reflections are we taking from this? Sheikh Haitham Al Haddad! - In Other News Stories, Eco-Masjids Seminar - What is being proposed and how can other Masjids adopt?

Pictured: Sir Roger Scruton Matthew Bannister on Sir Roger Scruton, the leading conservative philosopher of his generation, known for his work on aesthetics. His outspoken views made him a controversial figure for some on the left. Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman who overthrew his father in a coup and transformed his country. Bobby Neame, the Chairman of Shepherd Neame - the country's oldest brewing company based in Kent. Elizabeth Sellars, the British actress who appeared alongside Humphrey Bogart in "The Barefoot Contessa" and Marlon Brando in "Desiree". Interviewed guest: Lord Maurice Glasman Interviewed guest: Douglas Murray Interviewed guest: Calvin Allen Interviewed guest: Jonathan Neame Interviewed guest: Dr Melanie Williams Producer: Neil George Archive clips from: The English Fix, Radio 4 14/09/2017; On Your Farm, Radio 4 28/10/2001; Best of Today Podcast, Radio 4 26/04/2019; Profile: Sultan Qaboos Of Oman, Radio 4 11/01/1980; Sultan Of Muscat and Oman Interview, Radio 4 02/08/1970; Oman Civil War, Thames TV 22/03/2017; Slang: Spitfire Ale advert 27/06/2013; Newsroom South East, BBC One 21/01/1998; Forbidden Cargo, directed by Harold French, J. Arthur Rank Organisation/ London Independent Producers 1954; Hunted, directed by Charles Crichton, Independent Artists/ British Film Makers 1952; Desiree, directed by Henry Koster, Twentieth Century Fox 1954; The Barefoot Contessa, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Transoceanic Film /Figaro 1954; A Voyage Round My Father, directed by Alvin Rakoff, Thames Television 1982.

> Upcoming SCO Heads of Government summit in India > Sri Lankan leadership's back-to-back meetings with reps from US, Japan, Russia and China > Oman after Sultan Qaboos > Egypt's new Ras Banas naval base in the Red Sea > Israeli Military Intelligence includes Turkey as a threat

The first signs that something big was happening came a little after noon on Friday when the army and police deployed across Oman. The tensions between the United States and Iran lead many to assume the sudden deployment was related. When regular overnight programming stopped and the television stations started broadcasting excerpts from the Quran, it was obvious. Sultan Qaboos, the longest serving monarch in the Middle East, had passed away. Host James Haines-Young looks at the life of Sultan Qaboos and what’s next for Oman as it looks to the future.

The departure of Sultan Qaboos of Oman in the early days of 2020, marks the end of an era in the Arab world. Many founders of republics, kingdoms and sheikdoms have departed before him, to the great loss of their nations. To name but a few one would remember Presidents Qudsi, Khoury and Chehab in Syria and Lebanon, as well as, King Faisal in Saudi Arabia and the late Sheik Zayed in the UAE. But nations do not die with the passing away of their leaders, they either forge ahead with their national projects or slip back into the chaos of internecine struggles. On the one hand, the Levant has been disappointingly rich with such failures. Except for Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq are worse off under their current leaders than at the turn of the previous century. On the other hand, the Gulf has been surprisingly rich with better alternatives. Young, educated, forward looking leaders have taken the reins of power and instead of scanning the past for answers they are looking to the future for better prospects. The more astute political class in the Levant, who received higher education before the rest and, tackled the end of the colonial era few decades prior, has always acted with arrogance and some disdain towards its Gulf counterpart. Although dependent on the Arab Gulf for jobs, opportunities, and financial support the Levant's intelligentsia (a false noun) has derided the leaders of the Peninsula for their tribal manners both in governance and social behavior. History has proven that wearing a tie (or shunning to wear one) does not make the man. Education without a culture of fairness, social justice, or respect for basic rights is only a fools' panache. The old rhetoric that has long dominated the waves of Arab media, sounds out of tune in 2020. Boycott policies, Pan-Arab projects, and the creation of a Baathist or more recently, Shia Crescent have failed all too miserably. With the advent of modern communications people now have the means to compare and contrast. What did the Nasser era bring to Egypt? What did the PLO bestow upon the Palestinians? What did Assad, Saddam, Ghaddafi and others offer their people? Except years of misery, ruthless internal security services, momentous failures at regional wars and, the invasions of Chad, Kuwait and Lebanon. Today Syria is a serf State of Russia, just as Iraq and Lebanon are to Iran. Yemen is at war, and so is Libya with more than one regional & international power with its hand in the pie. The answer is not an about face to the old regimes. Although, compared with the iron order of the past, there is a cynical nostalgia for former dictators. Rather, a need for a breed of new decision makers. What is in want is a new class of political activists, secular thinkers and objective journalists, social and grass root groups whose focus is on issues that have eluded all: respect of individual liberties and the death of the centralized State. With individual liberties come a plethora of rights including genuine freedom of speech, freedom of worship and, ownership. As opposed to the present-day nominal elections, religious tolerance (an abhorring word and concept), and kleptomaniac capitalism. The centralized State has long suppressed such basic rights because in a truly democratic system feudal families and military juntas would vanish. With the freedom of worship based on mutual respect not just tolerating the ‘other', comes the benefits of a richly diverse society. And, with the freedom of ownership, the yoke of clientelism and modern serfdom, would be abolished. The Arabs have been dealt a poor hand for almost a century. The region's leaders have run out of excuses and the people have ran out of patience. However, the fossilized politicos are capable of fabricating new justifications by the day, if masses only remain willing to entertain their falsehoods. Hence, the change will come from the bottom up in the Levant, while change has already been on the march from the top down in ...

The Sultan is dead. Long live the Sultan. In a world in which leadership is usually characterised by hubris, Sultan Qaboos was one of the best. God rest his soul.Support the show (https://www.justgiving.com/tncf)

Today, in loving memory of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said we commemorate his life and great leadership.  Born November 18th, 1940, HH Sultan Qaboos took the thrown from his father on July 23, 1970 and ruled for nearly 50 prosperous years until his passing on January 10, 2020.  HH Sultan Qaboos was an exemplary world leader who remained neutral in the region, while being active to build peace in the Middle East.  There are many lessons we can learn from his life and leadership to guide us into become better leaders of our organizations, teams, and families. Today we remember His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and honor him by learning from his great leadership of the Sultanate of Oman. ------   To take more steps to live a focus life to achieve your dreams and fulfill your destiny–get my book Anchored the Discipline to Stop Drifting. Until next time… Be a change maker, weave your destiny, own the future. Thank you for listening, and as always you can find me at: LucasSkrobot.com LinkedIn Instagram

Parts of India are facing acute water shortages and the consequences can be deadly. Kate Adie introduces correspondents’ stories from around the world: The scramble for water in the slums of New Delhi can mean waiting in line each day for hours to fill up from government tankers – as well as occasional violent disputes. “Say no to a Chinese government” and “We are Chinese” – at two different presidential rallies earlier this year Olivia Acland heard very different reactions to China’s growing influence in Sierra Leone. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al-Said ended the isolationism that characterised his father’s rule and has cultivated new relationships with the Oman’s neighbours as well as Britain and the US. During his rule the capital Muscat has also been transformed into a glisteningly modern city, says Caroline Davies, and more change could soon be coming. Ibrat Safo returns to his native Uzbekistan to find that the family reunions he enjoyed as a child are no longer possible – the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border now divides his relatives. And Nick Thorpe takes a luxurious train journey across the Balkans and into the region's history.

In the Arab world, photography is often tied to the modernizing efforts of imperial and colonial powers. However, indigenous photography was itself a major aspect of the cultural and social lives of Middle Eastern societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Sheehi’s The Arab Imago: A Social History of Indigenous Photography 1860-1910 (Princeton University Press, 2016) tells that story, focusing primarily on portraiture and those that took portraits. Sheehi examines the formalism of portraits in relation to changing notions of class, questioning whether or not portrait photography were creating new forms of sociability or vice versa. But photography is also another way Arab modernity was in relation to Ottomanism: The Arab Imago looks at how portrait studios developed in Istanbul and beyond, often operated by Armenian and Greek Orthodox photographers. The Arab Imago integrates photography, modernity, and the banal to give us one of the first histories of photography in the Middle East. Stephen Sheehi is the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies and Director of the Program of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the College of William and Mary. He is Professor of Arabic Studies as well, and holds a joint appointment in AMES and the Arabic Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He did his doctorate at Michigan. His work largely examines cultural, intellectual, art history, and the political economy of the late Ottoman Empire and the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-arabiyah). Nadirah Mansour is a graduate student at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies working on the global intellectual history of the Arabic-language press. She tweets @NAMansour26 and produces another Middle-East and North Africa-related podcast: Reintroducing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Arab world, photography is often tied to the modernizing efforts of imperial and colonial powers. However, indigenous photography was itself a major aspect of the cultural and social lives of Middle Eastern societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Sheehi’s The Arab Imago: A Social History of Indigenous Photography 1860-1910 (Princeton University Press, 2016) tells that story, focusing primarily on portraiture and those that took portraits. Sheehi examines the formalism of portraits in relation to changing notions of class, questioning whether or not portrait photography were creating new forms of sociability or vice versa. But photography is also another way Arab modernity was in relation to Ottomanism: The Arab Imago looks at how portrait studios developed in Istanbul and beyond, often operated by Armenian and Greek Orthodox photographers. The Arab Imago integrates photography, modernity, and the banal to give us one of the first histories of photography in the Middle East. Stephen Sheehi is the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies and Director of the Program of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the College of William and Mary. He is Professor of Arabic Studies as well, and holds a joint appointment in AMES and the Arabic Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He did his doctorate at Michigan. His work largely examines cultural, intellectual, art history, and the political economy of the late Ottoman Empire and the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-arabiyah). Nadirah Mansour is a graduate student at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies working on the global intellectual history of the Arabic-language press. She tweets @NAMansour26 and produces another Middle-East and North Africa-related podcast: Reintroducing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Arab world, photography is often tied to the modernizing efforts of imperial and colonial powers. However, indigenous photography was itself a major aspect of the cultural and social lives of Middle Eastern societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Sheehi’s The Arab Imago: A Social History of Indigenous Photography 1860-1910 (Princeton University Press, 2016) tells that story, focusing primarily on portraiture and those that took portraits. Sheehi examines the formalism of portraits in relation to changing notions of class, questioning whether or not portrait photography were creating new forms of sociability or vice versa. But photography is also another way Arab modernity was in relation to Ottomanism: The Arab Imago looks at how portrait studios developed in Istanbul and beyond, often operated by Armenian and Greek Orthodox photographers. The Arab Imago integrates photography, modernity, and the banal to give us one of the first histories of photography in the Middle East. Stephen Sheehi is the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies and Director of the Program of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the College of William and Mary. He is Professor of Arabic Studies as well, and holds a joint appointment in AMES and the Arabic Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He did his doctorate at Michigan. His work largely examines cultural, intellectual, art history, and the political economy of the late Ottoman Empire and the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-arabiyah). Nadirah Mansour is a graduate student at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies working on the global intellectual history of the Arabic-language press. She tweets @NAMansour26 and produces another Middle-East and North Africa-related podcast: Reintroducing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Arab world, photography is often tied to the modernizing efforts of imperial and colonial powers. However, indigenous photography was itself a major aspect of the cultural and social lives of Middle Eastern societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Sheehi’s The Arab Imago: A Social History of Indigenous Photography 1860-1910 (Princeton University Press, 2016) tells that story, focusing primarily on portraiture and those that took portraits. Sheehi examines the formalism of portraits in relation to changing notions of class, questioning whether or not portrait photography were creating new forms of sociability or vice versa. But photography is also another way Arab modernity was in relation to Ottomanism: The Arab Imago looks at how portrait studios developed in Istanbul and beyond, often operated by Armenian and Greek Orthodox photographers. The Arab Imago integrates photography, modernity, and the banal to give us one of the first histories of photography in the Middle East. Stephen Sheehi is the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies and Director of the Program of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the College of William and Mary. He is Professor of Arabic Studies as well, and holds a joint appointment in AMES and the Arabic Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He did his doctorate at Michigan. His work largely examines cultural, intellectual, art history, and the political economy of the late Ottoman Empire and the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-arabiyah). Nadirah Mansour is a graduate student at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies working on the global intellectual history of the Arabic-language press. She tweets @NAMansour26 and produces another Middle-East and North Africa-related podcast: Reintroducing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Arab world, photography is often tied to the modernizing efforts of imperial and colonial powers. However, indigenous photography was itself a major aspect of the cultural and social lives of Middle Eastern societies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stephen Sheehi’s The Arab Imago: A Social History of Indigenous Photography 1860-1910 (Princeton University Press, 2016) tells that story, focusing primarily on portraiture and those that took portraits. Sheehi examines the formalism of portraits in relation to changing notions of class, questioning whether or not portrait photography were creating new forms of sociability or vice versa. But photography is also another way Arab modernity was in relation to Ottomanism: The Arab Imago looks at how portrait studios developed in Istanbul and beyond, often operated by Armenian and Greek Orthodox photographers. The Arab Imago integrates photography, modernity, and the banal to give us one of the first histories of photography in the Middle East. Stephen Sheehi is the Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies and Director of the Program of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at the College of William and Mary. He is Professor of Arabic Studies as well, and holds a joint appointment in AMES and the Arabic Program in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. He did his doctorate at Michigan. His work largely examines cultural, intellectual, art history, and the political economy of the late Ottoman Empire and the Arab Renaissance (al-nahdah al-arabiyah). Nadirah Mansour is a graduate student at Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies working on the global intellectual history of the Arabic-language press. She tweets @NAMansour26 and produces another Middle-East and North Africa-related podcast: Reintroducing.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker: Marc Valeri, University of Exeter Chair: Toby Dodge, LSE Middle East Centre Oman’s foreign policy under Qaboos is usually considered to be pragmatic and independent – as illustrated by the sultanate’s role in facilitating the conclusion of the Iran-P5+1 nuclear deal in 2013 and its announcement that it would not join a hypothetical Gulf union. However such a widely accepted view should not obscure the fact that the price to pay for the perpetuation of this foreign policy has been an unquestioned political and economic dependence towards London and Washington. Recorded on 22 May 2014. This is an LSE Kuwait Programme event.