Colloquially, the term OCD has come to refer to people who like things done “just so”, but experts say obsessive-compulsive disorder is misunderstood. They believe it’s often mocked and not taken seriously enough, given that in the World Health Organisation’s 2017 report Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders, anxiety disorders, of which OCD is one, are listed as “the sixth largest contributor to non-fatal health-loss globally”.

Emirati worshipers remain defiant in the face of a fatwa banning them from praying in al-Aqsa Mosque, claiming it is their religious right to do so. The fatwa was issued by the grand mufti of Jerusalem after the August announcement of normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel under the Abraham Accords.

The Middle East is watching – and waiting – as Americans go to the polls to decide who will lead them through the next four years.

When Dr. Dan Shaham arrived in the UAE one year ago, little did he realize he would be a part of a history-making peace deal. The diplomat of 27 years has been in Abu Dhabi as the Head of Mission to IRENA, at the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, as the only official Israeli diplomat in the Emirates, until now.

The Abraham Accords, bringing normalization between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, are a victory for defeating extremism in the Middle East, a counter-terror adviser to the UAE government has told The Jerusalem Post. A new approach was long overdue, and the time had come to finally acknowledge the central place of Jews and Christians in the region’s history, Dr. Ali al-Nuaimi said.

Despite death threats, a barrage of hate, Nazi rhetoric and antisemitic backlash, Emirati Norah al-Awadhi has no regrets about posing in an image with her Israeli friend. It has become an icon of the historic Abraham Accords.

More than a place of worship, it is the final memory of a once-thriving community, which at its peak during the 1950s was around 15,000 strong.

The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Education has revoked the licenses of six universities and put another six on probation after it said the institutions failed to meet quality and accreditation standards. Several of the institutions affected by the clampdown are international branch campuses. Local observers see the regulatory move as a useful international signal that the U.A.E. takes education quality control seriously. (See a related article, “A Regional Survey: How Arab Countries

As companies get back to some form of normality and many employees return to the office, at least part time, the region’s popular business lunch is back on the menu. Crucial to the business day, lunches are where deals are sealed, new contacts made, cultures shared and relationships developed.

From lip fillers and liposuction to Botox and rhinoplasty, interest in cosmetic surgery is rising. A recent report published by PMC, a digital archive of medical texts held by the National Library of Medicine in the US, revealed a spike in searches for reconstructive surgical procedures since June and in early July. These reached and then surpassed the number of searches recorded at the start of the year, before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Bahrain’s dwindling community of less than 50 Jews has been offered a new lease on life in the wake of the signing of this month’s historic Abraham Accords, with many in Israel anxious to reconnect to their homeland.

And the changes are affecting business life in Dubai too. Alex Peterfreund, a Belgian diamond and jewellery specialist, can now ship goods to Tel Aviv for the first time, a key market, as well as call family in Israel, which until August was banned. He believes the Orthadox Jewish tradition, to which he is aligned, will grow "considerably". So much so, his community is preparing to open its own synagogue on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island, and bring its own rabbi. He calls it “a development

Ben Hayum envisages that the areas of primary interest for the U.A.E. will be food technology and agriculture, medical technology, water and energy. “On all these we have quite a lot to contribute,” he says, but the Emirates also have an interest in developing infrastructure for research and development, “so what I’m suggesting is co-R&D,” he says.

Weeks since news of the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel was announced, businesses on both sides have been frantically planning and exploring investment opportunities between the two newly connected nations.

Parallel to work to showcase history is a bold move to usher in the modern. Edgy street art is popping up, notably around the new corniche. A striking 40-metre-long ocean-inspired piece by Dubai-based artist Dina Saadi is the largest mural she has painted.

At just 27 years old, Rabbi Levi Duchman has big shoes to fill. The Brooklyn-born Chabad rabbi in the United Arab Emirates has been helping to quietly build a Jewish community, which this month was able to emerge from its humble shadows.

DUBAI—Many of the United Arab Emirates have made it part of their global brand to showcase arts and cultural institutions, from comedy clubs to highbrow museums. As in other parts of the world, the novel coronavirus pandemic shut many of these institutions down. Now each emirate is going its own way in trying to reopen and reinvigorate these institutions. Dubai has invested millions in its cultural offerings, from the grand Dubai Opera, to the multi-purpose Coca-Cola Arena, which opened last ye

DUBAI—In the wake of a drop in the price of oil and the economic pain inflicted by Covid-19 lockdowns, funding for research in Arab countries is due for a hit in the coming year. On the positive side, scientists and science administrators think that slimmer funding may encourage more collaboration. They also see some universities establishing innovation funds around Covid-19 and hope that the pandemic will help the general public to see the value of scientific and medical research in the region

Getaways to natural hideaways with fresh air and space will now be a compelling alternative to breaks in busy cities for many. With this in mind, Business Traveller has compiled a list of 10 luxurious resorts in the Middle East and North Africa where you can truly escape the crowds.

Discussing race with children is not always easy. Deciding how to approach a sensitive issue can be intimidating, and some parents may avoid it until a child raises the topic, but with research showing that children notice ethnicity from as young as three months old, it is not to be shied away from. Older children using social and mainstream media can be exposed to negative messaging and images, which left untamed, can fuel prejudices or fears of their own, while younger children often experien