SELECTED WRITING
Playing politics with lives
The UK should own its imperialist past and act to save the lives of those thrown upon its shores by the currents of British history
What the media won't say
Criticised for a small number of fatalities, the Dubai Expo 2020 worksite was considerably safer than building sites in Europe
Battle for the Nile
Ethiopia's new hydroelectric dam is vital for its people's future, but is seen as an existential threat by Egypt, utterly dependent upon the Nile
The echoes of Desert Storm
The Gulf War in 1991 liberated Kuwait but paved the way for decades of catastrophy, for Iraq, the Middle East and the world.
More carrot, less stick
Would you rather be punished for bad behaviour, or rewarded for good? The UAE experiments with rewards for socially responsible citizens
A heritage rediscovered
The five historic sites in Saudi Arabia inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List tell a story of universal importance.
In Soleimani's shadow
Qassem Soleimani, assassinated by the US in January 2020, left a legacy of death and destruction across the Middle East.
The siege of Mecca
The full story of the attack by religious fanatics on the holy city in 1979 that shocked the entire Muslim world.
Freedom of hypocrisy
Why are western satirists celebrated as champions of free speech for attacking minorities within their communities?
The Unforgiven
Decades on, thousands of Qataris are continuing to pay the price for a failed coup in which they played no part.
Saudi Arabia's lost world
The ancient rock-carved city of Hegra is emerging from the mists of time as one of the wonders of the world.
Al-Andalus revisited
Eight centuries of Arab rule in Spain are echoed in the art and buildings of Al-Andalus, and in the DNA of its descendants.
Ibn Saud and Roosevelt
Seventy-five years ago the two leaders met on a warship in the Suez Canal, creating a bond that endures today.
Who needs Davos?
Does the World Economic Forum do any good? Or is it simply virtue-signaling central for the world’s billionaires?
Looking for trouble
Research is posing unsettling questions about when the pandemic really began, and what we should do about the next one.
The cannabis money tree
The hidden links between medical campaigners and companies hoping to create a lucrative recreational market.
Acne drug's dark secret
The world's most commonly used acne drug is linked to a disturbing number of suicides among teenagers.
For those in peril
The lives and losses of those who labour to keep the great engine of global trade running efficiently are out of sight and mind.
Coal. Still killing us
Before oil, coal was king and set the planet on course for today’s climate crisis. But today it's still killing the planet.
When naming is shaming
Labeling Covid-19 “the Chinese disease,” or naming a variant “Indian” serves no purpose other than to hand a gift to the ill-intentioned