Academics and analysts generally focus their time and effort trying to understand certain events and issues, and then positively impacting discussions around those events and issues.
At least, that is what I have been trying to do for most of the past 20 years. I have worked on issues ranging from terrorism and extremism, since I served as deputy convener of the UK government’s working group on the subject. I also dealt with foreign policy in the wider Arab world at American think tanks such as Brookings and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. But, every so often, the difficulty in doing so becomes rather onerous to ignore or, forgive the pun, displace.
Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian satirical comedian who shot to fame in the heady days of the Egyptian uprising in 2011, expressed that frustration rather poignantly in an interview he did with Piers Morgan earlier this week. But before considering that, consider another event that took place within the broader western media and political arena.
Earlier this week, it was reported that a number of staffers and officials in the Biden administration were considering resigning. The common critique was clear – they all felt their viewpoints on the current crisis in Palestine and Israel were not welcome, and that expressing any critique of America’s closest ally in the Middle East would be dangerous to their careers. Unsurprisingly, most of the staffers seemed to be of Muslim and Arab backgrounds, and many of them appear to be considering resignation. One, not apparently of those backgrounds, Josh Paul, who spent years in the State Department engaged in arms sales, did resign, claiming: “It was clear that there’s no arguing with this one. Given that I couldn’t shift anything, I resigned.”
A person unsettled with how the Biden administration has proceeded thus far, in terms of discussions within it, put it quite plainly: “One reason to want a diverse staff is to have a variety of inputs into your decision-making, not just to check a box on a little quota sheet – you want to benefit from the more informed decision-making that happens from a broader set of experiences having a seat at the table.”
It’s not about having a seat at the table as much as it is helping to design the table
It’s a sensible approach, and I daresay our media and political establishments in the West, particularly in the UK and the US where I am most familiar, have deeply benefited from the presence of wider diversity within rooms that make decisions. But there is a danger here, and the danger is that we tend to see this as giving less common voices a “seat at the table”. It’s not about having a seat at the table as much as it is helping to design the table, set the menu, arrange the programme of the evening and decide where the meal is being hosted.
That’s the backdrop behind Youssef’s interview with Piers Morgan earlier this week. Morgan wanted to have a voice that would, no doubt, be entertaining, stimulating, and, let’s be honest, increase ratings and views. He certainly got that. But Youssef wasn’t interested in simply playing the part of the “angry Arab”; from the outset, he wanted to change the part he was supposed to play.
There is a difference between being a voice of “dissent”, and being a “disruptor”. The former is a negative actor within the game in play. The latter has opted to change the terms of the game. And in the current crisis, there are many “disruptor” points that are direly necessary, if we are to have an honest conversation.
Take the call for Egypt to receive refugees from Gaza. The conversation is mostly about why Egypt doesn’t take in Palestinians, which it has done before, and criticising Cairo for not doing so. But what about the conversation of why Israel, which is the current occupying power of Gaza, refuses to take in a single Palestinian refugee, even temporarily?
On a France 24 interview earlier this week, I made this point, and the Israeli guest became incensed at the suggestion that Gaza was still an occupied territory. Indeed, it’s not spoken of in the media often any more as such, but it remains occupied territory according to the United Nations and international law.
But, again, this is part of the context of Youssef’s interview. It was the deployment of unavoidable facts that have become avoidable, which made for such an uncomfortable conversation with Morgan. It’s the same frustration that has led so many in the Biden administration to consider resigning; it’s the same frustration that led to one of them actually resigning, because the reality of facts on the ground can be so distant from the discourse.
Morgan himself spoke at length about Israeli civilians – rightly, he opposes their targeting. But considering that several times more Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 10 days, his concern seemed less than proportionate.
It is tempting to see Youssef’s interview as a funny and satirical attempt that is entertaining. But the truth is, it points to a massive frustration that is felt not simply among Arabs writ large, but people from within the mainstream of western media and political establishments such as myself, who simply want the conversation to be more honest. It will help all of us if that is the case.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner: Equilateral, Andrea Atzeni, Charles Hills
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: New Trails, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Mnasek, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: D’bai, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Summer Romance, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
England v South Africa schedule
- First Test: Starts Thursday, Lord's, 2pm (UAE)
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
