On March 1st - this coming Monday-the premier episode of a 90 part series, "Sleepless in Gaza...and Jerusalem" will be launched on YouTube. It will be a video diary about four young Palestinian women, Muslim and Christian, two living in Gaza and two in Arab Jerusalem/West Bank. PINA TV Production camera crews will be covering Ashira Ramadan, a broadcast journalist based in Jerusalem; Ashira... Read more »

Ministry of Social Affairs Launches Emirates Social Award, and Invites individuals, Foundations, private and government sectors to participate effectively for the Awards. In order to stimulate community initiatives, Ministry of Social Affairs announced that nomination is now open to "Emirates Social Award" which gives individuals, companies, private and government sectors recognition of outstanding... Read more »

A Dubai-based manufacturer of water heaters working from solar power has given an interview the Gulfnews. According to him, such water heater can pay off in just 2 years. The heaters use solar power instead of electricity and do not pollute the environment. They can heat 400 liters of water per day up to 90C. In addition, such water heaters almost do not require any maintenance. In Dubai, t... Read more »

The government of Morocco has finalized a development plan for fishing sector, called Halieutis. The aim of the project is the raise the number of working places in the sector almost twice to 115,000 and to raise the export of sea products to 3 billion dollars per year by 2020. In addition, the fleet will be modernized and a special area, called Haliopolis, will be created. Haliopolis will cover 150 hecta... Read more »

Authorities of Egypt have arrested 16 members of Muslim Brotherhood, an opposition movement, the Middle East Online repots. Therefore, a total of 250 of its members are currently in jail. Muslim Brotherhood is the second largest political movement in Egypt. In 2005 it secured 88 out of 454 seats in the parliament. Now the movement is officially banned and its members are regularly arrested. However... Read more »

The health minister of Saudi Arabia has announced that within 3 weeks the country will receive 1 million doses of swine flu vaccine. After this first batch another 6 million doses will be delivered, the Arabian Business reports citing the minister. Apart from this, the ministries of health and education have introduced an awareness campaign about the swine flu pandemic. This week medical workers in... Read more »

A candidate from Egypt for the post of UNESCO director general, notorious for his anti-Semitism, couldn’t secure an absolute majority for himself in the third voting round. He, however, is leading with 25 votes. Ex-minister of foreign affairs of Bulgaria is second with 13 votes. As Yahoo! News reports, the fourth round will be held today, on 21 September. The Egyptian candidate, Faruq Hosni, can be... Read more »

In 2008 foreign investment in Lebanon rose by 32% to 3.6 billion dollars. Most foreign investment came from other Arab countries with Saudi Arabia topping the list with 63% out of all foreign investment in Lebanon. FDI was mostly directed to the real estate sector, the Middle East Online reports. Acco... Read more »

Egypt has decided to close all foreign schools and universities until 3 October to prevent the spread of swine flu. After the classes begin, the school week will be extended to six days, and classes will be reduced in size. Authorities of Saudi Arabia also decided to start the academic year later. High and middle school students will start studies on November 10, while elementary schools will open doors o... Read more »

Maan Al Sanea forged the signature of Sheikh Suleiman Hamad Algosaibi on a loan application for forty million dollars. The sheikh himself couldn’t sign the document since at the time he was dying at a hospital – unconscious, under anaesthetics and respiratory ventilator. In addition, it is obvious that the signature was printed from a computer and traced with a felt-tip pen. Printer ink is clearly visible... Read more »