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Point of View

Foreign Marriages: Don't Blame it on the Dowry

20 Sep 2010

In a new opinion piece for Gulf News, Paul Dyer examines the role of mahr and wedding celebration costs in shaping marriage decisions among young people. He finds that, for a bride and her family, a groom’s ability and willingness to meet these costs provide a strong signal of his economic standing and commitment. This article originally appeared in Gulf News on 10 September 2010.

Posted in Marriage, United Arab Emirates at 15:30 | Comments (1)

Dubai: Back to Business As Usual?

15 Dec 2009

Tarik Yousef appeared as a guest on the Riz Khan show to discuss Dubai's financial future following the Emirate's recent debt troubles and the announcement by Abu Dhabi that it would lend 10 billion USD to help Dubai World, the state-owned conglomerate, repay some of its creditors.

Posted in Employment, United Arab Emirates at 17:30

Geithner and the New Middle East Economic Agenda

14 Jul 2009
As U.S. Secretary Treasury Geithner concludes his first visit to the Middle East, Navtej Dhillon argues for a new agenda which links U.S. efforts to reduce its dependency on foreign oil to the Middle East’s challenge of building diversified economies which provide a better future for the region’s citizens.
Posted in Education, Employment, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States at 19:00

Global Economic Crisis: Coping Mechanisms in Oil-Exporting Economies of the Middle East

16 Mar 2009
Djavad Salehi-Isfahani recently spoke on-air to 6 News, a Turkey-based TV channel, about how oil-exporting economies in the Middle East will cope with the economic downturn. If oil prices remain low over the course of the next year, economies such as Iran and Iraq will face pressure to implement fiscal adjustments more quickly, while other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, may be able to compensate by drawing on large foreign reserves. An edited transcript of the interview follows.
Posted in Education, Employment, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates at 10:15

How Does Dubai Measure Up in Standard of Education?

8 Jan 2009

Mike Helal, a visiting researcher at the Dubai School of Government and guest writer to the Middle East Youth Initiative, comments on Dubai’s performance in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) tests and assesses the implications for future education policies in the booming emirate. The piece originally appeared in Gulf News on January 8, 2009.

Posted in Education, Middle East, United Arab Emirates at 11:15

Slipping Oil Prices: Is the Oil Rich Middle East Prepared?

21 Oct 2008
In the first commentary in the series, "Food, Fuel, and Finance: How Will the Middle East Weather the Global Economic Crisis?" Djavad Salehi-Isfahani examines how declining oil prices will affect government spending and youth-targeted development in the region. Compared to the 1980’s oil price collapse, today’s policy-makers face a more complex set of challenges, including a volatile global economy and large numbers of unemployed youth.
Posted by Djavad Salehi Isfahani in Employment, Global, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates at 16:15

The UAE Marriage Fund: Addressing Marriage Mores with a Traditional Remedy

9 Sep 2008

Jacob Olidort, a guest writer to the Middle East Youth Initiative, sheds light on the debate surrounding the UAE Marriage Fund, an initiative of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to address the growing challenge posed by Emirati men choosing to marry foreign women.

Posted in Marriage, Middle East, United Arab Emirates at 14:15