18 Hole Greg Norman Signature Golf Course | 400 Berth Marina | 4 Luxury Hotels | 120 Retail Outlets | 18 Parks | 6kms of Natural Beach

Oman’s coastline Make a piece of it your home

Settle in to Oman’s first freehold beach villas for foreign investors Owners at The Wave, Muscat are offered a 2 year renewable residency visa

Oman’s premier lifestyle destination thewavemuscat.com 8

TheMiddleEast

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4 The View 6 Comment 8 Compass c u r r e ntaffa i rs

12 Treasures of the tyrants 18 The ‘real deal’ revolutions 22 Israel: a nightmare scenario 24 Syrian authorities go creative 25 Afarewell to arms? 29 SPECIALREPORT: Oman –

building on firm foundations

BUSINES&FINANCE

33 ArabEconomic Development: how to create jobs and a civil society 38 Aviation report: industry forges ahead despite civil disruption 40 OmanFerries make waves 42 Focus on: private equity 45 Algeria’s economic promise: will it be enough? 47 TheMiddleEastexclusive interview:FawziAhmed Kanoo, Deputy Chairman of the Kanoo Group (YBAK), Bahrain

D E TAI L S

52 From Lebanon to Oman,Arab fashion designers are capturing the imagination

TRAV E L O G

55 The Oman experience

MOSAI C

59 Region’s road hogs chalk up record results 62 Film: Microphone 64 Books 66 International Women’s Day

April 2011 The Middle East  3