AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2008 issue 392 The region’s besTselling english language pan-arab magazine

United Kingdom iC Publications, 7 Coldbath square, london eC1r 4lQ. Tel: +44 20 7841 3210 Fax: admin: +44 20 7713 7898 editorial: +44 20 841 3211 e-mail: icpubs@africasia.com www.africasia.com France iC Publications 609 Bâât. a 77 rue Bayen 75017 Paris Tel: +33 1 44 30 81 00 Fax: +33 1 44 30 81 11 www.icpublications.com

Group Publisher afif Ben yedder Editor-in-Chief Pat lancaster

Picture Research Tom hamilton

Editorial Assistant Carole lambert Art Director Carlo nicolaou

CONTRIBUTORS Regional adel darwish neil Ford, Tom land, Moin a siddiqi Pamela ann smith, stephen Williams, hichem Ben yaiche, Féériel Berraies Guigny Beirut ed Blanche USA Milan Vesely Occupied Territories Mel Frykberg Istanbul Jon Gorvett Cairo Maria Golia Paris Chris Kutschera MANAGEMENT Associate Group Publisher Omar Ben yedder

Regional Directors Omid Khodabakhsh alya assad saliba Manneh arthur Jones nick rosefield Medrine Chitty Myriam Karbal

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Bernard Menhem adline, Boutique offices, Villa #BO16, dubai Media City, united arab emirates. Tel: (+971) 43871515 Fax: (971) 4 3672875 Production Manager Michael Messam

Distribution Manager Mike Penton Subscriptions Dept iC Publications 7 Coldbath square london, eC1r 4lQ, uK uniTed KinGdOM Tel: +44 (0)20 7713 7711 Fax: +44 (0)20 7713 7898 subscriptions@africasia.com

subscription rates for 11 issues: uK: uK£40.00, eurozone €80.00, usa us$90.00, rest of world uK£55.00

issn 0305-0734

Printers: headley Brothers ltd

unless indicated all images aFP Member of The audit Bureau of Circulations © 2008 iC Publications ltd. n0 de COMMissiOn PariTaire 0310 T 89344

déépôôt léégal aoûût 2008

CURRENT AFFAIRS

5 Comment

6 regional: youth education

13 palestinian reconciliation

16 regional: hizb-ut Tahrir, islam’s secret army

20 Kurdistan: PJaK interview

22 regional: gunning for the gunrunners

26 regional: a good excuse for a party

28 iran’s the invisible man

32 Palestine/israel: the art of balance

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

36 regional: energy alternatives

42 algeria: a new interest

44 saudi arabia: bucking the global trend?

50 saudi arabia: food management

54 regional: arab donors buy the limelight

MOSAIC

56 abu Dhabi’s the Vision

59 iraq: simple words portray horrors of life

60 Gazan sewage crisis

62 regional: bodybuilding in the arab world

64 Book reviews

66 The last Word

6 Within the next 10-20 years the numbers of young arabs seeking jobs is expected to rise dramatically, even beyond the high rate seen today. regional governments need to create more jobs in anticipation of this demand.

36 doomsday scenarios of the world’s oil supplies reaching a peak and then declining have helped to fuel financial speculation in crude oil and driven prices to record highs. They have also helped to raise expectations that alternative sources of energy can provide substantial new supplies in the coming decades.

56 abu dhabi is on its way to becoming a global cultural destination. as part of this initiative, The Khalili Family Trust has offered a selection of over 500 breathtaking pieces from the Khalili Collection of islamic art in a new exhibition.

The Middle easT January 2008 3