JUly 2008 issue 391 The region’s besTselling english language pan-arab magazine

United Kingdom iC Publications, 7 Coldbath square, london eC1r 4lQ. Tel: +44 20 7713 7711 Fax: admin: +44 20 7713 7898 editorial: +44 20 7713 7970 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

Sub-Editors Barbara Bannister abdullah riyad Editorial Assistant Carole lambert

Art Director Carlo nicolaou

CONTRIBUTORS Regional adel darwish neil Ford, Moin a siddiqi Pamela ann smith, stephen Williams, Tom land 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

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 Juillet 2008

CURRENT AFFAIRS

6 Comment

8 lebanon: at the crossroads

14 us: may the best man win

18 egypt: step out of the dark ages

20 afghanistan: anticipating a promising future

24 israel: the art of balance

26 israel: the temperature rises

28 Occupied Territories: the third way

30 egypt: the summer of discontent

32 GCC: moving forward

BUSINESS AND FINANCE

36 gCC: food security

42 abu dhabi: capture the solution

44 saudi arabia: construction

46 regional: an unhealthy interest?

48 exclusive interview: oil expert robert Mabro

53 Tunisia: ports – the gateway to africa?

MOSAIC

54 afghanistan: fashion chic

58 iraq: bitter sweet revenge

60 Oman: a shellfish worth its weight in gold

62 Tunisia: Carthage Jazz festival

64 Book reviews

66 The last Word

8 The doha accords appeared to resolve lebanon’s 18-month political crisis, but the country remains in a precarious position as the Middle east lurches towards great change fuelled by skyrocketing oil prices, waning american power and iran’s expansionist ambitions.

36 despite its escalating wealth, the Gulf states are facing a potential food crisis as world prices for everything from wheat and rice to fruit, vegetables, dairy goods and cooking oils rise dramatically.

54 afghanistan is perhaps not the first country that you associate with modern design. For centuries women’s stories were woven into traditional carpets but the traditional ways are now being blended into the world of modern fashion.

The Middle easT January 2008 5