The great cities that cropped up throughout the Middle East over the last decade are testaments to the ambitious investments of regional leaders. Some of those ambitions have been tempered as of late, but there is one sector where determined investors are providing much needed capital: education. […]… (read more)

It may have been pure coincidence, but when a Cinnabon opened up in post-Gaddafi Libya, many residents were skeptical about the timing of the American franchise’s arrival. Focus Brands, which owns the rights to Cinnabon, released a statement that said the restaurant had been in the works […]… (read more)

You’ve got to hand it to the government of Qatar. Over the past decade, they have transformed the capital of Doha into a regional artistic and cultural powerhouse through ambitious initiatives funded by a strong supply of cash reserves. In 2008 I.M. Pei’s austere Museum of Islamic […]… (read more)

There are many things to learn from a company as successful as Starbucks, coffee-roasting being chiefly among them. But what caught our eye recently was something that had very little to do with the actual taste of their roasts…. (read more)

Gaza City has a long history of promise and discord. In the Palestinian territories, economic progress comes amid harsh political realities, forcing many local entrepreneurs to make tough choices. These so-called misfit economies sprout up amid conversations on the street, in homes, and at local cafés, showing […]… (read more)