Ibn, bint, Abu: how Arabic names work
Abu Mohammed means father of Mohammed; ibn and bint chain a lineage; the al- is not always the same al-. A practical decoder for reading, filing and pronouncing Arabic names across MENA.
Society & Culture
Cities, education, arts and everyday life from the Maghreb to the Gulf.
Can a Moroccan and an Omani understand each other? Arabic dialects, explained
In Modern Standard Arabic, yes. In their spoken dialects, often not without switching. How the Arabic language actually works across MENA: fusha, Darija, Egyptian media reach and the lingua franca that saves every conversation.
How Ramadan changes working hours across MENA
In the Gulf, labor law cuts the working day for fasting employees by two hours; across the region, schools shorten schedules and public offices compress the week. A country-by-country guide to the practical month.
What is Yennayer? The Amazigh New Year, explained
North Africa's Amazigh New Year falls between January 12 and 14: Algeria has marked January 12 as a public holiday since 2018, Morocco added January 14 in 2023. What is celebrated, and why the dates differ.