Three weeks in the Gulf - mostly work with some downtime thrown in. There's been a lot going on in the region and at home. Elections took place in Jordan and Israel, the situation in Syria and Egypt ever worsens, World Economic Forum in Davos, the Australian open tennis championships, floods in Indonesia, Algerian hostage situation, David Cameron and That Slightly Delayed Euro Speech, Lance Armstrong's Oprah confession. Lots of voices to listen to, so how to get the right information with just the right amount of opinion thrown in, and learn more?
Needs must, I get to discover new bloggers and tweeters and journalists who tell it the way it is - more importantly who explain the complex interactions in this region. Al Monitor has been a great new find. Daily lists pop into my inbox with just enough information on top news to give me a sense of what I want to read. Sultan Al Qassemi is my favourite new tweeter-find to supplement my staple diet of Fareed Zakaria, Faisal Islam and the unstoppable Mehdi Hasan.
Then the best bit: I get to meet a lot of people; friends, clients, contacts. This is a region where people meet socially and chat in cafes, bars, homes, restaurants - mostly arranged at the last minute but somehow the people you want to spend time with always happen to be free when you are. How can that be? Back home my life is controlled by a diary that tells me exactly when I am to do what, and where.
Here political and business players shift around incessantly so there is much to gossip and speculation to be exchanged. People who were 'in' could be 'out' now but will undoubtedly be back 'in' before too long. Very few people are actually ostracised permanently - friendships are stronger than that and in the Arab world, relationships are the solid foundations of society. So everyone goes about their business, knowing that the social and working dynamic will continue to flow - introductions are made, connections are strengthened, information is exchanged. Most importantly, reputations are made.
I often think how much Edinburgh and Amman have in common. They both have smart people interested in politics who love to chat, argue and speculate. They both spawn a massive diaspora all around the world which means that wherever you go, you have a good chance of meeting a Scot or a Jordanian - both peoples quietly proud yet not overbearingly demanding. Both countries are about the same size, although the massive influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq into Jordan is swelling its population by almost a quarter of a million. Both countries draw considerable attention to their political positions which punch above their weight - in Jordan's case political attention is rather thrust upon itself by world interest in a dangerously shifting region.
The Jordanian elections came and went. Amman streets were wonderfully bedecked with posters until the rains and the snow ruined many of them. Candidates' debates took place in marquees set up all around the centre of Amman, making it look like a wedding city. Other than that, the election felt like any other rite of passage. There was less political arguments around dinner tables than I expected - this is a city of religious and political tolerance and where at heart, goodwill towards the King goes pretty deep. The world expected more of the elections, and a little unsure now whether they got what they expected or not.
Sitting in restaurants in Abdoun or Edinburgh New Town feel much the same: loud and passionate. And until very recently, the streets of Abdoun and New Town are just the same: freezing cold. Bring on a new spring.
In Dubai, where malls house the cafes and restaurants and are mostly attached to hotels, shopping, eating, drinking and chatting all happen in the same place. Business is also often conducted there. The Emirates Towers hotel lobby was yesterday as conspiratorial as it ever was, if slightly less excited as it was seven years ago when international 'hopefuls' were desperately seeking local contacts to help build their empire quickly. Maybe things are growing up here and people have calmed down a little.
I recently had the pleasure of being reintroduced to two young infectiously enthusiastic entrepreneurial brothers I first met six years ago in London - Ahmad and Rashid Bin Shabib. They have built an exciting empire of arts, publish Brownbook magazine, built artisan warehouses and communities. They have a Thursday evening 'salon' around an outdoor fireplace in the garden of their house in Dubai where people from all walks of life spend an evening of chat with food. Ambassadors, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, senior government people - all enjoying good company and making new friends.
I wonder if this is the shape of the majlis* of the future.
*a majlis is a regular weekly 'sitting' of influential leaders which is open to all. Traditionally this was the forum for citizens to bring their grievances to the Sheikh, now it is a place to be seen at and engage.
Abdoun and New Town are central upmarket districts in Amman and Edinburgh
Needs must, I get to discover new bloggers and tweeters and journalists who tell it the way it is - more importantly who explain the complex interactions in this region. Al Monitor has been a great new find. Daily lists pop into my inbox with just enough information on top news to give me a sense of what I want to read. Sultan Al Qassemi is my favourite new tweeter-find to supplement my staple diet of Fareed Zakaria, Faisal Islam and the unstoppable Mehdi Hasan.
Then the best bit: I get to meet a lot of people; friends, clients, contacts. This is a region where people meet socially and chat in cafes, bars, homes, restaurants - mostly arranged at the last minute but somehow the people you want to spend time with always happen to be free when you are. How can that be? Back home my life is controlled by a diary that tells me exactly when I am to do what, and where.
Here political and business players shift around incessantly so there is much to gossip and speculation to be exchanged. People who were 'in' could be 'out' now but will undoubtedly be back 'in' before too long. Very few people are actually ostracised permanently - friendships are stronger than that and in the Arab world, relationships are the solid foundations of society. So everyone goes about their business, knowing that the social and working dynamic will continue to flow - introductions are made, connections are strengthened, information is exchanged. Most importantly, reputations are made.
I often think how much Edinburgh and Amman have in common. They both have smart people interested in politics who love to chat, argue and speculate. They both spawn a massive diaspora all around the world which means that wherever you go, you have a good chance of meeting a Scot or a Jordanian - both peoples quietly proud yet not overbearingly demanding. Both countries are about the same size, although the massive influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq into Jordan is swelling its population by almost a quarter of a million. Both countries draw considerable attention to their political positions which punch above their weight - in Jordan's case political attention is rather thrust upon itself by world interest in a dangerously shifting region.
The Jordanian elections came and went. Amman streets were wonderfully bedecked with posters until the rains and the snow ruined many of them. Candidates' debates took place in marquees set up all around the centre of Amman, making it look like a wedding city. Other than that, the election felt like any other rite of passage. There was less political arguments around dinner tables than I expected - this is a city of religious and political tolerance and where at heart, goodwill towards the King goes pretty deep. The world expected more of the elections, and a little unsure now whether they got what they expected or not.
Sitting in restaurants in Abdoun or Edinburgh New Town feel much the same: loud and passionate. And until very recently, the streets of Abdoun and New Town are just the same: freezing cold. Bring on a new spring.
In Dubai, where malls house the cafes and restaurants and are mostly attached to hotels, shopping, eating, drinking and chatting all happen in the same place. Business is also often conducted there. The Emirates Towers hotel lobby was yesterday as conspiratorial as it ever was, if slightly less excited as it was seven years ago when international 'hopefuls' were desperately seeking local contacts to help build their empire quickly. Maybe things are growing up here and people have calmed down a little.
I recently had the pleasure of being reintroduced to two young infectiously enthusiastic entrepreneurial brothers I first met six years ago in London - Ahmad and Rashid Bin Shabib. They have built an exciting empire of arts, publish Brownbook magazine, built artisan warehouses and communities. They have a Thursday evening 'salon' around an outdoor fireplace in the garden of their house in Dubai where people from all walks of life spend an evening of chat with food. Ambassadors, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, senior government people - all enjoying good company and making new friends.
I wonder if this is the shape of the majlis* of the future.
*a majlis is a regular weekly 'sitting' of influential leaders which is open to all. Traditionally this was the forum for citizens to bring their grievances to the Sheikh, now it is a place to be seen at and engage.
Abdoun and New Town are central upmarket districts in Amman and Edinburgh
Comments
Post a Comment