Mai Al-Farhan
Former Research Associate
Mai Y. Al-Farhan is a former research associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and a regular contributor to Millennial Gulf. She is a master’s student at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Her thesis concerns reforms to the kafala sponsorship system and migrant labor in Bahrain and Qatar. She previously held research assistant positions at the United Nations Development Programme in Kuwait and Middle East Institute.
Her research interests are in the cyber applications of international relations, particularly the role nonstate actors play in exerting influence over nation states through cyber means. Beyond cyberpolitics, Al-Farhan is interested in the political economy of the Gulf Arab states.
Analysis
Kenaneya Farms: Connecting Community to the Source
Run by a young, second-generation farmer, Kenaneya Farm is located in Abdali, in northern Kuwait. Ali BouKhamseen’s passion for international cuisine and fine local ingredients led him to start farming, on top of maintaining a job in the energy sector. He recalls his early introduction to international flavors and specialty crops as he accompanied his...
Ahaad al-Amoudi: Imagining Saudi Past and Future through Art
Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene is becoming more vibrant by the day. The recent opening of social space as well as increased interest in Saudi artists of both genders has facilitated access and visibility to their work. Named after the geographical coordinates of Jeddah (21.5433°N, 39.1728°E), 21,39 – Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art festival – opened...
Boutiqaat: Creating a Social Commerce Market in the Gulf
Social commerce is a new phenomenon. In “The Social Commerce System,” it is defined as “the expansion of e-commerce in the social networks on the Internet, in which social factors are significant, and consumers use the right to create content through the media via forums, ratings, reviews, and recommendations on different platforms.”
Ulafa’a: Reconciliation through the Arts in Bahrain
Ulafa’a is a Bahraini art collective that flourished in response to the 2011 Bahraini uprising. It was established by Tamadher Al-Fahal and Nada Al-Aradi in 2012 and has grown over time to include other young Bahraini artists. “I am Sunni and my other co-founder is Shia,” said Tamadher, who received a grant from the U.S. Embassy...
Ghaliah Tech: Running the Influencer Economy in the Gulf
Social media influencers pervade the Gulf. They grace billboards on Kuwait’s Gulf Road, stream on millions of people’s Snapchat and Instagram stories, and kickoff corporate events and social campaigns. The revolutionary growth in the Gulf’s social media influencers has been facilitated by the increased usage of mobile-based technologies among Gulfies, or khaleejis. Today, one of...
Bisklayta: Pedaling through Hurdles in Saudi Arabia
Nadeemah Abulaynain started riding her bicycle in her Jeddah neighborhood and, through Instagram, slowly attracted other women to join her. In 2015, at 16 years old, she founded Saudi Arabia’s first independently run women’s public cycling group, Bisklayta. Riding bicycles in public became permissible for women in 2013 with one caveat: the presence of a...
