Millennial Gulf
Apr 9, 2018
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...

Feb 26, 2018
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.

Feb 5, 2018
Boutiqaat: Creating a Social Commerce Market in the Gulf
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.”

Jan 2, 2018
Ulafa’a: Reconciliation through the Arts in Bahrain
Ulafa’a is a Bahraini art collective that flourished in response to the 2011 Bahraini uprising.

Dec 15, 2017
Street Art in Yemen: Artists Fight War through Graffiti
Yemen’s ongoing war has left millions of people displaced, hungry, and hopeless. The fluid authority of local factions, the lack of news sources, and pervasive illiteracy all work to stifle public discussion within Yemen. But street graffiti, presented in local context, is a way to slip past those obstacles: to promote citizens’ involvement and provide...

Dec 4, 2017
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...

Nov 20, 2017
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...

Nov 6, 2017
Dar Al Aseel: Abaya Design for the Gulf Power Woman
One of Oman’s most acclaimed fashion designers, Amal Al Raisi, stumbled upon design after shopping for a wedding dress. Unsatisfied with offerings, Amal designed her own traditional Omani wedding dress. Later, she would occasionally design dresses for close family and friends. Her business started growing as she progressed from designing traditional Omani dresses to abayas...
