Isabel Debre

The Emirati and Israeli flags fly overhead as Israeli President Isaac Herzog gives a speech at Expo 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)

January 3, 2023, 11:05 am

Israel’s Gulf tourism hopes fall short as visitors remain scarce

The lack of Emirati and Bahraini tourists reflects Israel’s long-standing image problem in the Arab world and reveals the limits of the Abraham Accords, experts say

By Isabel Debre

Fans wait for the start of the World Cup group E soccer match between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor , Qatar, December 1, 2022. (Darko Bandic/AP)

December 4, 2022, 2:34 pm

Crusader outfits and hijabs: Mixed response to fans’ wild World Cup fashion in Qatar

Visitors from around the globe draw praise and scorn, as many wear revamped versions of traditional Gulf headdresses and thobes, and others try their luck with armor and rainbows

By Isabel Debre

Morocco fans celebrate during the World Cup group F soccer match between Canada and Morocco at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha , Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

December 1, 2022, 11:47 pm

Arabs unite in celebration as Morocco beats Canada to advance at World Cup

Squad’s 2-1 victory feted in Gaza and Cairo, as jubilant Moroccans, Qataris, Saudis, Palestinians and others stream through Doha to celebrate

By Isabel Debre

Migrant workers cheer at a fan festival at the Asian Town cricket stadium in Doha, Qatar, November 25, 2022. (AP/Jon Gambrell)

November 26, 2022, 11:36 pm

Priced out of World Cup, Qatar’s migrant workers watch fruits of labor from afar

South Asian laborers pack into cricket pitch on outskirts of Doha to watch tournament they helped build on giant TV screen

By Isabel Debre

Iranian soccer fans hold up signs reading Woman Life Freedom and Freedom For Iran, prior to the World Cup group B soccer match between England and Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in in Doha, Qatar, November 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

November 21, 2022, 4:57 pm

Barred from men’s soccer games at home, Iranian women flock to World Cup in Qatar

Iran competes in the World Cup as a major women’s protest movement is roiling the country; women will soon fight ‘for their right to be in stadiums,’ one Iranian woman says

By Isabel Debre

The official FIFA World Cup Countdown Clock on Doha's corniche, overlooking the skyline of Doha, Qatar, October 19, 2022. (AP/Nariman El-Mofty, File)

November 11, 2022, 11:05 am

Politics of Iran and Israel another spectacle to watch at Mideast’s first World Cup

Israelis, long shunned in Qatar, seek region’s acceptance and chance to see Gulf emirate, while Iranian players will be watched for acts of solidarity with ongoing protests

By Isabel Debre

In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, students of Sharif University of Technology attend a protest sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police, in Tehran, October 7, 2022. (AP Photo)

October 28, 2022, 7:35 pm

‘Iran’s MIT’ emerges as unlikely protest hub in face of violent crackdown

Sharif University of Technology has produced alumni loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but current students feel they have nothing to lose in the Islamic Republic

By Isabel Debre

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, accompanied by the Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, right, arrive to visit the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, as part of their visit to the Gulf, Nov. 25, 2010. (Arthur Edwards/AP)

September 15, 2022, 10:47 am

Queen Elizabeth II’s reign saw British leave Mideast with a mixed legacy

Emotional and financial ties to England run deep in the region, where a handful of monarchs installed by Britain still remain in power

By Isabel Debre

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb, July 2022. (Ammar Albadri/Photo provided by Enas Taleb via AP)

August 17, 2022, 11:58 am

Economist article on ‘fat’ Arab women panned as misogynistic, body-shaming

Iraqi actress Enas Taleb sues UK magazine for defamation, as controversial piece renews discussion of body image, Western beauty standards in conservative societies

By Isabel Debre and MAGGIE HYDE

In this February 23, 2017 photo, US Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with the Iraqi army, south of Mosul, Iraq. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed, File)

July 21, 2022, 8:25 pm

Senior US general warns Iran could resume attacks on American troops

Air Force’s new top general in the Middle East, Alexus Grynkewich, also expresses fears of Russian and Chinese influence taking hold in region

By Isabel Debre

Illustrative: A man stands under American and Saudi Arabian flags prior to a visit by US President Joe Biden, at a square in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, July 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

July 19, 2022, 1:04 pm

US arrests Saudi harasser of dissidents, showing depth of Riyadh’s reach abroad

Kingdom’s campaign to silence criticism has played out in America for some time; ‘This guy is just the tip of the iceberg,’ says analyst

By Isabel Debre

A gas station attendant fills a gas tank in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, July 10, 2022. AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

July 12, 2022, 11:42 am

High UAE gas prices stand out where cheap fuel was the norm

Prices have risen over 70% since Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting state to increases welfare spending for Emiratis; foreign workers strike

By Isabel Debre

Muslim worshipers offer Eid al-Adha prayers in Jerusalem's Old City, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

July 9, 2022, 1:14 pm

Millions of Muslims around the world commemorate Eid al-Adha amid soaring food costs

While many cut back on traditional feasts as prices rocket, community prayers return — a welcome sight for many after years of COVID restrictions

By amr nabil and Isabel Debre

Illustrative: A US Navy Seahawk helicopter flies over a stateless dhow later found to be carrying a hidden arms shipment in the Arabian Sea, May 6, 2021. (US Navy via AP)

July 7, 2022, 3:58 pm

In first, British Navy seizes advanced Iranian weapons en route to Yemen

Announcement viewed as strongest proof yet that Tehran is arming Houthi rebels, violating UN arms embargo; development marks escalation in Iran’s relationship with West

By Isabel Debre

A general view of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque is seen during the Hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

July 7, 2022, 3:15 pm

A hajj closer to normal: 1 million Muslims begin annual pilgrimage at Mecca

After two years of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, massive religious festival gets underway, though some limitations remain

By amr nabil and Isabel Debre