Stories about United Arab Emirates
The UAE Has Avoided an ‘Arab Spring’ by Systematically Repressing Critical Speech
Wary of an Arab-Spring like uprising within its borders, the UAE government launched an unprecedented crackdown on critics and activists.
Bad Laws Are Contagious: Demystifying the UAE’s New Information Tech Law
Preceded by a wave of VOIP blocking in various Arab countries, the new law comes as no surprise for those familiar with digital policy in the region.
Two Arrested and then Released for Taking Selfies with Burning Dubai Hotel in the Background
Two men who posted their selfies on social media with Dubai's 63-storey The Address hotel on fire in the background were arrested -- and then released.
Australian Artist Jailed in UAE For Posting “Bad Words” on Facebook
An Australian artist found herself thrown into an Abu Dhabi prison and deported for posting a photograph of a car blocking a disabled parking spot.
Human Rights Activist Iyad El-Baghdadi Speaks Out on His Deportation from UAE
Iyad El-Baghdadi, who played a key role in social media activism around the Arab uprisings, was deported from the UAE April. Until last week, little was known of his fate.
Will the Right to Be Forgotten Inspire Repressive Regimes to Expand Internet Censorship?
“These governments will take advantage from this directive. Powerful people will be able to hide disgraceful actions for their own e-reputation," says Tunisian Internet advocate Dhouha Ben Youssef.
Human Rights Day in United Arab Emirates
While millions of people from all over the world are celebrating the International Human Rights Day activists in United Arab Emirates are not able to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and assembly (whether by organizing protests or writing about authorities' violations).
Open Letter to Governments: Protect Human Rights at the ITU
This December in Dubai, the International Telecommunication Union—a UN agency—will decide whether it should have regulatory authority over the Internet. This move could pose grave risks to the exercise of human rights online. Civil society can influence the process by signing an open letter calling on governments to reject expansion of ITU regulatory authority to the Internet.
Protecting the Open Internet at the ITU: Civil Society Takes Action
This December in Dubai, the International Telecommunication Union—a UN agency—will decide whether it should have regulatory authority over the Internet. This move could pose grave risks to the exercise of human rights online. Until now, the ITU has been dedicated to setting technical standards for interoperability of international telecommunications, radio,...
European Telco Proposal to ITU: A Threat to the Open Web?
A group of European telecommunications companies has made a proposal for global Internet regulation that could fundamentally alter the free flow of information online and undermine Internet neutrality. Parts of the proposal could disadvantage independent creators and content producers, particularly those in less-developed countries.
UAE: Activist Arrested for his Tweets
With the birth of the Arab Spring, the United Arab Emirates’ authorities seem to be intimidated by any voice asking for reforms and change. The start was with the arbitrary arrests of five activists for signing an online petition and keeping them illegally in custody for months before giving them...
Kuwait: Ahmad Mansoor, a UAE blogger denied entry
Ahmad Mansoor, UAE's most famous blogger who was detained last year for several months with four other activists for signing an online petition calling for reforms in his country, was denied entry to Kuwait few days ago. The UAE5 including Mansoor were released with a pardon on the 28th of...
2011: A Year of Triumphs and Struggle for Bloggers in the Middle East and North Africa
With all of the social media successes throughout the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, it would be all too easy to overlook the struggles faced by bloggers and netizens throughout the region. But with 126 netizens imprisoned, it would be a travesty.
UAE: Jail Sentences for Five Activists
Update 1 [28 Nov 2011/1 PM GMT]: The day after the court decisions were made, Attorney Mohammed al-Roken told The Associated Press the public prosecutor’s office confirmed President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s pardon of the five activists as the country celebrates its national day. Last April, Five...
UAE Activists Face Trials for an Online Petition
An online petition is the only common factor between five detained activists in the United Arab Emirates. Ahmed Mansour, Nasser Bin Ghaith, Fahad Al-Sihhi, Hassan Ali Al Khamis, and Ahmed Abdulhaleq Ahmed are the names. Mansour is a well known blogger and an outspoken activist who is believed to have Muslim Brotherhood ties, while Bin Ghaith comes from a wealthy family and has served as a consultant for the army beside being a war veteran, a decorated pilot, a columnist, and a lecturer.
Middle East Feels Threatened by Bloggers
Such has been the role of bloggers and citizen journalists in fueling the region's season of fury against dictatorship, they are being seen as a threat to status quo. Now a campaign of arrest, intimidation and harassment is being launched against them. In Bahrain, cyber activists and bloggers are facing...
Skype has launched its Middle East headquarters
On June 28, 2010 Skype announced on its blog the opening of the company's first headquarters in the Middle East and Africa which will be located in Manama, Bahrain's capital. Rouzbeh Pasha, Business Development Manager for the Middle East region, will lead the company's operations in the region. The announcement...
Blackberry face growing pressure in the Gulf and India over encryption code
The United Arab Emirates’ Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) and The Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) announced, respectively on August 1st 2010 and on August 5th, 2010, that they will block some functions of the Blackberry due to non-compliance with the regulatory requirements in both countries.
Web filtering In the Middle East using Bing Microsoft's search engine
Research conducted earlier this year examined the extent of Internet filtering in Arab countries made using Bing search engine of Microsoft for terms with a sexual orientation. Bing search engine is active in 41 languages and it offers a Web filtering system based on keywords entered into the system in...
Censorship Without Borders: A Moroccan Blogger's Experience
Naoufel Chaara is a talented Moroccan blogger. His website [Ar] has been recently nominated for the Deutsche Welle's 2010 BOBs international award in the Best Arabic Blog category. Naoufel's usually caustic views on people and power in his country and the Arab world, often pack a strong punch with his...
