MUST-READS

• Advertising
  Analyzing the Mid-East’s surge in online classifieds

  Online classifieds have become so popular in the Arab world that in some countries the leading classifieds website is more popular than Facebook. This is the case for leading Arabic classifieds website OpenSooq.com, which is a leader in its category in several countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan. With a simple, easy to use website and popular iOS and Android apps, OpenSooq is not only leading in countries that have mature online audiences, but also in countries where the number of Internet users is growing very quickly via smartphones, such as Iraq and Libya.

• US Foreign Policy
  House approves Obama’s Iraq-Syria military strategy amid skepticism

  The vote placed Congress one step closer to authorizing the third significant U.S. military operation in Iraq in the past quarter century, and it put lawmakers on record approving U.S. engagement in the years-long Syrian civil war. It delivered Obama much-needed domestic political support as he seeks an international coalition to combat the growing threat of Islamist terrorism in the Middle East. But the tally — 273 to 156 — also revealed widespread misgivings in both parties about the plan’s chances of success, even among lawmakers who voted in favor of it.

  • Defense One - Petraeus, Crocker Support Plan To Arm and Train Syrian Rebels
  • Military Times - U.S. Officials Parse Term 'Ground Troops' When Describing Iraq Mission
  • National Journal - Joe Biden on Using American Ground Troops Against ISIS: 'We'll Determine That Based on How the Effort Goes'
  • AP - Senate Next After House Backs Obama on Rebel Aid
• Islamic State
  Saudi Muslim Scholars Back Al-Saud Fight With Islamic State

  Saudi Arabia’s top religious clerics issued a statement banning travel to conflict zones as the country’s conservative religious establishment backs the Al-Saud ruling family’s efforts to defeat Islamic State.

  • VOA - Saudi Arabia's Top Clerics Speak Out Against Militancy
• Saudi Agriculture 2014
  Organic farming gaining popularity in Saudi Arabia

  Organic farming was one of the topics addressed at the exhibition. Under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Organic Agriculture (DOA) participated with its own organic farming pavilion, a joint venture with on one side the ministry and the German GIZ International Services’ “Organic Farming Project” and on the other the Saudi Organic Farming Association (SOFA).

• Pakistan
  How We Missed Mullah Omar

  This was the Predator’s first big test. The military had long had an interest in unmanned aircraft, but before the Predator, drones were at best a niche technology. Introduced in 1994 under a new type of rapid Pentagon procurement program, the Predator could linger in the air well beyond 24 hours, pointing cameras at the earth and transmitting live video images back to its operators.

• GCC Markets
  Saudi market opening ushers in new era of GCC investment

  For international investors, the big prize behind the closed Saudi market is the treasure trove of well-run companies, often with plenty of cash in hand, catering to a growing, affluent population.

  • Arabian Business - Saudi stock market watchdog to 'undergo review'
  • Zawya - Global project management industry looks to Saudi Arabia for growth
• China and ISIS
  How China’s foreign and domestic policies may be fueling the Islamic State

  China’s policies toward Uighurs, which range from effectively banning Ramadan for Uighurs to favoring ethnic Han Chinese in the region’s economic development, have resulted in high levels of poverty in the Uighurs community—which fuels a narrative of anti-Muslim oppression and puts Beijing in the ISIL’s crosshairs. In a speech in July, ISIL leader Abu Bakr-Al Baghdadi named China as one of the regions where “Muslim rights are forcibly seized,” and released a map of the group’s global aspirations that included the vast swathe of China’s Xinjiang province.

  • The Diplomat - China Created ISIS, Too
• Forbes Power List
  Forbes Middle East reveals the region’s 200 most powerful women

  Of the 200 Most Powerful Arab Women ranking, Egypt dominates with 29 entries. The largest economy in the region—Saudi Arabia—has 27, followed closely by the UAE, with 26 entries.

• Islamic State
  Kerry Enlists Saudi King in War of Ideas Against ISIS

  Persuading would-be jihadists that ISIS distorts Islam “probably far more important than the military,” the U.S. Secretary of State says

  • Arab News - Riyadh calls for 10-year fight to wipe out terror
• Women in the Workplace
  Opinion: Real-life challenges to Women in the Workplace

  Yet identifying the causes of why women become discouraged with their career goals is fairly obvious. We are bound by tradition, customs and unwritten rules that allow men to rule our lives with an iron hand. Intellectually, most people agree that women in the workplace is beneficial to Saudi society, but emotionally we pull back by exerting needless control over working women.

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