Beyond the Headlines

A landmark agreement to open diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel seems to be approaching. In a recent interview with Fox News, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country is moving closer to establishing relations with Israel.   Such a deal would mean the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which were signed three years ago with the US as a broker, and normalised relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain. Morocco and Sudan have since joined.   The past few weeks have witnessed high-level visits to Riyadh by members of the Biden administration to discuss the matter; Saudi Arabia’sappointment of its first envoy to Palestine; and Israel's tourism minister landing in Saudi Arabia for a UN event, becoming the first Israeli minister to lead an official delegation there.   In this week’s Beyond The Headlines, host Ismaeel Naar looks at the recent moves towards the normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and asks what could this mean for the region and the Palestinians?  

From the flash floods in Libya and the earthquakes in Morocco, Turkey and Syria, to the raging wildfires that scorched Maui and the hurricanes and typhoons that left devastation in their wake in the US: it's impossible to ignore the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. 2023 has been marked by a series of apparently natural disasters. But just how natural were they? And how much did humanity contribute to them – via climate change? On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Phil Green explores the influence of climate change on a year of catastrophes, how the Middle East is directly affected - and what can be done?

You can’t control a storm. Especially one as bad as Storm Daniel.  But when two dams which hadn’t been maintained since 2002 break; when authorities tell thousands of people to stay at home instead of evacuating them the night that Derna was swept into the sea; then you start to wonder, how much more could have been done to prevent the deaths of 11,000 people? Entire neighbourhoods gone. Families killed in their own homes. Bodies turning up after the waves had brought them back to land. Search and rescue teams telling whomever has remained alive to quiet down so they can try and listen for a faint sound coming from under the rubble. The scene was apocalyptic. On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks about Storm Daniel, its impacts on the city of Derna and the gigantic task ahead for authorities and rescue workers to sort through the rubble and identify the dead.

Thousands have died, families have been separated and homes reduced to rubble by the sudden devastation that struck Morocco on the night of September 8.   As rescue crews search for the missing, the nation is grappling with the aftermath of the biggest natural disaster to hit the country in 120 years.   This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Phil Green looks at what happened when the earthquake struck Morocco and the longer-term impact it will have on the North African country.

Sultan Al Neyadi is the first Arab to serve on the International Space Station for a six-month mission, the first Arab to perform a spacewalk and one of the first two astronauts from the UAE, along with Hazza Al Mansouri. Dr Al Neyadi has joined a very select group of people, becoming one of only 270 people from 21 different countries to have visited the International Space Station. His stint in orbit was a milestone for the UAE and a symbol of the country’s ambitions in the realm of science and exploration. So what does this mission mean for the UAE’s future astronauts? And what’s next for Arab space exploration? On this episode, host Sarwat Nasir dissects just what such missions mean for the UAE and what kind of legacy Dr Al-Neyadi will have.

Unique and empowered. This is what it feels to be an Emirati woman. It is a blend of embracing one's roots and cultural identity, while evolving every day in a dynamic and diverse country, to contribute to the development of the nation. For that reason, every year on August 28, Emirati women come together to appreciate their efforts, celebrate their work and highlight their achievements.   The Emirati Women’s Day was launched in 2015 by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, wife of the late founding father Sheikh Zayed, and known as the Mother of the Nation. It was to bring recognition to the crucial role of women in the country. On this special episode celebrating Emirati women, Shireena Al Nowais sat down with five of the most powerful and successful sisters in the UAE: Al Kaabi sisters and Al Jaber sisters.

Riad Salameh, Lebanon's former central bank governor, was once celebrated as a “financial wizard” who kept the country’s economy prospering for years. He is now an international fugitive wanted by France and Germany, and sanctioned by the US and the UK. He is wanted for the alleged embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars in Lebanese public funds, which were funnelled into real estate properties across Europe and the US. The Salameh saga shows how a man was able to appropriate an institution for his personal gain and that of his inner circle for decades, without raising alarms among auditors, international banks or even central bank employees, until the entire system finally crumbled. This week on Beyond the Headlines, Nada Maucourant Atallah delves into the story behind Riad Salameh's fall from grace.

Two years ago, Afghanistan as the world knew it collapsed. After the withdrawal of US and other forces backing the government, in scenes that shocked the world, the Taliban marched into the Afghan capital Kabul pretty much unopposed. On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Sulaiman Hakemy looks at the dire consequences for ordinary Afghans.

Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open air prison. Under siege by Israel, half of the 2.3 million people living in the territory are unemployed. Leaders from the ruling Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, meet in Egypt in talks that they say seek to end the divide that has been making life all the harder for people in Gaza ever since Hamas seized power there in 2007. While these meetings do take place every now and then, the internal turmoil being seen in the occupied territories coupled with the rarity of the protests in Gaza has made us stop and think. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks Gaza, the West Bank, reconciliation and everything in between.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Fatima Al Mahmoud reflects on how August 4, which witnessed the largest non-nuclear explosion in history in Beirut, changed the lives of many, including her own.  She speaks to Lebanese who decided to leave the country - and others who decided to stay.