Search Engines, News, and Blogs
Search Engine Colossus and Search Engine Guide are comprehensive global master directories of local search engines for regional, country, or language-specific searches. Yahoo! provides country-specific, regional, and official government site search options. Google Translate is a useful option. Glearch allows you to search for language and country-specific content in "top results from Google, Yahoo and Bing as well as the most popular search engines for the selected country."
News Sources in English on the
Middle East-- Arab
News (Saudi Arabia), Al Jazeera (Qatar
and regional), Al-Ahram (Egypt),
Jordan
Times (Jordan), Daily Star
(Lebanon), Kuwait Times
(Kuwait), Times of Oman
(Oman), The Peninsula
(Qatar), Jerusalem
Post (Israel), Israel
Insider (Israel), Hürriyet
(Turkey), Muftah,
Google
News, BBC,
CNN, Christian
Science Monitor, Washington
Post, New
York Times, Los
Angeles Times, Inter
Press Service, Global
Post, The
Guardian
Insightful Blogs about the Middle East-- Al-Monitor, Foreign
Policy Association, Syria
Comment, Voices
and Views: Middle East and North Africa (World Bank)
Other
Sources
• Al Jazeera
Center for Studies-- "A think-tank extension of the
Al Jazeera Network..., conducts in-depth analysis of
current affairs at both regional and global levels. Its
research agenda focuses primarily on geo-politics and
strategic developments in the Arab world and surrounding
regions." Posts many studies.
• Arab
Barometer-- Multinational project to "produce
scientifically reliable data on the politically-relevant
attitudes of ordinary citizens [of the Arab countries], to
disseminate and apply survey findings in order to
contribute to political reform, and to strengthen
institutional capacity for public opinion research."
Surveys cover "a wide range of topics pertaining to
governance, political life and political, social and
cultural values." The project posts "country and regional
comparative reports, in addition to thematic analyses..."
• Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies-- Based in Doha, aims to play "a proactive role in the Arab region, not confining its work to scholarly research but translating it practically into various activities and initiatives. In effect, it would not merely function as a "think tank", but would also produce analyses, outreach papers for the general public and public opinion makers, plans of action and Arab working proposals." Posts much of its work.
• Arab Media & Society-- "The
primary reference for understanding the role of media in
shaping Arab societies and the broader Muslim world."
Covers "all forms of media and their interaction with
society-at-large, from politics and business to culture
and religion, as well as the way in which Arab media
change resonates in the broader Muslim world."
• Arab Reform
Initiative-- Multinational (Arab world, Europe and
the United States) project that is engaged in "producing
knowledge of the Arab region through in-depth research
projects, engaging in collaborative work, building
capacity of teams in different countries in data
collection and survey research and developing a vast
network of scholars, activists and practitioners who share
the reform vision... [as] a regional hub for democratic
transformation and to serve the region's civil society."
Posts studies and papers-- be sure to check the archive
section.
• Arab States-- From the Regional
Bureau for Arab States of the United
Nations Development Programme, an extensive site
about development issues in the Arabic-speaking countries,
including the Arab Human Development Report. Note
also the Programme
on Governance in the Arab Region, "to provide
resources and information on governance reform in the Arab
states, including general and country-specific essays on
the themes pertaining to... participation, rule of law,
and transparency and accountability." Posts publications,
statistics, indicators, thematic comparisons, databases,
and links to related UNDP-RBAS websites.
• Arabian
Business-- Comprehensive business news and analysis
site for Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf Arab states,
with contributions from scores of journalists, a company
directory, press releases, briefings, financial markets,
currencies, video/audio, and more.
• Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies--
"Seeks to contribute to the advancement of Middle East
peace and security by conducting policy-relevant research
on strategic subjects, particularly as they relate to the
national security and foreign policy of Israel." Posts
many research papers of various types.
• Carnegie Endowment Middle East Page--
"Gives visitors easier access to Carnegie's extensive
research and writing on the state of political change in
the Middle East and the effects of U.S. and European
efforts to promote democracy there. Iraq, Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Palestine, and Lebanon are all major areas of
focus."
• Council for Peace and Security--
"Voluntary [Israeli] body with no party political
affiliation ... with a membership that has rich experience
of security, politics, economics and problems of
society... A major aim is to bring members’ experience and
knowledge to the public, thereby enabling the public to
form knowledgeable opinions on security-related issues,
particularly in connection with the Peace Process." Posts
articles, news items and reports of events.
• CSIS Middle East Program-- From the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, this program posts articles,
publications, and presentations that cover "all aspects of
U.S. policy toward the region, concentrating especially on
identifying new voices, framing emerging challenges, and
developing opportunities for positive change..."
• Gulf Research Center-- Independent
research institute in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, whose
aim is "to pursue politically neutral and academically
sound research about the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries and disseminate the knowledge obtained as widely
as possible." This excellent large site posts news,
publications, large e-library, research gateway, and more.
• H-Mideast-Politics Discussion Network-- "Academic discussion forum where substantive information and analysis can be presented of Middle East current affairs and of its relevance to the foreign policy of states outside the region. The list takes the entire area from Morocco to Malaysia and from Kazakhstan to Somalia as its purview. The emphasis is on contemporary politics."
• Integrated Regional Information Network--
From the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, providing searchable news items on crises in the
Middle East.
• Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs-- Independent, non-profit
institute for policy research and education, located in
Jerusalem and focusing on Israeli foreign affairs,
security issues, Middle Eastern diplomacy, and
international law.
• Media
Line-- "Unique [American] non-profit news
organization established to enhance and balance media
coverage in the Middle East, promote independent reporting
in the region, and break down barriers to understanding in
the Arab and Israeli journalism communities," offering
"written pieces as well as audio and video reports
produced by The Media Line’s staff of seasoned journalists
speaking the languages of the region."
• Middle East Institute-- "Important
conduit of information between Middle Eastern nations and
American policymakers, organizations and the public. We
strive to increase knowledge of the Middle East among our
own citizens and to promote understanding between the
peoples of the Middle East and America." Posts policy
briefs, press releases, country briefs, and other items.
• Middle East Media Research Institute--
"Explores the Middle East through the region's media...
providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew
media, as well as original analysis of political,
ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious
trends in the Middle East." Posts in several languages,
with archives.
• Middle East Research and Information
Project-- From a non-profit, non-governmental
organization based in Washington, D.C., varied independent
perspectives on and insightful analysis of events and
issues in the Middle East, with online news, commentaries,
studies, and the free Middle East Report Online.
• Middle
East Studies Association-- Academic "association
that fosters the study of the Middle East, promotes high
standards of scholarship and teaching, and encourages
public understanding of the region and its peoples through
programs, publications and services that enhance
education, further intellectual exchange, recognize
professional distinction, and defend academic freedom."
• Middle East Virtual Library--
Searchable information portal for Middle East and Islamic
Studies, to provide "access to electronic fulltext
materials or electronic bibliographical records of printed
materials and manuscripts,"
sponsored by a multinational European library consortium.
• MidEast
Web-- From Israel, by a coalition of "Arabs, Jews
and others who want to build a new Middle East based on
coexistence and neighborly relations." Contains texts,
analyses, proposals, cultural and other information, news,
maps, statistics, and more.
• United
Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia--
News, information, many statistics, and many online
reports are available free in full-text from this United
Nations regional organization. Great source for
authoritative online economic and social information about
the eastern part of the Middle East.
• World Bank Middle East and North Africa--
Papers, discussion notes, and reports on economic,
environmental, and social issues in the Middle East and
North Africa today.
