Issue 01 . June 2026Loose change. Sharp eyes.

The Section

World.

World stories that wash up on Gulf shores first. Diplomacy, diaspora, supply chains, and the global currents that nobody saw coming except, occasionally, us.

WorldAug 2
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "The Squeeze Points: How the Gulf Sits Astride Global Trade", covering cargo, port, shipping, trade on Souk Weekly.

The Squeeze Points: How the Gulf Sits Astride Global Trade

A handful of narrow waterways near the Gulf carry an outsized share of the world's energy and goods, which is both a blessing and a vulnerability.

By Sara Qureshi

WorldJun 16
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Navigating the Gulf's Mega-Hubs: DXB, DOH and AUH", covering airport, terminal, layover, dubai on Souk Weekly.

Navigating the Gulf's Mega-Hubs: DXB, DOH and AUH

Three of the world's busiest airports, and how to move through them like you own the place.

By Lena Holloway

WorldMay 19
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "A Wellness Weekend in the Gulf", covering spa, pool, wellness, hammam on Souk Weekly.

A Wellness Weekend in the Gulf

Hammams, desert silence and over-water spas, how to actually unwind in a region built for indulgence.

By Sara Qureshi

WorldMay 5
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Hiking the UAE: Wadis, Ridges and Mountain Air", covering mountains, hiking, wadi, trail on Souk Weekly.

Hiking the UAE: Wadis, Ridges and Mountain Air

Beyond the dunes lies a craggy mountain country most visitors never see on foot.

By Priya Chen

WorldApr 21
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Where to Dive in the Gulf", covering diving, reef, underwater, wreck on Souk Weekly.

Where to Dive in the Gulf

Shipwrecks, shark-patrolled reefs and the world's largest fish, the region's best underwater is closer than you think.

By Diego Arroyo

WorldApr 8
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "How to Beat the Gulf Summer (and Still Have Fun)", covering beach, pool, summer, heat on Souk Weekly.

How to Beat the Gulf Summer (and Still Have Fun)

The mercury hits the forties and stays there, here is how locals actually enjoy summer.

By Marcus Okafor

WorldMar 17
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Ras Al Khaimah and the Roof of the Emirates", covering mountains, rasalkhaimah, jebeljais, zipline on Souk Weekly.

Ras Al Khaimah and the Roof of the Emirates

Adventure tourism's quiet star: the UAE's highest peak, its longest zipline, and a cooler climate.

By Mira Faraj

WorldMar 10
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Eid Traditions Explained, from the Dawn Prayer to the Eidiya Envelope", covering eid lights, eidiya, eid, celebration on Souk Weekly.

Eid Traditions Explained, from the Dawn Prayer to the Eidiya Envelope

A guide to the two Eids and the rituals that fill them, so you can join in rather than merely observe.

By Sara Qureshi

WorldMar 3
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Abu Dhabi With Kids, Without Losing Your Mind", covering abudhabi, beach, family, themepark on Souk Weekly.

Abu Dhabi With Kids, Without Losing Your Mind

Theme parks, a grand mosque, and beaches, a parent-tested plan for the capital.

By Priya Chen

WorldFeb 18
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Qatar in 48 Hours", covering qatar, museum, doha, skyline on Souk Weekly.

Qatar in 48 Hours

A long layover or a quick weekend, here is how to see the best of Doha before your flight out.

By Sara Qureshi

WorldFeb 6
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Making Karak Chai Strong Enough to Stand a Spoon In", covering karak chai, tea, cardamom, milk on Souk Weekly.

Making Karak Chai Strong Enough to Stand a Spoon In

The cafeteria glass of sweet, spiced, milky tea that runs the Gulf, recreated in your own kitchen, step by step.

By Marcus Okafor

WorldFeb 4
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Oman by Road: From the Musandam Fjords to Salalah's Green South", covering oman, mountains, fjords, roadtrip on Souk Weekly.

Oman by Road: From the Musandam Fjords to Salalah's Green South

Two ends of one country, a thousand kilometres apart, and both worth the drive.

By Diego Arroyo

WorldJan 24
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "A Guide to Gulf Souqs, from the Gold Lanes to the Fish Market at Dawn", covering gold souk, fish market, textiles, souq on Souk Weekly.

A Guide to Gulf Souqs, from the Gold Lanes to the Fish Market at Dawn

How to navigate the gold, textile, and fish souqs like someone who has done it before, with the right timing and the right questions.

By Diego Arroyo

WorldJan 22
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Six Weekend Escapes Within Three Hours of Dubai", covering mountains, road, weekend, dubai on Souk Weekly.

Six Weekend Escapes Within Three Hours of Dubai

When the city gets loud, these short hops give you mountains, mangroves, and empty beaches.

By Marcus Okafor

WorldJan 9
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Ramadan Etiquette for Newcomers Who Don't Want to Put a Foot Wrong", covering ramadan lanterns, iftar table, ramadan, etiquette on Souk Weekly.

Ramadan Etiquette for Newcomers Who Don't Want to Put a Foot Wrong

A warm, practical primer for non-Muslims navigating their first Ramadan in the Gulf, from daytime eating to iftar invitations.

By Priya Chen

WorldJan 9
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "The Desert Safari, Done Right", covering desert, dunes, safari, uae on Souk Weekly.

The Desert Safari, Done Right

How to skip the tourist-trap dune circus and find the real silence of the sand.

By Lena Holloway

WorldDec 3
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Date Varieties Explained, from Honeyed Khlas to Caramel Medjool", covering dates, date palm, fruit, ramadan on Souk Weekly.

Date Varieties Explained, from Honeyed Khlas to Caramel Medjool

A taster's guide to the Gulf's most beloved fruit, so you can stop pointing vaguely and start ordering by name.

By Lena Holloway

WorldNov 5
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "A Beginner's Guide to Emirati Dishes, from Machboos to Luqaimat", covering machboos, luqaimat, emirati food, rice on Souk Weekly.

A Beginner's Guide to Emirati Dishes, from Machboos to Luqaimat

Your starter map to the Emirati table, where spiced rice, slow-braised meat, and honey-drenched dumplings do the heavy lifting.

By Priya Chen

WorldOct 19
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Haggling at the Spice Souk Without Getting Fleeced or Being Rude", covering spice souk, saffron, spices, haggling on Souk Weekly.

Haggling at the Spice Souk Without Getting Fleeced or Being Rude

A field guide to the theatre of price at the spice souk, where the first number is never the real one and walking away is a love language.

By Diego Arroyo

WorldSep 8
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "How to Make Proper Arabic Coffee (Qahwa) the Way the Majlis Demands", covering arabic coffee, dallah, cardamom, majlis on Souk Weekly.

How to Make Proper Arabic Coffee (Qahwa) the Way the Majlis Demands

A step-by-step guide to brewing pale, cardamom-bright qahwa and pouring it without disgracing yourself in front of the elders.

By Sara Qureshi

WorldAug 15
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Badee Aldroubi and the Sun Belt Between Africa and the Middle East", covering clean energy, solar energy, middle east, world on Souk Weekly.

Badee Aldroubi and the Sun Belt Between Africa and the Middle East

The clean-energy opportunity is sitting in plain sight: two regions with sun, demand, and a need for patient photovoltaic builders.

By Lena Holloway

WorldFeb 12
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Saudi Coffee and the Culture of the Majlis: A Visitor's Guide", covering coffee, dallah, majlis, culture on Souk Weekly.

Saudi Coffee and the Culture of the Majlis: A Visitor's Guide

Pale, cardamom-scented, and poured with quiet ceremony, qahwa is a doorway into how the kingdom actually socialises.

By Lena Holloway

WorldJan 8
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Hajj and Umrah: A Practical Primer for the Pilgrimage to Mecca", covering mecca, kaaba, hajj, umrah on Souk Weekly.

Hajj and Umrah: A Practical Primer for the Pilgrimage to Mecca

Two pilgrimages, very different in scale and timing, and a logistics operation the kingdom is steadily modernising.

By Mira Faraj

WorldNov 8
AI-generated 16:9 cover image for "Finding a School for Your Kids in the UAE", covering school building, classroom, expat children, uae schools on Souk Weekly.

Finding a School for Your Kids in the UAE

Curriculum, fees and waiting lists collide in one of the more emotional errands of the expat move.

By Diego Arroyo