Baher Kamal

Stories written by Baher Kamal
Baher Kamal is Senior Advisor to IPS Director General on Africa & the Middle East. He is an Egyptian-born, Spanish-national, secular journalist, with over 43 years of experience. Since the late 70s, he specialised in all development related issues, as well as international politics. He also worked as Senior Information Expert for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership at the European Commission in Brussels, and as the first-ever Information Officer and Spokesperson at UNEP’s Mediterranean Action Plan in Athens. Kamal speaks Spanish, Arabic, English and Italian. | Twitter |

… And All of a Sudden Syria!

By Baher Kamal

The “big five” – i.e., the most military powerful states on earth (US, UK, France, Russia and China) have just agreed that it would be about time to end the Syrian five-year long human tragedy.

Silence, Please! A New Middle East Is in the Making

By Baher Kamal

When, in June 2006, former US National Security adviser and, later on, Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, spelled out the George W. Bush administration new, magic doctrine for the Middle East, tons of ink was poured and millions of words said in a harsh attempt to speculate with what she really did mean by what she called “Creative Chaos.”

Middle East Part II – 99.5 Years of (Imposed) Solitude

By Baher Kamal

One hundred years ago, on 6 May 1916, two men, Briton Sir Mark Sykes and French diplomat François Georges-Picot, were entrusted by their respective governments with a rather exceptional task.

The Over-Written, Under-Reported Middle East – Part I: Of Arabs and Muslims

By Baher Kamal

Of all over-written, under-reported issues and regions, the Middle East is perhaps one of the oldest, outstanding ones.

More Than Generals and Troglodytes in Egypt

By Baher Kamal

Unconsciously or not, most mainstream media and foreign correspondents here have been echoing Muslim Brotherhood voices by depicting Egypt's new president, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, as the general who led the July 2013 “military coup” against the “legitimately elected” Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi.

Anti-Nuke Movement Goes to the Gulf

By Baher Kamal

After a week of activities in Oslo during the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, major anti-nuclear campaigners moved Monday to the Bahraini capital, Manama, in yet another step towards the abolition of atomic weapons.

MIDEAST: Building New Bridges to Latin America

By Baher Kamal

In the shadows of a critical Arab summit in Doha this week, a parallel Arab- South American heads of state meeting is expected to seal key political and economic cooperation agreements between the two regions.

Habib Ayeb Credit: Casa Árabe/Alberto Gallego

Q&A: Plenty of Water in the Desert, if Only…

By Baher Kamal

Most policy makers draw a bleak picture of dramatic water scarcity in the Middle East, warning of water wars to come. But there is plenty of water in the desert, says Tunisian geographer and water expert Habib Ayeb.

Farah Karimi, director-general of Oxfam Novib speaking at the meeting. Credit:

DEVELOPMENT: Is The Media Doing Enough?

By Baher Kamal

The media has a key role to play in effectively addressing the two major challenges of the 21st century - sustainable development and climate change. But is it doing enough?