The times they are a changin'. We all know that by know. But the question that's recently been freewheelin' inside my head is how much that scruffy old troubadour from Hibbing, Minnesota, has had to do with the times that are a changin' … right here, right now. In the Arab world at least, the answer seems to be precious little.
OK, I've lost count of the number of "Times are a-changing in the Middle East!" headlines that litter the internet, or blog posts that display the lyrics of the song as a kind of pretty poetic picture to complement coverage of the uprisings, or clumsily thrown together video montages of protests in Egypt and Tunisia with that famous sandpaper voice grating "Come gather round people, etc" on the soundtrack. And, granted, if you read the lyrics they do seem uncannily apt, especially the lines that go "And don't speak too soon / For the wheel's still in spin / And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'".
But how many protesters down on the tear-gassed streets of the Arab world have ever heard of Bob Dylan? Ten per cent? Less? More? The barriers and boundaries seem multiple. The protesters are mainly young, in their teens, twenties and thirties, the post-MTV Facebook and Twitter generation. Dylan has just turned 70 and probably still thinks of Facebook as a tome full of grey gawky mugshots of his high school muckers and sweethearts. The protesters speak Arabic in all its myriad local variants. Dylan sings in nasal North American with images culled from Ginsberg, Whitman and Rimbaud. They're angry about Israel. He's sung a song called Neighbourhood Bully that is a strangely nuanced apologia for Israel. What's more, he's off to perform in Tel Aviv this summer. They're Arabs. He's a Jew. They sing in quarter tones. He sings the pentatonic country blues.
Yet my eye was recently drawn to a photo of two young boys demonstrating in Benghazi. One is holding the rebel flag of old Libya aloft, the other a handwritten sheet featuring a snippet of Blowin' in the Wind. I was intrigued.
And when I questioned some old friends from Morocco and Syria, it seems that Dylan was high on the playlist of many a curious closet-hippy music fan in the Arab world of the 1960s and '70s, despite the fact that records released by CBS were banned in much of the Middle East because of that company's affiliations with the state of Israel. Of course you probably had to be fairly well educated and middle class to take an interest. My friend from Rabat well remembers sitting around a turntable with his posse trying to decipher Dylan's abstruse lyrics for hours on end. Enlightened English teachers from Casablanca to Doha would also use Dylan lyrics to muster enthusiasm for the language of Shakespeare among their bored teenage students. The zeitgeist was radical and rebellious in the Arab world back then, just as it was in Europe or North America, and Dylan seemed to sing the zeitgeist to perfection, even if you didn't understand a word that poured through his nose.
Surprisingly, I've learnt that Dylan himself returned the general compliment. In an interview he did for Playboy magazine in 1978 he declared that he was listening to a lot of Middle Eastern music. "Such as?" asked the interviewer. "Om Kalthoum," came the reply. "Who is that?" "She was a great Egyptian singer," Dylan explained. "I first heard of her when I was in Jerusalem … she's dead now but not forgotten. She's great. She really is. Really great."
If you google Bob Dylan and the Muslim World, the region seems to be liberally endowed with its own Dylans. There are the Bob Dylans of Morocco (Salim Halali, Badia El Idrissi and Larbi Batma), the Bob Dylans of Algeria (Baaziz, Ait Menguellet and Souad Massi - sex change required), the Bob Dylan of Libya (Massaoud Abu Asir), the Bob Dylans of Egypt (Sheik Imam and Ahmed Fouad Negm, Ramy Essam), the Bob Dylan of Mali (Mamadou Coulibaly), the Bob Dylan of Senegal (Ismaël Lô) and the king of them all, the Bob Dylan of Lebanon and the Arab World (Marcel Khalife).
Of course, this is all arrant western-centric nonsense that tells you more about European and US attempts to understand the Muslim world rather than vice versa. No doubt Marcel Khalife prefers to think of Bob Dylan as the Marcel Khalife of America. And of course there's the irony that Dylan himself has been trying to escape the protest-singer-spokesman-of-a-generation straitjacket all his adult life. How galling it must be to have failed so miserably and instead see that his name has become a kind of generic term - like Stetson, Biro or boycott - for the very thing he's tried so desperately to run away from.
Maybe I'm barking up the wrong "Bob" anyway. If there's any outsider who's radicalised the Arab world and the entire African continent, surely it's Bob Marley. At least, in his case, you can dance while your head is being filled with noble thoughts of freedom and revolt. Then again, I've often heard Ibrahim Ag Alhabib from Tinariwen, the Touareg rebel guitar-poets from the southern Sahara whom I used to manage, reel off his list of western influences: Bob Marley (of course!), Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Dire Straits, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Boney M (I kid you not!) and "Bob Diellun." This from a man who doesn't understand a word of English.
By all accounts, he was already listening to Dylan in the 1980s, during those now-legendary years in Libyan military training camps, where the Touareg rebel movement was preparing to fight for independence from Mali and Niger. The image of a bunch of Touareg men in combat fatigues, sitting around drinking bitter Touareg tea while Don't Think Twice It's Alright fizzed out of a tinny ghetto-blaster gives my imagination a good massage.
A few years ago I was in Paris with Ibrahim and the rest of the band. We were idly YouTube surfing, and I called up a video of Dylan singing Blowin' in the Wind, one of those old grainy black and white TV clips, with a youthful Bob looking all serene with his tousled hair and puppy fat cheeks. Abdallah "Catastrophe", one of the other Tinariwen guitarists, was already a huge fan of the song. The band listened, rapt. I tried to explain that the poetry of the words is very important. "You can hear that," Ibrahim said. "It's obvious." Then he asked what it all meant. I tried to translate to French, our common tongue: La réponse, mon ami, souffle dans le vent … My efforts were clumsy, but Ibrahim was fascinated. He listened with the same kind of uncomprehending awe that I feel when I listen to Nass El Ghiwane, Marcel Khalife or indeed, Tinariwen.
That's the point surely. When you listen to the rawest and most naked Dylan, there's a power in the music that transcends words. It's the solitary defiance, the unadorned honesty that retains that capacity to thrill, even 40 years later; the vision of a man picking up his guitar and singing his mind, without frills or make-up, because there's nothing else left for him to do, nowhere else for him to go. And that's what's so inspiring about some of the music that has come out of the Arab Spring. Gone, for the moment at least, are the Tamer Hosnys, the Amr Diabs and the whole keening, preening Rotana-dominated Arab hit machine. Instead you have men and women, out in the streets, picking up guitars, and for once, telling it like it is. Singers like Ramy Essam, Massaoud Abu Asir or Hany Adel, Amir Eid and the whole crew behind Sout al Horeya, whose YouTube hit rate has bust through the 1.5 million mark.
That spirit won't last. The spirit of the '60s that Dylan, despite himself, helped to foment, didn't last either. But it did exist, for a brief time, and it gets reborn, for a brief time, in places where few people have heard or care about Dylan himself. One man and his guitar … or oud. That's all it takes.
Andy Morgan is an author and freelance journalist based in Bristol, England, with an interest in the music of North Africa and the Arab world.
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')
Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
