Anna Allford

Medium • 7th March 2026

What do Dubai residents think about the possibility of a new war with Iran?

While the world watched an unprecedented regional escalation involving Iran, ordinary people in Dubai were gripped with fear by the presence of dozens of reckless missile and drone attacks.People are ordering coffee in the lounge on the 33rd floor of the skyscraper, which was shaken ten minutes earlier by the first few explosions. The smoke is rising. People act unbothered.Nobody believes that Dubai can be affected.After the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on the 1st of March,...

Where Art Meets Enterprise? Dubai’s Independent Galleries

Small businesses are popularising art in a City of Ambition, turning exhibition spaces into arenas of dialogue between the Gulf and Western heritage.Feb 8, 2025By Anna AllfordCustomers were walking around the first floor of the Gallery27 in the centre of Marina, smelling oud and hot air from Marina buzzling streets. The price is not displayed, but everyone understands it will be discussed softly, perhaps over coffee. In Dubai, art galleries operate less like retail shops and more like an experie...

China and Japan’s dispute over Taiwan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who was elected in October 2025, ignited a diplomatic argument by declaring that a Chinese armed attack on Taiwan could pose an “existential threat” to Japan on November 7, 2025. She also mentioned that Japan could use the right of collective self-defence.Taiwan, located only 100 kilometres from Japan’s Yonaguni Island, has had a controversial status since 1949, when Nationalist forces established the Republic of China in exile after losing the Chinese Civ...

How Airbnb Reinvented Travel during COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic grounded flights, emptied hotels, and silenced cities, the travel industry lost $935 billion in 2020 alone, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Airbnb is a company built on cross-border mobility who watched its bookings plummet by more than 90% in major markets. For many, it looked like the end of the home-sharing giant.But Airbnb didn’t just survive, it rewrote the travel playbook. In doing so, it turned the industry’s deepest crisis into a proving ground...

Netflix and Paramount dispute over Warner Bros.

Netflix made an $83 billion proposal to the legendary Hollywood studio Warner Bros. in early December 2025. To stay competitive l launched a hostile takeover bid of $30 per share directly to WBD shareholders, rather than going through the Warner board, valuing the entire company at approximately $108.4 billion.Warner Bros.’ rich collection of iconic franchises and global reach are not the only reasons for the battle. Even if Warner Bros. has produced such modern hits as the Scooby-Doo movies, th...

Afghanistan and Pakistan ceasefire after days of deadly clashes

Afghanistan and Pakistan reached a ceasefire deal on October 19, 2025, after hitting the lowest point of their international relations — the October deadly border clashes that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds. Currently, the Afghan Taliban collaborate with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) to attack, according to the words of Pakistan’s Minister of Defence Khawaja Asif.In fact, TTP, which is under the umbrella of the armed group Pakistan Taliban, launched more than 600 attacks, resulting i...

Matcha Mania: From Traditions to Trends

I am a firm believer that we do not see enough greens in a modern blue and grey Dubai. But one of the easiest ways to access greens is through matcha overpriced drinks. I see empty green matcha cups in everyday morning class next to designer bags or in Instagram Stories of my closest 50 Dubai girlfriends, somewhere between the oud smell and the echo of car horns.Personally, I prefer a blue or purple rare matcha flavour rather than the earthy creamy taste of a green international matcha. Only peo...

Syria return to the UN after 60 years of Isolation

Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visited the UN General Assembly in the United States for the first time on September 24, 2025. Previously, Syria’s diplomatic isolation ended in 2024 and gave more opportunities to restore the connections. This visit is a symbolic moment of Ahmed al-Shara’s success in restoring Syria’s diplomacy on the international stage for the first time in almost 6 decades.The Syrian president stated his new diplomatic approach: “We are committed to dialogue, and we ca...

Summit in Doha against Israeli violence

The Arab Islamic Summit was held in Doha, Qatar, on Monday, September 15, 2025. Hosted by Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emergent summit became a place of unity for more than 60 members, including the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.The purpose of the summit was a response to recent airstrikes by Israel on September 9, 2025, which were targeting Hamas leaders who were in a Doha residential area. In fac...

Desert Rose: Oman’s Bedouin-Chic Escapes

In the whispering vastness of Oman’s Sharqiya Sands, where sun-kissed dunes cradle secrets of ancient caravans, a seductive mirage unfolds. Luxury camps like Desert Rose Camp and Desert Nights Resort bloom as enigmatic roses in the arid expanse, thorns of tradition guarding petals of opulence. These havens seduce the soul, blending the nomadic pulse of Bedouin life with the velvet touch of modern indulgence, where falconry dances with destiny and rosewater rituals whisper promises of rebirth. Un...