Arguably the edition of our debates that first put us on the map, Dubai Debates’ #DD2 featured four of the world’s most prominent opinion leaders on Arab politics. They included Dalia Mogahed, a former US presidential advisor on Islamic affairs and author of a seminal book on Arab public opinion, and Tarik Yousef, a leading Libyan scholar of the region. A range of citizen contributions were also featured as part of the live event.
With more than 200 guests attending, the event discussed the state of the Arab revolutions, the situation in Egypt, the role of civil society in building Arab democracies, the relationship between Islam and democracy, and economic challenges on the path towards a new Arab world. #DD2 received broad attention among local and international media, including Al Arabiya News and The New York Times.