كان الجميع نائمًا حين مدَّ الصغير يده لإغلاق باب المنزل خلفه، فتبعه صوت والدته: "إلى أين يا رأفت؟".منذ طفولته، راقب الفتى مدينة تعز "256 كم جنوب العاصمة اليمنية صنعاء"، وسَحَرَه الضوء القادم من خلف الجبال، ومع وصوله إلى سن السابعة عشرة من عمره، قصد تلك الوجهة، لكن الحرب كانت قد أطفأت الأضواء وأشعلت نيرانًا أخرى.قال لها: "تعز". لم تصدّقه، فقد رأت في عينيه أماكن مجهولة. بعد سنوات، يوم وصلت الأم إلى ذات المدينة، كان رأفت قد غادر اليمن كله.ومن تلك الليلة، تعلم درسًا هامًا: لم يغلق بابًا خرج منه....

Edited by scholars from various disciplinary backgrounds (literature, sociology, and communication science), Gulf Women’s Lives is a collection of studies of well-timed importance. The format of each chapter spans self-reflection, interview, literary, and ethnographic accounts, which altogether provide myriad approaches to understanding the politics of gender in a region of growing interest. Inscribing the volume in line with the heritage of post-colonial feminism, the editors suggest taking...

The Yemeni intractable conflict (2011 to present) causes one of the worst humanitarian crises in the century. This study aims at revealing how migration during conflict opens economic opportunities for Yemenis who migrated to Indonesia from 2011. The study proposed to analyze the links between the historical commercial migration and recent war migration and their impacts on the integration of the most recently arrived Yemenis to Indonesia. To do so, we draw on the theories of conflict-induced migration and related studies concerning the phenomenon of Yemenis migration to Indonesia. The study utilizes descriptive phenomenological research design to collect data and recruit the participants. Twenty-seven Yemeni migrants were recruited to fill in the online survey distributed by the Yemeni Community, and twenty Yemeni migrants, chosen purposively, were interviewed. Our prior findings show that, unlike the first wave of Yemeni’s migration that is described as “chain migration” by which most of the migrants were from Hadhramout migrated for religion and business purposes, the second wave of migration is motivated by a severe conflict in Yemen which caused a forced migration or ‘conflict-induced migration’. In addition to macro-factors of migration ‘political and economic’, micro-factors, namely social factors such as intermarriage, education, teaching (mainly Qur’an and its science), trading, and family union led to current migration. Other psychological factors such a ‘stigma’ not to return to Yemen due to the complexity of the situation, most Yemeni prefer to marry Indonesian women to secure a better life. Instead, due to the complexity of the Indonesian working visas and business ownerships for foreigners, most of the Yemenis prefer to implement the ‘integration’ strategy to survive and cope with the situation. The study concludes that the current wave of migration is an extension of the pre-colonial and colonial waves; however, what differs is the social integration, through which many economic opportunities become available due to their marriages to Indonesian women.

This article examines the social imaginaries of the Yemeni diaspora in Cairo, focusing on how nostalgia for a pre-conflict Yemen, transnational ties, and the persistence of social hierarchies shape their lived experiences. These imaginaries serve as reminders of Yemen’s deep-seated social, political, and economic disparities, reflecting unresolved tensions among its various factions and communities. Cairo’s cultural and historical ties with Yemen have made it a hub for the preservation of national identity, reinforcing established power structures and nostalgic reproductions of an old Yemen. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and qualitative interviews, the study unpacks the intricate cultural and political dynamics of this particular Yemeni diasporic community. Through an analysis of two key events—the 33rd anniversary celebration of Yemen’s unification and the “Light of Art” exhibition—it reveals how traditional power structures perpetuate dominant narratives. These narratives, while offering moments of cultural expression, constrain opportunities for reimagining Yemen’s fractured socio-political landscape and highlight the complex interplay of nostalgia, resilience, and inequality within the diaspora.

Scholars have predominantly studied Kuwait’s cultural ties with Western and regional powers, neglecting Asian relations. Therefore, this article examines the narratives between Kuwait and Japan in the period following Kuwait’s independence in 1961. During the sixties, English-language media were influential in introducing Japanese content into the Gulf region. Thus, by focusing on the travel chronicles about Japan published in the Kuwait Times newspaper by its editor, Yousef S. Al-Alyan, this article analyzes the representations of Japanese modernization across Asia. We argue that Al-Alyan presents a Japanese cultural syncretism as a formula for a cultural revival that enables transformative processes while preserving national heritage. From this perspective, Japan is portrayed as a gateway to efficiency, comfort, entertainment, and knowledge without compromising traditions. Al-Alyan sheds light on the Japanese cultural policy, commercial openness, thriving press, and democratic guarantees, enriching the possibilities of the Asian imaginary in Kuwait. This article contributes to our understanding of Kuwaiti modernity within the framework of Asian regionalism and its foreign cultural influences.

This study investigates how Yemenis with humanitarian stay permits live and work in South Korean society. With the onset of the civil war in Yemen, Yemenis have sought refuge in Africa, Europe, and Asia to escape the conflict. In 2018, over 500 Yemenis arrived on Jeju Island, South Korea. Following assessments of their refugee claims, the majority obtained humanitarian stay permits and moved to the mainland to find the jobs that Koreans avoid. Through such work, they earn sufficient income to remit money to their families and save for marriage. Based on its Refugee Act and Employment Permit System (EPS), South Korea presents itself to the international community as a human rights–oriented nation. Domestic firms benefit from the EPS and the Refugee Act as these laws allow them to hire foreign workers at low wages. Yemenis receive greater, albeit precarious, freedom in terms of employment under the Refugee Act than under the EPS.

Mounir Arbach est l’un des rares épigraphistes de renom à s’être aventuré plusieurs fois dans la vallée du Jawf à quelque 180 km au nord-est de Sana’a, dans des conditions parfois difficiles. Il a ainsi au cours de ses nombreuses expéditions pu récolter des textes souvent inédits sur des blocs ou sur des pièces déposées ensuite au musée de Sana’a. Il publie aujourd’hui un beau volume, richement illustré de cartes et de photos de nombreuses inscriptions.Cet ouvrage reprend en partie celui que...