Interviews

Exclusive conversations with Al-Monitor.

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin arrives to attend a church service for former French President Jacques Chirac at the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris on September 30, 2019. - Former French President Jacques Chirac died on September 26, 2019 at the age of 86.

Former French PM says Trump has ‘immense opportunity’ in Mideast

Dominique de Villepin

Dominique de Villepin

Former French prime minister

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide holds a joint press conference with his Spanish and Irish counterparts at the the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union in Brussels on May 27, 2024.

Interview

Norway's FM: Our problem is not with Israelis but with Netanyahu's cabinet

In interview with Al-Monitor on the occasion of the Madrid conference for Palestinian statehood, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide says he is in "deep disagreement with the Netanyahu government."

Espen Barth Eide

Espen Barth Eide

Norwegian Foreign Minister

Police officers stand guard outside Libya's Central Bank headquarters in Tripoli on Aug. 27, 2024.

Interview

From Turkey, exiled Libyan Central Bank governor decries 'coup d'etat'

Governor Sadiq al-Kabir spoke exclusively to Al-Monitor after he and other senior officials at the Libyan Central Bank fled to Istanbul at the end of last month, as militias linked to Libya's internationally recognized government threatened them.

Sadiq al-Kabir

Sadiq al-Kabir

Governor of the Central Bank of Libya

A man walks out of Bank Station, in The City financial district, in central London, on June 12, 2024. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

Nomo Bank sees increasing appetite for Islamic investments, ETFs

Paul Szumilewicz, chief revenue officer at UK-based Nomo Bank, said there is a growing demand from the bank’s clients to invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — a pre-defined group of bonds, stocks or commodities poured into a fund and listed on the stock exchange.

Paul Szumilewicz

Paul Szumilewicz

Nomo Bank Chief Revenue Officer

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Aug. 9, 2024.

Interview

Harris replacing Biden on ticket gave Democrats expected bump from Arab Americans

Abed Ayoub, Arab American ADC grassroots leader, discusses why the Harris bump was expected, whether Jill Stein could be a spoiler in Michigan, why Tim Walz was a positive VP pick, and more.

Abed Ayoub

Abed Ayoub

National Executive Director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

The protest movement leader Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan participates during the rally demanding the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation over land transfer to neighboring Azerbaijan, outside the government building in central Yerevan on May 30, 2024.

Interview

Archbishop seeking Armenian PM’s ouster over concessions to Turkey, Azerbaijan down but not out

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Bagrat Galstanyan blasted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for capitulating to Azerbaijan and claims the premier was lying to the Armenian people as to his true plans.

Bagrat Galstanyan

Bagrat Galstanyan

Armenian Archbishop

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 15: Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib speaks to the media following talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on December 15, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The two diplomats discussed mutual measures to prevent the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict from expanding to other regions, among other issues. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Interview

Lebanon FM warns of 'devastating’ regional war if Israel escalates campaign against Hezbollah

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Lebanon's top diplomat, Abdallah Bou Habib, adds that security in the south ultimately depends on a strong Lebanese army and an agreement on the border – not war.

Abdallah Bou Habib

Abdallah Bou Habib

Lebanon Foreign Minister

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) listens to a speech by United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (R) during the inauguration of the newly built floating solar power plant on the water that can generate 192 mega watts of peak electricity in cooperation between the Indonesian government and Masdar from the UAE, at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, on November 9, 2023. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP) (Photo by BAY ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

G42-Microsoft partnership in Kenya 'just the beginning,' says UAE trade minister

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi discusses momentum in UAE trade with the US, the benefits of economic diversification and Africa’s priority in UAE trade policy.

Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade

NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana, chairs a session of North Atlantic Council (NAC) with Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sarajevo, on February 1, 2024. (Photo by Elvis BARUKCIC / AFP) (Photo by ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

NATO's deputy chief says Iran helping Russian 'threat to European security'

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana warned of Iran's destabilizing influence reaching as far as Venezuela and Cuba while also sounding the alarm on Wagner's widespread presence in Sahel.

Mircea Geoana

Mircea Geoana

NATO Deputy Secretary-General

Cindy McCain executive director of the UN World Food Program, is pictured at the UN Security Council in this undated image, in New York.

Interview

WFP’s McCain: 'No difference' in Gaza aid flow despite Israel’s tactical pause

Al-Monitor interviews World Food Program chief Cindy McCain about the hunger crisis gripping the Gaza Strip after more than eight months of war.

Cindy McCain

Cindy McCain

World Food Programme Executive Director

Omani energy minister

Interview

Oman to phase out polluting industries 'too difficult to decarbonize'

Omani Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim Al Aufi told Al-Monitor that if his government finds an industry too difficult or costly to decarbonize, there will be discussions taking place about phasing the sector out all together.

Salim Al Aufi

Salim Al Aufi

Oman Minister of Energy and Minerals

Axel Baroux

Interview

Saudi Expo 2030 to offer major opportunities for French businesses, says official

In November, the Saudi capital won the right to host the Expo 2030 world trade fair that is expected to attract around 40 million visitors and billions of dollars of inward investment.

Axel Baroux

Axel Baroux

French Trade and Invest Commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Juergen Schmidhuber in an undated photo. @SchmidhuberAI

Interview

AI pioneer Schmidhuber bets on Saudi Arabia for trillion-dollar breakthrough

Juergen Schmidhuber, a pioneering AI researcher told Al-Monitor that Gulf players have opportunities to take on traditional tech powerhouses in this high stakes AI race.

Juergen Schmidhuber

Juergen Schmidhuber

AI computer scientist

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