Loughrey in Dubai

This from the MENA Financial News, not known for the subtlety of their reporting. If there is any distinction between "wrote for," "influenced," and "is key for understanding," it utterly eludes them. But isn't it nice to be able to claim kinship with Shakespeare, or even to be part of the "human" he invented? Especially if it will help advance the economy.

Shakespeare key to understanding the Gulf region, says expert

Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare is a major influence on the Arab World, a leading academic will demonstrate in a public lecture.

Professor Bryan Loughery, a special guest of The British University in Dubai, will be discussing 'Arabesque: Shakespeare in Arabia'. Loughery has set himself the ambitious task of explaining how a country boy from Stratford-Upon-Avon authored works for the entire world, including the United Arab Emirates.'It's a tale of trade, empire and globalization, linking the Yemen, the Great Mughal, Arabic versions of the Bard, and performances of Twelfth Night in Doha,' said Loughery.

'Shakespeare is unique in that his work appears to influence and rise above the needs of particular eras, cultures and languages', he added.

Dr. Loughery, Director of Oakleigh International management consultants, first proposed some of these ideas to the most recent World Shakespeare Congress. He is keen to discuss the Bard's relevance to the GCC region, bringing a novel and subtle theme to the development of a knowledge economy in the United Arab Emirates.

A bit more here.