DUBAI: Moving beyond the usual “Middle East vs. West” frameworks, research at Singapore’s top university examines Arabia–Asia connections, shedding new light on centuries of trade, political and cultural ties that were long obscured by European colonialism. It all began with an endowment from Muhammad Alagil, a Saudi philanthropist and chairman of Jarir Group — one of the Kingdom’s leading retailers. Located at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, the Muhammad Alagil Chair in Arabia–Asia Studies was established in 2014 to promote research on the contemporary and historical links between the two regions.

Arab News, 8 December 2025