Souq level of municipal administration. The Muhtasib was responsible for supervising business practices and collecting taxes for a given souq while the Arif are the overseers for a specific trade. Shopping at a souq or market place is part of daily life throughout much of the Middle East. Prices are commonly set by bargaining, also known as haggling, between buyers and sellers. In the 18th and 19th centuries, as Europeans began to conquer parts of North Africa and the Levant, an interest in Middle Eastern culture and architecture began to flourish. This interest spawned a genre of literary works and paintings
MBC 1 (Middle East and North Africa) MBC 1 (Middle East and North Africa) MBC 1 is a free-to-air, pan-Arab general television channel. Satellite transmission started from London in September 1991, making MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) the first independent Arabic satellite TV station, with an estimated audience of more than 130 million Arab people around the world. MBC has recently moved its headquarters to Dubai Media City, bringing the production process closer to its Arab viewers. MBC1 previously used to air cartoons, western movies and programs before launching MBC 2, MBC 3, and MBC 4. One of its most popular, widely known and controversial shows, and