Syria courts Gulf investment with high-level Qatar visit amid $7B energy deal Led by the country’s top diplomat, Syria’s ministers of energy, finance and tourism held a series of meetings in Qatar on Tuesday. Syria
Lebanon's Aoun heads to UAE seeking economic support, reconstruction aid The Lebanese president's visit to the UAE visit marks a bid to rebuild ties and garner financial support for the country's postwar reconstruction efforts. Lebanon
UAE, Pakistan expand cooperation during crown prince's first visit: What we know Pakistan is looking to the UAE for economic help, with recent agreements focused on mining, ports and railways. United Arab Emirates
Interview Coworking offers lifeline to Gaza's tech entrepreneurs as war disrupts jobs The founder of Intersect Innovation Hub calls its coworking project “Palestinian tech resilience at its best.” Rateb Rabi Founder of Intersect Innovation Hub
Analysis Saudi Arabia to pursue two-track approach for Trump presidency By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
Price hikes alone won't fix Egypt's ailing rail system A deadly train wreck this week spurred calls for improvements to Egypt's poorly maintained railway system and renewed discussion about a delayed increase in ticket prices. Egypt
Umm al-Fahm: Where the streets have no name Israeli authorities are refusing to approve street names selected by the city of Umm al-Fahm to acknowledge and honor Palestinian figures and history. Palestine
Cairo removes Ottoman name amid Egypt-Turkey strife As tensions escalate between Egypt and Turkey, Cairo governorate has decided to rename Selim I street, named for the "grim" Ottoman sultan who conquered Egypt. Egypt
Securing Sinai airport comes at cost to locals President Sisi’s announcement to build a large safe zone around the El-Arish Airport in order for it to resume operations raised the ire of Sinai residents whose houses and lands would be destroyed in the process. Egypt
More skyscrapers pop up along Israeli skyline Israeli urban designers differ on whether condominium towers are the solution for land shortage or they create new problems, such as disconnect with street life. Israel
Local official's insult to Upper Egypt spurs development plans A comment by Local Development Minister Abu Bakr al-Gendy concerning citizens of the Upper Egypt governorates has shone a light on the area's extreme poverty and highlighted the need to pursue economic development. Egypt
Questions persist as Canal Istanbul construction begins We have to hope Ankara has developed contingency plans for the potential political, economic, environmental and especially geostrategic consequences of the Canal Istanbul project. Turkey
Israel seeks to revive long abandoned railway to Gulf Israel is currently discussing a project to reopen the old Hejaz railway to connect it with Saudi Arabia, though many Egyptians are concerned about its impact on trade through the Suez Canal. Egypt
Will Tehran be able to withstand 'long overdue' quake? The recent earthquake in western Iran renews talk of how prepared Tehran is for a big quake, which experts say is long overdue. Iran
Will Egypt issue a unified public transportation card? A study is underway, headed by South Korean firms, to assess the Alexandria and Cairo transportation networks in anticipation of the release of a unified public transportation card. Egypt
Iraqis fear earthquakes, terrorism could lead to dam catastrophe Although the recent earthquakes did not cause serious damage to Iraq’s dams, specialists are calling for continuous maintenance to ensure they are not demolished in the future, leading to a disaster in Iraq. Iraq
Egypt unable to find agreement in Renaissance Dam talks After Egypt declared the technical negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan regarding the Renaissance Dam as failed, it is now pursuing political and other means to address the crisis instead. Egypt
