Turkey: $30M credit card scam hits tourists in coastal resort, 20 arrested The alleged ringleader, a hotel owner identified as "H.O.," stole the money by sharing credit card details of tourists checking into the property. Turkey
Mideast airlines to deliver industry’s highest profit margins in 2025 The region's airlines are forecast to hit a profit margin of 8.7% in 2025, slightly lower than last year's figure of 8.9% but the highest in the industry. Saudi Arabia
Saudi airline to resume Hajj flights to Iran after 10-year hiatus: What to know A Saudi-operated flight landed in Tehran last weekend as Iran and Saudi Arabia seek to expand their air connectivity. Iran
Citing lack of security, UAE billionaire abandons Lebanon investments Emirati businessman had previously said he received threats leading to the cancellation of a planned TV channel launch in Lebanon in 2024 Lebanon
Sri Lanka arrests 3 men in plot to attack Israeli-run Jewish center: What we know By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Israel tightens ties with Uzbekistan The recently signed agreement over Uzbeki nursing staff traveling to Israel only highlights the rapid growth in economic, diplomatic and cultural relations between the two countries. Israel
West Bank hosts first digital tourism hackathon For the first time, Palestinians hold a digital tourism hackathon to develop innovative solutions to the problems facing the tourism industry. Palestine
Life returns to shores of northern Sinai Peninsula The northern Sinai governorate has opened the beach in Sheikh Zuweid for residents to vacation and picnic for the first time in more than eight years after terrorist operations and the army’s military response to them. Egypt
Will Tunisia, Algeria relations recover through land border reopening? Several issues, including gas and the dispute over the Western Sahara, continue to linger over the tense Algerian-Tunisian relations, despite the reopening of the land borders between the two countries. North Africa
Egyptian tourists unwelcome in south Sinai as Israelis visit in droves Israeli tourists are flocking to south Sinai while Egyptians are being forced to turn back, in violation of the law and the constitution. Egypt
Israel, US sign agreement to facilitate visa waiver program Israeli and American representatives have signed an information-sharing agreement needed for Israel to join the US Visa Waiver program, but the hurdle of Knesset approval remains. Israel
Egypt to turn ancient government building into hotel The Egyptian government is implementing a project to repurpose one of the oldest and most famous buildings in downtown Cairo into a mixed-use development building to achieve profits and boost tourism. Egypt
YouTube influencers discover Iraq The most famous content producers on YouTube, including artists, media professionals, and other prominent social media figures, recently visited Iraq. Iraq
Tourism to Dubai up nearly 200% this year The Expo 2020 Dubai provided a big boost as the Emirati city continues to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt looks for upsurge in tourists from sanctions-hit Russia Cairo and Moscow are holding talks to allow the Russian payment system MIR in Red Sea resorts. Egypt
Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism. Israel
Egypt uses augmented reality to promote medical tourism Egypt’s General Authority for Health Care announced the use of metaverse technology to promote its medical tourism project as the country’s tourism sector is trying to compensate for the losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic, and most recently the Russian war on Ukraine. Egypt
