Analysis Water for influence: Turkey moves to ease Iraq's water shortages ahead of elections Turkey took the step in a bid to ensure that relations with Iraq's current and future leaderships remain manageable after the vote. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Jordan’s water security caught between $5B megaproject, frayed Israel ties Amman's efforts to tackle acute water challenges have delivered breakthroughs in 2025, while progress toward the end of the Gaza war could see revived interest in Israel-Jordan water ties. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Drought-stricken Iraq sends delegation to Turkey to discuss water cooperation Turkey recently agreed to release more water to Iraq amid the drought in the country, indicating improving coordination on resource management after years of tensions over Turkish dams. Iraq
RSF hits Darfur hospital as cholera, dengue fever spread in war-torn Sudan A Sudanese medical organization said a dozen people were killed after the RSF shelled one of the last operating hospitals in El Fasher, as Sudan’s collapsing health system battles cholera and dengue fever. Sudan
Iran threatens 'pressure' on Taliban amid deepening water row The warning marked the most serious episode in Iran-Taliban ties since the extremist group's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Iran
In water-starved Middle East, large ChatGPT data centers are a threat The UAE announced its record-breaking green data center in February of this year. The Moro Hub, created by the digital arm of DEWA, became the largest solar-powered data center, according to Guinness World Records. Legacy: Gulf
Oman activates first floating desalination plant The mobile desalination plants are meant to service 70 seaport villages and are the first of their kind in the Arab world. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt, Sudan hold joint military drills as Nile dispute with Ethiopia drags on The naval drills come at a time of heightened tensions with Ethiopia as Addis Ababa works toward completing the filling of its controversial Nile dam without reaching an agreement with its downstream neighbors. Egypt
Turkey, Iraq laud cooperation, but major disagreements remain Sudani on his first visit to Ankara, stressed the importance of Iraq’s sovereignty in the two countries' fight against terrorism. Turkey
Egypt presses on with mega water projects despite burden on state coffers As water scarcity threatens Egypt’s food and national security, the state is moving forward with megaprojects to secure alternative water sources. Egypt
State Department's Barbara Leaf arrives in Middle East for 10-day visit Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf will make stops in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia. By Al-Monitor Staff
Iraq's PM in UAE as Abu Dhabi announces water project in Sinjar Iraq is pivoting towards the Gulf in its foreign policy while also seeking to maintain good ties with Iran. Iraq
Negev Forum convenes in UAE with Jordan absent from Arab-Israeli meeting Senior officials from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the United States and Israel have convened in Abu Dhabi for the third Negev Forum steering committee meeting. Israel
Water crisis worsens in Syria's Idlib as support dries up The "Goal" organization, which has been active in Syria since 2012, has stopped pumping water in villages and towns as support for it ends Syria
Egypt’s trade with Nile Basin countries jumps amid Ethiopia dam crisis Cairo’s exports and imports with the region increased substantially in 2021, but they still represent a small portion of the total and growth remains uneven. Egypt
Egypt embarks on new plans to develop river transport on Nile River Cairo has recently passed legal reforms to reorganize the river sector, which still remains marginal, in hopes this will catalyze much-needed private investments Egypt
