Artistic heart of Iraq's Kurdistan thrives, but wants more public engagement Sulaimaniyah, often called the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s “culture capital,” has become something of a haven for artists, though obstacles remain for the vibrant and self-sustaining artistic center they envision. Iraq
Libyan artists turn to black comedy to show youth exploitation A play dubbed “Chocolate Egg” uses black comedy to show the exploitation of young Libyans by officials to lure them into military formations. North Africa
Saudi 2030 to expand art scene in Jeddah, Riyadh With Saudi Arabia’s new social reform plan the local art scene is blooming with a plethora of cultural initiatives. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza's first female beekeeper expands apiary The enclave's first female beekeeper speaks about the challenges facing Gaza's beekeeping profession. Palestine
Palestinians struggle to preserve memories in younger generation As memories and stories fade with the survivors of the Nakba, so does the personal connection held by descendants of Palestinian refugees. Palestine
Egypt's women move onto soccer field As Egypt prepares to participate in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, more women move to the soccer field, both as referees and fans. Egypt
Gaza's schoolchildren get first taste of interactive learning A publishing company in the West Bank is introducing e-books and interactive learning to primary school students, which despite the power outages has been a success so far. Palestine
Egypt's new law to prevent harassment of tourists gets mixed reaction In an effort to curb aggressive vendors and beggars, Egypt imposed heavy fines on those who harass tourists, but could it work on the ground? Egypt
Tunisia's military votes for first time in 62 years Tunisian military and security personnel voted in Tunisia's first local elections since the 2011 revolution, but some are worried that this could lead to the military becoming too political. Tunisia
Where have those displaced from Syria's Douma gone? A new refugee camp was established on the outskirts of al-Bel village to accommodate opposition fighters from Jaish al-Islam, as well as their family members and other civilians, who fled Douma. Syria
Sinai Trail leads to new tourism experience in Egypt To boost tourism, eight South Sinai tribes have joined together to create a long-distance hiking trail that crosses South Sinai. Egypt
Ancient city of Mardin gets big dose of contemporary art Contemporary artworks at the 4th Mardin Biennial pay homage to the heritage of Mardin, a multicultural city with a strong Assyrian, Arabic and Armenian past. Turkey
Is Lebanon's new recycling project a bunch of garbage? Beirut authorities want to go green to deal with their municipality's ongoing garbage disposal problems, but mismanagement and cross-purposes are hampering the effort before it even gets off the ground. Lebanon
Iraqi calligraphers try to revive their art Iraq's recently liberated Anbar province hosted an Islamic calligraphy festival to return the craft to the cultural and artistic forefront. Iraq
Headscarves still rare sight in Egypt's Foreign Ministry Although a majority of Egyptian women wear the hijab, female applicants for staff positions at the Foreign Ministry feel chances are very slim for those who turn up for the qualification exams wearing the veil. Egypt
Egypt targets ‘fake weather’ amid flurry of false forecasts Given the multiple sources issuing weather reports and the confusion they cause among citizens, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority has drafted a bill punishing unauthorized weather forecasts. Egypt
