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Jordan

June 22, 2026

Amman 12:43 pm

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An old locomotive sits outside the Hejaz rail station in old Damascus on February 23, 2010. The Hejaz railway ran from Damascucs to Medina in Saudi Arabia and was part of the Ottoman railway network. AFP PHOTO/LOUAI BESHARA (Photo credit should read LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

Saudi Arabia, Turkey advance plans to revive historic Hejaz Railway

Turkish and Saudi officials signed agreements as part of a Turkish push to revive the Hejaz Railway linking Turkey to the Gulf through Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Morocco's midfielder Azzedine Ounahi celebrates scoring with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E African qualification football match between Morocco and Niger at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat on September 5, 2025. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP)

Culture

10 MENA teams at 2026 World Cup: Morocco eyes title, Iran faces visa hurdles

Jordan is competing in its first World Cup, while Iraq is making only its second appearance, as teams from the region seek to advance against European and Latin American powerhouses.

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Al-Monitor that despite security concerns and partial shut down of marine gas platforms, Israel continues to supply gas to Egypt, Jordan and Israeli consumers.

A trilateral meeting was held today in Jeddah, bringing together His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar to deepen security ties amid Iran war: What to know

Gulf states and Jordan are aligning more closely as Iranian attacks persist.

Latest News

Egypt closes stores early, Jordan bans AC as Iran war takes toll

Shops close early, on March 28, 2026, in Cairo, Egypt.

US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks

Uae

Iran takes aim at Jordan over role in US strikes: What to know

US soldiers participate in the annual military exercises known as "Eager Lion" near Maan, some 200 kilometers south of the capital Amman on May 17, 2017.

US court overturns Trump global tariffs: What it means for MENA

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Abeer Ayyoub

In Istanbul, reporting on Palestine

Hanna Davis

In Beirut, reporting on politics, migration, human rights

Lyse Mauvais

In Amman, reporting on humanitarian crises

Energy Minister Israel Katz (R) meets UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber in Abu Dhabi, Aug. 13, 2023.

Israel’s energy minister visits UAE, touts trilateral deal with Jordan

Senior officials in Israel, the UAE, Jordan and the United States hope to have the final agreements of the Prosperity Project signed at the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai this upcoming November.

Mideast heat

Culture

From Egypt to Iran, heatwave compounds Middle East electricity problems, climate change burdens

Countries like Iraq are particularly susceptible to climate change, as recurring blackouts make it harder to stay cool indoors.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's new Minister of National Security and leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, greets supporters during a visit to Mahane Yehuda market, Jerusalem, Dec. 30, 2022.

Jordan, Palestinians condemn visit by Israel’s Ben-Gvir to Temple Mount

After two largely-criticized visits since the beginning of the year to the site, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Temple Mount compound again, on the Jewish holy day of Tisha B’Av.

Jordanian parliament members are separated during an altercation in the parliament in the capital Amman on December 28, 2021. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Jordan’s LGBTQ community faces increased attacks, including from Islamists

Jordan’s LGBTQ community is increasingly under attack, leaving them with few options and spaces for safety.

A car drives past a road signal indicating the Allenby (King Hussein) bridge crossing point to Jordan.

Work on Israel-Saudi land bridge has begun, Israeli Foreign Ministry confirms

The project will facilitate the transfer of goods in trucks intially between the UAE, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Jordanian Foreign Minsiter Ayman Safadi (L) meets with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara on July 4, 2023.

In Turkey visit, Jordan's FM says Ankara, Amman on same page on Syrians

The foreign minister of Jordan, whose country hosted a series of mediation meetings between Damascus and other Arab capitals, traveled to Ankara after meeting with Assad in Syria.

KHALIL MAZRAAWI/afp/AFP via Getty Images

Jordan shoots down drone carrying drugs from Syria

The operation is the latest effort by Jordanian authorities to curb drug smuggling from neighboring Syria.

Passengers traveling from one of the countries on the "red list" are escorted through the arrivals area of terminal 5 of Heathrow airport and onto a waiting coach, on Feb. 16, 2021 in London, England.

UK introduces $13 online visas for GCC, Jordanian nationals

Gulf nationals previously paid £30 ($37.63) per visit to the UK, while Jordanians paid £100 ($125.42) for a visit visa.

Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein (R) and his wife, Saudi Rajwa al-Seif.

Culture

Jordan erupts in celebrations for Prince Hussein’s wedding to Saudi Rajwa Alseif

Prince Hussein, who is next in line to the throne, married a member of a prominent Saudi family in a ceremony which attracted VIPs and visitors from around the world.

Khalaf Abdul Rahman al-Romaithi was arrested by Jordanian authorities on May 7, 2023.

Jordan extradites dissident to UAE, alarming rights groups

The move outraged rights groups that expressed concerns about human rights violations Khalaf Abdul Rahman Humaid al-Rumaithi is likely to face upon his return to the UAE.

United Arab Emirates

A picture taken during a tour origanized by the Jordanian army shows soldiers patrolling along the border with Syria to prevent trafficking, Feb. 17, 2022.

Suspected Jordanian airstrike kills Syrian drug trafficker on border

The airstrike coming one day after Syria’s re-admission to the Arab League reportedly killed Marai al-Ramthan, a notorious drug dealer.

An Israeli security officer mans the control booth at the crossing point to Jordan (background), in the city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, on January 28, 2021. - The Allenby (King Hussein) bridge crossing is due to be closed in the evening as part of restrictions to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli court extends detention of Jordanian lawmaker

The decision of the Israeli court to extend the detention of Jordanian parliamentarian Imad al-Adwan could signal that the affair could take time to be resolved.