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Jordan

June 10, 2026

Amman 9:28 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

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan (L), Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (R) arrive for a regional meeting on Syria, in Amman on May 1, 2023. - Arab foreign ministers will gather in Jordan on May 1, to discuss Syria's long-running conflict and ending Damascus's diplomatic isolation in the region, the foreign ministry in Amman said. (Photo by Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP) (Photo by KHALIL MAZRAAWI/afp/AFP v

Jordan hosts meeting to facilitate Syria’s return to Arab League

Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq are meeting in Jordan as Syria’s political reintegration into the Arab world accelerates.

KHALIL MAZRAAWI/afp/AFP via Getty Images

Israel arrests Jordanian MP accused of smuggling weapons to West Bank

Jordanian parliamentarian Imad al-Adwan was arrested by Israeli police at the Alenby Bridge crossing point on Saturday on suspicion of smuggling weapons and gold into the West Bank, Jordanian news outlets reported.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Abdullah II of Jordan on April, 19, 2023

Analysis

Jordan's king visits Saudi, UAE with Syria normalization topping agenda

Jordan’s King Abdullah II traveled to meet Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed this week as discussions about bringing Syria back to the Arab League continue.

By Salim A. Essaid

This picture shows a view of the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, near the Jordanian city of Mafraq.

Jordan proposes Syria peace plan during Arab FM Saudi meeting

The plan includes steps to tackle the refugee crisis and smuggling across borders.

Worshippers visit the tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem on March 19, 2023 following an attack by Israelis. - The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem condemned the "heinous" attack that took place during Sunday mass at the Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP) (Photo by HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)

Jordan, Israel spar over access to Christian holy sites in Jerusalem

Israel blames Jordan for escalating tensions on Temple Mount, while Jordan accuses Israel of restricting Christians from Jerusalem's Holy Sepulcher Church.

Here are the biggest Middle East disclosures in the leaked intel docs

Turkey, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are among the Middle East countries named in a major leak of classified US intelligence documents.

JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

2023 Mideast happiness rankings: UAE, Israel happiest as Lebanon hits bottom

The Middle East and North Africa region remains the least happy region after sub-Saharan Africa globally, but several regional nations have become happier in comparison to the previous period.

Vehicles drive in Amman on February 22, 2023. (Photo by Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP) (Photo by KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Jordan economic rating shows upswing, but problems remain

Jordanians in the private sector are praising their government's ambitious economic strategies, but still see systemic inefficiencies as a barrier to making them a reality.

By Salim A. Essaid

Amphetamine

Saudi Arabia seizes 4.6 million amphetamine pills in bathroom shipment

A Jordanian national was apprehended in Jeddah while receiving the amphetamine shipment hidden in ceramic toilets, sinks and washbasins.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Freedom House

MidEast freedom rankings: Syria worst, Tunisia in decline, says Freedom House

Syria remains to be the least and Israel the best performing country when it comes civil and political freedoms while the biggest one-year decline has been observed in Tunisia.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Breaking | Last Updated: March 2, 2023, 2:44 pm

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin to visit Israel, Jordan, Egypt

The Pentagon chief's second tour of the Middle East comes as diplomatic efforts to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal appear to have run out of gas.

Officers of the Directorate of Narcotics Control of the Interior Ministry sort through tablets of Captagon seized during a special operation and presented before AFP afterward, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 1, 2022.

UAE busts 4.5 million Captagon pills in food cans after smuggler arrest

Amphetamine fenethylline, known by its brand name Captagon, has increasingly become the drug of choice among youth in Gulf Arab states.

United Arab Emirates