Raisi: Iran 'never has hope' in Vienna talks Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has struck a pessimistic tone commenting on the nuclear talks between Iran and world powers. Iran
Iraq receives 145% more foreign visitors in 2021 Iraq waived the visa requirements for citizens of many economically powerful countries last year in a bid to attract tourists and businesspeople. News Brief
Saudi Arabia building support for Expo 2030 bid The kingdom wants to host the international cultural forum, which is currently being held in Dubai. News Brief
Saudi IT industry to work with German software firm SAP on cloud technology The memorandum of understanding is the latest to come out of the LEAP technology forum in Riyadh, and reflects the kingdom’s diversification efforts. News Brief
Saudi Arabia to invest billions in metaverse, blockchain technology The kingdom, which is seeking to reduce its dependence on oil, made the announcement at the futuristic LEAP technology forum in Riyadh. News Brief
Qatar agrees with Taliban on resuming Afghanistan evacuations Qatar was bestowed the status of major non-NATO US ally by President Joe Biden yesterday. Qatar
Iranian supreme leader’s aide suggests pursuing 90% enrichment In a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, the hard-line former chief negotiator reportedly proposed ramping up enrichment to 90%. Iran
Gulf Air adds more London flights for Bahrain Grand Prix A record number of people attended Bahrain’s premier Formula One motor racing event in 2019, but attendance dropped dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic amid restrictions. News Brief
UAE intercepts Houthi ballistic missile as Israeli president visits The Houthis are warning of additional attacks after the third attempted strike on Dubai and Abu Dhabi this month. United Arab Emirates
Bahrain cracks down on restaurants that allegedly violated virus rules Bahrain is experiencing historic highs in COVID-19 cases, though hospitalizations and deaths remain low. News Brief
Iran urged to release rights defender Narges Mohmmadi Narges Mohmmadi was sentenced to eight years in prison following a five-minute trial. Iran
More Russians visiting Dubai The number of tourists from Russia who vacationed in the United Arab Emirates’ largest city rose significantly in 2021. News Brief
Ex-UN officials, rights experts urge probe of Iran's 1988 mass killings More than 450 people signed an open letter calling for the UN human rights office to investigate the Iranian president's involvement in the1988 massacre, which Ebrahim Raisi denies. Iran
US warns against travel to UAE over drone, missile threats The State Department updated its travel advisory following recent attacks on the United Arab Emirates carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels. United Arab Emirates
Jordanian forces shoot alleged drug smugglers on snowy border with Syria There has been a series of large drug busts in the Middle East recently. Jordan
Iran state broadcaster hacked with images of dissident group The faces of Mujahedin-e-Khalq leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi briefly disrupted state TV programming. Iran
