Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, along with the Arab League chief, had planned a trip to the Palestinian territory, but Israel said Friday that it would not cooperate.

Arab leaders meeting Saturday at a summit in Baghdad urged the international community to press for a Gaza ceasefire, as Israel launched an expanded military offensive in the Palestinian territory.

Muscat, Oman -- Travel and tourism sector's contribution to the Gulf's GDP by the end of 2024 reached approximately 11.4 percent, with a value of $247.1 billion. The latest data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) indicated that the growth rate...

Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt will host a summit of Arab nations on February 27 to discuss "the latest serious developments" concerning the Palestinian territories, its foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.The "emergency Arab summit" comes as Egypt has been rallying regional support against US President Donald Trump's plan to...

While developing countries paid a record US$1.4 trillion to service debts, the non-oil sectors in the GCC countries are fueling growth and diversification,

The summit's closing statement said that "a just and comprehensive peace in the region... cannot be achieved without ending the Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab territories to the line of June 4, 1967," referring to the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem as well as Gaza and the Golan...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Arab and Muslim leaders have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for a summit scheduled for Monday that will focus on Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Saudi state media said.The Saudi foreign ministry announced the summit in late October during the first meeting of an "international alliance"...

In a unique campaign twist, Trump captured Muslim voters by pledging diplomacy, promising to end prolonged conflicts and promote stability, despite his controversial past record in the Middle East region.

Lebanon says four people were killed including a child in the latest Israeli strikes as Tehran says the United States will bear "full responsibility" if Israel attacks Iran.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia’s trade with China and India far exceeds their trade with the US and UK. This shift highlights the growing importance of BRICS partners in the Arab economic strategy, signaling a rebalancing of trade priorities to ensure sustainable growth, economic resilience, and diversified global partnerships.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral ties and Middle East. Sheikh Mohamed will also attend BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

As Israel continues to pound Gaza, Lebanon, and West Bank, Turkey's Erdogan conveys his condolences to Hamas officials over Sinwar's death and in a rare gesture Lebanon's caretaker PM Mikati rebukes Iran.

While Israel continues to attack Gaza and Lebanon, the situation is "very scary" in Gaza Strip according to a Red Cross official. Also, Lebanese government says it got assurances that Israel will not attack Beirut international airport.

Israel has intensified its attacks against Lebanon striking emergency services and professionals - a possible war crime. Several hospitals in Lebanon shut down after severe damage from violent Israeli attacks.

Iranian leadership vows strong retaliation if Israel attacks Iran as Hezbollah kills eight Israeli soldiers and destroys 3 tanks while Israel banned UN chief Antonio Guterres from entering Israel. Also, 90 people were killed in Gaza and dozens injured in fresh Israeli attacks.

Saudi Arabia anticipates a budget deficit of 2.3 percent of GDP in 2025. Estimates put total government revenues for 2025 at approximately US$320 billion, which would create a deficit of US$27bn.

While Israeli defense minister indicates imminent ground invasion of Lebanon speaking to his country's troops, Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses Iranian people through a video saying that change will "come a lot sooner than people think"

Israeli fighter jets pounded parts of Lebanon and a drone attacked a Sunni neighborhood in central Beirut killing dozens across Lebanon and injuring more than 500 people. Saudi Arabia expresses "great concern".

Israel has been planning for months to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in south Beirut. Reports say Israeli PM approved the killing from his New York hotel while he was visiting UN annual meetings.

The World Food Program says it had launched an emergency operation to provide meals for one million people affected by the escalating conflict in Lebanon, calling on the international community to mobilize US$105 million to fund the operation.

Israel's army chief told troops on Wednesday to be prepared for possible entry into Lebanon as Israeli fighter jets bombarded targets in north, east and south of Lebanon. More than 90,000 people are displaced within Lebanon, says United Nations.

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said the death toll in Israeli strikes Monday rose to 492, including 35 children, the bloodiest daily toll in nearly a year of cross-border clashes.

Lebanon's health ministry said more than 700 were injured on Monday in the worst toll by far in nearly a year of cross-border clashes with Israel, while Iran warned Israel of "dangerous consequences". The United Nations has also expressed concerns about Israeli escalation against Lebanon.

Iranian authorities have announced the arrest of 12 people accused of "collaborating" with the country's arch-foe Israel, local media reported on Sunday. Meanwhile, Iran has enhanced efforts to build relations with its Arab neighbors by holding talks with Arab leaders at the United Nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel has dealt serious blows to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, as rapidly escalating cross-border exchanges raised fears of an all-out war. Netanyahu's remarks follow a night of intense rocket fire at northern Israel that had sent hundreds of thousands of people to...

Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks this week, killing 37 people and wounding more than 2,900. The blasts spanning two days have dealt a major blow to the Iran-backed resistance group

Experts from the United Nations have warned that Israel might become a pariah state, and its UN membership is under question as Tel Aviv continues to commit genocide in Gaza killing more than 40,000 people since October 7, 2023. Experts also reprimanded the Western countries for double standards on Netanyahu’s...

Palestinian medics said an air strike targeting a car in the occupied West Bank killed five people on Thursday, while the Israeli military reported it hit "an armed terrorist cell". "Five killed and (one) seriously wounded in a strike (on) a car in Tubas," the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

Pakistan's IT sector is thriving, with growing exports and recognition as a tech hub, driven by government support, skilled talent, and strategic GCC collaborations.

Paris, France -- The UN has published a draft on climate financing due to be presented at the COP29 in November, laying out the conflicting positions from which the main country blocs will try to clinch the next climate deal.The document, which AFP consulted Friday, is the basis for negotiating an...

With tensions soaring in the Middle East, the United States says that Iran along with its proxies might attack Israel as early as this week. The world leaders are trying to persuade Iran and Israel to avoid war, but Iran says it has a right to defend itself just like...

Kuwait: -- The oil and gas sector in Arab countries attracted 610 projects implemented by 356 foreign and Arab companies, with a total investment cost of US$ 406 billion between January 2003 and May 2024.The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) stated in its first sectoral report on...

Hammoud sidesteps the question of whether he could ultimately endorse Biden under the right circumstances, emphasizing that whatever he might say, it's too late for some of his constituents who have lost dozens of relatives to Israeli bombs.

The Arab countries are experiencing a significant surge in the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly favoring premium models, says Rene Koneberg, MD Audi Middle East.

The United States was among the first to cut ties with Assad over the repression of anti-government protests that sparked war in 2011, and many Western and Arab states also severed relations.

Hours after the strike on Arab al-Aramshe, an Arab-majority village in northern Israel near the border, Israeli forces hit targets in eastern Lebanon, a Hizbollah source told AFP. According to the source, the strikes targeted a warehouse in Iaat, a residential area near Baalbek, and "lightly" wounded one man.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The prestigious Red Sea Fund has thrown open its doors to filmmakers across Arab and African origins, inviting submissions for its Production Cycle. With the launch of Cycle 2 for the year 2024, the Fund is geared up to support feature-length narrative, documentary, and animation projects.From...

"We have to think seriously about doing it this semester," Sanchez told a group of Spanish journalists accompanying him on a tour of three Middle East countries Sanchez had said on March 9 he would propose that parliament vote in favor of this recognition by the end of the current...

In power for the past decade, Sisi is set to remain president until 2030, after winning a December election with 89.6 percent of the vote against three relative unknowns. The six-year term is set to be the 69-year-old's last, unless he again ushers through a constitutional amendment prolonging his tenure.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said this week there were reasonable grounds to believe Israel was "committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinians as a group in Gaza". She said she had received "nothing that so far I have considered...

Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared as "state lands" the area in the northern Jordan Valley. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said the size of the seized area is the largest since 1993's Oslo Accords, and that "2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land".

CAIRO, EGYPT – A major fire here destroyed one of the Arab world's most prestigious and oldest film production houses, founded 80 years ago, an AFP journalist said.Flames overtook the Al-Ahram Studio in Cairo's Giza district, burning everything inside and spreading to three surrounding buildings which were evacuated before the blaze...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said in a press release it issued on Sunday that it has adopted the chain-linking methodology to calculate the real GDP in the country.The Q4 2023 results and the annual results for the same year have been reached at by...

AMMAN, JORDAN – Data released by the Amman Stock Exchange reveals that non-Jordanian investors bought shares worth US$12.5 million (JD8.9 million) in February 2024, accounting for 8.7 percent of the month's total trading volume. Conversely, these investors offloaded shares valued at US$44.7 million (31.7 million dinars) during the same timeframe....

The administrative step forward comes after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last month vowed to expand settlements, in response to Palestinian gunmen killing an Israeli civilian and wounding several others in the West Bank.

Israel routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks, arguing that such measures act as a deterrent, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment.

Global condemnation flowed after Israeli forces in war-ravaged Gaza opened fire as Palestinian civilians scrambled for food aid during a chaotic incident which the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said killed over 100 people. The Israeli military said a "stampede" occurred when thousands of desperate Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38...

Though Biden handily won the vote, the uncommitted ballots, representing 13 percent of votes cast Tuesday, sent a "clear and resounding message that we demand a permanent ceasefire now," Layla Elabed, an organizer of the Listen to Michigan campaign, told a press conference.

Tunis, Tunisia--Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday stressed the need to reach an approach that contributes to enhancing the security of Arab societies, according to a statement released by the Tunisian presidency.While hosting participants of the 41st session of the Arab Interior Ministers Council launched in Tunis on Monday, Saied...

The International Court of Justice entered its last day of week-long hearings after a request from the UN, with an unprecedented 52 countries giving their views on Israel's occupation. The 22 Arab-country bloc's representative, Abdel Hakim El-Rifai, told judges in The Hague that "the failure to bring it to an...