Over 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in what is referred to by Palestinians as the "Nakba" (catastrophe in Arabic). Around 180,000 fled to Gaza, with the rest scattered across the West Bank and neighboring Arab countries, specifically Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Manama, Bahrain - In a convenience store in Bahrain, 14-year-old Jana Abdullah carries a tablet as she shops, checking a list of Western brands to avoid as Israel pounds Gaza in its campaign to destroy Hamas. Jana and her 10-year-old brother, Ali, used to eat at McDonald's nearly daily but they...

Leading Arab opposition to Israel's planned invasion of the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia has denounced "any ground operations" due to the threat posed to Palestinian civilians. The kingdom's foreign ministry cautioned against the danger of continuing to "carry out these blatant and unjustified violations of international law against the brotherly...

In the latest violence, four Palestinians were killed in Jenin and one in Qalqilya, both in the northern West Bank. One Palestinian was also killed in Qalandia, just north of Jerusalem. The health ministry blamed Israeli "bullets and missiles".

Antonio Guterres addressed a Cairo summit and pleaded for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the war between Israel and Hamas fighters that has caused devastation in much of Gaza. He said the Palestinian enclave of 2.4 million people was living through a humanitarian catastrophe with thousands dead and more than a...

Abir Bakr, a lawyer for Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh who was arrested briefly four days ago, told AFP her client "went to the police station to file a complaint after she received hundreds of messages in both English and Arabic threatening her and her family with death".

Frankfurt, Germany - The postponement of a Palestinian author's award ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair due to the Israel-Hamas conflict triggered condemnation Monday from high-profile authors, while several Arab publishing groups withdrew. The annual fair is the world's biggest publishing trade event, bringing together thousands of book industry players and...

At least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank during rallies in solidarity with war-battered Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said. AFP correspondents and a security official reported clashes in Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron and other cities, nearly a week after Hamas attacked southern Israel.

"No to the occupation! No to America!" chanted demonstrators gathered in central Baghdad after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a protest "in support of Gaza" and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.

Beirut, Lebanon -- In mosques, football stadiums and towns across the Arab world, pro-Palestinian sentiment has surged after a shock Hamas attack on Israel, sparking a groundswell of solidarity for the Palestinians. From Ramallah to Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo, people have distributed sweets, danced and chanted prayers in support...

Tulkarem, Palestinian Territories - Israeli forces killed two Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the Israeli army confirmed its soldiers had been engaged in a shootout. The army also said five Israeli police officers were wounded by an explosive device in a...

The Biden administration made the decision after Israel in July promised a series of steps to comply with longstanding US demands to treat all US passport holders equally -- without discriminating against Americans who are of Palestinian or other Arab heritage or who are Muslim. Visa-free travel marks "a critical...

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief, has ruled for nearly a decade in the Arab world's most populous country, which is now mired in a deep economic crisis. Experts had predicted Sisi would move forward the 2024 election, ahead of a possible switch to a flexible exchange rate...

Yinchuan, China--The sixth China-Arab States Expo commenced today in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, marking yet another chapter in the ever-expanding economic and trade nexus between China and its Arab counterparts. Spanning a sprawling 40,000 square meters, the Expo boasts an offline exhibition arena with participation from over...

Netanyahu, who has repeatedly used the UN stage to issue dark warnings about Tehran, briefly gave pause at the General Assembly when he appeared to threaten nuclear attack if Tehran pursues its own atomic bomb. "Above all -- above all -- Iran must face a credible nuclear threat. As long...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai has maintained its ranking among the top five global maritime centres on the 2023 International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index for the fourth consecutive year. The city also earned the top rank for sea freight and logistics services in the Arab world, as per the latest...

Beijing, China -- A total of 34 deals worth approximately AED1.73 billion ($471 million) were signed at the conference on high-quality modern agricultural cooperation, one of the activities of the 6th China-Arab States Expo (Expo), held in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Friday. As...

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said "ties between the two countries were improving". After more than a decade of tensions, relations have improved with recent high-level visits, including that of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ankara last year.

Doha, Qatar - The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) revealed the lists of nine works that would be included in the 9th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel. This includes published novels, unpublished novels, young adult unpublished novels and unpublished critical studies, with a total reaching 36 novels and critical studies, Qatar...

BEIRUT, LEBANON – The secretary general of the Union of Arab Chambers has called for diversified business models to facilitate the growing economic ties between Arab countries and China. In an interview ahead of the sixth China-Arab States Expo, which is scheduled to take place from September 21 to 24...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The Arab Monetary Fund said Wednesday that global credit card fraud losses incurred by financial institutions and individuals reached around US$32.3 billion in 2021. The losses increased substantially by 13.8 percent compared to the previous year, WAM reported. The Fund released a study titled "The Role...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA:   The supervisor of the Kingdom's first social network Jaco - Saudi entrepreneur Fahd Al-Shidi announced that the team is working to reach five million users soon. He added that Jaco's attraction of over one million users in the coming two months from other networks, including well-known names,...

Cairo, Egypt-- Vowing to expand their relations to cultural, educational, environmental, and energy fields, Arab states and Japan have expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between the two. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, participated in the third session of the Arab-Japan Political Dialogue...

Cairo, Egypt -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called Tuesday for measures to slow the birthrate in the Arab world's most populous country, citing China's one-child  policy as an example. "We need 400,000 births per year," said the leader of the country of 105 million inhabitants which recorded nearly 2.2 million...

The growth may increase to 4% in 2024. Arab Monetary Fund Director-General Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah Al Humaidi stressed on the need for Arab governments to accelerate their efforts to achieve digital transformation and shift towards a knowledge-based economy.

Kuwait City, Kuwait -- The Arab Monetary Fund has said that the market capital in Arab bourses reached US$4.5 trillion at the end of last week's trade, climbing by 1.2 percent.The fund's weekly report said the market capital of BouKuwait amounted to US$137.5 billion, that of the Abu Dhabi stock...

Cairo, Egypt-- Arab Parliament on Monday endorsed the call for victims of terrorism in the Arab world to be supported "financially and economically" to overcome tragedies. The parliament said that those affected by the evil claws of terrorism in the Arab world must be supported to overcome their tragedies. The...

Dubai, UAE -- The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) recorded a surge of 8 percent in Brazilian exports to the Arab world during the first seven months of 2023, totaling to $10.61 billion, compared to $9.825 billion in the same period in 2022. Brazilian exports to the the kingdom...

RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Two Israeli civilians were killed in a suspected shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, the army said. "A suspected shooting attack was carried out at a number of Israeli civilians in the area of the town of Huwara," an army statement said, adding that two...

Tens of thousands of Israel's Arab minority fear they will bear the brunt of the government's judicial overhaul. The community has remained mostly on the margins of a raging debate over the sweeping changes as many Israelis have rallied weekly against the reform package. Arab citizens of Israel make up...

Saudi Arabia, which has pioneered the development of smart cities in the region, plans to establish more than 200 smart cities.

Al-Sudairi, the current ambassador to Jordan, will also serve as consul general in Jerusalem, a new position announced amid speculation about possible future ties with Israel. The file for the Palestinian Territories has traditionally been handled by Saudi Arabia's embassy in Amman.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its forces regularly make incursions into Palestinian communities.

In a collaborative bid to address the migrant crisis, Tunisia and Libya have announced a shared responsibility for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border. These migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been left in the desert area of Ras Jedir. The deal aims to provide shelter and essential...

Kuwait City, Kuwait - Kuwait has barred hit film Barbie from cinemas over concerns about "public ethics", officials have said, also confirming a separate ban on a horror movie featuring a transgender actor. Barbie and Talk to Me both "promulgate ideas and beliefs that are alien to the Kuwaiti society and...

"The situation in Ain al-Helweh camp has now calmed down," Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said referring to south Lebanon's restive Palestinian camp. "Security and intelligence services... have no information that the situation could spin out of control and spill over to other camps," he said.

The film titled 'Talk to Me' features Australian actor Zoe Terakes. (AFP)

El Alamein, Egypt - The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks with his Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, during an official visit to Egypt.  The discussions revolved around strengthening the longstanding ties between the two nations. The meeting, held in the Egyptian city of...

Makkah, Saudi Arabia - A scientific forum organized by Arab and Islamic universities’ associations has recommended the formation of a working group of scholars and researchers to become envoys for the Muslim World League’s (MWL) initiative, "Building Bridges Between East and West.” The forum, titled “The role of media in...

NEW DELHI, INDIA - A Joint Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce is to be “activated” soon. This was announced in the “Delhi Declaration” at the conclusion of the sixth India-Arab Partnership Conference in New Delhi, local media reports said. The Declaration asserted that “India and the Arab countries are witnessing a...

NABLUS, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said on Saturday, in what the army described as a "car ramming attempt" near here. Fawzi Mukhalifa, 18, "was killed by the occupation (Israeli) bullets in the town of Sebastia" late on Friday,...

When Morocco's women take on two-times former champions Germany in Melbourne they will be the first Arab team to play at a Women's World Cup, months after the men's historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar. The country is still buzzing from what their men did at the Qatar World...

Avoided by western tourists, Iran is turning to wealthy Arab states and other nearby countries to bolster its sanctions-hit economy. It is also drawing visitors from Russia and China. Owing to the thaw in relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran is now interested in closer ties with the Arab world.

The city of Sharjah accounted for the largest (3,794) share of the transactions.

Doha, Qatar--Small and medium-sized companies in Qatar have signed deals worth $201 million during the first half of 2023, benefiting from the various services of the Qatar's Export Development & Promotion Agency (Tasdeer). In a report, Tasdeer highlighted the momentum witnessed by the participation of small and medium-sized companies in...

They discussed "reinforcing cooperation between the two countries in various sectors... in addition to joint efforts to fight back against terrorism", a statement from Assad's office said.

The Arab world is one of the most unequal regions in the world, with top 10 earners controlling more than 56% of national incom

Dubai, UAE -- Trade volume between Qatar and India increased by about 33 percent during 2021 and 2022, reaching $17.2 billion, Qatar's undersecretary for Commerce Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh bin Majed Al Khulaifi said. He said India is Qatar's second-largest trade partner. Al Khulaifi chaired...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Seeking to establish a broad framework for cooperation in several areas, the GCC and the Arab Planning Institute (API) have signed a a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed during a meeting between Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, GCC Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),...

The GCC countries and Russia have adopted a joint statement and a joint action plan for 2023-2028 following their meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Later Lavrov met with the Saudi foreign minister to discuss strategic cooperation between the two countries.