Doha, Qatar -- As Iran and Israel trade strikes and the US weighs joining in, wealthy Gulf states on the conflict's doorstep are engaged in frantic diplomacy to halt the war -- but solutions remain elusive. A spillover of the conflict or the Iranian government's collapse are both worrying outcomes...
Passenger air traffic has surpassed pre-pandemic levels: ICAO
Montreal, Canada--The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) projected that passenger air traffic levels will be around 2 percent higher In the first quarter of 2024 than in 2019, with airlines expected to sustain their operating profitability seen in 2023. Demand this year is forecast to be around 3 percent above...
Iran-EU trade surpasses US$5bn in 2023, says Eurostat
TEHRAN, IRAN - The Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) reported that Iran and the 27 European Union member states traded over US$5 billion (€4.7 billion) worth of goods in 2023. Trade between Iran and the member states of the European Union recorded a decrease of 9 percent from...UN chief calls for continuity in aid as battle rages in Gaza
Heavy fighting raged in Gaza amid a row over the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that has called its future into question. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on donor states to guarantee aid to Gaza after several halted funding to UNRWA, over Israeli claims that some of its staff participated...
Putin to visit UAE, Saudi Arabia for talks amid OPEC output cuts
Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to his aide Yuriy Ushakov, will first arrive in the UAE this week and then visit Saudi Arabia to meet with the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Putin's diplomatic journey to the Gulf region comes at a time of deepening ties with key Gulf...Iran’s exports to African countries register 185 percent growth
Tehran, Iran--Iran’s export to African countries in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year registered a 185 percent hike compared to the same period in 2020, an official said. Iran’s direct and indirect exports to the African continent in the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi have significantly...Arab states voice opposition to Israel’s invasion into Gaza
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...Iran looks to Arab states to propel its lackluster tourism sector
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.Iran’s trade with six Arab countries climbs up to US$35bn in 2022-2023
Tehran, Iran--Iran's trade with six Arab states has vaulted to $35.11 billion in the fiscal year of 2022-2023, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic. According to Iran Customs Administration, the Islamic Republic traded 58.25 million tons of goods (excluding crude oil exports) worth $35.11 billion with...
After 15 years of talks, UN states agree on deal to protect high seas
The deal described by many as historic is seen as key to conserving 30 percent of the world's land and ocean by 2030, as agreed by world governments in a historic accord signed in Montreal in December. Eventually, following two weeks of intense talks, delegates finalized a text that now...
GCC Standardization Organization announces Training Plan for 2023
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO) has announced its training plan for 2023 in the field of standards and metrology through the GCC Standardization Training Center affiliated with GSO. The GSO President, Saud bin Nasser Al-Khusaibi, said in a statement Sunday that the 2023...Israel PM claims Lebanon ‘recognizes’ Israel in sea border deal
Jerusalem, Undefined—Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday claimed Israel's foe Lebanon de-facto "recognizes" the Jewish state, due to a sea border deal the two states are set to sign imminently. "This is a political achievement -- it is not every day that an enemy state recognizes the State of Israel, in...UN session on high seas biodiversity ends without pact
United Nations member states ended two weeks of negotiations without a treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas, an agreement that would have addressed growing environmental and economic challenges. After 15 years negotiators on Friday have yet to reach a legally binding text to address the multitude of issues...One out of three Islamic Development Bank member living in poverty
President of the bank Dr Muhammed Al-Jasser, who was speaking at the 16th World Bank Forum, on Islamic Finance, said that more than half a billion people around the world who have fallen under the poverty line during the pandemic.
An assembly of Global Public Diplomacy kicks off in Qatar
The seventh General Assembly of Global Public Diplomacy Network will get underway in Katara, chaired by Qatar.
