Gendarmerie operation sparks controversy in Petra, Jordan Petra’s tribal entrepreneurs react to a security operation carried out inside Jordan’s most-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site with criticism and concern for their livelihoods. Jordan
Culture Despite war, thousands of Israeli Hasidim make pilgrimage to Ukraine Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine won’t stop thousands of Hasidim from reaching the city of Uman and the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov just before the Jewish New Year. Israel
Middle East airlines to suffer losses again in 2022 The International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the region will fare somewhat better financially due to the return of long-haul flights. Legacy: Gulf
Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism. Israel
Saudi Arabia suspends travel from 20 countries, including US Diplomats, health care workers and their families are exempt from the travel ban. Saudi Arabia
PA begins virus vaccinations after receiving batch from Israel The Palestinian Authority began vaccinating medical teams on Tuesday after the first batch of vaccines was delivered by Jerusalem. Palestine
Netanyahu’s diplomatic blitz now victim of the coronavirus The continuing coronavirus pandemic puts a damper on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s diplomatic achievements. Israel
Four Netanyahu antagonists could join forces against him Four main rivals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — Yair Lapid, Gideon Saar, Avigdor Liberman and Naftali Bennett — could join forces after the March elections to establish a government without him. Israel
Dubai orders capacity reductions, closes bars as virus cases soar The UAE's largest city remained mostly open as normal until a recent outbreak. Originals
Iran mandates quarantine for European travelers The Iranian government also announced that the first batch of coronavirus vaccines will arrive this week. Iran
Pope Francis dismisses uncertainty over upcoming Iraq trip Francis' visit to the country next month will mark the first time a pope has visited Iraq. Iraq
Israel extends nationwide virus lockdown by five days The cabinet also voted to keep the ban on international flights in place through at least Sunday. Israel
Iran says coronavirus cases increasing in those under 25 According to an Iranian official, hospitalizations in Tehran have increased and they are seeing an uptick in positive cases among individuals under 25 years old. Iran
Israel provides COVID-19 vaccine doses for Palestinian health-care workers Faced with international criticism, and also for its own interest of curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority a first shipment of 2,000 Pfizer vaccine doses. Palestine
Post-COVID Mideast economies look to the Gulf and Egypt The region took a hard hit from the pandemic, and it’s far from over, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia are managing better than expected. Regional
Lebanon's PM Diab condemns Tripoli protest violence Protesters demanding an end to the lockdown set fire on Thursday night to several buildings in the impoverished city of Tripoli. Lebanon
