UAE firm’s $1.7B legal threat spotlights Gulf split on Lebanon as Qatar invests Lebanon’s bid to lure Gulf investment into its crisis-stricken economy is facing turbulence as Dubai's Al Habtoor Group threatens legal action over more than $1.7 billion in losses, while Qatar is making an investment push. Lebanon
Syria leans on Jordan, regional gas deals to rebuild energy sector The deal was signed at the Syrian Ministry of Energy between Syrian Petroleum Company and Jordan’s National Electric Power Company, SANA reported. Syria
Qatari, Swiss firms to invest $2.7B in Libya's Misrata port: What to know Libya is seeking to increase its non-oil shipping capacity amid rising oil production and signs of both economic progress and turmoil. Qatar
Saudi Arabia and Qatar ink high-speed rail deal advancing Gulf integration Saudi Arabia is seeking to boost its railway infrastructure, and longstanding efforts to connect Gulf states by train are finally gaining momentum. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Iran’s mismanagement in focus as fires ravage 25-million-year-old forests By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis Iran revives cross-border rail projects in bid to anchor Eurasian trade routes By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Analysis Water for influence: Turkey moves to ease Iraq's water shortages ahead of elections By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Ai Weiwei highlights survival in Jerusalem exhibition Ai Weiwei’s first exhibition at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, “Maybe, Maybe Not,” features iron trees, hand-painted seeds and a tribute to a tiger who was in the Khan Yunis zoo. Palestine
Iran needs new development vision The failures produced over the last three decades by divergent views on the definition of a "development plan" for Iran necessitates a new development paradigm. Iran
Iraq outlines plans to rebuild country, inspire tolerance Iraqi officials say they are ready to reconstruct the country and heal the populace devastated by the Islamic State. Iraq
Modern architecture meets tradition in Palestine's first planned city The Palestinian city of Rawabi, which combines modernity with Palestinian heritage, hopes to attract tourists from around the world. Palestine
West Bank cafe transports customers to Damascus The Demashq cafe in the West Bank city of Jenin mimics the architecture and atmosphere of a traditional Damascus cafe, taking customers back to the days of a peaceful Syria. Palestine
Can new mosque boost tourism in Egypt resort town? As Egypt officially inaugurates an imposing mosque in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in the southern Sinai, officials are hoping it can lure tourists back to the region. Egypt
Reconstruction work brings more gloom to southeast Turkey Renovation work has begun in the emptied, conflict-ravaged old city of Diyarbakir, where the government's restoration project is being criticized as a security move rather than an effort to preserve internationally acknowledged historic sites. Turkey
