Tourism

The entrance to the city of Qiddiya, south of the capital Riyadh, April 25, 2019.

Analysis

Iran war tests Gulf's theme park ambitions

Saudi Arabia is pressing ahead with multibillion-dollar projects as the conflict disrupts regional tourism and exposes weaknesses in the Gulf states' entertainment strategies.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

The 26-feet-tall statues of the ancient Egyptian King Amenhotep III (1391-53 BC), father of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and probably grandfather of Tutankhamun, and his consort queen, Tiye, at the Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square, Cairo, June 11, 2025.

Culture

Beyond King Tut: Cairo’s Egyptian Museum looks to reinvent itself

With Cairo's Egyptian Museum approaching its 125th anniversary, efforts are underway to reposition it on the cultural map in light of competition from newer, glitzier museums.

Building construction at the Red Sea in Egypt.

Explainer

UAE-Egypt ties keep growing as Cairo navigates shifting Gulf landscape

An Emirati investor could soon strike a $2.7 billion deal to develop another tourism project on Egypt's North Coast, the latest in a string of UAE-linked pacts that have continued advancing despite turmoil from the US-Iran war.

Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, gives a press conference in the Saqqara necropolis, where archaeologists unearthed two human and animal embalming workshops as well as two tombs, south of Cairo, on May 27, 2023.

Culture

Saqqara’s next chapter: How Egypt is modernizing its oldest necropolis

Egypt has launched a major project to develop access to the Saqqara archaeological sites, which — according to archeologists — hold some of Egypt’s most important ancient sites spanning across multiple civilizations.

Latest News

Explainer

Saudi airlines outbuy Gulf rivals at Farnborough air show: What to know

Spectators look on as an A350-1000 by the European plane maker Airbus takes off on the second day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, Farnborough, July 21, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival

Tourism students and visitors visit the ruins of the ancient city of Apamea in the Hama countryside, Syria, on July 8, 2026.

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

Israel-Iran escalation grounds flights across parts of Middle East

An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jaunary 12, 2017. - The aircraft arrived as part of an order for 100 other Airbus planes with a list price of around $20 billion (19 billion euros) on December 22, placed after the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic republic. It will be used for internal flights landed at Tehran's Mehrabad airport. (Photo by ATTA

Will Thomas Cook's collapse have long-term impact on Egypt's tourism sector?

Egypt's tourist industry was just getting back on its feet when Thomas Cook collapsed, producing more uncertainty in the sector.

New Turkish hotel combines modern architecture, Roman mosaics

Ancient Antiochian mosaics and ruins are securely housed and on display inside a luxury hotel-museum in Antakya.

Egyptian clerics reach out to vacationing young people

Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments is sending clerics to the North Coast, as videos of young people dancing on the beach there have recently surfaced.

Ramon Airport: Israel’s white elephant in the desert

It’s been seven months since the festive inauguration of the Ramon Airport, which despite its hefty price tag, has failed to meet anyone's expectations.

Baby sea turtles crawl to the sea at a seashore in El-Mansouri village, near the southern city of Tyre, Lebanon July 24, 2017. Picture taken July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1AF2697750

Lebanon's green turtles threatened by new resort

The Orange House Project, an environmental NGO, has been trying to ensure that turtles reach the sea after their eggs are hatched, but its job gets more difficult every year.

Golden Triangle to boost development, increase investments in Upper Egypt

Egypt is preparing to launch work on the Golden Triangle project in Upper Egypt, with the aim to develop the region, boost the economy and create job opportunities.

An Iraqi passenger walks at the Shalamcha Border Crossing, Iraq November 4, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani - RC1F15757040

Iran grants additional visas to Iraqis to boost its economy

In order to overcome US sanctions and boost its economy, Iran is increasing tourist visas to Iraqis.

An Iranian police woman checks a passport at the Imam Khomeini International Airport 45 km (27.96 miles) south of Tehran April 30, 2005. Iran opened its new main international airport on Saturday, despite warnings from at least two countries that the runway may be unsafe. The Imam Khomeini International Airport, built to serve the capital Tehran, received a first commercial flight from Dubai almost exactly a year after its inauguration was aborted when the military closed it down because of concern over sec

Iran stops stamping passports

To alleviate concerns that a visit to Iran might complicate foreigners being able to enter the United States at a later date, Iran reiterated that it will allow tourists to enter the country through its international airports without having their passports stamped.

Palestine aims to triple number of Russian tourists

Palestinians aim to lure more Russian tourists by providing new tourism infrastructure, ecotourism and historic Orthodox churches.

An EgyptAir A320-200 plane is pictured through the window of an Etihad Airways plane after it landed on the runway at Cairo International Airport, Egypt December 16, 2017. Picture taken December 16, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC140A9C9210

Does Cairo need third airport?

The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that it will soon open an international airport in the new administrative capital east of Cairo, a move that was widely criticized.

Egypt to boost spiritual tourism through the Holy Family trail

The Egyptian government plans to revive the Holy Family trail, connecting locations visited by Jesus, Mary and Joseph some 2,000 years ago while fleeing King Herod’s soldiers.

Tourists are seen on a beach at the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt July 12, 2018. Picture taken July 12, 2018. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC16DE463370

Sinai magic draws Israelis despite the terror threats

For Israelis, the magic of the Sinai Peninsula, with its beautiful sand beaches and low prices, is strong enough for them to ignore official travel warnings.