Tourism

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.

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.

Explainer

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

Saudi airlines emerged as the Middle East's biggest buyers at the international event, while the Gulf's three largest carriers browsed.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

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

Explainer

How Iran war created unexpected economic beneficiaries

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Kfar Kama

Culture

Israeli Circassian village lands among UN's top tourism picks

Israel's Circassian village of Kfar Kama is featured in this year's "Best Tourism Villages," a project of the UN World Tourism Organizaiton.

People walk along an alley at a Christmas market in the Christian Quarter of the Old City, Jerusalem, Dec. 15, 2022.

Culture

Israel's Jews flock to Arab towns for Christmas

Many Arab towns and villages, not necessarily Christian, are now featuring Christmas markets, targeting also Israeli Jewish tourists.

Soccer fans watch a live broadcast of the Qatar 2022 World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Switzerland, near the museum of the Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 28, 2022.

Culture

Cafes, hotels in Dubai raise prices during World Cup

Thousands of Dubai restaurants and hotels are hosting the thousands of World Cup soccer fans who are using the emirate as a base.

Emirates Israel

Abraham Accords, World Cup drive increase in Israeli air traffic

Ongoing rapprochement and the World Cup tournament currently underway in Qatar have driven a significant increase in air traffic to the region via Israel.

Karol G attends the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards at Michelob ULTRA Arena., Las Vegas, Nov. 17, 2022.

Culture

Egypt hopes Colombian superstar's song will draw tourists

Colombian superstar Karol G released a new song, “Cairo,” and filmed its music video at some of the most prominent touristic and archaeological sites in Egypt, including the Pyramids.

The underground tunnel is found beneath Taposiris Magna, west of the coastal city of Alexandria.

Culture

Archaeologists in Egypt discover tunnel that may lead to Cleopatra’s tomb

The archaeological mission uncovered an ancient tunnel that may lead to Cleopatra’s tomb.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Israel, Jordan to restore Jordan River

Israel and Jordan are creating a plan to rehabilitate and protect the Jordan River, making it a year-round water source with a healthy ecosystem.

Models present creations by Italy's iconic fashion house Stefano Ricci at the temple of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Culture

International fashion shows land in Egypt

Luxury fashion houses Stefano Ricci, Elie Saab and Dior have chosen different iconic places in Egypt to host major events, in line with the authorities’ new branding strategy aimed at attracting new visitors by leveraging the country’s cultural and artistic side.

A Japanese and an Emirati man in traditional clothes check their phones at the Arabian Travel Market.

UAE and Japan agree to visa-free travel

The two countries also recently pledged to boost economic, industrial and energy cooperation.

United Arab Emirates

People gather next to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha, on Sept. 12, 2022.

Culture

Egypt to push tourism at Qatar World Cup

Egypt is offering direct flights from Doha to Egyptian cities during the 2022 FIFA World Cup to lure fans and boost tourism.

An aerial view of the city of Zahle in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, photo taken during a press tour by the Lebanese air force, July 1, 2021.

From homes to guesthouses: some Lebanese find ways to survive economic meltdown

Despite Lebanon's worst financial crisis since its civil war, guesthouse investment is growing as rural tourism soars, generating much-needed revenue for its cash-strapped citizens and empowering local communities and talents.

Souvenir stand in Petra, Jordan.

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.