Tourism

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

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

Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival

The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery.

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

Interview

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

Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

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

Israel-Iran escalation grounds flights across parts of Middle East

Iran suspended flights across all airports after Israeli strikes hit the country.

Latest News

Explainer

How Iran war created unexpected economic beneficiaries

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Gulf celebrates Eid al-Adha under shadow of war

Muslim worshippers walk along the Grand Mosque complex in the holy city of Mecca on May 22, 2026, ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

United Arab Emirates

Which airlines are cutting flights amid Hormuz fuel disruption?

Refueling trucks are seen at Southend Airport on April 17, 2026, in Southend, England.

Jet fuel squeeze exposes Europe’s reliance on Middle East supply

Exhaust emits from the engine of a passenger jet as it prepares for take off at Heathrow Airport on March 30, 2006, in London, England.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Gulf AI deals continues to lure investors despite US-Iran war

Blackstone committed $250 million to a payment infrastructure platform in Abu Dhabi as the US investment firm's president lauded the UAE's strong investment credentials despite the conflict.

Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Australia clamps down on Iranian visa holders as war fears rise: What to know

The move could affect over 7,000 Iranians who currently hold visitors visas but who have not yet arrived in Australia.

An Emirates Airbus A380 passenger aircraft prepares for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 8, 2026.

Airlines gradually restore Middle East flights, Gulf still heavily grounded

More than 43,000 of the 78,500 scheduled flights in and out of the Middle East have been canceled since the war began Feb. 28, according to flight data firm Cirium.

United Arab Emirates

An Emirates passenger plane is landing at Frankfurt Airport from Dubai International on March 3, 2026, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Gulf air corridors reopen cautiously as evacuations take shape

Nearly 1,900 of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled Tuesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

United Arab Emirates

PM Netanyahu - X

Analysis

India's Modi arrives in Israel as fears grow of US-Iran conflict

The Indian prime minister’s visit highlights growing cooperation on defense, AI, drones and regional trade, while signaling closer diplomatic coordination.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

An Emirates Boing 777-300ER is pictured in front an air traffic control tower at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, on Jan. 30, 2023.

Dubai airport tops global ranking again with 95.2 million passengers

DXB has been the world’s busiest airport since 2014 and eyes nearly 100 million passengers in 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (L) speaks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed during the G7 Summit hosted by Italy, in Savelletri, on June 14, 2024.

Analysis

Why Algeria's nixing of UAE air deal is more diplomatic than economic

Algeria has begun canceling its air services agreement with the UAE amid heightened tensions over the Gulf country’s foreign policy in the region.

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

spa

Saudi Arabia signs first visa-free travel agreement with Russia: What to know

The deal will allow citizens of either country to enter visa-free for 90 days for tourism, business and family visits.

An Israeli El Al Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft bound for Los Angeles takes off from Israel's central Ben Gurion Airport on June 25, 2025.

Israel's El Al posts record $203M Q3 profit as foreign airlines trickle back

Many international airlines have now resumed flights to Israel following a truce to end the Gaza war.

A man stands atop the kasbah of Ait-Ben-Haddou.

Culture

From Hollywood set to heritage hub: Morocco’s $75M bet on Ouarzazate

Once the Hollywood of the Sahara, Morocco’s desert city is betting on sustainable tourism to reclaim its place on the map.

AirAsia airplanes are pictured on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang on Jan. 8, 2024.

Malaysia's AirAsia bets Bahrain can fuel Mideast growth, challenging Gulf hubs

The Malaysian carrier signed a preliminary pact with Bahrain to explore establishing the kingdom as its Middle East hub, with plans for dozens of daily flights by 2030.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Billion-dollar AI, clean energy deals headline Saudi 'Davos in the Desert'

Humain, an AI firm backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, signed a $3 billion deal with AirTrunk, a company backed by US asset manager Blackstone, to build a data center campus in the kingdom.