Culture World Cup: Iran fumes over LGBTQ+ themes as Jordan qualifies for first time Morocco is hoping to build on its historic run in 2022, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others in the region similarly vying to build on recent successes. Iran
What role is Jordan playing in Syria's reconstruction? As Syria’s southern neighbor, Jordan is already positioning itself as a logistics hub and diplomatic broker for Syria’s reconstruction. Syria
Trump’s plan to label Muslim Brotherhood tightens pressure on group in Egypt, Jordan The Muslim Brotherhood has historically had strong support in both countries but has also faced increasing repression from authorities. Egypt
Meet the Silicon Valley-linked AI startup targeting Gulf’s costly inefficiencies Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, formerly a director at Silicon Valley’s Scale AI, shares how he spotted an opportunity to automate complex workflows that could reduce inefficiencies potentially worth over $10 billion across the Gulf's airports, ports, construction and the energy sector. United Arab Emirates
Analysis Jordan’s water security caught between $5B megaproject, frayed Israel ties By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis As Carrefour retreats in Mideast, can new Gulf superstore brand advance? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Jordan’s Syrian refugees are not going home anytime soon Only a few thousand of the more than 600,000 registered Syrian refugees have returned home from Jordan since the war started in 2011, sparking fears about the kingdom’s capacities to bear the costs of hosting. Jordan
Salih: Iraq can be a 'bridge to the economies of the region' Iraqi president charts new direction for Iraqi foreign policy based on "interrelated interests" at Sulaimani Forum; Iraq-Jordan trade deal should help address Jordan’s unemployment crisis; Rouhani arrives in Iraq to boost trade; US shifted arms from Iraq to Syria in second half of 2018. Iraq
Hundreds of Jordanians march toward capital demanding jobs As unemployment rates rise, youths from different parts of Jordan have begun marching to the Royal Court in Amman for sit-ins demanding job opportunities. Jordan
Jordanian trail-blazer empowers women through kickboxing Lina Khalifeh began learning martial arts for fun, but helping a friend showed her it can do much more. Jordan
Palestinians, Jordanians challenge Israel at Al-Aqsa over banned prayer space Tensions are mounting between Jordan and Israel after the latter arrested members of the Islamic Waqf Council for entering a supposedly banned prayer room at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestine
Tensions ramp up on Temple Mount ahead of Trump’s peace plan With President Donald Trump set to unveil his much-hyped peace plan and Israel deducting Palestinian tax revenues, the disputed compound of Al-Aqsa or the Temple Mount is crackling with tension. Palestine
Netanyahu’s diplomacy: success or failure? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents himself as a diplomatic magician, though he is accumulating failures on Syria, Iran and ties with Gulf states. Saudi Arabia
Iraq-Jordan trade deal opens new doors for regional trade A breakthrough trade agreement may signal new trend toward integration; Erdogan plays Syria card in Turkish elections; HTS undermines Turkish-backed groups in Idlib. Iraq
Israeli-Jordanian joint project to save Dead Sea may be poised for approval The Red Sea-Dead Sea water conveyance project would pipe water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, allowing surrounding areas including Israel and Jordan to deal with severe water shortages and other environmental issues. Israel
New Aqsa council gives Palestinians greater control in Jerusalem Jerusalemites have publicly welcomed the new Islamic Waqf Council as a leadership vehicle that will allow them to forge ahead with a clear and implementable strategy for Jerusalem and its holy places. Palestine
Jordanians see Israel as only winner at Warsaw summit While Jordan doesn't want to align itself too closely with Washington's anti-Iran coalition, the kingdom's reliance on Washington for aid was likely behind its attendance at the Poland summit. Palestine
Baghdad defends advantages of Iraq-Jordan agreement from critics Iraq's recent agreement to exchange Iraqi discounted oil with imported goods from Jordan free of customs fees has stirred the outrage of Iraqis. Iraq
