Egypt selectively legalizing land ownership in Sinai The Egyptian state is refusing to certify the legal ownership of some land in Sinai despite citizens meeting the necessary requirements. Egypt
Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt to employ women for first time As Egyptian women struggle to fight for their professional rights in the banking sector, the Faisal Islamic Bank of Egypt announced for the first time in 38 years that it was willing to employ women. Egypt
Is Abbas planning a Cabinet overhaul? The timing of a small addition by President Mahmoud Abbas to the government of Rami al-Hamdallah is raising questions, particularly in terms of what this means for the ongoing negotiations for Palestinian reconciliation. Palestine
Egypt joins with EU to protect water security Egypt is tackling its water crisis in cooperation with the European Union, which has pledged to finance irrigation-development projects and improve the country's water management system. Egypt
Why Erdogan's so quiet about Turkish expansion in Africa It seems out of character for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to be so tight-lipped about Turkey's growing investments and influence in Africa, but he's certain to have a reason. Turkey
Basra protests spark government scramble to create jobs The Iraqi Council of Ministers has approved a regulation requiring that 50% of foreign oil company employees working in the country be Iraqis. Iraq
Do ancient philosophers have answers to Egypt's current challenges? A group of philosophy professors from the American University in Cairo have been organizing lectures open to the public to make philosophical thought more accessible. Egypt
US decision to cut aid could be opening for flagging Saudi approach to Syria Syria stabilization will instead likely depend on Putin’s shuttle diplomacy with Ankara and Damascus. Saudi Arabia
Gazoz, Turkey's eclectic national drink, recaptures its old fizz Gazoz, a light, fizzy and delicious drink that symbolized the recklessness of Turkish youth in the post-World War II era, is making a comeback. Turkey
US outsources Syria aid to Gulf In an apparent win for the Donald Trump administration, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to pick up the tab to stabilize Syria. Saudi Arabia
Can Qatar and Germany save Turkey’s economy? The Turkish lira was up a few points after Qatar's leaders pledged to help Turkey and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made some positive statements, but will this be enough to get Turkey through its currency crisis? Qatar
Not everyone in Iraq welcomes peshmerga's possible return to Kirkuk As Iraq's central and Kurdish governments tentatively make nice again, the potential return of the Kurdish peshmerga to Kirkuk has some groups in the country on edge. Iraq
Kurdish farmers hit by water crisis With neighboring Iran diverting rivers and building dams, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is in the midst of an already severe water crisis that threatens to get even worse, thanks to national and regional governments failing to acknowledge the urgency of the problem. Iraq
Egypt taps investors to develop nature reserves Egypt’s Ministry of Environment is planning to open the country's underdeveloped nature reserves to investment projects to make the best use of their resources. Egypt
Egypt looks to foreign university campuses to boost education President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi recently approved a law allowing foreign universities to open branch campuses across Egypt as part of efforts to increase education levels in the country. Egypt
Turkey shares municipal expertise with Syrian engineers The municipality of the Turkish city of Kilis held a training for Syrian engineers in Syria’s Euphrates Shield area to help develop municipal services. Syria
