Raisi: Iran 'never has hope' in Vienna talks Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has struck a pessimistic tone commenting on the nuclear talks between Iran and world powers. Iran
Iraq receives 145% more foreign visitors in 2021 Iraq waived the visa requirements for citizens of many economically powerful countries last year in a bid to attract tourists and businesspeople. News Brief
Saudi Arabia building support for Expo 2030 bid The kingdom wants to host the international cultural forum, which is currently being held in Dubai. News Brief
Saudi IT industry to work with German software firm SAP on cloud technology The memorandum of understanding is the latest to come out of the LEAP technology forum in Riyadh, and reflects the kingdom’s diversification efforts. News Brief
Gulf foreign ministers, GCC chief visit China for talks GCC Secretary General Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf said the five days of meetings will "contribute to enhancing GCC-Chinese relations." Saudi Arabia
Rights group accuse UAE of 'retaliating' against jailed activist Ahmed Mansoor Human Rights Watch and the Gulf Center for Human Rights said Ahmed Mansoor was moved to a more isolated cell after the publication of a letter he wrote from prison. News Brief
New US ambassador arrives in Turkey Jeff Flake, a former Republican senator, supported President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election and also served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. News Brief
Turkish Airlines to remove staff from Kazakhstan Anti-government protesters in Kazakhstan have seized control of the country’s main airport. News Brief
Egypt to repatriate citizens stuck in Morocco Morocco has had a passenger flight ban in place for months. News Brief
UN accuses Syria of failing to answer for chemical weapons program The UN's top disarmament official said Syria's full disclosure was "essential" to resolving outstanding issues. Syria
US man charged with gathering files on opponents of Egyptian government The Justice Department said Pierre Girgis used his connections with local law enforcement collect information about US-based critics of the Egyptian government. News Brief
Turkey, Iran react to Kazakhstan unrest Diplomats from both countries have refrained from making powerful statements on the situation in the Central Asian country. News Brief
Palestinian killed in West Bank shooting Israeli and Palestinian officials offered different accounts of the incident, which occurred amid of high tensions in the Palestinian territory. News Brief
Mideast airlines halt flights to Kazakhstan amid unrest Flydubai and Air Arabia have cancelled flights to Almaty as violent anti-government protests roil Kazakhstan’s largest city. United Arab Emirates
Turkish and Armenian envoys to meet in Moscow next week The two representatives will meet to discuss normalizing relations between the neighboring countries for the first time in decades. Turkey
Israel reports record number of COVID-19 cases but few deaths The outbreak is due to the Omicron variant of the virus, which is spreading despite Israel’s vaccination push and travel bans. News Brief
