Middle East

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Amman shedding its old image

Jordan's increasingly young population is helping shape Amman's new scene, a tamer version of the Middle East's so-called "sin city". 02 March 2010 02:21


Iran bans foreign tours on mourning holidays

Iran has banned travel agencies from organising tours to countries where concerts are held during Shi'a mourning holidays. 27 February 2010 05:30


Yemen tries to revive remote region

Tarim is getting a face-lift before it replaces Qayrawan in Tunisia as the "capital of Islamic culture", an honour that rotates annually among cities in the Islamic world. 26 February 2010 08:13


Finding history at every corner

Most of the world's ancient civilisations had roots in the tourist paradise of Syria, writes Lance Cherry. 24 February 2010 06:00


Souk and ye shall find

Graham Howe decides to skip the skylines and shopping malls and instead opts for the old magic of Dubai. 23 February 2010 06:00


Unearthing riches in war-ravaged Iraq

The buried antiquities of Ur, Biblical birthplace of Abraham and one of the cradles of civilisation, could one day outshine those of ancient Egypt. 19 February 2010 07:20


UAE hotels hope money can buy love

It may not be possible to buy love. But at least you can spend a fortune trying to do so in the United Arab Emirates. 11 February 2010 05:59


Tourism slump ups Yemen's economic woos

Clinging to a cliff, this Yemeni village once bustled with tourists drawn by its mountain views, centuries-old stone houses and narrow alleys. 05 February 2010 09:21


High-end hotel boom sweeps Beirut

Beirut, one-time pearl of the Orient, is reclaiming its lustre, wooing some of the world's top luxury hotels to set up shop after a record year for tourism. 28 January 2010 06:36


Syria's tourist numbers are up

Tourist numbers in Syria rose 12 percent last year from 2008 levels, with Arabs accounting for the bulk of visitors. 25 January 2010 07:38