Middle East/North Africa Forum

This is a region that includes some of the richest and poorest places in the world, as well as some of its most extraordinary sights (dating back to some of the most ancient times in all of history), cultures, ecotourism, beaches, and more.

And our thoughts now are with the many thousands of victims of disasters in North Africa due to the earthquake in Morocco and the catastrophic flooding on the coast of Libya. To contibute what you can to aid victims, click here for Morocco. and here for Libya.

In addition, we like almost everyone are appalled at the intense conflict currently escalating in Palestine between Israel and Hamas, and for those who would like to contribute to humanitarian efforts to aid victims, this article lists several organizations to which to donate.

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5 fabulous sites of classical antiquity in Libya

Luca Galuzzi - www.galuzzi.it The territory of what is today Libya, along with Algeria and Tunisia, was once part of ancient Rome´s second most prosperous region after Italy itself, beginning with the Roman Republic´s conquest of Carthage and the rest of the Punic Empire in 146 BCE and lasting until 439, when it was in turn conquered by Germanic Vandals. Its legacy (as well as that of ancient Greece, which had its own colonies along this coast) lives on today in some extraordinary…

Started by Riccardo R

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Qatar as one of ´7 of the Top Destination Brands of 2023´

Qatar Tourism Meanwhile, over in the Middle East, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates have of course been garnering endless travel press in recent years, but in 2023 the star has been Qatar, especially since its month on the world stage last year as host of the FIFA World Cup. In large part thanks to that, and to hosting with distinction various other sporting events since, its capital Doha was awarded “World’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination,” and the ‘World’s Leading Business…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Will Tourism in Gaza Ever Exist? If So, Here Are 8 Spots Worth Seeing

Ramez Habboub This narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt is tiny – just 141 square miles/365 sq. kilometers (about the size of Las Vegas or the British city of Sheffield) – and with a population of nearly 2.1 million, making it one of the world´s most densely packed territories. And Gaza has of course massively been in the news since October 7 because of the tragic and horrific reasons with which by now we´re all too familiar. And when it comes to spots…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Conquering Israel´s UNESCO World Heritage Masada

Itamar Grinberg/Israeli Ministry of Tourism Israel is truly a land of exceptional sights – and sites – from top to bottom. But roughly two hours south of Jerusalem, one of its most evocative (and popular) high points, so to speak, looms in the Judea desert some 396 metres (1,300 feet) above the shores of the Dead Sea. Masada (Hebrew for fortress) is an imposing UNESCO World Heritage Site, and after Jerusalem the most visited spot in the country. At this rugged fortress complex, excavated in…

Started by Iberia Airlines

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Wissam Al Khoury August 12, 2022 at 11:25am

Socotra Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique fauna and flora - especially the endemic, dramatic dragon's blood tree - and actually a bit closer to Somalia than Yemen. It had managed to stay largely insulated from Yemen's brutal civil war but has just been seized by the Southern Transitional Council, separatists who want to restore the independence of South Yemen. I guess for the time this pretty much drives the last nail into the coffin of tourism hereabouts, sadly. And just yesterday the Boston Globe ran a piece about Socotra which took note of two even more profound threats to the island's ecosystem: development by the United Arab Emirates and global warming: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/otherworldly-beauty-in-the-ba...

Otherworldly beauty in the balance in the Galapagos of the Middle East

An archipelago in Yemen is home to stunning biodiversity. Civil war, geopolitical wrangling, and climate change threaten all of it.
José Balido July 13, 2022 at 9:16pm

On another front re Qatar World Cup, here's an eye-opening piece from the BBC summarizing the main controversies surrounding it, including abuse of foreign workers, oppression of gays/lesbians, corruption, and more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60867042

World Cup 2022: How has Qatar treated stadium workers?

Qatar has used thousands of foreign workers to build its World Cup facilities. Many may have died.
Riccardo R June 2, 2022 at 9:04am

With the football World Cup now on the horizon (21 November-18 December), this past March U.S. travel maven Christopher Elliott interviewed Berthold Trenkel, the German COO of Qatar Tourism, about the new developments in the emirate that the million or so expected visitors will encounter: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2022/03/08/world-cl...

‘World-Class’ Attractions Coming Ahead Of World Cup, Says Qatar Tourism COO

New tourism projects, including hotels and attractions, are under construction in advance of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. An interview with Qatar Tou…
María José March 5, 2022 at 10:30am

It's worth noting that despite its small size, Lebanon can boast five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the 8th-century ruins of Anjar in the Bekaa Valley; the magnificent ruins of Baalbek, dating back to the ancient Phoenicians (also in the Bekaa); the northern city of Byblos (also of mostly Phoenician origin); the Holy Valley and the Forest of the Cedars of God; and the southern city of Tyre (again, founded by Phoenicians). More information at https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/LB.

Lebanon - UNESCO World Heritage Convention

Lebanon - UNESCO World Heritage Convention
José Balido February 8, 2022 at 11:47am

In researching widely anticipated hotel openings in 2022, turns out that according to Forbes, Kuwait City has one of them: the newest member of the luxury Waldorf Astoria chain, located in The Avenues, the largest shopping/entertainment mall, with more than 1,100 stores, an amusement park, a cineplex, and more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestravelguide/2022/01/31/forbes-tr…