For centuries, Mecca was the pinnacle of exploration for Western travellers. Shrouded in mystery, it captured the imagination of a small but daring group of European Orientalists
In 1511, there were places in Mecca specifically designated for selling and drinking coffee, known as coffee houses. Decades later, the first café opened in Istanbul.
Gadi Eisenkot, who may form a government, hails from a Moroccan-Jewish family. Israel's 15 prime ministers have all had European or Russian heritage. Is it time for a change?
The former IRGC general was recently appointed as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. For the US, the danger is mistaking his prominence for a willingness to deliver concessions
From machines that develop human emotions to societies governed by artificial intelligence, Arab novelists explore the promises and perils of a radically transformed future