Middle East

Plunging oil prices are hitting three oil-producing countries the hardest: Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. This article looks at each of them and evaluates how they will fare if oil prices do not rise, including their relationships to the U.S.

In the mid-1900s architect Le Corbusier designed a grand sports complex for Baghdad as part of the city's bid for the 1960 Olympics. That bid failed and the project was never built. Now, original drawings and designs are on display.

With too much focus on "architectural bling" and a hyperactive development pattern, Dubai is in danger of becoming a modern planning disaster, according to architect Thom Mayne.

Cityscape, Dubai's annual real estate showcase, paints a rosy picture of the booming city. But even Mideast moguls aren't immune from the global financial crisis.

In this editorial, Ibne Ahmad of Rawalpindi, Pakistan claims that cars are significantly impacting the quality of life there, and that pedestrians and public space need to be reclaimed for the sake of equality.

Dubai is increasingly attracting architects and planners as a blank slate, and it's becoming a vibrant testing ground for ideas new and extreme.

The military presence in Afghanistan is expanding at a rapid pace, creating a military sprawl.

Property values are up in Iraq's capital, but realtors there point out that sectarian divisions are the main reason why certain areas have become desirable.

In this article from Progressive Planning, Tom Angotti looks at Gaza and the land use regulations that have imposed an "urban apartheid".

Rami Khouri of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs notes the unprecedented phenomenon of the "instant" cities of the Persian Gulf which, for all their wealth, lack civil societies.

Osama bin Laden's brother has announced plans to build the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting Africa and Arabia, and building two state-of-the-art cities at each end -- a project that is expected to cost upwards of $200 billion.

The world's first moving building, a 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving an shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.

'Ottoman villas' are going up, and the world's largest Roma settlement is moving out - to suburban apartments.

This article from The National takes a tour of Abu Dhabi with architect and planner Riyad Albuhlaiga, who points out the best parts of the city -- and the parts that must be improved to make Abu Dhabi a truly great city.

A developer has plans for a new Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which he says would be the first new city in the West Bank in thousands of years. But he is still awaiting approval on a crucial road.

Plans to build a massive dam in Turkey have many hopeful that its creation will revive the local economy.

The Movement for Israeli Urbanism makes the case that Israel's current planning policies are not sustainable.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority used to slap motorists with heavy fines for ridesharing. Faced with exploding population growth and 8 million tourists a year, officials have changed their tune.

This segment from NPR looks at plans for the carbon-neutral Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

Despite naysayers, Masdar City is moving forward. The goal: to be the world's first modern-day carbon-free city.