Middle East

Halliburton is moving its headquarters to Dubai. Could Dubai, with its world-class infrastructure and business-friendly environment, become the world's preferred destination for multinational corporations?

While some cities in the Middle East are seeking to emulate the emirate's success, its unsustainable pattern of growth make Dubai a poor model for urban development.

Baghdad's mayor Sabir al-Isawi expresses frustration with American authorities over sluggish repairs to smashed infrastructure.

In Cairo, many argue that the government provides few services and does little to better the lives of its 15 million people. The city's many informal communities were formed without any urban planning.

Despite ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, Kandahar's officials, residents and planners are envisioning a prosperous and sustainable future for the city.

Israel's oldest kibbutz -- a communal living settlement founded on socialist principles -- has approved a vote allowing community members to retain private salaries instead of pooling their income for the entire community.

Recovery and reconstruction have seen rapid success in Sadr City, Baghdad's largest predominantly Shiite area. Many have moved to this former slum, while violence tends to occur mainly in Sunni areas of Baghdad receiving few recovery resources.

The U.S. State Department is having trouble filling positions in reconstruction teams in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says there is a shortage of city planners and engineers on the ground in Iraq, and getting more may be difficult.

Wired presents this slideshow of some of the extravagant and futuristic buildings planned for Dubai.

The historic city of Isfahan, Iran, has destroyed scores of 400-year old buildings to make way for new roads and shopping centers.

Streetsblog explores the transportation situation in the rapidly growing emirate.

Many Iraqi families have struggled to find safe, decent and affordable shelter since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The city's parks supervisor has made it his mission to beautify the city even has continuing war destroys Baghdad's once opulent gardens.

Close to half of Iraq's fragile marshlands have been restored after being drained by Saddam Hussein.

Massive Israeli demolitions of "illegal" Palestinian homes will mean the destruction of communities that predate the founding of Israel.

An agreement has been reached between 18 countries to move forward on a long-sought plan to connect railways between Singapore and Turkey, creating a vast network expected to boost the economies of currently remote areas.

High overhead costs are taking up more than half of the budget for reconstruction efforts in Iraq, severely limiting the construction of infrastructure such as water and electricity lines.

On the verge of expanding the city limits, Jerusalem's National Planning and Building Council has postponed a decision for two months amid protests from environmentalists and concerned citizens.

When it comes to the Gaza Strip, most talk revolves around making peace. One architect and urban planner has drafted a plan that focuses on "the day after".

In an effort to counter "peak oil" theory, the oil industry has launched a campaign to educate oil-consuming nations that plenty of crude is available, and alternatives to oil are not necessary. The US Dept. of Energy will also research peak oil.