Middle East
President Trump will take his first trip abroad on Friday to Saudi Arabia, where he hopes to secure a $40 billion investment for his $1 trillion infrastructure plan. At home, Trump's plan was rebuffed by Texas legislators.
Bloomberg Politics
This year, Cairo is estimated to grow by half a million people, but the city's economy is not keeping pace to support all of them.
ENCA
Just in time for United Nations World Wildlife Day, a new initiative in Israel has launched to identify deadly road crossings for animals by harnessing data collected from the Waze app.
The Jerusalem Post
This summer, commuters may have another option for moving around Dubai as a pilotless drone is prepared to shuttle passengers around the city.
Dezeen
A test of a "fully-operational" Hyperloop transportation system is scheduled to take place next week in the United Arab Emirates.
ArchDaily
During the second presidential debate Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton claimed that the "U.S. was energy independent." Some in the media, including Politifact, were quick to report that claim as "false." And the news just got worse.
Planetizen
Plans for the development of a new, unnamed capital city just east of Cairo has received the financial backing of Chinese investors.
CNN
Parks and other public open spaces continue to be squeezed out by private development and attempts to limit political dissent throughout cities in Arab countries.
The Economist
Building a new eco-friendly city in the middle of a country so reliant on fossil fuels is no easy task, but development is well underway for Masdr City to rise in the UAE
Public Square
Gas prices are on the rise, though they will remain well below 2014 levels through this year. U.S. oil production dropped by 600,000 barrels from last year, while gas consumption is on track to break the 2007 record thanks to cheap gas and more SUVs.
The New York Times
Plans are underway to build the world's first domed city.
Tech Insider
Oil prices are now at a 12-year low. Prices have been very consistent this year: they have dropped every day. As they slide to going below $30 a barrel, service stations could be selling gasoline at $1 per gallon, a price not seen since 1999.
The New York Times
The Address Downtown hotel, a 63-story, mixed-use high-rise very close to the world's tallest building, went up in flames on Dec. 31, raising questions about other high-rises that use the same heavy cladding material building on the exterior.
Reuters
The world's third cheapest gasoline will increase by 40 percent in order to deal with a record budget deficit of $98 billion this year. Plummeting oil prices have forced the world's largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, to reduce energy subsidies.
AFP
Since 2011, the controversial Jerusalem Light Rail system has been a driving force behind the renewal and reintegration of some areas of the old city. In addition, the Jerusalem Business District is being planned as the city's new economic hub.
Cities of the Future
This month, during the Smart City Congress, Hila Oren, CEO of Tel Aviv Global, announced an agreement with Tel Aviv to mentor, train, consult, and escort Indian city officials in their processes to become Smart Cities.
Cities of the Future
An IEA report suggests that oil prices have bottomed-out, are now on the rebound, and that demand for OPEC's oil will start rising next year. OPEC predicts that U.S. oil consumption will increase after years of decline, thanks to U.S. motorists.
OPEC Says U.S. Motorists
Just as plummeting oil prices have caused state and federal political leaders to consider raising gas taxes, leaders in developing nations, both oil producers and consumers, are considering reductions in national energy subsidies.
The New York Times
An urban renewal project in Turkey yielded an unexpected archaeological bonanza: a 5,000-year-old, underground city.
Hurriyet Daily News
If Jesus and Mary came to Bethlehem in 2014, they'd be frustrated by high levels of congestion before finding a place to settle down for the night.
AP via Yahoo News
