Trending Middle East

By The National News

We bring you the top news stories, field reports and in-depth insights from the Middle East and beyond... more

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The podcast currently has 1,735 episodes available.

Best of Trending Middle East

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Saudi Arabia hit by Houthi attacks, UAE flights disrupted, and Dubai property market faces adjustment
In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, attacks by Houthi rebels targeting Saudi Arabia have wounded 73 civilians, including women and children. The Saudi Energy Ministry said several energy sites in the south were struck, causing injuries and fires, and temporarily halting some operations. Qatar says the Strait of Hormuz will remain vital to international trade despite efforts to develop alternative routes. Meanwhile, flights to and from the UAE face disruption as volcanic ash from Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau continues to affect air travel, with Emirates airline and Etihad Airways cancelling services to Jakarta. And Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar says Dubai’s property market could see an adjustment of 5 to 10 per cent because of the Iran war. In Sharjah, a new plan will allow senior citizens, their spouses and retired people to return to public-sector jobs on a part-time basis. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans
September 08, 20264min
Number 2: Iran plans new Hormuz zone, deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon, and Sudan chemical weapons dossier
In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, Iran says it will establish a restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Oman prepare to announce a new international shipping corridor. Commercial shipping through the waterway has fallen to its lowest level since May after the latest US and Iranian strikes on tankers. Recent evidence details an alleged secret chemical weapons programme run by Sudan’s military, including the reported production of nearly 300 chemical munitions. We also look at renewed fighting in Lebanon, where at least seven people were killed and 20 injured in Israeli strikes on Sunday. Elsewhere, at least five people were killed after an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed at Miami International Airport. Meanwhile, Emirates and Etihad have cancelled flights to Jakarta as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forces airports across Indonesia to close. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans
September 07, 20264min
Number 3: Israel to release detained Lebanese, EU backs economic pressure on Iran and Syria destroys chemical weapons
In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Israel is to release five civilians detained in occupied areas of southern Lebanon, as part of a renewed diplomatic push between the two countries. But it comes as the Israeli military abducts three other Lebanese. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has welcomed a move by the EU to join Washington's campaign to increase economic pressure on Iran. He called for nations to offer support during a G20 meeting this week. A UN report has found that the Sudanese Armed Forces are using foreign-supplied drones in attacks that struck civilian areas. Some of the attacks may amount to war crimes. Syria has begun destroying Assad-era chemical weapon materials, marking the first such process since the downfall of the former regime and the first to be carried out on Syrian territory in more than a decade. Meanwhile, the UAE’s non-oil private sector has grown at its fastest pace in more than 18 months, showing signs of a stronger recovery despite the effects of the Iran war. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.
September 04, 20264min
Number 4: Iran attacks Kuwait, Israel advances further into Lebanon and UAE announces AI curriculum
In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Kuwait says its air defences are repelling what its military called a “heinous Iranian aggression”, involving hostile missile and drone attacks. It comes as Tehran escalates its attacks on other countries across the region. An investigation by The National has found that Israel’s army is gradually expanding its self-established security zone in southern Lebanon, crossing its “yellow line” into at least three villages. The expansion comes despite a ceasefire agreed in June. France is pushing for an international mission to monitor Palestinian elections scheduled to begin in November, the first in two decades. Elections are planned for November 28, after having been previously postponed in 2021. Egypt and China have backed each other on key political priorities following talks between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and President Xi Jinping in Cairo. They discussed Egypt's right to water security and the need to uphold the Gaza ceasefire. In the UAE, the Cabinet has approved plans to give artificial intelligence a greater role across government and the country’s education system, with a new AI curriculum to be introduced across all public and private schools. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.
September 03, 20264min
Number 5: US-Iran war escalates again, Syria explosion kills five and Jordanian toddler arrives in Dubai for treatment
Today on Trending Middle East, the US and Iran have traded another round of strikes, raising fears that a weeks-long lull in the war has come to an end. Several people were killed in US strikes on southern areas in Iran, while Jordan and Kuwait intercepted Iranian attacks early on Wednesday. In the Idlib province of Syria, five people were killed after munitions exploded while being unloaded at a warehouse. The incident reflects the dangers posed by the proliferation of weapons after almost 14 years of civil war in the country. The World Food Programme is halving the number of people receiving food assistance in the occupied West Bank because of a lack of funding. Despite the regional challenges caused by the Iran war, the UK could be ready to sign a long-awaited trade deal with the Gulf within weeks, Trade Minister Anas Sarwar told The National. And a Jordanian toddler with a rare genetic disorder has arrived in Dubai to begin $2.4 million medical treatment funded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. Her family had previously launched an online fundraising campaign that went viral. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.
September 02, 20263min