https://www.arabnews.com/cat/%2A/rss.xml en https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619796/middle-east ABU DHABI: Dubai real estate developer Emaar has not been approached for any post-war Gaza reconstruction work and would not be inclined to do any, said its founder and chairman Mohammed Alabbar.While US President Donald Trump has envisaged the creation of a new Riviera in Gaza, Alabbar said on Wednesday rebuilding should be done by those responsible for the destruction. “It’s my philosophy ... that everybody should clean up his garbage,” he told the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi.“I’m very focused on making money for my shareholders,” he added. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:10:57 +03 rbksa 2619796 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619795/middle-east TYRE: Nearly a year after a truce was meant to bring calm to Lebanon’s border with Israel, tens of thousands of people have not yet returned to ruined towns in the south, kept away by deadly Israeli strikes and slim prospects of rebuilding. Among them, 50-year-old farmer Zeinab Mehdi, who fled her home in the border town of Naqoura last year when the war between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah intensified, joining more than a million people fleeing the south’s hilly villages. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:10:29 +03 rbksa 2619795 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619793/business-economy RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions remained above the $3 billion mark for the third consecutive week, underscoring the resilience of consumer activity even as overall spending moderated in mid-October.  According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, consumer spending stood at SR12.2 billion ($3.25 billion) during the week ending Oct. 18, reflecting a 9 percent decline from SR13.4 billion a week earlier.  Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:10:02 +03 owen.bennett 2619793 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619792/lifestyle DUBAI: Armed with a camera, curiosity and a love of culture, Mohammed Taher — the TikTok creator behind Taher Travels — has turned his passion for exploration into a digital bridge connecting the Arab world with global audiences. “Since I was a child, I’ve always been fascinated by the world, by different places, people and cultures,” he told Arab News. “I used to imagine what life was like in countries far away. When I finally started traveling, I realized how deeply it was changing me, and I felt the need to share those experiences.” Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:10:33 +03 hams.saleh 2619792 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619791/world LONDON: King Charles III leaves for a state visit to the Vatican Wednesday, where he will meet Pope Leo XIV and make history as the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with the pontiff since the schism between the churches 500 years ago. The visit comes at a delicate time for the British king following new revelations about his brother, Prince Andrew, who is mired in a scandal surrounding late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Charles and Queen Camilla will meet Leo for the first time since he succeeded the late pope Francis in May. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:10:13 +03 rbksa 2619791 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619790/saudi-arabia RIYADH: In the heart of Al-Watan Park, in the historic district of Al-Futah, stands a familiar yet overlooked silhouette: the Burj Al Khazzan. This 61-meter-tall water tower, built in the 1970s by Swedish architect Sune Lindstrom, long served a crucial role: storing water for a rapidly growing capital. Today, as Riyadh redefines its urban identity under Vision 2030 and the Green Riyadh initiative, the Burj may soon begin a new life — cultural, ecological, symbolic. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:10 +03 Peter Harrison 2619790 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619789/middle-east JERUSALEM: US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday cautioned there were challenges ahead both in terms of disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza as part of a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement. “We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza, to make life better for the people of Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel,” Vance said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:47 +03 rbksa 2619789 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619788/world PARIS: More than 700 scientists, political figures and celebrities including Prince Harry, Richard Branson and Steve Bannon on Wednesday called for an end to the development of artificial intelligence capable of outsmarting humans. “The initiative calls for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence until the technology is reliably safe and controllable, and has public buy-in,” according to an open letter published by the Future of Life Institute, a US-based NGO that campaigns against the dangers of AI. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:50 +03 rbksa 2619788 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619787/world KYIV: Ukraine’s state security service has unveiled an upgraded sea drone it says can now operate anywhere in the Black Sea, carry heavier weapons and use artificial intelligence for targeting. Ukraine has used the unmanned naval drones to target Russian shipping and infrastructure in the Black Sea. The Security Service of Ukraine, known by its Ukrainian acronym SBU, has credited strikes by the unmanned vessel known as the “Sea Baby” with forcing a strategic shift in Russia’s naval operations. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:23 +03 rbksa 2619787 at https://www.arabnews.com/ https://www.arabnews.com/node/2619786/sport DUBAI: The 2025–26 NBA season tipped off last night with international stars once again taking center stage, highlighting the league’s growing global reach and balance of power. In Oklahoma City, Canadian MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to a dramatic 125-124 double-overtime win over the Houston Rockets on ring night, scoring 35 points and delivering the decisive free throws. Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:10:42 +03 Arbee 2619786 at https://www.arabnews.com/