With the world’s biggest and third-biggest deserts making up nearly 90 percent of its area, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the “most water-scarce region in the world,” according to a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The number of people living in threatened areas accounts for nearly twice the global average of 35 percent. Despite such grim figures, most Arab governments “continue to incentivize high levels of water use” through low prices, the report says. Nations with conservation policies tackle the issue in different ways, making it more complicated for those that don’t. “Diversity…
Author: Tamer Hafez
Followers of Rania Al-Mashat on social media typically are inundated with new posts every few hours encouraging foreigners to visit Egypt. The World Travel and Tourism Council recognized that outreach by honoring the tourism minister with its Global Champion Award 2019. “This annual award is usually granted in appreciation of the efforts exerted by some countries facing challenges,” according to a WTTC statement. “This is the first time […] for a country or a minister in the Middle East to be granted such an award.” In September, the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index saw Egypt’s ranking jump…