At the end of Lebanon's civil war, a series of laws was introduced to improve prospects for female entrepreneurs. Lebanese women have been playing catch-up to their male counterparts ever since. Now there is an emerging sector of services by women, for women. Don Duncan reports.

The air here in Dubai this morning was thick. Some strange combination of sand blowing off the desert, dirt from the construction sites, and fog…

Egypt is adding more than a million people a year, which is putting huge strains on its natural resources. Strains that are evident every time some people turn on the tap. Amy Scott reports.

The war in Iraq has brought a building boom to the capital of Jordan, Amman. But the men hanging out on street corners every morning looking for work aren't locals, which has turned a labor shortage into a regional problem. Alisa Roth reports.

In his most recent book, "The War of the World," Harvard historian Niall Ferguson says economic instability leads to conflict but viable market economies can end it — especially in the Middle East. He spoke with Kai Ryssdal.

Usually when the U.S. economy slides, so slides the rest of the world. Commentator Robert Reich says that's not going to happen this time, thanks to China and the Middle East.

The port of Dubai offers a snapshot of the Middle East's place in the global economy. Goods and capital flowing between countries, with the U.S. rarely in sight. Kai Ryssdal and Scott Tong report from Dubai and the Chinese port city of Qingdao.

I will have to learn how to ski one day. Just to know if I could have lied when the woman at the ski Dubai counter asked me if I knew how to ski. I…

We took a few hours off to go to the beach today. Jumeirah Beach Park costs just 5 dirhams to get in (less than $1.50), and it's beautiful. The…

When you see a woman in Dubai covered in black from top to bottom, including her face, but sporting hot-pink stilletto heels, you might assume some kind of disconnect between Islam and the present day. Commentator Samer Shehata says that's not the case at all.