The foreign fans descending on Doha for the 2022 World Cup will find a country where women work, hold public office and cruise in their supercars along the city's palm-lined corniche. They've been driving for decades, unlike in Saudi Arabia, where women gained the right just a few years ago.

There are Qatari female ambassadors, judges and ministers, even race jockeys. The emir's mother, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned, is one of the most famous women in the Arab world. In a region where rulers' wives and mothers keep a low-profile, she behaves like a Western-style first lady — advocating for social causes and grabbing headlines as a style icon.

In a few weeks, the tiny emirate jutting out into the Persian Gulf will welcome the world when it hosts the biggest sporting event to ever be staged in the Arab region. Soccer's World Cup is coming, and with it so much scrutiny but also plenty of intrigue.

Qatar is using the World Cup to showcase its culture, history and identity for the estimated 1.2 million visitors traveling in for the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament, and for the many more watching on TV, too.

Pope Francis is making the first-ever papal trip to Bahrain this week, sparking calls from the country's majority Shiite opposition and human rights activists for the pontiff to raise human rights concerns in the small island nation.

The island off the coast of Saudi Arabia is ruled by a Sunni monarchy that violently quashed 2011 Arab Spring protests there with the aid of allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

During the Day of the Dead celebrations that take place in late October and early November in Mexico, the living remember and honor their dearly departed, but with celebration — not sorrow.

Marigolds decorate the streets as music blares from speakers. Adults and children alike dress as skeletons and take photos, capturing the annual joy-filled festivities. It is believed that during the Day of the Dead — or Dia de Muertos — they are able to commune with their deceased loved ones.

Featuring a majority of participants coming in from different countries across the region, ARAB ART FAIR presents a unique platform for art lovers and collectors to discover masterpieces from a new generation of up-and-coming artists.

The annual event gives artists the opportunity to showcase their artwork, promote themselves, and connect with gallerists, collectors, curators, and art lovers.

The ambassador of Iran also been excluded from this year's Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm because of "the serious and escalating situation" in the country, the private foundation that administers the prestigious awards said Friday.

Earlier this week, the envoys of Russia and Belarus were barred from attending the glittery event because of the war in Ukraine.

The Johannes Vermeer masterpiece "Girl with a Pearl Earring" on Thursday became the latest artwork targeted by climate activists in a protest at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. The priceless work reportedly was not damaged.

A video posted on Twitter showed one man pouring a can of what appear to be tomatoes over another man who appeared to attempt to glue his head to the world famous painting.

Archaeologists in northern Iraq last week unearthed 2,700-year-old rock carvings featuring war scenes and trees from the Assyrian Empire, an archaeologist said Wednesday.

The carvings on marble slabs were discovered by a team of experts in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, who have been working to restore the site of the ancient Mashki Gate, which was bulldozed by Islamic State group militants in 2016.

ARAB ART FAIR, the first affordable art fair in the region that brings together art galleries, collectors, and independent artists, will be held for its second edition in Beirut.

Despite the difficult circumstances Lebanon faces, the most prominent art fair for independent artists is coming to Beirut to reignite the passion for art, featuring a roster of artists from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, and more who will be exhibiting their art to local and regional art lovers.

Indians celebrated Diwali on Monday as bright earthen oil lamps and dazzling, colorful lights lit up homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.

Diwali, which is a national holiday across India, is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts with family and friends. Many light earthen oil lamps or candles, and fireworks are set off as part of the celebrations. In the evening, a special prayer is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring luck and prosperity.