Russians who have gone to Turkey to avoid conscription are at a loss to figure out their new future. Meanwhile, thousands of men keep arriving.

Men are fleeing Russia by land or air days after President Vladimir Putin said he was mobilizing more forces into Ukraine. NPR met Russians arriving in Turkey, where they don't need visas to enter.

Military-age men continue to flee Russia after President Putin ordered the country's first mobilization since WWII. Many are arriving in Istanbul, where they can travel without a visa.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top producers and exporters of dates, and dozens of varieties are sold every year at the Buraydah Date Festival.

Russian men are fleeing the country to avoid being forced into the military and the war in Ukraine. Many are going to Turkey, where they do not need a visa to enter.

Russia's call-up of additional troops has prompted many men to look for ways to avoid military service. Some of them are packing flights to Turkey.

Saudi Arabia is known for its oil, but it is also one of the world's great producers of dates, which are now in season.

The kingdom's sweeping redevelopment in the city of Jeddah is displacing hundreds of thousands of residents, many of them from working-class immigrant communities.

Most Gazans support resistance against Israel and Hamas and Islamic Jihad still do have a following, though some Gazans are frustrated with the groups. Analysts see a rift forming between them.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip take stock of militant groups there — Hamas and Islamic Jihad — after another round of conflict with Israel.

Still recovering from the last bout of fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad last week, civilians in Gaza are exhausted by suffering through the cycles of conflict.

There's a deadly battle taking place in the region. At the same time, progress is being made to clean up the territory's Mediterranean beaches as the people seek an escape from the violence.

People in the Gaza Strip recount the harrowing stories of the weekend's fierce fighting between Israel and militants — and look to resuming their stressful, precarious day-to-day.

A ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza appears to be mostly holding as both sides assess what just happened in three days of fighting.

In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's social and economic reforms are moving ahead. We have a look at how those changes are playing out with the Saudi people.

A sweeping redevelopment aimed at drawing wealthy residents to Jeddah is displacing thousands and raising questions about how Saudi Arabia carries out its megaprojects.

In the Middle East, the reaction to the slain al Qaida leader's death was welcomed by Saudi Arabia. But some in the region expressed concerns over U.S. drone strikes.

Saudi leaders viewed their summit with President Biden as a success, but human rights advocates worry about the message it sent to the kingdom.

President Biden wraps up his trip to the Middle East by telling Arab leaders the U.S. will not walk away from the region.

Many Saudis in the port city Jeddah are aware of President Biden's criticisms of the Kingdom but they hope his visit there Friday will strengthen ties between the two countries.