News

Syria Rolls Out First National Tourism Discount Card

The Tamayouz program launches in early 2026, offering discounts of up to 50% as Damascus tests a new push for domestic travel.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 22, 2025

Nour Nasir

syria rolls out first national tourism discount card

Syria has introduced its first nationwide tourism discount card, a move aimed at jumpstarting domestic travel and tightening coordination with private-sector operators.

The “Tamayouz” card, announced by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, promises discounts of up to 50% at more than 70 partner establishments in its initial rollout. The program is scheduled to go live in early 2026, covering hotels, resorts, chalets and travel agencies, with offers refreshed monthly.

Tourism Minister Mazen Al Salhani said the card is designed to formalize how discounts are issued across the sector, starting with domestic tourism. Access in the first phase will be limited to selected government employees, before expanding into a broader system that blends ministry-backed offers with private-sector deals.

“This card reflects our commitment to establishing a structured culture of tourism discount programs, which represents a key component of any modern tourism sector,” Al Salhani said.

The ministry is positioning Tamayouz as more than a pricing tool. Officials say the program will serve as a platform for deeper public–private cooperation, with a target of expanding the partner network to around 300 establishments by the end of 2026. Participating businesses will be required to apply approved discounts daily, including during official holidays.

A digital component is also planned. Alongside the physical card, a SmartApp — initially web-based — will provide an interactive map of participating venues, a points-based rewards system, and instant discount redemption via barcode or QR code. Technical support will be available to cardholders as the system rolls out.

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Al Salhani said the ministry also wants to draw established international discount programs into the Syrian market as part of a broader effort to align with global tourism practices. “We encourage leading global experiences to enter the Syrian market to spread this international culture,” he said.

For now, the focus remains inward. However, the structure of Tamayouz mirrors loyalty and discount platforms already common across the region, marking a tentative step toward standardizing offers and rebuilding tourism demand under tighter state oversight.

News

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health Is A Private Space For Health Data

A new health mode lets the popular AI platform tap medical records and fitness apps while walling off sensitive information.

Published

6 days ago

January 8, 2026

Nour Nasir

OpenAI

OpenAI has created ChatGPT Health, a separate space inside its chatbot platform for handling medical and wellness data. The opt-in feature starts with a small US cohort before widening out.

Health-related questions have long driven traffic to AI tools. OpenAI says over 230 million people ask ChatGPT about health or insurance each week. The new mode adds personal context to that behavior but stops short of diagnosis or treatment advice.

Users can connect records from participating US providers through b.well and link apps such as Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, Function and Weight Watchers. Some links are US-only, while Apple Health needs iOS. Once connected, ChatGPT can surface patterns in labs, summarize information ahead of a clinic visit or help map diet and exercise choices against past data.

The data sits apart from other chat information. Health has its own memories and does not spill into other conversations. Users can view or delete health memories at any time. OpenAI says this material is not used to train its models.

Security is much heavier in this section too. Health adds isolation and purpose-built encryption on top of the platform’s baseline protections. App connections require explicit permission, and disconnecting cuts the feed immediately.

“ChatGPT Health is another step toward turning ChatGPT into a personal super-assistant that can support you with information and tools to achieve your goals across any part of your life,” wrote Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s applications chief.

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Physicians had input during development, though OpenAI has not detailed how that shaped the end product. The launch follows Health Bench, a dataset released in May to test models on realistic medical cases.

While currently rooted in the US healthcare ecosystem, the approach may draw interest in the Gulf and wider MENA markets as governments push digital health records and patient portals under modernization programs. Adoption will depend on whether users trust an AI assistant with such personal material and whether it fits clinical routines.

For OpenAI, the move marks a cautious step into regulated terrain and signals a shift toward sector-specific uses of generative AI.