Middle East

Jeddah, Jul 9: A member of Saudi Arabia’s security forces and a foreign citizen were killed in an attack at a checkpoint in Buraidah, Qassim Province, on Sunday. Two of the attackers were also killed and another injured in the ensuing gunfight, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The three men opened fire at 3:45 p.m. local time from a Hyundai Elantra, an Interior Ministry spokesman said. “A security

Dubai, Jul 8: The property transactions in Dubai in the first half of 2018 has seen approximately 16 per cent decline compared to the same period a year ago. According to Dubai Land Department (DLD), overall property transactions in Dubai totalled Dh111 billion from January to June this year. This was done through 27,642 transactions. The Land Department numbers represent properties and plots sold

Dubai, Jul 8: Another world record has been broken in Dubai, as a major business hub has recently pieced together the world’s largest puzzle. The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) confirmed on Sunday that it has successfully claimed a new Guinness World Records title for the largest jigsaw puzzle by surface area. In celebration of the Year of Zayed, the 12,000-piece puzzle features the image

Amman/Beirut, Jul 7: South Syrian rebels agreed to give up arms in a Russian-brokered cease-fire deal on Friday, rebel sources said, surrendering Daraa province to the government in another major victory for President Bashar Assad and his Russian alies. The Syrian government recovered the crucial Nassib border crossing with Jordan, held by rebels for three years, state media reported, after a

Jeddah, Jul 6: The Arab Parliament lauded the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) for its role in rehabilitating children recruited by the Houthi militia in Yemen. The Parliament, created by the Arab League, also expressed support for the actions of the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Parliament stressed that the use of

Amman/Jordan, Jul 5: Russia launched its first airstrikes in four days in the southern Syrian region of Daraa on Wednesday after talks aimed at restoring the Assad regime rule collapsed. The airstrikes targeted Tafas, northwest of the provincial capital Daraa, and Saida to the east. Barrel bombs were also dropped on Saida. Regime forces backed by Russian air power launched an offensive last month

Dubai, Jul 2: A United Arab Emirates (UAE) firm has launched an official website for a project to tow icebergs from Antarctica to the UAE coasts during the first quarter of 2020 "to leverage them as new sources of water in the region". The National Advisor Bureau Ltd put forward the UAE-IcebergProject to highlight the upcoming stages and benefits in environment and economy, Xinhua reported on

Amman, Jul 1: Talks between the Syrian opposition and Russian negotiators to reach a ceasefire in a rebel-held town in southwestern Syria have resumed after mediation by Jordan that has been seeking a ceasefire, an opposition spokesman said. A string of Syrian rebel-held towns and villages were forced to accept government rule on Saturday as insurgent lines collapsed in parts of the southwest

Jeddah, Jun 30: Al-Ahsa Oasis in the Eastern Province has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), said on Friday. The decision was made during meetings of the World Heritage Committee in Bahrain’s capital Manama. Al-Ahsa Oasis is the fifth Saudi site to join UNESCO’s World Heritage list

Jeddah, Jun 28: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait stepped in on Wednesday with pledges of financial support to avert a debt crisis in Bahrain. The three Gulf allies said they were in discussions on an aid package and other options “to enable the kingdom of Bahrain to support its economic reforms and fiscal stability.” The promise of support immediately eased fears that Manama may be unable to