Middle East

Jeddah, May 28: The first Saudi relief planes carrying urgent humanitarian aid arrived in the cyclone-hit island of Socotra on Sunday. The general supervisor of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KSRelief), Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, said that on the orders of King Salman and due to the concern expressed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to help the cyclone-hit

Dubai, May 27: Cyclone Mekunu was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday after lashing eastern Yemen and southern Oman, leaving several people dead in its wake and soaking arid Oman and Yemen under 200 ml of rainfall. Latest satellite images, analysis of weather maps and the results of numerical models of the tropical cyclone Mekunu, in the Arabian Sea, have shown that it became a second class

Muscat, May 26: Cyclone Mekunu which hit Oman’s coastal province of Dhofar claimed at least two lives and unleashed widespread destruction in the sultanate. On Friday, a 12-year-old girl died after wind swept her against a wall. A second citizen died on Saturday after his vehicle drifted away in Dhofar, Omani police said on Twitter. The police called on residents “to stay indoors” as the cyclone

May 25: The Saudi Royal Air Defense Force intercepted on Friday morning a ballistic missile headed towards Najran. The missile was spotted at 00:39 Saudi time and was said to be fired by the Houthi militia in Yemen. The Houthis deliberately fired the missile towards Najran, targeting civilian and populated areas, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said in a statement released by the official

Riyadh, May 24: The General Directorate for the Affairs of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, or the Prophet's Mosque, is carrying on with plans during the month of Ramadan to serve visitors, the Saudi Press Agency has said. The directorate has prepared the mosque to accommodate worshipers at the time of prayers, in addition to monitoring the Iftar meals offered at the mosque and its external courts. It also

Jeddah, May 24: The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) announced that new riyal coins will replace one riyal notes starting from Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. It said paper currencies will still be traded alongside the new coins until until all the one riyal notes are gradually phased out across banks, as planned. SAMA said the coin has been coined under the patronage of King Salman

Jeddah, May 19: With only weeks remaining before Saudi women take to the road, the Kingdom is preparing drivers for one of the most dramatic reforms in the country’s history. Driving schools for women have been opened, car advertisements and safety advice are being directed at both men and women, and new traffic signs are addressing women drivers. Now the Kingdom has called on women with overseas

Riyadh, May 19: Seven people have been arrested for their association with foreign entities and for recruiting people in sensitive government positions. Quoting the security spokesman of the Presidency of State Security, the Saudi Press Agency said: “The specialized authority monitored the coordinated activity of a group of people. Through this activity, the group was able to undertake organized

Istambul, May 19: Leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states arrived in Istanbul on Friday for a summit, called by Turkey, over the killings of about 60 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces along the Gaza border. The extraordinary summit has been called by the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his capacity as the Chair of the OIC Summit. Erdogan has

Gaza/London, May 19: The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Friday voted to send a team of international war crimes investigators to Gaza to investigate the violent protests that have left more than 100 people dead. An international commission of inquiry is the UNHRC’s highest level of investigation. But if the intention was to give hope to Palestinians after six weeks of violent confrontation