Middle East

Riyadh, Jan 17: Saudi Arabiaannounced on Wednesday it would transfer $2 billion to Yemen's central bank, following desperate calls for a financial rescue from the beleaguered government it has supported militarily for nearly three years. The bailout aims to curb the fall in value of the Yemeni riyal, which has plummeted as the war between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi Shiite rebels who

Jerusalem, Jan 17: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he believed the US embassy in Israel could be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem within a year, reports said, contradicting statements from US officials. "The embassy is going to be moved to Jerusalem faster than you think, certainly within a year," Netanyahu told journalists accompanying him on an official trip to India

Jeddah, Jan 17: Saudi security men shot dead a Saudi national accused of carrying out a number of terrorist crimes after he opened fire on them on Monday evening. State security authorities were monitoring Abdullah bin Mirza Ali Al-Qalaf, according to an official source. The official said Al-Qalaf was found near a farm between the towns of Awamiyah and Qudayh in a silver Hyundai Sonata car bearing

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has decided to suspend its recognition of Israel until the latter recognises the State of Palestine on its 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. During a meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah late on Monday, the PLO, which is an umbrella of major Palestinian political parties, also said that the Oslo Accords, signed with Israel

Gaza, Jan 13: The Egyptian navy opened fire on a Palestinian fisherman at sea and killed him, the Gaza Ministry said on Saturday. Egyptian officials had no immediate comment on the incident which happened late on Friday after dark near the southern border-town Rafah, according to Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra. It could not be confirmed whether the fisherman was attempting to cross

Riyadh, Jan 13: Female fans were allowed to attend football matches for the first time in Saudi Arabia on Friday. The first match that women attended was the Al-Ahli versus Al-Batin on Friday Jan. 12. The Saudi Arabian government announced the lifting of the ban late last year and as a result, women now be able to enjoyed Saudi Professional League matches. The government directive said women would

Jeddah, Jan 12: Saudi football clubs are appealing directly to female fans for support through ad campaigns and social media as women are allowed into stadiums for the first time on Friday. The official Twitter account for Al-Ittihad directed a tweet toward the club’s female fans on Tuesday. It said that women were powerful agents in the success of the team, just like their male counterparts. Two

Jeddah, Jan 11: Women aged 25 and over can be granted a tourist visa to go to Saudi Arabia alone, a spokesman for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) has said. However, women under 25 must be accompanied by a family member. Omar Al-Mubarak, director general of the commission’s licensing department, said: “The tourist visa will be a single-entry visa, and valid for 30 days

Riyadh, Jan 10: The Saudi Cabinet has expressed its appreciation of King Salman’s royal decrees on the payment of annual bonuses and cost of living allowances for civilians and military employees in the Kingdom. Chaired by King Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh Tuesday, the Cabinet also praised the king’s orders on the payment of financial rewards to military personnel serving at the Kingdom’s

Jeddah, Jan 7: The director of the Tourism and Heritage Authority in the Makkah region, Mohammed Al-Omari, told Arab News on Saturday that, “citizens from all the countries who have access to the Kingdom can obtain tourist visas.” Al-Omari continued: “All Muslims from countries around the world can obtain a post-Umrah tourist visa, so when Umrah is finished they can become a tourist.” This is