Middle East

Ramallah, Sept 26: Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah will travel to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 2 as part of renewed reconciliation efforts with Hamas, which runs the enclave, his government said Monday. The visit follows concessions by Islamist group Hamas after discussions with Egypt, which has urged it to take steps toward reconciliation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah

Dubai, Sept 26: Dubai has edged closer to its goal of launching a pioneering hover-taxi service, with the authorities announcing a successful "concept" flight was made on Monday without passengers. Safety features for the two-seater air taxi include emergency parachutes and nine independent battery systems, according to Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA). It said the prototype, supplied by

Jeddah, Sept 26: Following his meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City, Muslim World League (MWL) Secretary-General Mohammed Al-Issa met with the head of the Pontifical Council of the Vatican, Cardinal Jean-Laurent Tauran. The latter meeting was held in the presence of the secretary of the Council of Archbishops, Miguel Isosu, and Archbishop Khalid Akasha. The meeting established a permanent

Washington, Sept 25: Saudis in the US celebrated the country’s National Day on Saturday with a celebration organized by the Saudi Embassy at the National Building Museum in downtown Washington. The evening event was opened to the public and was attended by hundreds of people, including Prince Khaled bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington. The mood was festive and Saudis of all ages

Riyadh, Sept 23: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday celebrated the 87th anniversary of its National Day amid increasing regional challenges. On this day, late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman declared the unification of the country under the name of “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” on the 19th of the month of Jumada I of 1351 AH. The unification was achieved after 32 years of struggle during which

Riyadh, Sept 22: Saudi Arabia has made extensive arrangements to celebrate its 87th National Day in a fitting manner throughout the Kingdom. On Wednesday, the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced that elaborate preparations were being made to unveil 27 diverse festivities across 17 cities within Saudi Arabia to mark the National Day. Celebrations will begin on Thursday and run through

Riyadh, Sept 21: The Saudi government is lifting a ban on calls made through online apps on Thursday but will monitor and censor them, a government spokesman said. All online voice and video call services - such as Microsoft's Skype, Facebook's WhatsApp and Messenger, and Rakuten's Viber - that satisfy regulatory requirements were set to become accessible overnight. However, on Thursday morning

Jeddah, Sept 21: King Salman on Wednesday received the chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA), Turki Al-Asheikh, accompanied by the president and members of Saudi Arabian Football Association (SAFA) and players of the Saudi Football First Team on the occasion of their qualification for 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. Upon their reception at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, King Salman said he

Riyadh, Sept 20: Saudi Arabia will remove its ban on internet phone calls on Thursday, a government spokesman said, in a bid to stimulate online business as the kingdom looks to boost non-oil revenue. All online voice and video call services such as Microsoft's Skype and Facebook's WhatsApp that satisfy regulatory requirements will become accessible at midnight (2100 GMT), Adel Abu Hameed

Riyadh, Sept 20: The Shoura Council is currently studying a major proposal to merge the religious police, officially known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, into the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The plan is widely seen as a move to redesign and redefine the role of the religious police, as also to curb its powers further. “This is not a plan or proposal from the