Middle East

Jeddah, Aug 8: Saudi Arabia rejects all attempts to politicize and internationalize the Hajj, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Central Hajj Committee, said on Monday. Prince Khaled, adviser to King Salman and governor of Makkah Region, was speaking at the inauguration of the “Hajj is Worship and Civilized Behavior” campaign. “Hajj is a message of peace,” he said. On the campaign by Qatar

Doha, Aug 7: Israel plans to revoke media credentials of Al Jazeera journalists and close the network's office in Jerusalem, the country's communication minister has announced. Ayoub Kara made the announcement on Sunday during a press conference in Jerusalem, where Al Jazeera was barred from attending. "We have based our decision on the move by Sunni Arab states to close the Al Jazeera offices and

Jeddah, Aug 7: An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry has said reports by several media outlets quoting Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir regarding the Syrian crisis as “inaccurate.” Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the source as saying: “The firm position of the Kingdom on the Syrian crisis is based on the principles of the Geneva 1 Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2254

Riyadh, Aug 5: The coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen is not responsible for the lack of fuel at Sanaa airport because the city is controlled by the Houthis and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said on Friday. Al-Maliki was responding to media reports of the director of the UN Development Program in Yemen claiming that the

Dubai, Aug 4: Firefighters have extinguished a blaze that swept through one of the world’s tallest residential buildings in Dubai early on Friday, forcing occupants to flee their homes as burning debris showered down the sides of the 79-story tower. Dubai’s civil defense authorities said firefighting squads put out the blaze by around 4 a.m. (0000 GMT) and were cooling the 1,105 foot (337 meter)

Jeddah, Aug 3: Madinah governorate has started implementing its plan to serve pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque during this year’s Hajj season, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The plan of the governorate and its affiliated municipalities covers environmental health, markets, public hygiene, road safety, lighting and a 24-hour monitoring system throughout the Hajj season. Mayor

Riyadh, Aug 2: A Shoura Council member has called for a 20 percent tax on Saudi investments abroad, as is the case with foreign investments in the Kingdom, local media reported. The proposed tax will generate billions of riyals in state income and contribute to the national economy by offsetting the exit of Saudi capital investments, Fahd bin Jumaa, deputy chairman of the Financial Committee at

Beirut, Aug 1: Food access in Syria’s battle-torn Raqqa is now at “a critical turning point,” aid organizations said Monday, with markets shuttered and residents depending fully on their dwindling stockpiles. Raqqa has been gripped by fierce fighting for nearly two months and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have ousted Daesh from half of the northern city. An assessment released Monday by

Dubai, Jul 31: Lead actors of the Bollywood movie ‘Mubarakan’, now playing at theatres in the UAE, visited Thumbay Hospital – Dubai, one of the leading academic hospitals of the region owned and operated by Thumbay Group, on Sunday, 30th July 2017. Bollywood celebrities Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Ileana De Cruz and Athiya Shetty were welcomed at the hospital by Mr. Thumbay Moideen - Founder

Dubai, Jul 31: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, which have tried to isolate Qatar, said on Sunday they would allow Qatari planes to use air corridors in emergencies, but Doha denied it, saying they were spreading "false information". The four countries severed ties with Qatar on 5 June, closed borders - in the sea, land and sky - and imposed economic sanctions, accusing