Middle East

Riyadh, Aug 10: Madinah police have arrested 6,944 expatriates in the past two months for residency and labor violations. They were arrested during routine inspections carried out by security authorities, said Madinah police spokesman Maj. Hussain Al-Qahtani. Those arrested were without residency certificates, had expired iqamas or overstayed their Hajj/Umrah visas. Others had abandoned their

Doha, Aug 9: Qatar announced on Wednesday a programme to allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries to encourage air transport and tourism amid a two-month boycott imposed on the Gulf state by its neighbors. Nationals from dozens of countries in Europe and elsewhere including India, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States will now receive tourist visas on arrival to the

Jeddah, Aug 9: A huge improvement is witnessed in the Saudi-US relationship under the Trump administration, said the new Saudi ambassador to the US Prince Khaled bin Salman who recently presented his credentials to President Trump. “I think that President Trump is determined to work with his allies in the region to counter Iranian expansionism and terrorism,” the envoy said in an interview with

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