Middle East

Dubai, Jun 8: The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) rose 0.2 percent on Wednesday in the heaviest trading volume this year as 87 shares rose and 63 declined. Buying of Saudi stocks favored by foreign funds, in anticipation of a decision by MSCI on June 20 to begin reviewing Riyadh for possible inclusion in its emerging market index, has buoyed the market in recent days. Dairy producer Almarai rose 0

Abu Dhabi, Jun 7: Showing sympathy for Qatar on social media or through any other means is a crime punishable by law, the UAE Attorney-General has warned. In a statement issued to the Arabic language media on Wednesday, Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the UAE has taken a firm stance against Qatar's hostile and irresponsible policies towards the UAE and other GCC and Arab nations. "The tough decisions

Jeddah, Jun 7: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Makkah governor and adviser to King Salman, on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Health Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah in Jeddah to implement “Makkah, the City of Safe Heart,” an initiative to teach citizens outside the health sector to administer emergency care for people suffering a heart attack. Prince Khaled said he valued the efforts of

Riyadh, Jun 6: Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has revoked the license of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices to to be closed within 48 hours, the regulatory body said said in a statement. Any licenses granted to Qatar Airways employees would also be withdrawn, the statement said. The move comes a day after GACA banned all Qatari planes from landing in the kingdom's

Riyadh, Jun 6: A ban on Qatari flights imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies took effect Tuesday as first efforts were made to resolve the biggest feud to hit the Arab world in years. Saudi Arabia and allies including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing the Gulf state of supporting extremism. Gas-rich Qatar has long

Jeddah, Jun 6: Qatar residents on Monday flocked to supermarkets to stock up on food, in response to Saudi Arabia's decision to close the country's sole land border effective early morning. Social media users reported “panic buying,” with pictures of overflowing shopping carts and empty shelves, after major Gulf states cut diplomatic ties with Doha. “The severity of the Qatari embargo will depend

Baghdad, Jun 5: Iraqi forces retook an area near the Syrian border from the Daesh group on Sunday as part of operations to expel the jihadists from strongholds in the country's north. The Hashed Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) forces announced the “total liberation” of Al-Baaj district “with support from the air force.” “The Iraqi flag has been hoisted above its buildings,” said a statement from

Riyadh, Jun 4: Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi crown prince and deputy commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Friday discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties between their respective nations. The Abu Dhabi crown prince also conveyed the regards of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to King Salman, along with his wishes for further

Jeddah, Jun 4: Let's face it. Saudis love their fast food. McDonald's, Hardee's and KFC are all wildly successful in the Middle East market, but are American fast food chains compatible with the very Middle Eastern rituals of Ramadan? Not so much. For reasons only Arabs can explain, American fast food is not a good fit when it comes to traditional Middle Eastern food during Ramadan and other

Riyadh, Jun 3: A total of 255 beggars — 56 men, 124 women and 75 children — were arrested in the capital during the first week of Ramadan. Following Taraweeh prayers during the holy month, it is common to see groups of beggars pester motorists at traffic lights on the streets of Riyadh. The police said the Saudi beggars arrested were handed over to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development for