Middle East

Jeddah, May 9: The caption to a picture showing Angela Merkel with her hair pixelated said it was all a joke. But some social-media users took the idea that Saudi television networks had censored images of the unveiled German chancellor very seriously. Indeed, the erroneous claim soon became the latest fake news story to spread like wildfire online. Merkel’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, during

Riyadh, May 8: The entertainment sector supported by the General Authority for Entertainment (GAE) generates SR2.02 for every riyal spent on the organization of an event, according to a report by the GAE. Some 106 events organized in 21 Saudi cities in a period of less than one year were responsible for millions of riyals spent in the Kingdom, instead of being spent abroad, said the report. Since

Ottawa, May 7: Royal Court Adviser and General Supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief) Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, underscored the Kingdom’s leading role in humanitarian work and its commitment to the international humanitarian law, which corresponds to the teachings of Islam that call for the preservation of human dignity and sparing mankind suffering. Al-Rabeeah

Jeddah, May 6: Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has called for more awareness of the increasing dangers of Islamophobia, through the dissemination of principles of peace and harmony between communities. He was speaking at the recently held 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan. He confirmed the continuous

Washington, May 5: Promoting an agenda of “tolerance,” “burden sharing” and “countering both Iran and Daesh,” senior US officials announced that Saudi Arabia will be the first stop for US President Donald Trump on his debut foreign visit since taking office in January. This is the first time ever that a US president has made Saudi Arabia a first stop on a maiden foreign trip after taking office

Jeddah, May 4: Prince Mishal bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Allegiance Council died Wednesday, the royal court announced, adding that funeral prayer will be performed after Isha prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Prince Mishal was 90. Prince Mishal was born on Sept. 5, 1926, and was the 14th son of King Abdulaziz. He was in charge of the

Jeddah, May 3: During the fifth meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council on Tuesday council members said they will use discretion in dealing with the various developments in Arab and Muslim countries to ensure the preservation of the safety and stability of these countries, and the prosperity of their peoples. The meeting was chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy prime minister

Riyadh, May 2: The Ideological War Center (IWC), a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense, is launching extensive plans to fight extremism and terrorism, the ministry announced on its social media accounts. In a series of messages released in several languages via social media, the IWC will focus on exposing mistakes, allegations, suspicions and deceptive techniques promoted by

Riyadh, May 1: German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Saudi Arabia without a headscarf for talks with the oil-rich kingdom's monarch. Ms Merkel was greeted by King Salman and other top officials upon her arrival at the western city of Jiddah. Like other recent female Western visitors, the German Chancellor did not cover her hair upon arrival in the conservative Islamic kingdom. Prime Minister

Jeddah, May 1: Interior Ministry officers have arrested 46 alleged militants belonging to a terrorist cell in the neighborhood of Al-Harazat in Jeddah, ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said on Sunday. The charges included intent to target worshipers at the Prophet’s Mosque, carrying out a deadly attack near a mosque close to the US Consulate in Jeddah, and the murder of a cell member