Middle East

Dubai, Apr 30: Work staff will no longer be able to present predated sick leave certificates to employers. The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) announced on Saturday that predated sick leave for three consecutive days or more will no longer be issued. This means sick leaves can only be given on the same day the patient visits the medical facilities and not for previous days. The DHA urged physicians

Jerusalem, Apr 29: Israel intends to build 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem, the Housing Ministry said on Friday despite US President Donald Trump’s request to “hold back” on settlements as part of a possible new push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. A formal announcement of the settlement plan, quickly condemned by the chief Palestinian negotiator, could come around the time Trump is

Istanbul, Apr 28: Global energy markets are heading to a rebalancing in the next few years after oil prices fell to historic lows due to oversupply, Qatar’s Energy and Industry Minister Mohammed Saleh Abdullah Al-Sada said on Thursday, praising members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for their adherence to a “successful” November deal to cut production. He told the

Moscow, Apr 27: Saudi Arabia reiterated Wednesday its stand on the Syrian president, saying that there is no place for Bashar Assad in the country’s future. “We do not believe there is a future for Bashar in Syria,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. “Assad is responsible for the killing of 300,000 Syrian citizens. He is

Jeddah, Apr 26: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday donated $150 million (SR562 million) to the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KSRelief) to boost its work in war-torn Yemen. The donation was announced by Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the center, who led the Kingdom’s delegation to a donors’ conference in Geneva. Al-Rabeeah said the most recent donation is part of the $8.2 billion the

Riyadh, Apr 25: The Cabinet on Monday threw its support to the Arab finance ministers in their call for diversification of income sources and to promote inter-Arab investments during their meeting in Rabat. The Cabinet also gave their support for the finance ministers’ urging to improve the regional business environment, enhance regional economic integration and attract foreign investments. The

Riyadh, Apr 24: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who arrived here Sunday on an official visit, held talks with King Salman on various aspects of bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments. Upon arrival, El-Sisi was received by the monarch at King Salman Air Base, from where they headed to the Royal Court, where the visiting delegation was received by Deputy Crown Prince

Jeddah, Apr 23: Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced the appointment of Prince Khaled bin Salman as the new ambassador to the US. Prince Khaled is an air force pilot who flew missions as part of the Saudi contribution to the anti-Daesh coalition. He replaces Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki, who served in the post for just over a year. Among the other major decisions announced through a series

Jeddah, Apr 22: The “sky is the limit” for Saudi Arabian society if people are willing to embrace the change, the Kingdom’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said. In a wide-ranging interview with American columnist David Ignatius, the deputy crown prince reflected on the ground-breaking changes presently taking place in the Kingdom under the Vision 2030 plan. He told Ignatius that the

Jeddah, Apr 21: At least one person died and several injured on Friday morning after a road accident caused a massive oil tanker fire on the Haramain expressway, authorities said. Maj. Naif Al-Sharif, spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Makkah, confirmed a single fatality inside a burnt-out vehicle after an accident caused a 33-ton oil tanker to catch fire on the main highway