Middle East

Makkah, Sep 21: Their faces bathed in sweat, cheeks stained with tears, dozens of Muslim pilgrims scale Makkah’s Jabal Al-Noor mountain, undertaking the arduous ascent to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was in a cave in this rugged, rocky peak overlooking the holy city of Makkah that Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed to the prophet when he was 40

Jeddah, Sep 18: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has condemned Israel for its blatant attacks on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The king has spoken on phone with US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to express his concerns over Israel’s actions. He

Jeddah, Sep 17: Security agencies have arrested two terror suspects and are on the hunt for two others, according to the Interior Ministry on Wednesday. The two have been identified as Ahmed Said Jabir Al-Zahrani, 21, and Mohammed Said Jabir Al-Zahrani, 19, who were arrested at their hide-out in Riyadh, said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry. Al-Turki said security

Sep 11: Saudi Arabia has reportedly responded to the growing number of people fleeing the Middle East for western Europe - by offering to build 200 mosques in Germany. Syria's richer Gulf neighbours have been accused of not doing their fair share in the humanitarian crisis, with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE also keeping their doors firmly shut to asylum-seekers. According to the

Jeddah, Sep 7: Daesh has permitted 1,000 Iraqis to leave for Baghdad to travel to the Kingdom for Haj. The Iraqi pilgrims left Mosul on Aug. 23 for Baghdad and crossed through Anbar province. However, Khaled Al-Attiyah, president of the Supreme Commission for Haj and Umrah, called on the Iraqi government to stop pilgrims below 60 for security reasons. Iraqi political activist Ghanem Al-Abed said

Muscat, Sep 5: At least two people died and three others were missing as rains lashed northern parts of Oman on Friday afternoon. The provinces of Muscat, Samayil, Amerat, Rustaq, Buraimi, Bahla, Ibri, Yanqul and Dhank were hit by heavy hailstorm which lasted for more than two hours. An Omani woman and her housemaid died when their vehicle was swept away by flood waters in wadi Huqain of Rustaq

Jeddah, Sep 3: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has slammed the Iranian-produced film entitled ‘Mohammed Messenger of God,’ saying that Islam does not allow the Prophet, peace be upon him, to be depicted in this manner. He said the film depicts the Prophet in an “untrue light” and undermines the important role he plays in Islam. “This is a mockery of the Prophet and a degradation of his

Dubai, Sep 1: His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai acknowledged the close bilateral relations between the UAE and Saudi Arabia during his visit to the headquarters of Asharq Al Awsat newspaper in London. Shaikh Mohammed stressed on the UAE's appreciation for Saudi Arabia's role in establishing stability and security in

Jeddah, Aug 27: An official at the Ministry of Labor confirmed that ministry will launch an e-recruitment service via the Musaned website next week. The service will allow employers to apply for visas without the need to visit labor offices. Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, director of public relations at the Labor Ministry, said the testing of the new electronic program proved successful. The ministry is

Jeddah, Aug 23: A 40-year-old Ethiopian mother, whose son was totally paralyzed more than nine years ago as a result of a botched operation at one of Jeddah’s leading hospitals, has rejected SR2.4 million in compensation awarded to her by a special committee of the Health Ministry. “I am not interested in money,” said a tearful and distraught Halima Muzzamil Hussain, an Ethiopian national whose