Middle East

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

Jeddah, Aug 17: Residents who want to benefit from the government’s low¬cost Haj scheme can now register themselves on the localhaj.haj.gov.sa website. Because of the limited quota, the registration should be done early. The process began on Sunday (Dul Qaada 1) and packages available start from SR3,000. Majid Siddique, media coordinator for the Siddique Haj Group, told Arab News that the ministry

Jeddah, Aug 16: The Labor Ministry has banned issuance of permanent, temporary or seasonal visas to expats for a number of professions. According to reports in the local newspapers, a number of professions have been added to the reserved category. Jobs in these particular professions have to be carried out only by Saudis. The ministry identified 19 job titles that are off-limits to expatriates