Middle East

Riyadh, Sep 27: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has advised pilgrims to avoid politicizing the Haj. Speaking during his Friday sermon at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, he said the main aim of the Haj should be remembering Allah while performing the rituals. He said pilgrims must be wary of their Haj being dominated by “evil and wrong thoughts, deviant ideologies or abhorrent

Jeddah, Sep 26: More than 2 million pilgrims, who are to perform Haj this year, can use the newly expanded areas of the Grand Mosque in Makkah for prayers, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered. In accordance with the royal directives, pilgrims will be able to perform prayers inside the expanded mosque and courtyards on the northern, western, southern and eastern parts of the

Jeddah, SEP 25: The Traffic Department has sought the assistance of Tawafa organizations for the success of its plan for the Haj season this year. “Tawafa organizations are an important partner for the success of the Haj traffic plan,” said Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Al-Muqbil, director of traffic police and assistant commander of Haj security forces. Addressing a meeting organized by the Tawafa

Al-Aqsa, Sep 24: According to reports on Wednesday, clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israelis after Israeli forces stormed the holy site. At least 20 Palestinians were reportedly injured in the clashes. Israeli troops have escalated their raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in recent months. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site for world Muslims. Almost on a daily basis, Israeli troops

Jeddah, Sep 24: Saudi Arabia's air force participated in US-led bombing strikes against the so-called Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria on Tuesday as part of global efforts to eliminate terrorism, an official source said. “The Saudi Royal Air Force participated in the military operations against IS in Syria, in support of the moderate Syrian opposition, and as part of the international

Riyadh, Sep 23: Today is a proud moment for all the people residing in Saudi Arabia, which is celebrating its 84th National Day, the anniversary of the glorious unification by great visionary King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the founder of the modern Kingdom in 1932. Declared as a national holiday, the occasion is very special to the citizens as well as to the huge number of expatriates residing in this

Dammam, Sep 22: Two Civil Defense officers died and six people were injured in a massive fire that gutted the Al-Bilad Mall (Nesto Supermarket) in Dammam. “We found the bodies of the two Civil Defense officers inside the mall this morning,” said Col. Mansour Al-Dossari, department spokesman. He identified the two officers as Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Mubarak Al-Khalifa. Al-Dossari said the fire hit

Riyadh, Sep 22: Pilgrims arriving at the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) are being screened, tested and given preventive medication against the Ebola virus. Fahd Al-Ghazwi, supervisor of the preventive center at the airport, told a local newspaper that a medical team wearing protective clothing “examines pilgrims who have flown in for Haj, especially pilgrims coming from West Africa.”

Jeddah, Sep 21: The Ministry of Labor has warned it would punish companies hiring "ghost" women workers to boost their Saudization quotas, including heavy financial penalties, cutting off all services from the Human Resources Development Fund, and banning them from hiring new staff. The move comes as the ministry prepares to launch the third phase of its feminization campaign. This starts on Oct

Jeddah, Sep 19: Saudi Arabia has pledged $500 million to help rebuild Gaza, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah said on Thursday, with the full cost of post-war reconstruction expected to be around $4 billion over three years. Saudi Arabia’s commitment comes ahead of a conference in Cairo on Oct. 12 when Palestinian leaders hope other donors, including Turkey, Qatar, the European Union