Middle East

Jeddah, Nov 19: Qatar Airways will launch domestic operations in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2014, the chief executive of the airline said on Monday. Akbar Al-Baker said the Saudi domestic services carrier will be called Al Maha Airways and will start with the main cities of the Kingdom including Riyadh and Jeddah, and then move to the second-tier cities. “We have chosen the name of the

Dubai, Nov 18: Foggy conditions, low visibility caused by dust storms, and mild showers resulted in disruption of road traffic across the Emirates on Sunday, with incidences of mild to heavy showers in Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Kalba, and neighbouring areas. The UAE’s National Centre for Meteorology Seismology (NCMS) has confirmed that rains will continue on Monday, in Fujairah, Sharjah and Ajman

Riyadh, Nov 14: The Ministry of Labor has shut down a total of 514 women’s wear shops in four months for violating the ministry’s regulations to feminize them. Abdullah Abu Thunain, Deputy Minister for inspection and improving work environment, said that a total of 1,173 shops came under penal action for violating regulations between July 7 and Nov. 4. Among these shops, some 403 were forced to

Riyadh, Nov 13: Riyadh Emir Prince Khaled Bin Bandar said on Tuesday that the ongoing security campaign is not targeting any specific section of expatriates but is directed against all violators of the labor and residency laws. “We will vigorously continue the campaign up to the point of ensuring that all the foreigners in the Kingdom are legal residents,” he said during a reception at Al-Hakam

Riyadh, Nov 12: A camel from a Jeddah farm has tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the first case of an animal infected with the coronavirus that has killed 64 people worldwide, the Ministry of Health said Monday. A ministry statement carried by Saudi Press Agency said the camel “tested positive in preliminary laboratory checks.” The ministry said it was working with

Riyadh, Nov 12: Nearly 17,000 illegal foreigners, including women and children, have surrendered to Riyadh police until Monday evening. Riyadh police spokesman Brig. Gen. Nasser bin Saeed Al-Qahtani said: “Arrangements will be made to deport them immediately after going through their documents.” On Saturday, the police asked violators to surrender to the authorities to facilitate their deportation

Jeddah, Nov 11: One police officer and four Ethiopian illegals were killed at noon Sunday when the vehicle transporting the expats to the Shumaisy deportation center overturned. Another policeman and three Ethiopians were injured in the accident, which took place near Al-Jaizah police station in Al-Laith Governorate. The vehicle rolled over several times as a result of a flat tire. The officer who

Jeddah, Nov 10: Security forces were called in to maintain peace and order in Riyadh’s southern district of Manfouha on Saturday night after a group of men went on a rampage in anger at the Kingdom’s ongoing campaign against illegal foreign workers. At least one local resident was reported dead of injuries from a hail of stones thrown by the rioters, who also smashed crs and shops. Armed with

Riyadh, Nov 9: Saudis have begun complaining of surging labour costs following the exodus of a million foreign workers, although economists insist there will be long-term planning benefits from fully regulating the market. Professionals in the kingdom, both Saudi and expatriate, say the freelance tradesmen who used to queue for odd jobs in public squares have virtually disappeared since police

Jeddah, Nov 8: Jeddah residents have called on the government to move hundreds of illegals from under a bridge at the intersection of Palestine and Prince Majed streets. About 400 workers have been squatting at the location for days waiting for buses to transport them to the Shumaisi deportation center. Many were sitting on the ground, outside restaurants and moving in-between the traffic. There