Middle East

Beirut/Amman, Aug 22: Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people on Wednesday by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held Damascus suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept. With the dead estimated at between 500 and 1,300, what would be the world's most lethal chemical weapons attack since the 1980s prompted an emergency meeting of the

Riyadh, Aug 20: Saudi Arabia has warned foreign Hajis against politicizing the annual pilgrimage, saying it would not tolerate any move to violate the event’s sanctity and security. “We have signed agreements with all foreign Haj missions to make sure their pilgrims strictly follow the Kingdom’s regulations,” said Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar. “Exploiting Haj for political purposes will be a

Dubai, Aug 18: All mosques to be built in Dubai starting next year will be environment-friendly. Dubai’s Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) secretary-general Tayeb Al Rais said the first of these eco-mosques, which is also the first in the Middle East, was expected to be completed and opened in the first quarter of next year, with some 60 per cent of the work already finished. “We do want

Dubai, Aug 18: As many as 287 people of different nationalities embraced Islam in Dubai during the holy month of Ramadan, according to the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities. Department director-general Dr Hamad Al Shaibani said they spared no effort in helping new Muslims, particularly providing courses and activities for them and their family members. “The department also

Cairo, Aug 17: Gunfire was on Saturday heard at a Cairo mosque where hundreds of supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy were engaged in a tense standoff with security forces, even as the death toll in fierce street clashes rose to nearly 180. Gunshots were heard at Al-Fatah mosque near Ramses Square in central Cairo, where security forces in riot gear have surrounded pro-Morsy

Makkah, Aug 17: Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar has denied allegations that some countries had raised objections to the 20 percent reduction in the allocation of number of pilgrims allowed for Haj. Hajjar said the ministry had finalized the allocation of the number of pilgrims that can be accommodated for Haj for various countries, because of the ongoing expansion works undertaken in the Grand Mosque

Cairo, Aug 16: Deeply polarized Egypt braced for renewed confrontation on Friday after the Muslim Brotherhood called for a nationwide march of millions to show anger at a ferocious security crackdown on Islamists in which hundreds were killed. Defying criticism from major Western allies, Egypt's army-backed government warned it would turn its guns on anyone who attacked the police or public

Madinah, Aug 13: The demolition of over two-thirds of buildings surrounding the Prophet's Mosque from the east have been completed for the mosque’s grand expansion ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. The demolition work started early July and has been continuing ever since. So far, 10 big buildings have been demolished, including the Awkaf building, the Al-Wiladah mosque

Jeddah, Aug 12: The rising prices of gold during the past two weeks caused stagnation in the Saudi market, and pushed gold merchants to activate sales because factories didn’t halt their production, according to the National Committee for Precious Metals. The price of the precious metal has registered the second weekly decline, while the dollar has recovered from its lowest value since seven weeks

Cairo, Aug 9: Millions of Muslims paid respects at ancestral graves, shared festive family meals and visited beaches and amusement parks Thursday to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, but violence and political tension overshadowed holiday joy in hotspots like Egypt, Yemen and Afghanistan. The three-day Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which caps Ramadan, also highlighted the long-running divide