Middle East

Jeddah, Aug 5: Saudi Arabian Airlines’s recent joining with SkyTeam, a group partnership of 19 airlines world-wide, has left passengers traveling on the Kingdom’s carrier confused over baggage allowances. Saudia had previously allocated a baggage allowance of 32kg per bag for guest class passengers and two 32kg bags for first and business class passengers on international flights. The baggage

Tehran, Aug 4: Hasan Rouhani has taken his oath of office, the final step in his inauguration as Iran’s new president. Mr. Rouhani, who replaces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was sworn in during an open session of parliament on Sunday with State TV broadcasting the ceremony live. Iran’s media and officials have treated Mr. Rouhani as president since Saturday, when he was endorsed by the country’s Supreme

Jeddah/Abha, Aug 4: Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal was personally following up the search operation for several people who went missing during the heavy rains that lashed Qunfudah governorate over the past two days. Civil Defense spokesman Col. Saeed Sarhan said rescue teams were dispatched to several locations after two people had been reported missing. A Saudi young man was found dead seven

Riyadh, Aug 3: More than 1,300 volunteers work daily during the holy month of Ramadan to serve food on a plastic trail extending 4 kilometers along the ground of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The table is always full of coffee and dates to feed the crowds of pilgrims and visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom. The administration at the Grand Mosque has also offered around 100,000 kg of de

Dubai: Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has donated Dh60 million to the ‘Dress one million needy children campaign’, providing clothing to an additional one and a half million needy children and totalling the number of beneficiaries to three million. The campaign ended on Ramadan 19 in order to coincide with the ninth death

Jeddah, Jul 31: The privatization of Saudi Arabian Airlines is in the final stages, said Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and chairman of the airline’s board of directors. “We hope Saudia’s privatization process would be completed shortly,” the prince told reporters after witnessing the signing of an agreement for the privatization of the Saudi

Riyadh, Jul 30: The King Abdullah bin Abdualziz Zamzam Water Project has produced more than 48 million cans of Zamzam water since its inception, meeting growing demand for the holy water. The project, which was implemented by the Ministry of Water and Electricity and overseen by the National Water Company, is one of the biggest projects for the provision and distribution of Zamzam water. The SR700

Jeddah, Jul 29: Firms applying for recruitment visas should have their addresses registered with the Saudi Post on or before Sept. 7 in order to get their applications accepted by the Labor Ministry, it was announced yesterday. “The acceptance of applications for recruitment will depend on whether the firm has registered or activated the national postal service,” said Labor Minister Adel Fakeih

Washington, Jul 28: The US, Canada and the United Nations has called for calm and peace in Egypt amidst escalation of violence in the country leaving more than 100 people dead and some 4,500 injured. The US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken to Egyptian leaders like interim Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and Interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy asking for calm. At least 120 were killed

Al Jubail, Jul 28: Tonnes of local dates will find their way to Iftar tables this Ramadan, as families and residents queue up at the Dates Exhibition now going on just outside the fruits and vegetable market at Al Jubail. An annual event organised by the Sharjah Municipality, the Dates Exhibition, which started on June 20 and will continue for three months, opens at 3pm until Iftar time. Pakistani