Middle East

Riyadh, May 14: The Ministry of Health said yesterday that it had stopped the spread of coronavirus from Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province to other parts of the Kingdom. The virus had reached Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, but not further incidences have been reported. “No new cases of the virus were found in any part of the Kingdom,” Dr. Ziad Al-Memish, undersecretary to the Ministry of Health for

Riyadh, May 13: Expatriate workers can now become beneficiaries of the General Organization For Social Insurance (GOSI) under a new scheme introduced by the Ministry of Labor. The announcement followed a meeting held late Saturday between the officials of the Labor Ministry and the representatives of various foreign missions at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. The Ministry of Labor had summoned

Jeddah, May 12: A majority of teachers employed in international schools and other places are under the sponsorship of their fathers and husbands. But they say they are unwilling to transfer their iqamas under the sponsorship of the schools they are working in. According to the Ministry of Labor, housewives are not eligible to work as it is clearly stated as such on their residency permits. This

Jeddah, May 12: Tens of thousands of illegal expatriate workers have registered with their consulates over the past 30 days in an effort to get an airline ticket home, consulates and embassy officials told Arab News. An estimated 6,000 Pakistanis, 60,000 Indians, 10,000 Filipinos, 7,000 Sri Lankans and other nationalities have sought permission to leave Saudi Arabia. Many other expats are looking

Qatar, May 11: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the Gulf nation of Oman on Saturday near the northern city of Al Khasab, the US Geological Survey said.The quake had a depth of 21 miles (33 km) and was centered 116 miles (186 km) east of al Khasab, the agency said.

Makkah, May 10: Experts participating in the 13th Scientific Forum for Haj and Umrah Research held at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah stressed that Mount Abu Qubais can’t be demolished near Al-Safa door at the Grand Mosque due to the Zamzam springs. Prince Muhammad bin Naif, interior minister and chairman of Supreme Haj Committee inaugurated recently the scientific forum which discussed urban and

Tehran, May 6: Syria has described the recent Israeli aggression against its territory as a "flagrant violation of international law," adding that the attacks have opened the door "to all possibilities." Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi, told reporters following an emergency government meeting on Sunday that "Syria has the right and the duty to defend its people by all available means"

Riyadh, May 5: Three Filipino workers were detained by Riyadh police yesterday for protesting outside the Philippine Embassy. Later they were released. The three workers were among a group of about 150 workers who gathered in front of the Philippine Embassy yesterday morning to protest against the alleged inability of the Filipino diplomatic missions to help illegal workers go home. "The police

Jeddah, May 3: Saudi banks are considering limiting the amount of money expatriates send home, a bank official told Arab News. This is to comply with Ministry of Labor regulations being phased in as part of the Nitaqat program. These regulations would see banks prevent expatriate workers from transferring sums more than their monthly income and freezing the accounts of workers who have not

Riyadh, May 2: Torrential rains and flash floods in different provinces have left 16 dead and three missing. The casualties include four members of a family in Baha, two people in Al-Kharj, three in Aflaj, one in Hariq and four in Taif, the Civil Defense said yesterday. The missing are three expats in Baha. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has directed the Civil Defense Council to