Middle East

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

Dubai, May 1: An Indian national became the proud owner of a 100,000-dirham car after being selected as an ideal driver by the Dubai traffic police.Jayaseelan's name was shortlisted from 700 drivers who had gathered the maximum number of white points in one year, during which the drivers did not commit any traffic offence or were not involved in any accident, the Emirates 24/7 website reported

Riyadh, Apr 30: Schools at all levels in the capital city, as well as the province of Riyadh and surrounding areas, were told not to open on Tuesday due to inclement weather. In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the director general of education in Riyadh, Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdullah, said the suspension of classes was a precautionary measure as the region was witnessing a high density

Riaydh, Apr 29: The Ministry of Haj has warned hotels and other accommodation facilities against seizing passports of pilgrims under any circumstances, cautioning that punitive action will be taken if irregularities are detected. Muhammad Al-Bijawi, director of the ministry’s Madinah branch, said that no party in the Kingdom is entitled to withhold passports, explaining that this decree has been