Middle East

Riyadh, April 17: The Council of Ministers yesterday denounced as a flagrant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the UAE island of Abu Musa, which is occupied by Iran. The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, said Ahmadinejad's visit also invalidated the ongoing efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute

Dubai, April 16: Concluding three days of lectures and activities, the second edition of the Dubai International Peace Convention affirmed that Islam is the key to peace much sought after these days. Altogether 150,000 people of different nationalities and religions attended the 16 lectures delivered by 12 scholars and spiritual gurus during the event. The turnout at one of the sessions of the

Abu Dhabi, April 16: Keeping a sharp eye on the welfare of overseas Indians, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Sunday instructed all Indian embassies in the Gulf to attend to emergency situations round-the-clock. Addressing Indian ambassadors posted in the Gulf countries, the Minister seemed to elaborate what has been called the “Krishna doctrine”— the mantra that demands that Indian

Baha, April 16: Baha Gov. Prince Mishari bin Saud has urged citizens, especially students, to stand united in the face of all dangers that threaten the Kingdom. “We should work together in confronting those who try to undermine the Kingdom’s security,” he said. Addressing students at Baha University yesterday, the governor said he would provide them with necessary support to meet their hopes and

Jubail, April 16: The Annual General Assembly meeting of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) held on Saturday, under the chairmanship of Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thunayan Al-Saud, chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, and chairman of SABIC, approved payment of SR15 billion dividends to shareholders at SR5 per share for its operations in 2011. The company had distributed

Abu Dhabi, April 15: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, has commended the UAE experiment in combating trafficking in persons. She lauded the UAE as a ‘model’ in fighting crimes of human trafficking and hoped the UAE would further develop such preventive mechanisms to put an end to these crimes. The UN expert made her

Riyadh, April 15: If you are looking for a rich wife, then read this story. A Saudi woman is offering SR5 million (Dh4.9 million) to get married — even if it is a Misyar marriage. But wait. The woman has conditions which she will not reveal now. The main thing is that the new husband must “appreciate marriage life.” The woman published the attractive offer in the Saudi Arabic language magazine Roa

Geneva, April 15: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday the Syrian government had the prime responsibility to stop the violence in the country and withdraw its forces from urban areas in line with international mediator Kofi Annan’s peace plan. Ban and Annan, who held 90 minutes of talks in Geneva, issued a statement welcoming the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution

Abu Dhabi, April 15: The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman held talks in Al Ain City on relations between the two countries and ways to promote them in various spheres. The talks were held in presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. They

Abu Dhabi, April 14: The high-level Indo-UAE 10th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) for economic, scientific and technical cooperation will take place in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. S. M. Krishna, Minister for External Affairs, is leading a delegation of 20 representatives from different ministries of India, Indian Ambassador to the UAE M. K. Lokesh told Khaleej Times. Lokesh said the JCM between India and