Middle East

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched a campaign to raise awareness about rights of pilgrims arriving from abroad in the kingdom to perform Umrah or lesser pilgrimage in Makkah, and visit the Prophet’s Masjid in Madinah. The campaign focuses on compliance with the rules governing the contractual relationship between the licensed service providers and overseas Umrah pilgrims. The

Ramallah, July 27: A Palestinian teenager has succumbed to his injuries after being targeted by Israeli forces in the head during a raid by the troops against the northwestern part of the occupied West Bank. In a statement released in early Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry identified the victim as Fares Sharhabeel Abu Samra. The 14-year-old, the statement added, received his injuries

Baghdad, July 20: Hundreds of Iraqi protesters have stormed the Swedish embassy in the capital Baghdad and set part of it on fire in protest against the second planned desecration of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden. The angry protesters, who were reportedly the supporters of prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, stormed the main gates of the embassy building on Thursday, holding up copies of the

Dubai, July 18: An image of the crescent moon of the month of Muharram (1445 AH) has been shared by the International Astronomy Centre (IAC). The crescent moon was spotted from Jordan and the UAE during the day. In the UAE, the moon was spotted in Abu Dhabi by Astronomy Centre's Al Khatim Observatory. The distance of the moon from the sun is 7.9 degrees. The photo was taken by Mohamed Odeh. In

Riyadh, July 18: Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to buy Turkish drones, one of several lucrative contracts President Tayyip Erdogan secured for Turkey’s struggling economy as Ankara reaps the benefits of his recent diplomatic push to repair ties with Gulf Arab powers. Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defence firm Baykar and the Saudi

Dubai, July 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held comprehensive talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan here to further deepen the multi-faceted bilateral ties, and announced that the two countries have agreed to start trade settlement in their currencies. In his remarks after meeting the UAE President, Modi said India-UAE trade witnessed a 20 per cent increase

Abu Dhabi, July 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi today on a day-long visit to the UAE during which he will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and review the burgeoning bilateral ties between the two strategic partners. PM Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi following his successful two-day visit to Paris where he joined French President Emmanuel Macron for the

The anti-settlement organization Peace Now says the far-right cabinet of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advanced a record number of illegal units in settlements in the occupied West Bank in the first six months of the current year. In a statement on Thursday, the Israeli human rights group said that the Tel Aviv regime has advanced 12,855 settler housing units across the West Bank since

Dubai, July 11: Many non-resident Indians and Indian tourists faced arrest at different airports, of late, for reportedly carrying huge amount of cash. Earlier this month, a man heading to Dubai was arrested at Mumbai airport after Customs officials found over Dh1.42 million (cash) in his bag. According to information available on the central bank – Reserve Bank of India – website, travellers

Riyadh, July 10: The Hajj and Umrah Ministry has stressed that all Umrah companies and establishments must adhere to the services controls' document of the pilgrims, and visitors of the Prophet’s Mosque who are coming from outside Saudi Arabia in the new Umrah season of 1445 AH. The document has revealed that the pilgrims in the age category under 18-years-old must be with a companion. The