Middle East

Riyadh, Sept 11: The Saudi General Directorate of Passports announced it has started the automatic extension of the validity of residence permits (Iqama) for stranded expatriates outside the Kingdom in addition to extending the validity of visit visas and exit and re-entry visas without fees or charges for all expats until 30/11/2021, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA)reported. The move comes in

Dubai: Abu Mohammed, an Indian expatriate living in Ras Al Khaimah, has won Dh12 million (approximately Rs 24 crore) in the latest Big Ticket draw held in Abu Dhabi today. Mohammed had purchased the ticket with four of his colleagues and will be sharing his prize purse. The winning ticket number was 027700, bought on August 30. The Big Ticket draw is held on the third of every month in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi will remove the need to quarantine for all vaccinated travellers arriving from international destinations starting Sunday, said the Abu Dhabi government media office on Twitter on Thursday. A negative PCR test remains a requirement to travel to the United Arab Emirates' capital, it said.

A bomb-laden drone on Tuesday targeted an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, wounding eight people and damaging a civilian plane, state television reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the second such strike on Abha airport in the last 24 hours. The earlier attack caused no casualties. The Arab Coalition said in statements carried by state TV that the second

Dubai, Aug 30: The UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a federal law to establish a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). The institution aims to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms based on the provisions of the UAE Constitution, laws and legislation in force in the country, as well as relevant international conventions. According

Riyadh, Aug 24: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued directives to allow direct entry of fully vaccinated expatriates from countries facing travel ban, diplomatic sources said. The diplomatic missions of the concerned countries have received the directive in this regard. This will be applicable only to those foreigners who have left the Kingdom on exit and reentry visa after

Dubai, Aug 24: Authorities in the UAE have temporarily suspended the visa-on-arrival facility for passengers who are arriving from or have been in India in the past 14 days, according to Etihad Airways. The Abu Dhabi-headquartered airline, which is the second flag carrier of the UAE, said in a tweet that it is working to update its website with the latest information. “The UAE authorities have

Tehran, Aug 23: Iran restarted exports of gasoline and gasoil to Afghanistan a few days ago, following a request from the Taliban, Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union said on Monday. The Sunni Muslim group seized power in Afghanistan last week as the United States and its allies withdrew troops after a 20-year war. The price of gasoline in Afghanistan reached $900 per tonne

The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday (August 18, 2021) that it is hosting Afghan's US-backed president Ashraf Ghani "on humanitarian grounds", after he fled his country amid a Taliban takeover. "The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds," it said in a

Riyadh, Aug 8: Saudi Arabia will begin accepting vaccinated foreign pilgrims seeking to visit the Islamic holy city of Makkah, state media reported Sunday, around 18 months after a border closure prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Authorities in the ministry responsible for coordinating foreign pilgrims will from Monday begin "gradually receiving Umrah requests from various countries of the