Middle East

Dubai, Feb 13: International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reiterated that Oman is planning to introduce income tax on high income earners as part of its medium-term fiscal balance plan. The Fund welcomed the fiscal balance plan and said introducing value-added tax (VAT) in 2021, a personal income tax on high-income earners being developed, and full-year impact of the expansion of the excise tax base in

Lebanon, Feb 11: Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Al Hariri on Wednesday dined with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the crisis in Lebanon and the difficulties in forming a new government, according to Hariri’s Twitter account. “Presidents Hariri and Macron discussed the internal Lebanese difficulties that hinder the formation of the government and the possible ways to overcome

Riyadh, Feb 11: Hours after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport caused a civilian plane to catch fire on Wednesday, the Arab Coalition forces managed to thwart another attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants on Khamis Mushait. The Arab Coalition announced that its forces had intercepted and destroyed an explosives-laden drone launched by the Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait

Riyadh, Feb 6: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed support for a “comprehensive political solution” in Yemen, state media reported on Friday, after President Joe Biden delivered his key foreign policy speech. “The kingdom has affirmed its firm position in support of a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, and welcomes the US emphasis on the importance of supporting diplomatic efforts to

Dubai, Feb 5: The Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that 158,786 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours on Friday. The total number of doses dolled out until Friday stood at 4,008,160 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 40.53 doses per 100 people. This is in line with the Ministry's plan to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society and

Doha, Feb 5: Qatar has re-imposed a raft of restrictions on education, leisure and business activities, including closing indoor swimming pools and theme parks and restricting restaurant capacities. It is the latest Gulf state to tighten restrictions in recent days in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus as infections have risen. Qatari markets should now operate at 50 per cent capacity

Kuwait City, Feb 4: A minor earthquake was registered in Al-Manaqeesh area in the southwest of Kuwait today. The intensity was 3.0-magnitude. Kuwait National Seismic Network (KNSN) confirmed the earthquake report. In a statement, KNSN Chief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Enzi, said that the earthquake occurred at 9:27 a.m. Kuwait time at a depth of 14 kilometers underground.

Beirut, Jan 31: Protests in Lebanon's second-largest city, Tripoli, have led to the injury of at least 70 children over the course of one week, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). "Clashes between police and demonstrators in Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, have resulted in unacceptable injuries among people. At least 70 children were injured over the

Dubai, Jan 30: The UAE has adopted law amendments that allow granting Emirati citizenship to investors, specialised talents and professionals. The professionals include scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the new law on Saturday. "The new

Duabi, Jan 29: Israel has reportedly extended an apology to the UAE for a comment made by a senior official, who blamed a surge in virus cases in the country on people returning from Dubai. According to an Israeli channel, Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, chief of Public Health in the Health Ministry, allegedly said that "more people died in two weeks of peace with Dubai than in 70 years of war with them"