Middle East

Dubai, Jan 14: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud accused Iran of spreading havoc in the region, in a joint press conference in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. He further urged Iran to enhance the capabilities of the Iranian people instead of financing militias to destabilize the security of neighboring countries, Al-Arabiya TV reported. “The

Riyadh, Jan 14: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom offers investment opportunities worth $6 trillion over the next decade, with new projects representing half of this value, the state news agency reported, citing his speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. The opportunities are part of the young prince's Vision 2030, aimed at ending the kingdom’s dependence on oil and

Kuwait City, Jan 12: Kuwait government ministers submitted their resignation en masse to Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah on Tuesday, the government communications office said, after lawmakers submitted a motion asking to question the premier. Sheikh Sabah must submit the government's resignation to the OPEC member state's ruler, Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Sabah, for approval.

The United States will designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist group, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, a late-term move that aid groups fear will worsen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. With just 10 days left before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, the announcement on Sunday could complicate the new US administration’s efforts to restart diplomacy with Iran, which has ties

Jeddah, Jan 11: The Saudi Health Ministry has said that its vaccination campaign is key to achieving herd immunity after it revealed that more than 178,000 of the Kingdom’s residents have received a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) jab. “We aim to provide the vaccine to all and build herd immunity in Saudi Arabia,” said Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly. “We believe that this is

Riyadh, Jan 9: Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Saturday received the first dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Neom city. Salman, 85, "received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine," the Arab News reported citing Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Ministry of Health Tawfiq Al-Rabiah thanked the king "who provided all types of support in the interest of citizens and residents since the

Riyadh, Jan 8: Saudi Arabia has decided to lift the temporary travel ban and resume all international flights, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday citing a statement from the Ministry of Interior. The move, which will come into force on March 31, 2021, includes the following measures: 1. Citizens will be allowed to travel outside the Kingdom and come back. 2. The temporary ban on

Jeddah, Jan 6: Social media in the Gulf region has been flooded with celebratory joy since news broke that Saudi Arabia had reopened its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar as part of a deal to end a three-year diplomatic crisis. For many, the story is deeply personal. On Tuesday Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the GCC Summit in AlUla that the agreement to mend ties

Riyadh, Jan 5: Gulf Arab leaders gather in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit that is expected to see formal agreement towards ending a long-running dispute with Qatar that shattered Gulf unity at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran. Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in mid-2017 over allegations Doha

Riyadh, Jan 5: Saudi Arabia reopened its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar on Monday, in a breakthrough agreement aimed at ending the three-year diplomatic dispute with Doha. The full deal is expected to be signed on Tuesday at the annual summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in the northwestern Saudi city of AlUla, attended by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The