Gulf news

Makkah: Timely intervention of Indian consul general saves the day for 15 year old who was detained while performing Tawaf

Makkah 02 May 2018: (Bhatkallys News Bureau) A 15 year old boy from Tirur, Kerala who was visiting the kingdom for Umrah pilgrimage was detained by the local police from the Holy mosque after he was misunderstood to be a pickpocket. The boy has been identified as Cholayil Madhi Rahman of Tirur Ke

Trading in gold, diamond exempted from VAT in UAE

In line with the UAE government's efforts to ensure an efficient implementation of value-added tax (VAT) while employing best international standards and maintaining the competitiveness of the local precious metals sector, the UAE cabinet adopted a law to introduce the VAT Reversed Charge mechanism

Number of tourists to Bahrain reaches 3.1 million during 2018 first quarter

Executive Director of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority Sheikh Khaled bin Hamoud Al Khalifa told Al Arabiya that the tourism sector in Bahrain is showing strong positive numbers echoed in the number of tourists which reached 3.1 million in the first quarter of this year; an increase of 11.4%

30 expats held in Saudi Arabia on terror charges in April

JEDDAH: The Saudi security forces rounded up 30 people of 12 different nationalities with links to terrorist organizations in April, said security sources. The cases of all these suspects are under investigation. The detainees include 11 from Sudan, 9 from Yemen, 2 from Egypt, 1 from Turkey, 1 fr

4 Saudi officers dead in Asir checkpoint attack

Riyadh: Four Saudi officers were shot dead and four others wounded Thursday when their check post came under gunfire in southern Asir province, state media said citing the interior ministry. Three officers were instantly killed when the outpost came under attack, the Saudi Press Agency reported,

Bahrain sentences 24 Shia citizens to jail, revokes nationality

A Bahrain court sentenced 24 Shia citizens to prison and stripped them of their nationality after finding them guilty of forming a “terrorist group”, a Bahraini judicial source said Thursday. Other charges included travelling to Iraq and Iran for “weapons and explosives training” and attempted mu

Saudi Arabia’s 35-year theatre ban ends with Black Panther screening

The lights dimmed and the crowd of men and women erupted into applause and hoots Wednesday evening as Hollywood’s blockbuster Black Panther premiered in Saudi Arabia’s first movie theatre. Though it was a private, invitation-only screening, for many Saudis it marked one of the clearest moments of ch

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain support strikes on Syria

Manama: Saudi Arabia has expressed its full support to the US, British and French military operations against targets in Syria. An official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the military strikes “came as a response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons against innocent civil

Sharjah ruler announces salary hike for non-Emirati employees

The salaries of non-Emirati Sharjah government employees will also be hiked by 10 per cent retroactively from the start of January this year. This comes following directions of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, on Saturday. I

Dubai court sentences Goan frauds to 500 years in prison

PANAJI: A Dubai court on Sunday sentenced two Goans—37-year-old Sydney Lemos and his senior accounts specialist 25-year-old Ryan de Souza—to over 500 years each in jail for duping thousands of investors in a $200 million scam. Lemos lured the investors by offering them 120% annual returns on a minim

Rising School in Dubai implements ‘no homework’ rule

Dubai: Homework can negatively impact the learning process, Rising School in Dubai, which is implementing a ‘no homework’ rule, has said. The American curriculum school has cited research, including a Stanford University study, which looked into the benefits of removing homework from school life.

Saudi law criminalizes spying on spouse’s mobile phone

LONDON: Saudi law has criminalized the act of spying on your spouse’s mobile phone illegally and has listed this act under cybercrimes. Husbands or wives who are caught spying on their spouse’s mobile phone in order to prove dishonest behavior can be imprisoned for up to a year, receive a SR 500,

Saudi Arabia intercepts missile fired by Yemen rebels

RIYADH: Saudi air defence forces on Saturday intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Huthi rebels at the kingdom's southern city of Najran, state media reported. State-run Al-Ekhbariya television gave no further details but did not report any casualties or damage from the missile. Yem

‘I am not Gandhi or Mandela’: Saudi crown prince Salman on his private expenses

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday. Mutual rival Iran will be high on the agenda, but the 32-year-old strongman prince will also be looking to showcase his sweeping changes to Saudi society and an increasingly ass

Saudi crown prince says KSA will develop nuclear bomb if Iran does: CBS TV

WASHINGTON: Likening Iran’s leader to Adolf Hitler, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince warned in a US television interview that if Tehran gets a nuclear weapon, his country will follow suit. “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, w

Expat children set to say goodbye to Saudi Arabia after exams

Jeddah — A significant number of expatriate families is preparing to leave the Kingdom in the coming weeks after the end of final examinations of their children. Final exams in many community schools are ending in March and the school year in private schools is ending in May-June. For most chi

No Umrah fee for expats living in Saudi Arabia

According to the reports that spread wildly on social media at the end of last week, the expatriates will have to pay fees at special offices that will be set up at all the entrances to Makkah where the religious rites are performed, King Abdul Aziz airport in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, the train s

This Oman municipality just destroyed more than 150 kilos of 'unfit' frozen meat

Muscat: Ibri Municipality has destroyed 163 kilos of frozen poultry foodstuff that were unfit for human consumption, the agency announced. This came after a number of inspection visits carried out by Ibri Municipality to various food stores in the state. Dr. Bader bin Saif Al Yazizi, head of t