Gulf news
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
Qatar is taking strong steps to fight terror: US
Qatar has taken very strong steps in recent months to assist the international community and the US in their campaign against IS, Al Qaeda and other transnational terrorist groups, a senior official from the US Department of State has said. “We have a number of important initiatives underway with
Dubai Airport employee gets 3 months jail for embezzling Dh420
The Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced an airport employee to three months in jail and a Dh5,000 fine for embezzling Dh420 from a ticket price. The 33-year-old Kenyan man sold a ticket to a traveler for $700 (Dh2,571) at Dubai International Airport on October 26 of last year. He recorded
Dubai airport to reduce capacity as southern runway to close for 45 days
Dubai International Airport will close one of its two runways for 45 days next year for upgrade work, temporarily reducing capacity at the world’s busiest airport for international travellers, its operator said on Monday. The southern runway will be closed from April 16 to May 30, 2019 for resurf
Relief, after two decades in Oman jail

After languishing in an Oman jail for two decades, Santhosh Kumar, 46, a native of Kakkazham, near Ambalappuzha, returned home on Friday. A jubilant mood prevailed at Kakkazham, with lots of people, including his extended family members, flocking to the Vadake Velluparambil house to meet him. A publ
Qatar-Russia Year of Culture gets underway

The Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture got under way yesterday at Katara - the Cultural Village in the presence of HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, Qatar’s ambassador to Russia Fahad bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, Russia
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed announces million-dirham job
The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced on Saturday through Twitter the return of the Arab Hope Makers initiative. Joining the initiative entitles you to the position of a Hope Maker with a salary of $272,000, or one million dirhams.
UAE, Bahrain intensify healthcare cooperation
DUBAI: Dubai Health Authority (DHA) discussed ways to strengthen partnerships in the field of health with the Kingdom of Bahrain. The discussion took place during a meeting between the Chairman of the Board and Director General of the DHA, the President of the Supreme Council of Health in Bahrain an
Women above 25 can now travel to Saudi Arabia without a companion
A spokesperson for the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) stated that women aged 25 and over can be granted a tourist visa to go to Saudi Arabia alone. The move gives freedom to women to visit Saudi Arabia without the need of a family member or companion as it was before. B
Women visiting graveyard is “haram”, Saudi cleric issues fatwa
Jeddah: The clerics of Saudi Arabia are indulging in a controversial issue of women’s going to the graveyard. Some say that it is “haram”. Shaik Saleh Al-Fozan, a noted Saudi cleric made it clear that those who support women going to graveyard are telling lies. He categorically pointed out that I
Arun Jaitley calls on Saudi King Salman, discusses bilateral ties
Riyadh [Saudi Arabia]: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday called on King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Riyadh. Jaitley took to Twitter to inform about it. “Called on His Royal Highness The King of Saudi Arabia, February 18, 2018,” tweeted the Finance Minister. During
Dust storms force Saudi school, college closures
Manama: Schools and colleges remained closed across several regions in Saudi Arabia on Thursday amid warnings of heavy sandstorms and winds. The General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection said that surface wind and dust would limit the horizontal visibility in the western and s
Valentine is not ‘haram’, says ex-Saudi religious police boss

DUBAI: Celebrating Valentine’s Day is no different from Mother’s Day and is therefore not un-Islamic, the former president for the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Makkah, told Arab News. Sheikh Ahmed Qasim Al-Ghamdi said Feb. 14 was enjoyed all around the world and