Gulf news

Muslim countries push UN to speak out on Myanmar abuses

United Nations: Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia want the United Nations to denounce serious rights abuses in Myanmar and demand an end to the military campaign against the Rohingya, according to a draft resolution. In one of the worst refugee crises in decades, more than 600,000 Muslim Rohin

Saudi Arabia plans to start issuing tourist visas

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia plans to start issuing tourist visas “soon”, authorities said Tuesday, as the kingdom seeks to attract international visitors in a radical overhaul of its oil-dependent economy. Tourism is seen as a major driver of growth as the kingdom attempts to wean itself o

Kuwait government resigns, state news agency reports

Kuwaiti prime minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al Sabah offered on Monday the resignation of his government to Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who accepted the resignation, the state-run Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported. Speaker of Kuwait’s National Assembly Marzouq Al Ghanim said that he wil

40 arrested in Dubai over phone scam

Dubai: Dubai Police busted a large telemarketing racket which conned subscribers into parting with their money in return for prizes from telecom companies. In a raid at their hideout in Frij Murar area, 40 suspects were caught as they called thousands of people asking them to transfer money in retu

Saudi Arabia to let women enter sports stadiums in 2018

Saudi Arabia will for the first time allow women to attend sports events in three selected stadiums from early next year, the General Sports Authority said in a statement. The stadiums in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh are being prepared to accommodate families in early 2018, said the statement, carri

India, UAE hold strategic dialogue in Abu Dhabi

India and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday held the second round of their strategic dialogue in Abu Dhabi to deepen cooperation in a range of areas such as trade and investment. The Indian delegation at the talks was led by Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar while the UAE side wa

Bahraini policeman killed, 8 wounded in bomb attack

Manama: A Bahraini policeman was killed and eight others wounded on Fridin a “terrorist” bomb attack on the bus in which they were travelling, the interior ministry said. The eight wounded policemen sustained serious to medium injuries and were admitted to hospital, the ministry said on its Twitt

Bahrain to announce new rule on expat salary transfer

Bahrain will introduce a new rule that would require firms to transfer salaries of all expatriates through local banks. The Wage Protection System (WPS), set for implementation in January next year, aims to protect the rights of foreign employees, especially low-income workers and domestic staff,

UAE soldier killed in southern Saudi: Military

An Emirati soldier has been killed in southern Saudi Arabia while taking part in the Saudi-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the United Arab Emirates military said. The body of corporal Saeed Matar al-Kaabi was repatriated on Friday, the official WAM news agency reported. The military sa

FIFA World Cup 2022 could benefit India economically, says top Qatar official

Hassan Al Thawadi has fronted up to the negative perceptions about Qatar ever since it got the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Having done that, the secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Al Thawadi, told Hindustan Times that Qatar - a salad bowl, according to

Artificial Intelligent Robot Receives Citizenship in Saudi Arabia: CNBC

A humanoid artificial intelligence robot became the first robot to receive a citizenship Wednesday at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reported. Sophia, created by founder of Hanson Robotics Dr. David Hanson, spoke with Sorkin about the future o

Qatar to introduce minimum wage for workers

Doha, Qatar: World Cup 2022 host Qatar, under global scrutiny over its alleged ill-treatment of migrant labourers, is to introduce a minimum wage for workers, official state media said Wednesday. Qatar News Agency also announced that the gas-rich emirate has signed bilateral accords with 36 count

UAE issues resolution on combating terrorism

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a resolution on combating terrorist crimes. The resolution issued by the Cabinet on Wednesday adds 10 individuals and one entity to the UAE’s proscribed list for supporting terrorism. The Cabinet Resolution directs the UAE Central Bank to ta

UAE pledges $7m to support Rohingya Muslims

Geneva: The UAE pledged $7 million to support Rohingya Muslims, alleviate their suffering and improve humanitarian conditions for the refugees. The allocation was made by the UAE during the UN Donors Conference for Asia's Rohingya refugees, to help those who have fled violence in Myanmar into

Saudi public fund to double assets by 2020

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia, smarting from a three-year oil slump, said Wednesday that it aims to nearly double the assets of its sovereign wealth fund by 2020 through a series of investment initiatives. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the programme co

HH The Emir passes new law to punish litterers with jail term and hefty fines

Qatar takes great pride in how neat and clean the country is and it goes the extra mile to ensure that it remains that way. Yesterday’s measure, by HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, only reinforces the belief that the country means business when it comes to maintaining cleanliness with

Omani doctors perform groundbreaking surgery

Muscat: Royal Hospital doctors have used a medical technique for the first time in Oman in the treatment of a patient suffering from a prolapsed uterus. Medics used an endoscope to install a medical device to stabilise the patient's uterus. It's the first time such a procedure has been completed

Dh500 fine for stopping vehicles to pray on roadside

Dubai: Motorists who park on the side of the road for praying will be fined Dh500, a senior official of Dubai Police told Gulf News on Sunday. Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of Traffic Department at Dubai Police, said that roadside parking is a dangerous offence and can result in dead