Gulf news

UAE invents device to catch fake passport holders of any country

Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, on Tuesday viewed an advanced counterfeit passport detector, invented by Sergeant Amer Al Jaberi of the Interior Ministry's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. During his visit to

New standards, code to be set for upkeep of mosques in KSA

RIYADH: President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Prince Sultan bin Salman has said that he is looking forward to launching awareness campaigns regarding proper care for mosques across the Kingdom in the near future, in collaboration with the Masjidona Charity. The issue and it

Kingdom, US join forces to defeat MERS

GENEVA: Saudi Arabia and the US may prepare a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) to try and head off the next outbreak of the disease, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. Margaret Chan said Saudi Health Minister Khalid Al-Falih was discussing this with

SR1,000 fine for female workers not covering head

JEDDAH: Women workers will be fined SR1,000 if they are caught without their head cover in office under new labor laws introduced this week, a newspaper reported Monday. Companies employing women must also enforce the law and issue written instructions in this regard or they could be fined SR5,00

Richest countries in Middle East revealed

Dubai:  Qatar and UAE are the two richest nations in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, with the average adult owning more than half a million dirhams, according to a new report. The Credit Suisse Research Institute released on Sunday its sixth annual Global Wealth Report, which look

Dubai residents happy but want rents down

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai wants to know if you are happy in Dubai or not. Residents were sent SMS on Monday asking them if they thought Dubai was a happy city. They were given a choice to vote through an app

Saihat tragedy: ‘Our brave security forces saved lives’

JEDDAH: Eyewitnesses to the attack in Saihat on Friday recalled the chaos that ensued after the lone gunman opened fire on worshippers killing five and injuring 9 others. “Everybody was inside the meeting hall around 7 in the afternoon; we heard the shooting and chaos prevailed as the hall was full

Saudi cadet found dead in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A Saudi cadet was found dead in mysterious circumstances at a guest house in the capital city of Islamabad on Saturday, police said. The 26-year-old deceased, identified as Saudi national Fawad al-Mishan, was studying at Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Abbottabad. He came to Islama

SR50,000 fine for dealing in ‘free’ visas

JEDDAH: Labor law amendments that come into force today (Sunday) will help fight unemployment among citizens, said Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani. The minister thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for granting approval to the new amendments. “The new rules are in the interest o

Indian housemaid’s case: Riyadh police rules out torture

RIYADH: The Indian housemaid whose hand was amputated had not been tortured by her employer but had sustained her injuries after falling from a third floor window while trying to escape, according to the police here. Riyadh Police spokesman Fawaz Al-Maiman said Friday that preliminary investigation

No more visas for expat men dressmakers

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor has stopped issuing visas for expatriate men to work as dressmakers. The decision was taken to ensure that jobs are made available for Saudi women, said Abdelmoneim Al-Shihri, undersecretary at the ministry and assistant for special programs. Inspectors would arrest t

UAE adopts reforms to curb abuse of foreign workers

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced labour reforms to be enforced from January 1 aimed at curbing abuse and protecting the rights of millions of foreign workers. The UAE and other Arab states in the oil-rich Gulf, notably Qatar, where a construction frenzy to host the 2022 football Worl

SR858 million announced for disabled to buy cars

RIYADH: The Ministry of Social Affairs is to soon pay out SR858 million for 5,721 people with disabilities to buy special cars. The amount would allow for the purchase of 6,300 cars, according to Abdullah Al-Muaiqil, the undersecretary for social and family affairs, a local publication reported. E

Kingdom, France deepen alliance with $11.4bn deals

RIYADH: Deals worth $11.4 billion between Riyadh and Paris were signed on the sidelines of the 2nd Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum, which concluded in Riyadh on Tuesday, underscoring the shared foreign policy stances that have helped deepen the two countries' ties. Four agreements and a l

KSA censures Iran designs to politicize Haj tragedies

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has lambasted Iran for trying to politicize the recent tragedies in Makkah and Mina, saying it was an attempt to create dissension and division in the Muslim world. This would not affect the Kingdom’s role and its duty and responsibilities towar

Muqeem only after valid iqama expires

JEDDAH: Exchanging the Muqeem card with the iqama is not required for those who still have valid iqamas, and is only needed for those whose iqamas have expired and have to be renewed, said the General Directorate of Passports. The directorate is ready to launch the Muqeem card from the beginning of

Celebrity clockmaker thanks KSA on arrival

JEDDAH: Talented American student of Sudanese origin Ahmed Mohammed Al-Hassan arrived in Jeddah on Friday morning to perform Umrah and visit his relatives. The Kingdom last week invited Al-Hassan to visit the country for Umrah. On his arrival at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, 14

Saudi Arabia to issue 5-year expat resident permits

JEDDAH: The Passports Department has announced that it would start issuing new resident permits with a five-year lifespan for expatriates from next week, Oct. 15, the first day of the Islamic new year. Companies and expatriates would have to renew them yearly online, with no need to visit the off