RIYADH: The year 2014 showed a considerable increase in terms of nationalization with 322,358 male and female Saudis landing jobs in the private sector, figures released by the Ministry of Labor (MoL) have revealed. A total of 24,917 Saudi also returned to their old jobs, thus taking the total numb

JEDDAH: The new upgraded King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah will open for full operations in mid-2017, according to the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), the country’s regulatory body. Construction on the new facility and testing of all equipment would be completed at the e

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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