JEDDAH: In a major concession for hundreds of expats classified as runaway or huroob cases, the government has announced that they can avoid jail and go home provided they have no criminal cases pending, settle outstanding fines, pay for their tickets, and have an undertaking from their consulates t

MAKKAH — The Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques has opened 125 gates at the Grand Mosque to facilitate the entry and exit of Umrah pilgrims, who started arriving on Nov. 23 (Safar 1) with the beginning of the Umrah season. Some 475 male and female officers will guard the gates and monitor the mov

RIYADH: All India Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President and MP Asaduddin Owaisi has called on the community to fight for equal rights and political empowerment in India. Addressing an event organized by the Bazm-e-Ittehad at The Ritz Carlton in Riyadh, Owaisi asked: “Why should Muslims al

JEDDAH (Arab News): Foreign investors and guest workers have welcomed the government’s reported plan to issue resident permits (iqamas) for five years instead of one. They said the move would boost the Kingdom’s economic progress. “This is a great step on the part of the government and will have

The proposal for a two percent levy on the billions of rials that expatriates send home every year has been approved by Oman's Majlis al-Shura, or the lower house of the council of Oman, to overcome a budget deficit due to drop in oil prices, a media report said. "The approval to tax expatriate r

RIYADH:  The Ministry of Civil Service has said that there are approximately 6,000 expatriates currently working in government jobs, including the education, health and computer technology (IT) sectors. The ministry used this occasions to reconfirm its commitment to emphasize the employment of ci

Dubai: Dubai-bound traffic passing through Al Houdh roundabout on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road is expected to ease once it is converted from a signalised roundabout to a free multi-tier crossing, a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Mak

The high-speed Haramain Railway will run seven trains between Makkah and Jeddah in one hour. The Haramain train will link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and Rabigh. There will be two trains between Makkah and Madinah and four trains between Makkah and Rabigh in a day, and the

A huge expansion project for the historic Baqie Al-Gharqad cemetery in Madinah is ready for launch shortly, an official at the Presidency of the Holy Mosques said. “The largest expansion in the history of the graveyard which will double its area to 300,000 square meters comes as part of the current

Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cabinet on Saturday announced the names of dozens of extremist groups that have been put on its list of terrorist organisations. The list, which is in line with the anti-terror law issued by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in August, includes major ter

RIYADH: In a major crackdown, Riyadh police have arrested 360 expatriates staying illegally in the Kingdom including 60 wanted men. Police teams, acting on a directive from Riyadh Gov. Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz carried out raids on foreign workers involved in criminal activities incl

Abu Dhabi: Water and electricity tariff for both Emiratis and expatriates had been revised with effect from January 1, 2015, in an apparent move to minimise government subsidies. Utility tariffs in Abu Dhabi have been heavily subsidised by the government. The electricity subsidy in residential

RIYADH: The Cabinet condemned on Monday the Al-Ahsa attackers as murderers and welcomed an initiative by scholars, intellectuals and preachers to counter extremism in the country. Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, chaired the meeting at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

Statistics from the Cooperative Office for Guidance & Community Enlightenment (Dawah) in Al-Rawda have revealed that 4,219 persons converted to Islam during the last Hijri year. The figure included 1818 men and 2401 women from 181 countries. The office said that its program targets non-Muslim

Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, on behalf of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, leads the ceremonial washing of the Kaaba on Saturday.

JEDDAH: Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has slammed the terrorists who gunned down seven people this week, for trying to destabilize and divide the country. “What happened in Al-Ahsa is an example of brutal aggression and a great injustice. This is carried out by sick minds seeking

The Ministry of Haj has warned that foreign pilgrims face stiff fines, deportation at their own expense, and a year ban from the Kingdom if they fail to leave Saudi Arabia by Nov. 8. Hatem Qadi, spokesman of the ministry, said recently that there would also be heavy penalties for those who harbor

Dubai: Tickets for the Dubai Tram will cost Dh3, irrespective of the distance travelled. The 10.6-km tramway, which is on track to open on November 11, is connected to Dubai’s automated fare collection system, Nol. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) had earlier said that the fare for the