JEDDAH: Although Umrah pilgrim quotas for various countries remain reduced this year, including in Ramadan, the flow of visitors to Makkah remained high. The holy city witnessed an increased number of pilgrims from within the Kingdom during the fasting month. The Ministry of Haj has said that ove

A conveyor belt at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) crashed under the influx of baggage on the first day of Eid, resulting in thousands of passengers having to travel without their luggage. Operations were largely back to normal by Wednesday amid a frenzy of travelers leaving th

Abu Dhabi: A new visa fee and fine structure will take effect from August 1, according to a Cabinet decision published in the latest edition of the official gazette. The new measures will include the issuing of a new array of entry permits and visas, such as multiple entry permits for visit or

JEDDAH: The festive fireworks that mark the beginning of Eid ended in tragedy for a Riyadh family when a 14-year-old boy died on Monday evening trying to burst a firecracker. The latest incident comes among several other firework-related casualties during the Eid holidays. Firecrackers are still

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Family traditions, prayer and thanksgiving permeated the country as thousands of people celebrated the first day of Eid Al Fitr, marking the completion of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal on Monday. Muslims thronged mosques and musallahs to offer Eid prayers as children wai

The Eastern Province police arrested 5,950 illegal expats in cities across the region during Ramadan. Col. Ziad Al-Ruqaiti, Eastern Province media spokesman, said policemen referred violators to deportation centers affiliated with the province’s prisons. Al-Ruqaiti said that multiple security ra

RIYADH: Several tourism and commercial firms are taking advantage of high demand by leasing hotel rooms with views overlooking the Grand Mosque for up to SR70,000 (or in some cases, SR100,000) a night, operators in the hospitality sector recently revealed. “These firms act as brokers by sub-leasi

Abu Dhabi/Jeddah: Monday is the first day of Eid Al Fitr, as Sunday was the last day of Ramadan, the UAE Moon Sighting Committee has announced. The committee, headed by Sultan Bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice, said that after a number of legitimate measures, as well as several contacts wi

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has issued a directive to donate SR100 million to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Health Minister Adel Fakeih said this directive was issued to face the shortage of medicine and medical supplies to treat the injured during the Israeli attacks on th

Abu Dhabi: The General Directorates of Residency and Foreigners Affairs at the Ministry of Interior says all technical and services preparations have been made to launch a new visa and fees system to be applied at the beginning of August. The changes are in line with the Cabinet decision No 22

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ordered adding a Boeing 747 aircraft to the operations of Dubai International Humanitarian to transport aid via the Gaza Air Bridge. The aircraft will transport aid to Gaz

JOY OF EID: An expatriate child buys sweets at a shop in Jeddah. Some children may not be so lucky this year because their parents’ bank accounts have been frozen. This is for failing to comply with Nitaqat regulations. (Photo Courtesy: Arab News) Jeddah: While many expatriates are preparing to cel

Many UAE consumers are spending less than they used to because they are worried about rising rents and living standards, findings of a new study suggest. The latest consumer confidence index by Nielsen released on Wednesday showed that overall sentiment in the UAE declined by five points in Apr

DUBAI: From trying to build palatial houses back home to a poorly planned start-up venture and the lure of a better lifestyle – these are among the main reasons expats end up in debt traps, according to a senior financial expert. K. V. Shamsudheen, who has conducted more than 300 free workshops

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday inaugurated the Mohammad Bin Rashid Quran Printing Centre, The centre will be the first of its kind to provide copies of the Quran in all typescript, writing sty

The National Recruitment Committee has fixed the monthly salary of Indian maids at SR1,200, said sources. The new labor contract stipulates that maids must be given free time for at least eight hours daily and a paid vacation of 15 days annually or 30 days after two years of service. Maids must

Public sector workers in UAE will have a five-day holiday on Eid Al Fitr from July 27 to July 31, the office of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources announced on Sunday. Based on the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Hussain Ebrahim Al Hamm

The Haj Ministry has announced that it would soon start allocating camps to companies for the 41,000 pilgrims expected to participate in this year’s expanded low-cost Haj program. The General Directorate for Domestic Pilgrims said firms wanting to reserve camps were sent electronic applications on