Gulf news

Riyadh deploys 30,000 soldiers on Iraq border

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has deployed 30,000 soldiers to its border with Iraq after Iraqi soldiers withdrew from the area, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Thursday. The world’s top oil exporter shares an 800km border with Iraq, where Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and other mi

Inside UAE’s biggest iftar kitchen

Dubai: It’s about 11am on a scorching Ramadan morning and a group of eight chefs along with a few dozen helpers are racing against time to garnish 10 giant pots full of simmering mutton porridge — or kanji as they call it at a kitchen in Sonapur. The humble broth coddled with rice, lentil, fenn

Shoppers notice increase in food prices during Ramadan

Dubai: Retailers had been warned against increasing the prices of essential goods in Ramadan without written consent from the authorities, shoppers say they have already noticed an increase in prices compared with previous weeks. A quick check by Gulf News revealed prices have risen anywhere from

UAE Water Aid brings drinking water to over 3m million people

UPDATE: The humanitarian contributions to UAE Water Aid campaign have reached Dh76.450 million on its fourth day. The said amount is enough to buy fresh drinking water for 3.058 million people in developing countries or 61% of the 5 million people the campaign is targeting. The UAE Water Aid cam

7.5m iftar packets offered in Grand Mosque

Philanthropists will distribute more than 7.5 million packets of iftar meals among worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah throughout Ramadan. “Everyday they supply 250,000 iftar meals, of which 80,000 meals are distributed in the northern courtyard and 70,000 in the southern courtyard,” said a

Worshippers can now listen to live translation of taraweeh prayers

The Grand Mosque authorities have intensified efforts to address the increasing number of pilgrims and worshippers and to facilitate their performing of rituals inside the mosque. Most of the pilgrims coming from Asian countries are elderly and the local authorities are paying extra attention to en

UAE Water Aid campaign kicks off

Dubai: Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. As little as Dh25 from you can help reverse this. The UAE aims to help prevent deaths caused by unsafe drinking water through a nationwide campaign called the UAE Water Aid (UAE Suquia) launched on Saturday. His Highne

'Observe Ramadan in the true spirit of Islam’, request Saudi Imams

Imams in mosques throughout the Kingdom, including those in Makkah and Madinah, welcomed on Friday the holy month of Ramadan with an immense sense of piety and requested their respective congregation to strictly follow the teachings of the Holy Qur’an during the fasting period. The Supreme Court

Ramadan starts on Sunday in UAE

Abu Dhabi: The first of Ramadan will be on Sunday, June 29, 2014, according to the UAE Moon Sighting Committee. Dr Hadef Jua’an Al Daheri, Minister of Justice, said after the committee’s meeting at the Judiciary Department in Abu Dhabi, that after contacting neighbouring countries and following

UAE clarifies housemaid contract rules with embassies

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: The UAE authorities had contacted the embassies of countries that export the largest number of domestic workers about the enforcement of a new unified contract for housemaids to clarify the confusion on the new rules, an official said. A new unified contract law for domestic wo

Ramadan 2014: Official UAE timings for services, work hours

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the timings for services during the holy month of Ramadan covering customer service centers, car parks, public buses, Dubai Metro, marine transit modes, driving institutes, and vehicles testing and registration centers. “The customer service c

‘Blank cheques can land you in jail’: Dubai Police

Dubai: The long-standing practice of borrowers issuing blank cheques to lenders as guarantee of payment is one of the reasons people end up in prison, Dubai Police said on Tuesday. “We want to change people’s and companies’ mentality about cheques. Cheques should be used to fulfil monetary tran

UAE Ministry of Economy to control price rise during Ramadan

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Economy has made an elaborate plan to monitor the food market in the UAE during Ramadan to control prices, a top official told Gulf News. The ministry has fixed prices of many food products and a mechanism is in place to ensure that retailers are strictly following th

Indian passport delays in UAE to end soon

Abu Dhabi: India’s diplomatic missions in the UAE expect to receive more passport booklets soon. Indian missions in the UAE used to issue between 1,100 and 1200 passports a day, but shortage of booklets in India has caused delays in passport issuance and renewal. Between 260,000 and 290,000 pas

Ramadan working hours federal government announced

The working hours for employees at various Ministries and other Federal Institutions will be from 9am to 2pm during Ramadan, according to a circular issued by Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education, in his capacity as Chairman of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources

Dubai Police: Slow drivers in the fast lane risk a fine

Dubai: Motorists who drive slow in the fast lane of the highway, posing a threat to themselves and to the lives of others, can be fined even if they are driving over the minimum speed limit, the Director of Dubai Traffic Police has warned. “What many people do not know is that if the maximum sp

Dubai: From Desolate Refueling Stop to Booming Travel Crossroad

Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  The gimmicks to attract attention and passengers - a $1 million raffle, a chance to win a Porsche 911, or a monthlong shopping festival - are still there but are hardly needed anymore. Travelers from around the world no longer need to be lured to this parched former tra

Passport shortage at Indian consulate

Dubai: Indian expats seeking new passports in Dubai have no option but to apply for jumbo booklets as there is a shortage of regular 36-page booklets since June 10. The cost of the 60-page jumbo booklet is Dh436 against Dh341 for the regular passport. An Indian Consulate official told XPRESS: