Abu Dhabi: An ambitious pension scheme introduced by the Indian government for workers in the lower-income wage bracket is expected to gain momentum, a top diplomat said here on Sunday. T P Seetharam, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said although only 202 Indian workers in the UAE had enrolle

27 April, 2014 | Rohail Khan | Bhatkallys News Jeddah: Over 400 Saudi businessmen, celebrities, and socialites gathered at the Salem Regency Banquet Hall on the eve of 23rd April 2014 to celebrate nine years of growth and prosperity of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the dynamic leadership of  Cust

Manama: Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has arrived in Jeddah, the Red Sea city worst hit by the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) coronavirus, to reassure the people there, a Saudi official said. “The king decided to move up his visit to Jeddah after the media exaggera

Road accidents in Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries rose by 11 percent to 950,000 in a year, a recent study said. GCC accidents rose from 853,700 in 2011 to 945,400 in 2012 with Saudi Arabia topping the list with 589,258 accidents, followed by Qatar (252,614), Kuwait, Oman, UAE and Bahrain. E

Dubai: Motorists can now get certificates from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), ranging from driving experience and history of drivers that can help them secure jobs, get an insurance bargain and much more, quoted Gulf News. RTA launched the initiative recently to help drivers as well a

RIYADH: A Saudi woman defied the kingdom's ban on female driving, getting behind the wheel of her husband's car before police detained the couple and fined the man, a newspaper said Sunday. The 23-year-old woman was caught driving Thursday in the Qatif district in Eastern Province, the Saudi Gaze

Dubai: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is on the rise in the UAE, according to a survey by the MS International Federation. Figures reveal that there were nearly 1,500 MS patients in the UAE last year, while in 2008 the number stood at 219. Dr Suzann Nori, consultant neurologist at the Rashid Hospital,

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is expected to make shops close at 9pm instead of midnight later this year, Saudi media reported on Sunday, in a move aimed at encouraging employment by making sales jobs more attractive. The policy, first announced last year, has been approved by a government committee, th

The 80-day runway upgrade of Dubai International Airport will reduce the number of flights by 26 per cent and eight airlines will be relocated to Al Maktoum International Airport, the airport operator confirmed on Sunday. All Emirates flights will continue to operate out of Dubai International bu

Abu Dhabi: The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has made it clear that only a single family can reside within each licensed residential unit in the capital. Residents, however, said that it is getting more and more difficult to afford the steep rents in the city, and attributed this as the reason

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) will not be able to exercise their franchise in the ongoing general elections in the country from their overseas locations. A division bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan dashed the hopes of the expatriates on Friday by accepting the Electio

Dubai: There is no escaping the rental hikes in Abu Dhabi’s residential space, be it within the city or slightly removed from it. The first three months saw a 10 per cent spike in residential rental rates in prime locations, while off-island homes shot up by 14 per cent, according to the latest

Starting April 13, Sharjah will have its first road toll e-gate on Al Dhaid Road — for heavy trucks only. The gate will be fully automated, as is the case with Salik road toll gates in Dubai, within one to three months. Heavy trucks travelling from the northern emirates, Fujairah, Khorfakkan, Kal

Jeddah: The Passport Department will soon make it mandatory for expat women over 18 to record their biometric information if they want to travel, get new iqamas and final exit visas. Women would have to register their biometric details at a local passport office, according to local media. “Thi

The chairman of the Disability Society in the Gulf, Musaed al-Awla, said that students with Down’s Syndrome are being sexually harassed by students in general education schools in Saudi Arabia, Makkah daily reported. The director of Special Education at the Ministry of Education, Abdullah al-Aqee

Dubai: Indians in the UAE don’t expect to be directly impacted by the upcoming general elections in India, but said there is special interest and concern this voting season. They said a “mass hysteria” for change coupled with close competition and hard-to-predict outcomes make the latest electi

Dubai: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Wednesday approved 43 insurance companies to provide health cover for Dubai residents, and said the first phase of the scheme will end by October this year. “Initially, the scheme will cover 200 companies with a large number of staff,” said Dr Haidar A

Almost two million more international passengers travelled through Dubai International than London Heathrow up until February Dubai Dubai International overtook London Heathrow as the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic just two months into the year. Almost two million mor