Middle East

Taif, Oct 9: Any expatriate who is 60 years of age or above will be counted as two expat staff in the Nitaqat Saudization program, Al-Madina Arabic newspaper reported on Saturday. However, expats registered as investors or academicians (professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers) or working in medical profession as doctors will not be considered as two staff even though they

Kuwait city, Oct 9: An Egyptian driving a garbage truck loaded with explosives and Daesh papers rammed into a car carrying five US soldiers in Kuwait on Saturday, injuring only himself in the attack, authorities said. The attempted attack is the first in the stalwart US ally to target American troops in the emirate. The state-run Kuwait News Agency identified the attacker as Ibrahim Sulaiman, born

Jeddah, Oct 8: Standard & Poor’s has affirmed an ‘A-/A-2’ rating for Saudi Arabia and maintains that the outlook for the Kingdom is stable. “The outlook for Saudi Arabia is based on an expectation that the authorities will take action in order to prevent any deterioration in its fiscal position beyond our current expectations, over the next two years,” S&P said in a statement. S&P believes the

Jeddah, Oct 7: The King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND) is stepping up efforts to boost national cohesion and societal interaction with the aim of combating deviant thoughts and enhancing societal bond. The center announced on Thursday that it would launch a new initiative on Saturday — “Talahom” — which entails meetings aimed at enhancing principles and values of coexistence and

Riyadh, Oct 6: Saudi Arabia won laurels from the United Nations on Wednesday for its continuous global aid and relief efforts. Visiting UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien thanked the Kingdom “for its generosity toward those in the world that have the least.” Addressing a press conference at the UN House Auditorium in the Diplomatic

Jeddah, Oct 5: An obnoxious and very unpleasant discussion on Twitter about the role of expatriates in Saudi society has elicited hundreds and thousands of reactions. The hashtag — offensively titled “Deportation of Foreigners Is a National Request” — has riled and angered many members of Saudi society. Because of the huge response, the hashtag trended throughout the day on Tuesday. As is often

Dubai, Oct 4: Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, has emphasised that the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, has always founded a new phase that is moving the UAE into a global horizon and enhancing its competitive position. Al

Jeddah, Oct 3: Since its establishment a few months ago, the General Authority for Entertainment (GAE) has been working relentlessly to introduce the Saudi public to a new form of entertainment that takes the Saudi cultural life into new dimensions. With a view to changing local and international perceptions, a royal decree was issued, ordering the creation of GAE, a decision that comes in tune

Jeddah, Oct 2: The nation on Saturday mourned the loss of a Saudi security officer who laid down his life defending the border. At the same time, the Kingdom felt proud of its forces who foiled a massive Houthi attack on the southern border. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said Cpl. Nader bin Ahmed Abdullah Ali was injured when projectiles launched by the Houthis landed in

Riyadh, Oct 1: Saudi Arabia and Turkey have pledged to boost anti-terror cooperation and work more closely to find solutions to the key regional issues that have tossed the whole Middle East region into turmoil. The pledge was jointly made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following their two-hour talks in Ankara on Friday. Erdogan decorated the crown