Middle East

UAE has announced a travel ban on unvaccinated citizens from January 10. The National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation said that fully vaccinated citizens will also need to get the Covid-19 booster dose. Those who are unable to take the vaccine because of medical reasons are exempted from the decision. The announcement is in line

Tel Aviv: Israel’s defense minister met with the Jordanian king on Wednesday, both sides said, part of a reset of ties between the two countries. According to Benny Gantz’ office, the two discussed “security and policy topics.” Gantz “welcomed the expansion of relations between Jordan and the current Israeli government.” A statement from King Abdullah II said the two spoke about “the need to

The government of United Arab Emirates has ratified a new and updated Federal Crime and Punishment Law, a move intended to further modernize the legislative system of the country. The new legislation eases restrictions on extra-marital relationships and it will be fully enacted starting from January 2, 2022. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, approved a wide

Riyadh, Dec 31: Money sent out of Saudi Arabia by foreign workers fell to SR13 billion ($3.46 billion) in November, the lowest since July of this year, data by the Saudi Central Bank revealed. In a sign that foreigners are sending less money to their home countries, the monthly drop in the indicator was 3.7 percent, following a slight growth of 0.9 percent in the previous month. In annual terms

Riyadh, Dec 30: Saudi Arabia's decision to re-impose wearing of face masks and maintaining physical distancing came into force on Thursday, Dec. 30, in all regions of the Kingdom. The Ministry of Interior announced that wearing of face masks and maintaining physical distancing and adhering to all precautionary and preventive measures has become mandatory in all the open and cloced areas The

Authorities in Abu Dhabi have announced new rules to travel to the Emirate from within the UAE. Covid-vaccinated residents and visitors must have a Green Pass on their AlHosn app to enter the UAE Capital. For the unvaccinated, a negative PCR test result is required. The new rules are effective from Thursday, December 30. All entering Abu Dhabi from within the UAE will also need to undergo an EDE

Riyadh, Dec 26: The Saudi-led coalition began a large-scale assault on Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday after two people died in missile strikes by the militia in the southwestern region of Jazan. The attack on the Kingdom late on Friday targeted the town of Samtah, and killed a Saudi citizen and a Yemeni. Six Saudis and a Bangladeshi were injured, and two shops and 12 vehicles were destroyed

Riyadh, Dec 25: A Yemeni rebel attack on Saudi Arabia's southern border town of Jizan killed two people and wounded seven more late Friday, Saudi state-run media reported. Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a projectile that killed a Saudi citizen and Yemeni resident in the southwestern Saudi province of Jizan, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. Six of the wounded were Saudis and one was a

Riyadh, Dec 19: Saudi Arabia’s Public Health Authority (Weqaya) urged people to avoid unnecessary travel outside the Kingdom, especially to high-risk countries, as the Omicron variant spreads. Weqaya explained on Saturday that the world is witnessing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the accelerated spread of the “Omicron” mutant in many countries. It also recommended

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched its bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh, Saudi media reports said. The Kingdom took part in a virtual general assembly meeting of the Bureau International des Expositions held in Paris to start the candidature process, Arab News reported. Fahd Al Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, said that Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Italy, Ukraine and