Middle East

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged $200 million in aid to Yemen, to be spent during Ramadan, the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation said on Monday. Both countries are working with humanitarian organizations to ensure the aid will be distributed in both Houthi and government-controlled areas, Reem Al-Hashimy told a press conference in Abu Dhabi. Preventing

Abu Dhabi, Apr 5: The Anti-Terror Quartet of countries — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt — have confirmed that they will boycott the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which begins in Qatar on Saturday. The 139th IPU general assembly was held in Geneva in October 2018, during which the four nations objected to the decision to hold the next gathering in Doha, over

Riyadh, Apr 5: Saudi Arabia opened a new consulate in Baghdad on Thursday after announcing $1 billion in loans for development projects in Iraq. Three more diplomatic branches are to be opened in other Iraqi cities soon, Saudi Arabia’s Commerce and Investment Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qassabi said Saudi Arabia and Iraq have moved to improve relations in recent months. The Kingdom reopened its

New Delhi, Apr 4: The United Arab Emirates on Thursday bestowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Zayed Medal in appreciation for his efforts to boost bilateral ties with the nation. "We have historical and comprehensive strategic ties with India, reinforced by the pivotal role of my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave these relations a big boost. In appreciation of his efforts

Algiers, Apr 3: Algeria’s ailing leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika submitted his resignation with immediate effect, state television said Tuesday, ceding power in the face of massive street protests after two decades at the helm. Bouteflika “officially advised the Constitutional Council of the end of his term of office as President of the Republic” from Tuesday, said a news ticker on the public

Dubai, Apr 2: Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, made core earnings of $224 billion last year, almost three times as much as Apple, figures from the state-owned company showed on Monday ahead of its debut international bond issue. Aramco revealed its financials in order to obtain a public rating and start issuing public international bonds. Despite the huge profit, the state-owned oil

Dhahran, Apr 1: Saudi Arabia on Sunday launched its first locally assembled Hawk jet training aircraft, some parts of which were manufactured by local companies. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled the plane during a ceremony at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Province, witnessed by princes and officials. The crown prince, who is also deputy prime minister and minister of defense, was

Abu Dhabi, Mar 31: UAE approved new rules for expats sponsoring family members, on Sunday. The UAE Cabinet has adopted a decision to amend provisions of the resolution on sponsoring of foreign workers to their families in the country. According to a statement by the General Secretariat of the Cabinet, the amended provisions now indicate "income" as a requirement for sponsoring family members, as

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, has categorically rejected a report by the Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen, and urged the Human Rights Council, HRC, to instead refocus on providing support to the Government of Yemen in building institutions to protect human rights in the country. In a letter to the United Nations High

Five rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel, prompting Israeli tanks to respond by firing on Hamas military posts early on Sunday, hours after a massive Palestinian protest along the border between Israel and Gaza. The rocket attack and Israeli response did not cause any casualties, according to the Israeli army and witnesses in Gaza. The Israeli tanks fired at Hamas posts in the