Middle East

Dubai, Aug 21: Muslims celebrated the first day of Eid Al-Adha on Tuesday, which marks the closing parts of the Hajj pilgrimage. The massive crowds had spent the previous night camped out in Muzdalifah, having performed the most important of the Hajj rituals, visiting mount Arafat, where they believe the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon. They had also endured poor weather conditions, which

Jeddah, Aug 20: Around two million pilgrims have began ascending the plains of Mount Arafat shortly after sunrise on Monday to perform the most important ritual in Hajj. Standing on Mount Arafat until the sunset on the 9th day of Dul Hijjah is the one of the most important rituals of the Hajj pilrimage. Pilgrims converge on the hill, dedicated to prayers and reflection, where Dhuhr and Asr prayers

Srinagar, Aug 19: A Kashmiri man, suspected to be a sympathiser of the banned terror group IS, was recently deported to India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officials said in Srinagar on Sunday. Thirty-six-year-old Irfan Ahmad Zargar, a resident of Chattatabal area on the outskirts of Srinagar, was deported from the Gulf country on August 14 and subjected to questioning by various security

Makkah, Aug 19: More than 2 million Muslims have begun the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia From first light Sunday, throngs of the faithful have circled the cube-shaped Kaaba in Makkah, one of the holiest sites in Islam. The Kaaba represents the metaphorical house of God and the oneness of God. Observant Muslims around the world face toward the Kaaba during their five daily prayers. The five

Dubai, Aug 18: Nearly 470 mosques have been prepared for the Eid Al-Adha prayer, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Daawah and Guidance in Madinah announced Sheikh Fahad bin Sulaiman al-Tuwaijri, Director-General of the ministry in Madinah, said that 469 mosques and places of prayer had been equipped, both in Madinah and elsewhere. The Eid Al-Adha prayer will be at 6:13a.m., state news

Jeddah, Aug 18: Mansour al-Amer swipes a card to reveal a narrow sleep pod, reminiscent of Japan's famed capsule hotels. But this pod is in Saudi Arabia, where the Muslim Haj pilgrimage begins Sunday. The kingdom has plans to introduce capsule rooms in the western city of Mina in the coming days, as an estimated two million Muslim faithful gather for the six-day Haj, one of the five pillars of

Jerusalem, Aug 17: Israeli police are again questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of their investigations into corruption allegations. Two police vehicles arrived on Friday at Netanyahu’s residence while protesters at the entrance waved a large banner reading "crime minister" and chanted slogans calling for justice. Media reported that Netanyahu is to be questioned over a

London, Aug 15: Countries across the Middle East are struggling to create diverse opportunities for their youth, according to the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) Arab World Competitiveness Report. However, a number of countries are innovating and creating new solutions to previously existing barriers to competitiveness, the report noted. Saudi Arabia has committed to significant changes to its

Abu Dhabi, Aug 13: President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Emiri Decree No. 02 of 2018 amending the UAE Cybercrimes Law. According to the Decree, Article Nos. 26, 28 and 42 of Federal Decree-Law No. 05 of 2012 on Combatting Cybercrimes will be replaced with updated provisions. Article No. 26 stipulates an imprisonment period of at least ten years and not exceeding 25 years

Abu Dhabi, Aug 13: The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of 704 prisoners on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. The pardoned prisoners had been sentenced to jail terms for a variety of offenses. Sheikh Khalifa pledged to settle the financial obligations of the released prisoners. The move comes as part of Sheikh Khalifa's keenness to give the pardoned