Home | Arab News

KSA’s gift to Egypt: ‘Islamic city’ at Al-Azhar

CAIRO: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman laid the foundation stone of the Beouth Islamic City, which includes a dormitory for up to 30,000 students, at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo on Saturday.The king, who was accompanied by a number of princes and ministers, was received by Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb and a number of officials. He performed the greeting prayer at the 1,000-year-old Al-Azhar Mosque and was briefed on the mosque’s restoration project. In 2014, Saudi Arabia had given funds to Egypt for the restoration work at the mosque and university, and for establishing a dormitory for foreign students. Later in the same year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi allocated land for the new city in New Cairo’s fifth settlement district.Meanwhile, King Salman met Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II on Friday, becoming the first Saudi king to do so, and...

‘Committed to Yemen truce’

CAIRO: The spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen’s rebels has said that the alliance i...

US Navy leads 30-nation sea drill in Mideast

ABU DHABI: The US Navy is leading a 30-nation maritime exercise across Middle Eastern waters, which...

Kerala temple fire kills 86 gathered for fireworks display

NEW DELHI: A major explosion and fire swept through a temple in southern India, killing at least 86 people after thousands of families and others had gathered for a fireworks display.More than 300 others were injured in the fire that engulfed the temple complex in Kerala state, where crowds had gathered during the night for a festival that boasted the fireworks show.A team of specialist doctors was being deployed from New...

Media dub Salman ‘the Decisive King’

CAIRO: The visit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Egypt is being widely covered by Egyptian satellite channels. Saudi media personalities have also participated in such shows. Ten TV launched its program with the slogan "The Decisive King in Egypt", while political analysts, Saudi journalists and their Egyptian counterparts said that the visit of King Salman to Egypt and the warm welcome and hospitality...

SAUDI ARABIA »

Saudi Arabia and Egypt agree SR60 billion investment fund

CAIRO: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday oversaw the signing of several agreements, including an SR60 billion investment fund, as the king visited Egypt for a third day.The king’s visit to Egypt has been seen as an overwhelming show...

Heavy torrential downpour claims 3 lives in Asir

JEDDAH: Torrential rain wreaked havoc in many parts of the Kingdom, especially the southern region, during the weekend, resulting in three deaths and flooding in dams, streets and low-lying areas. Some Taif residents are, meanwhile, gearing up to seek compensation for the heavy losses they suffered due to the rain and flood...

Hope rises as NSHR opposes separation on basis of lineage

RIYADH: The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has intervened in the case of a Saudi woman who has, through a viral video, sought help to save her marriage following a court order for separation from her soldier husband on the ground of incompatibility in lineage, according to a website.The NSHR said that after a mar...

King’s visit adds new dimension to ties

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Egypt have made history by achieving the highest point in their bilateral relationship following the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to that country, said a cross section of legislators, political analysts and academics here on Saturday. They described the Saudi-Egypt relation...

Ways to bolster cultural ties explored

RIYADH: Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Helmi Al-Nimnim at Al-Nimnim's office on Saturday.“They discussed a number of topics pertaining to cultural affairs between the two brotherly countries,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.Saudi Arabia and Egypt have much in c...

‘Kingdom is a top tourist destination’

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is a top tourist destination and open to receiving foreigners, which is evident from the fact that 18 million people from various countries visited the Kingdom last year, Prince Sultan bin Salman has said.The president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) made the statement...

Daesh sends 250,000 tweets per day

DAMMAM: Around 76 percent of terrorism-related websites are managed from within the United States, while the Daesh organization uses the social network Twitter to broadcast more than 250,000 posts per day to spread false beliefs among youth, an expert has said.“Terrorist organizations, including Daesh, publish their extremi...

Independent body to monitor rights of workers and employers sought

JEDDAH: Owners of recruiting offices confirmed that the faltering of the recruitment issue and the lengthy proceedings, as well as the lack of an independent body to monitor and guarantee the rights of both parties, contribute to the unwillingness of 30 percent of the workers from various countries to work in the Kingdom. T...

Customs confirms awareness message on Twitter account

RIYADH: The Department of Customs confirmed the awareness message regarding the importation and circulation of goods on its Twitter account.“The message aims to remind the public that products bearing phrases or messages that are offensive to Islam and our traditions are not allowed,” an online publication quoted the depart...

‘Riyadh rains may cost insurance firms SR100m’

RIYADH: Heavy rain in Riyadh over the past few days is likely to cost insurance companies over SR100 million in terms of compensation for damaged cars, an expert in insurance matters has said. “Fresh terms and conditions in insurance policies oblige companies to compensate for losses in such weather conditions,” Abdullah Al...

Filipino envoy urges expats to vote early

RIYADH: The Philippine presidential election, which kicked off on Saturday, has seen hundreds of voters turning out since early morning hours, some of whom were voting for the first time. The absentee voting will run for one month, starting yesterday, to allow Filipinos abroad to participate in determining their future, sai...

Riyadh, Cairo cement trade, political ties

RIYADH: The five-day visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Egypt will cement ties between the two allies, including boosting plans to fight terrorism, promote economic development, and ensure unity and political stability in the Arab world.This according to a report in a local publication on Friday, whic...

All telecom workers must be Saudi by September 3

RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor intends to nationalize the telecom industry in the long run, not just the mobile phone sales, maintenance and accessories sector, ensuring that no telecom job is held by an expatriate worker.Ministry spokesman Khaled bin Abdulaziz Abalkhail pointed out that the decision to Saudize the above men...

» SCTNH chief to attend US tourism...

» Friendship finds new shores

» The two nations that have kept the...

» Egyptian media highlight Saudi ties

» Validity of Saudi passports to be...

» Report: 23 jobs not for women in...

» High water bills shock consumers

» 38% of people over 30 in KSA are...

» Madinah hosts 3.7m Umrah visitors...

» Joint Saudi-US action records anti-...

MIDDLE EAST »

Causeway accord hailed

RIYADH: The historic decision by Saudi Arabia and Egypt to connect via a bridge...

US deploys B-52 bombers to Qatar for war on terror

WASHINGTON: The US Air Force deployed B-52 bombers to Qatar on Saturday to join...

US warns: ‘Credible threats’ to Antalya, Istanbul tourist sites

ISTANBUL: The US Embassy in Turkey on Saturday warned American citizens of “cred...

Daesh frees most of 300 abducted workers, kills 4

BEIRUT: The Daesh group has released most of the 300 cement workers it abducted...

Militant ambush kills 20 Yemen soldiers

MARIB: Al-Qaeda militants killed at least 20 Yemeni soldiers on Saturday when th...

WORLD »

Austria to seize Hitler’s birth house

VIENNA: Austria said Saturday it wants to seize Adolf Hitler’s birthplace from i...

As coach, ex-US House speaker molested five boys

WASHINGTON: Stunning new details have emerged of ex-House speaker Dennis Hastert...

Paris suspect Abrini was ‘man in hat’ at Brussels airport bombing

PARIS/BRUSSELS: Paris attacks suspect Mohamed Abrini has confessed he was the ‘m...

Belgium charges four with terrorism, frees two

BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities charged four more suspects Saturday with “particip...

British PM Cameron admits mishandling offshore revelations

LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron said Saturday he had mishandled the...

SPORTS »

Villa avoids relegation; Carroll treble thwarts Arsenal

LONDON: Hapless bottom club Aston Villa avoided relegation from the Premier Leag...

Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid puts pressure on Barca

MADRID: Real Madrid bounced back from their Champions League embarrassment again...

Federer back as big guns test Monte Carlo clay

MONACO: Roger Federer will test a January knee injury under competitive conditio...

Australian Open champ Kerber advances to Volvo semifinals

CHARLESTON, S.C.: Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber moved a step closer...

Spieth and McIlroy in Masters clash

AUGUSTA, Georgia: Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy were set for a Saturday showdow...

ECONOMY »

S&P: Kingdom’s GDP per capita estimate for 2016 is $18,9...

JEDDAH: Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services estimated that Saudi Arabia’s hydrocarbon sector accounted for about 28 percent of nominal GDP in 2015, down from 42 percen...

Tadawul: Banking, Agriculture and Food to remain resilient

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s banking sector has continued to perform strongly in the stock market despite challenging macro-economic developments, partly as a result of rising interest rates, according to Jadwa Investment. “We see some bright spots for the banking sector, with one potential area of growth being residential lendin...

Nigeria may issue Chinese Panda bonds

LAGOS: Nigeria is considering a sale of Chinese Panda bonds to help fund a record budget aimed at reviving Africa’s biggest economy as it suffers a slump in global oil prices, Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said.Africa’s No. 1 crude producer could also dip into cash set aside for energy investment projects to help meet the 2...

NKY is keen to share engineering knowhow with Saudi professionals

NKY, one of the major engineering consultancy and design companies in Turkey, is working in the Kingdom as a client representative for the Ministry of Interior (MoI) projects, offering best quality of consultancy services.“NKY offers its consultancy services in a wide range of engineering disciplines, extending from portfol...

France, Germany halt Airbus export credit

PARIS/BERLIN: France and Germany have joined Britain in suspending export credit facilities for Airbus jet deliveries, expanding the fallout from a potential corruption probe in Britain, several people familiar with the matter said.The move follows Britain’s decision last week to suspend financing and alert the Serious Frau...

US fight goes on with Apple over iPhone access

NEW YORK: The US government is keeping its encryption battle with Apple alive, pressing the high-tech giant to help crack an iPhone in a drug case in New York.The Justice Department filed a letter in a US District Court telling a judge that it still wants Apple to extract pictures, text messages and other digital data from...

Sri Lanka requests equity swap for some of its $8bn China debt

BEIJING: Sri Lanka has asked China to swap some of the $8 billion the Indian Ocean country owes Beijing for equity in infrastructure projects and offered to sell stakes in Sri Lankan companies to Chinese ones, Sri Lankan officials said.The ouster of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who steered Sri Lanka toward China until 2015,...

Oil prices jump 6%

NEW YORK: Oil prices jumped 6 percent on Friday, heading for the largest weekly gain in a month, as drawdowns in US crude stockpiles fed hopes that a punishing global oversupply that has lasted nearly two years may be nearing tipping point.US gasoline and diesel prices rallied along with crude, rising more than 5 percent ea...

Driver vetting row: Uber agrees to settle lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO: Uber Technologies Inc. agreed to a $25 million settlement to end a lawsuit in California that accused the ride-hailing company of misleading customers about the strength of its background checks on drivers, prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Francisco said on Thursday.Uber must pay $10 million within 60 days,...

BP faces investor revolt over CEO’s remuneration

LONDON: Pressure is mounting on BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley as Britain’s biggest mutual life and pensions fund, Royal London, said it would vote against his $19.6 million remuneration package at next week’s annual general meeting.Two shareholder advisers, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, have also recom...

OPINION »

Rasheed Abou-Alsamh

Fostering Arab unity

The ongoing state visit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Egyp...

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

Media in the digital age

After my interview on the subject of the media, which was organized by the Saudi...

S.N. M. Abdi

Class war engulfs elite universities

Barely a month ago, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was being vilified as the...

Arab News

Saudi Press Roundup

Symbol of Arab unity With the signing of various strategic deals, the announceme...

Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi

King Salman Bridge new symbol of Arab unity

The announcement that a bridge will be built between Saudi Arabia and Egypt name...

LATEST VIDEOS

A bridge to be built over the Red Sea between...

ARAB NEWS POLL

Stay Connected

Follow @Arab_News

Facebook

ART & CULTURE »

Ahmed Mater’s first US solo exhibition o...

The first US solo exhibition of the renowned Saudi artist, Ahmed Mater, has opened this week at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. The ‘Symbolic Cities’ exhibition, presented in collaboration with Culturunners in partnership with Art Jameel, will be on display at the Arthur M Sackler Gallery until Sept. 18.
The exhibition explores...

Princess Hayfa unveils first s...

Faisal Alkheriji: Beautifying...

Saudi-Indian heritage captivat...

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY »

SpaceX launches futuristic pop-up room,...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: SpaceX resumed station deliveries for NASA on Friday, and in a double triumph, successfully landed its booster rocket on an ocean platform for the first time.
The unmanned Falcon rocket soared into a clear afternoon sky, carrying a full load of supplies for the International Space Station as well as a futuristic pop...

NASA: Global warming is now ch...

WhatsApp toughens encryption a...

Blindly trusting the social me...

FASHION »

Capes: The new abaya revolution

A cape is a sleeveless outer garment, which drapes the wearer’s back, arms and chest, and fastens at the neck. It has become one of the most sought after cover-ups on fashion catwalks and makes for great street styles.
Capes have quickly become a favorite clothing item and an in-demand fashion piece for it is chic, majestic and can do wond...

Tips to keep your locks fresh,...

Masaya Kushino: New king of av...

Cosmetic treatments for under-...

TRAVEL »

South Africa: Land of diversity

From vast plains to rolling mountains and golden beaches to barren deserts, South Africa is a vast country of huge diversity. And its bustling cities are just as varied as its landscapes — from the likes of hustling Johannesburg to the cosmopolitan Cape Town.

Majestic Cape Town:
Cape Town is the second largest city in South Afric...

Boston: Athens of America

Restoration work on ancient vi...

Quintessential Quebec

FOOD & HEALTH »

38% of people over 30 in KSA are diabetics

RIYADH: Around 38 percent of people aged 30 and above in the Kingdom suffer from diabetes and concerted efforts are being made to fight the disease, Dr. Hisham Al-Khashan, the assistant deputy minister of health for primary health care centers, has said.Speaking at a campaign launched on the occasion of World Diabetic Day on Thursday, he said that around 90 percent of patients have type two of the disease. “Poor eating habits, lack of physical exercise and obesity are the main causes of the disease.”The event, organized by the Health Ministry in collaboration with Abbott Company under the motto “Sahsehlo (Beware of diabetes)” at the King Abdullah Park, was attended by senior Health Ministry...

Dr. Alaa: Excessive coffee, tea or other stimulants could ca...

Heart palpitation is one of the most common complaints among cardiac clinic visitors. But, what is meant by the term “Palpitation”? It is the awareness of one’s heart beats. Normally, heart beats range from 50 – 100 beats/min, however, palpitations are felt when heart beats either decrease or increase than the normal range.The most common type of palpitation is “Tachycardia”- an increase in heart beats. Sinus tachycardia is one cause of physiological increases in heartbeats. It is a normal response to fever, headache, toothache, abdominal pain, emotional stress, extreme emotions and excessive intake of caffeine or tobacco. For this reason, palpitation can be classified as either benign or...

Bitter truth: World losing battle against diabetes

GENEVA: The number of adults estimated to be living with diabetes has nearly quadrupled over 35 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday, urging huge efforts to change eating habits and exercise more.The UN’s health agency said the number of adults with the disease had surged to 422 million by 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980.The explosion in prevalence was because of worldwide changes “in the way people eat, move and live,” WHO said, in its first-ever global report on the disease.An estimated 8.5 percent of the world’s adults now have diabetes, compared to 4.7 percent in 1980.The disease directly caused 1.5 million deaths in 2012 — the latest available global figures...

OFFBEAT »

An ‘exploding watermelon’ takes the Internet by storm

WASHINGTON: In an online world where viral trends can shift in an instant, the “exploding watermelon” video may have set...

Will, Kate’s oldest Indian fan, 93, offers royal feast

MUMBAI: At the Britannia & Company restaurant in India’s Mumbai, Boman Kohinoor adoringly holds up a cherished possession — a photograph of Britain’s Prince William with wife Kate and son George.In his other hand, the 93-year-old owner of Mumbai’s most famous Parsi cafe proudly displays a cut-out picture of a smiling Queen Elizabeth while around him customers hastily tuck into lunch.Kohinoor, who has a strong claim to be India’s biggest fan of the British royal family, is desperate to meet William and Kate when they arrive in Mumbai on Sunday.“I will be going to Oval Maidan the day after...

Axl Rose in cast for Guns N’ Roses reunion

NEW YORK: Guns N’ Roses have promised a return to past glory for their reunion but at least one thing will be at less than full strength — Axl Rose’s foot.The frontman revealed Friday that he had fractured his left foot at the very start of the reunion, which will still go ahead but with Rose wearing a cast.“Right now, he’s in a cast and we’re limiting how much weight he’s putting on it,” Rachel Triche, an orthopedic specialist in the Los Angeles area, said in a video released by the singer.“So he is having his set designed for the stage so he can perform for everyone still.”Triche said that...