The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has demanded the Makkah governorate steps to guarantee food, water and other basic requirements to expatriate housemaids who still haven’t been collected from King Abdul Aziz International Airport.
Civil Defense registered serious violations of safety measures in schools all over the Kingdom, especially in girls’ schools, local daily Al-Watan reported yesterday quoting a senior Civil Defense official.
In a major move to improve the human rights record of the Gulf states, senior officials of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reviewed the draft charter of the GCC Human Rights panel in Riyadh yesterday.
BURAIDAH: Arab NewsMinister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hussayen held the warm weather in Qassim over the past six days responsible for the power cuts in various cities and towns in the region, local daily Okaz reported yesterday.
A gang of nine robbers — eight Saudis and a foreigner — were nabbed in Qassim after robbing about 60 houses and making a fortune of SR2.5 million, local daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported yesterday quoting Qassim police.
RIYADH: The Passport Department announced yesterday that it would enforce fingerprinting of expatriate women in the Kingdom from March 31 as part of its efforts to register fingerprints of all expatriates in the country.
US-based magazine Science has apologized to King Abdulaziz University (KAU) for publishing an article in December accusing the university of hiring highly cited researchers part-time simply as a means to improve its international university ranking.
RIYADH: A Defense Ministry source said yesterday that the press statement published by Kuwait’s Al-Seyassah Arabic daily attributing to Defense Minister Prince Salman is not correct.
A special summary court held its second session yesterday to try 55 men accused of committing a number of terrorist operations inside the country including a fatal attack on the US Consulate General in Jeddah. Except for a Yemeni, all the accused are Saudi.
The Shoura Council approved the Arab Convention to combat information technology crimes and the Arab Convention for the anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Al-Jouf Gov. Prince Fahd bin Badr will open Wednesday 10 new health projects and lay down the foundation stones for the construction of 14 other health facilities costing more than SR2 billion. Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah will attend the function.
Saudi Arabian Airlines Company (Saudia) placed an ad in a leading Indian newspaper looking for pilots to employ, Assistant Director General of the airlines Abdullah bin Mushabab Al-Ajhar said.
The Ministry of Health said yesterday that it currently had adequate health facilities and services, with even more health projects coming up during this year in the western region to cater to the increasing demand for health services.
Riyadh General Court sentenced an Arab expatriate couple to a total of 20 years imprisonment and 1,800 lashes for armed robbery, Riyadh police announced yesterday.
The Consulate General of India, Jeddah, has asked all Indian nationals living under its jurisdiction to register the birth of their children within one year of birth to get an Indian passport.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal distributes the key of the first replacement home for those who had lived in Jeddah’s undeveloped Ruwais residential district to a woman. The house was provided by Risan Arabia, developer of the district. (SPA)
Baha University will organize an awareness forum to enlighten students on the hazardous effects of drug abuse, in association with the Drug Combating Department in the province.
The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) plans to take steps against building owners who discriminate against Saudis when renting out apartments, an official of the organization said.
A high-powered Swedish delegation will arrive in Riyadh tomorrow to take part in the Riyadh International Book Fair that will be launched under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Tuesday. Sweden is to be honored at this year's fair.
Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman yesterday launched a training program aimed at Saudizing 8,500 jobs in travel and tourism this year.
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSHRC) in Jeddah is organizing in collaboration with the Royal Irish College of Surgeons a three-day medical conference in Jeddah tomorrow.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will support the annual Gulf Environment and Sustainable Development conference and exhibition (GEF) for the third year running in 2012.
The Ministry of Housing is currently working on a system to limit housing rents, local Arabic daily Al-Madinah reported yesterday, quoting a source at the ministry.
While Egypt has warmly welcomed reports about an agreement with Saudi Arabia to construct a $3 billion causeway linking the two countries together, the Saudi Ministry of Transport denied any knowledge of such an agreement, local Arabic daily Al-Watan reported yesterday.
JEDDAH: Oil prices retreated to below $107 a barrel yesterday after the Kingdom denied an Iranian media report of a pipeline explosion. “There were no acts of sabotage in the Kingdom yesterday," Interior Ministry spokesman Prince Mansour Al-Turki told Reuters.
Defense Minister Prince Salman will attend the final events of the 14th national contest for Prince Salman Qur’an Memorization Prize in Riyadh tomorrow.
American national Elinor Nichols could never have guessed nearly half-a-century ago that a visit with her late husband Roger Nichols to a remote sand-buffeted fort in the eastern desert of the Kingdom would spark a journey that would see her return as a royal guest.
The Ministry of Culture and Information will give away SR2 million worth of prizes for the most outstanding books at the Riyadh International Book Exhibition 2012. The exhibition opens Tuesday.
An Indian nurse, who was going home on her annual vacation gave birth to a baby girl at the King Khaled International Airport( KKIA) here last Saturday.
Following the announcement of the results by the British Council, the Bangladesh International School, English Section, serving 1,400 students were elated to learn that their students ranked in 12 IGCSE and A Level CIE categories.
JEDDAH: Security forces have foiled an attempt to smuggle about half a ton of hashish from Iran into the Kingdom.
Pakistan International School, Jeddah (English Section), Principal Sehar Kamran won the Pakistan's Senate election with a comfortable margin yesterday.
BMG Foundation hosted the introductory program for the “Our Water, Our Life” campaign at Dar Al-Hekma College in Jeddah recently.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt have renewed an agreement on constructing a causeway between Tabuk and Egypt through Aqaba Bay at an initial cost of $3 billion, Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday, quoting an official source at the Saudi Ministry of Transport. Both sides agreed to name the new project, which will extend 50 km over the Red Sea waters, "King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Causeway."
The Ministry of Labor has exempted disabled Saudi men and women from paying the recruitment fee of SR2,000 to import foreign manpower, including private drivers, housemaids and nurses, the ministry announced yesterday.
The International Islamic Relief Organization-Saudi Arabia (IIROSA) has sent urgent relief assistance to Syrian refugees in some neighboring countries, Secretary-General Adnan bin Khalil Basha announced yesterday.
The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry has proposed measures aimed at curbing the rising tide of complaints about runaway workers.
Janadriyah Festival of Heritage and Culture came to end few days ago and dealt with a number of topics such as Arab relations with Iran, Africa and the world, developments in the region, the relationship between intellectuals and politicians, and regulatory relationship between media men and authority.
The Awareness campaigns of the Directorate of Civil Defense will focus on accidents related to women and disabled during the Saudi Civil Defense Day celebrations beginning tomorrow.
Foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold a meeting here on Sunday to discuss key regional issues, especially Syria after all international efforts to convince President Bashar Assad to end the killings of innocent civilians have failed.
The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) said the Arabic language is the mainstay of the identity of all Arabs as well as the protective shield of their culture to contain the treasures of their heritage and embrace the creativity of contemporary intellectual and literary pursuits.
Manarat International Schools, which belong to Maarif for Education and Training, has won first place in international British certificate examinations, said Maarif CEO Muhammad Al-Arfaj on Tuesday.
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, state minister and commander of the National Guard, performs funeral prayer for Faisal Al-Dossary, a member of Prince Turki Brigade who died during a military exercise, at Al-Rajhi Mosque in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)
Makkah: Two magnificent replicas of the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque have been added to an exhibition in Makkah.
RIYADH: The Riyadh International Book Fair 2012 under the aegis of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will open today with the theme “Life is Reading.”
Business executive Danish Abdul Ghafoor has been named as president of the India Forum. He is an alumnus of India's Aligarh Muslim University.
The Jeddah chapter of the Indian Engineers Forum (IEF) organized a professional seminar recently at the Indian Consulate General as part of its quarterly event in which engineers presented their lectures on different topics.
A renowned scholar said yesterday in Riyadh that anybody aspiring to be a leader should be bold and ready to take the initiative.
Prince Sultan University’s proposed tieup with global business school INSEAD to help pep up Saudi job market
Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities chief Prince Sultan bin Salman yesterday delivered a lecture at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University where he talked about his success in the development of the tourism sector in the Kingdom and his space trip.
A member of the Shoura Council asked those working in the volunteering field to get trained and qualified if they wanted to continue in this area. Najeeb Al-Zamil was speaking on the second day of the 2nd Gulf Young Leaders Forum in Riyadh yesterday.
RIYADH: Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal yesterday highlighted the importance of transforming the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council into a powerful union and pointed out that the move would not affect the sovereignty of any member country.
Arab Spring initially made 82 percent of the population in the United States sympathize with Arab citizens.
Pakistan Ambassador to the Kingdom Muhammad Naeem Khan held a meeting with Haj Minister Bandar bin Mohammad Hajjar in Riyadh yesterday.
Heavy snowfall and rain hit the northern border region of Tabuk at around 3 p.m. Friday. The Border Guards acted on the directives of Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan to provide aid and assistance to citizens and residents.
Top Border Guard officials supervised the preparations taken to face the heavy snow and rains, confirming patrols continued to work under all circumstances to protect the borders of the Kingdom.
Defense Minister Prince Salman sponsored the closing ceremony of the 14th session of the Holy Qur’an memorizing and recitation contest for boys and girls as well as its prize giving ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Riyadh.
On behalf of Prince Salman, minister of defense, president emeritus of Riyadh Schools, Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh, deputy minister of education for boys department, opened the 2nd Gulf Young Leaders Forum yesterday.
Deputy Islamic Affairs Minister Abdul Aziz Al-Ammar yesterday highlighted Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support Muslim minority communities in different parts of the world without interfering in the internal affairs of their countries.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Haj Minister Bandar Al-Hajjar discussed here yesterday the ministry’s 25-year strategic plan to improve services to the millions of pilgrims who come to the Kingdom every year to perform Haj and Umrah. During the meeting, Prince Khaled emphasized the fact that the 20-year plan for the development of Makkah province is also aimed primarily at serving the guests of God who come from different parts of the world.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is to hold a conference of ministers responsible for water in Islamic countries in Istanbul on March 5 and 6. The aim of the gathering is to adopt the OIC Water Vision: Working Together for a Secure Future.