Gulf

Kuwait bans commercial flights to 31 countries

Kuwait has banned until further notice commercial flights to 31 countries it regards as high risk due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said…

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Iraq PM calls early election

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called an early general election for June 6, 2021, roughly a year ahead of when it would normally be held. Early elections are a key…

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UAE tells Turkey to stop meddling in Arab affairs over Libya

The United Arab Emirates minister of state for foreign affairs said on Saturday that Turkey should stop interfering in Arab affairs, criticising comments on Libya made by Turkey's defence minister.…

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Kuwait bans flights to several ‘high risk’ countries

Kuwait has banned until further notice commercial flights to 31 countries it said that it regarded as high risk due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Directorate General of…

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UAE begins start-up operations at its first nuclear power plant

The United Arab Emirates has begun start-up operations in the initial unit of its first nuclear power plant, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said on Saturday. The Barakah nuclear…

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Iran’s Khamenei rejects talks with U.S. over missile, nuclear programmes

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ruled out negotiations with the United States over Tehran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes on Friday and urged Iranians to resist U.S. pressure. "America's…

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Saudi King Salman leaves hospital after gallbladder surgery

Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, left King Faisal hospital in the capital Riyadh after recovery, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. The Saudi king, the custodian…

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Number of coronavirus cases in Iran passes 300,000

The number of infections from the new coronavirus in Iran has reached 301,530, according to official Health Ministry figures announced on state TV on Thursday. Iran has the Middle East’s…

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Kuwait to allow citizens, residents to travel to and from the country starting Aug 1st

Kuwait will allow citizens and residents to travel to and from the country, starting August 1st, the government communication center tweeted on early Thursday, citing a cabinet decision. The decision…

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Qatar to consider 2032 Olympic bid

Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, announced that it would also like to stage the Olympics, possibly in 2032. The Gulf Arab state's Olympic committee said it submitted…

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News of Kuwait emir’s health reassuring, parliament speaker says

News about the health of the Emir of Kuwait, who is in the United States for medical treatment, is “very reassuring,” parliament speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim said on Sunday in a…

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Draft law in Kuwait seeking to drastically cut foreign workers’ numbers has them on edge

Since Covid-19 emerged, oil prices have slumped and local jobs evaporated. Kuwait's government is now considering new quotas that would see roughly half of its 920,000 Indians and 520,000 Egyptians…

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Iran says foreign states may have carried out cyberattacks

Iran’s foreign ministry said foreign governments may have been behind recent cyberattacks on Iranian facilities, but played down the possibility of them having a role in a series of fires…

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Passengers injured as US fighter jet comes close to Iranian plane

Several passengers on an Iranian airline have been injured over Syria after the pilot changed altitude to avoid collision with a US fighter jet, according to Iranian media, but the…

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Emirates to cover passengers for medical expenses, quarantine costs

Emirates will cover its passengers for COVID-19 related medical expenses and quarantine costs when they travel onboard Emirates, to and from the UAE and around the world, free of charge.…

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Saudi oil exports down by nearly $12 billion year-on-year in May

The value of Saudi Arabia's oil exports dropped by 65% year-on-year in May, or a fall of nearly $12 billion, official data showed on Thursday. Compared with April, total exports…

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Saudi finance minister says country to widen privatisation scope

Saudi Arabia will look to sell assets in sectors not previously considered for privatisation, the country's finance minister said on Wednesday, as the country contends with the economic impact of…

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Kuwait ruler taken to the USA to complete medical treatment

Kuwait’s 91-year-old ruler Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah left the country early on Thursday for the United States to complete his medical treatment, the state news agency reported. Sheikh Sabah,…

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Qatar allows citizens and permanent residents to travel and return anytime

Qatar on Wednesday relaxed restrictions aimed at controlling the novel coronavirus, allowing citizens and permanent residency holders to travel outside the country and return at any time, and residents outside…

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Trump, Abu Dhabi crown prince discuss Libya in phone call

U.S. President Donald Trump and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan discussed regional security issues including the "importance of de-escalation in Libya through the removal of foreign…

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Saudi king chairs cabinet meeting from hospital, in stable condition

Saudi King Salman held a cabinet meeting via video call from hospital in the capital Riyadh on Tuesday, a day after the 84-year-old monarch was admitted with what state media…

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Iran reports record single day death toll from coronavirus

Iran on Tuesday reported a new single-day record death toll of 229 from coronavirus, after weeks of rising numbers in the Middle East's worst-hit country. "Sadly, we lost 229 of…

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Work on flight recorders from Ukrainian jet shot down in Iran started

Investigators have begun work on the flight recorders from the Ukrainian jet accidentally shot down by Iran in January, France's BEA accident investigation bureau said on Monday. Iranian forces say…

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Iran executes former translator accused to spy for US and Mossad

Iran executed a former translator who had been accused of spying for US and the Israeli Mossad on Monday. "Mahmoud Mousavi Majd's sentence was carried out on Monday morning over the…

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UAE rocket lifts off in Arab’s world first interplanetary mission

A United Arab Emirates spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a seven-month journey to Mars, kicking off the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. The liftoff of the Mars orbiter named Amal,…

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Saudi Arabia’s ruler admitted to hospital for checks

Saudi Arabia's 84-year-old ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has been admitted to hospital in the capital Riyadh, suffering from inflammation of the gall bladder, state news agency SPA said on…

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Photo Story – As UN seeks ceasefire in Yemen, poverty doesn’t stop football

Yemeni wears a shoe while taking part in a football match amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Sana'a, Yemen, 11 July 2020. According to reports, the UN envoy to…

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Explosion in Iran’s Isfahan power plant

An explosion occurred at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province on Sunday but there were no casualties, the official IRNA news agency reported. The blast was caused by…

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Kuwait’s Emir in hospital for medical checks

Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah was admitted to hospital on Saturday for medical checks, the state news agency KUNA reported. KUNA quoted Emiri Court Affairs Minister Sheikh Ali…

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Rouhani says 25 million Iranians infected with COVID-19

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million are at risk of acquiring it. The figures,…

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UAE detects 293 new coronavirus infections

The UAE confirmed 293 new coronavirus cases after conducting 48,000 additional tests, state news agency WAM reported. The country now has 56,422 infections to date, it added. Two patients also…

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Saudi hosts G20 talks on virus recovery, debt crisis

G20 finance ministers and central bankers are set to hold talks Saturday aimed at spurring global economic recovery from a coronavirus-triggered recession amid growing calls to widen debt relief for…

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Wizz Air Abu Dhabi launched

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, on Monday announced the launch of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, a national airline of the United Arab Emirates will…

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Iran says chain of errors caused Ukrainian plane crash in January

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders for the accidental downing of a Ukrainian…

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Rockets and drones launched by Yemen’s Houthis targeting Saudi Arabia intercepted

The Saudi-Led coalition said on Monday it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic rockets and seven drones laden with explosives launched by Yemen’s Houthis towards the kingdom. The coalition has started…

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UAE cancels visa extension for expatriates

The UAE Cabinet has revised its earlier regulations for residency visas of expatriates whose stay in the country was affected by the coronavirus pandemic. UAE residents, whether they are in…

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Dubai announces new coronavirus economic support worth over $400 million

Dubai has announced a new package worth 1.5 billion dirhams ($408 million) to help the economy cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the crown prince of the emirate,…

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Emirates resumes flights to 6 more cities

Emirates has announced it will resume flights to Geneva (from 15 July), Los Angeles (from 22 July), Dar es Salaam (from 1 August), Prague and Sao Paulo (from 2 August),…

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UAE says it will test 2 million people for COVID-19 as cases rise

The United Arab Emirates plans to test two million people, or about 20% of the population, for the novel coronavirus over the next two months after the infection rate climbed…

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Dubai hotels ready to welcome foreign visitors as emirate reopens

Dubai's Atlantis resort, at the head of a palm tree-shaped island, workers in face masks clean cushions, sofas and king-size beds in luxury suites that have largely been vacant since…

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Emirates lays off more pilots, crew in latest round of job cuts

Emirates laid off more pilots and cabin crew this week in another round of job cuts as the Gulf airline shrinks its workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic, four sources…

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Despite downturn, Saudi Arabia pursues goal of doubling size of capital city

Saudi Arabia is pressing on with plans to double the size and population of its capital city in the next decade, a government official said, despite an economic downturn due to the…

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Air Arabia Abu Dhabi to start operations with flights to Egypt

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will start operations on July 14, with direct flights connecting the capital of the United Arab Emirates to Alexandria and Sohag, in Egypt, the company said…

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Saudi Arabia announces haj health measures for domestic pilgrims

Saudi Arabia announced health protocols to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the 2020 haj season, banning gatherings and meetings between pilgrims, the state news agency said on…

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Iran admits fire at Natanz nuclear facility caused significant damage

A fire that broke out at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility on Thursday has caused significant damage that could slow the development of advanced centrifuges, an Iranian nuclear official said.…

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Coronavirus cases rising in Saudi Arabia, UAE after curfews lifted

Saudi Arabia's coronavirus infections have passed 200,000 and neighbouring United Arab Emirates 50,000, with the number of new cases climbing after the Arab world's two largest economies fully lifted curfews…

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Iran imposes new curbs as coronavirus toll rises

Iranians who do not wear masks will be denied state services and workplaces that fail to comply with health protocols will be shut for a week, President Hassan Rouhani said…

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UAE allows citizens and residents to travel abroad

The United Arab Emirates will allow both citizens and residents to travel abroad, the state news agency reported on Friday. In March, the UAE suspended all inbound and outbound passenger…

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Iran threatens retaliation after what it calls possible cyber attack on nuclear site

Iran will retaliate against any country that carries out cyber attacks on its nuclear sites, the head of civilian defence said, after a fire at its Natanz plant which some…

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Israeli defence contractors’ partner with UAE tech firm to fight coronavirus

Two Israeli defence contractors will partner with Abu Dhabi-based technology company Group 42 to develop technologies to help fight the new coronavirus, the companies said. Israel has no diplomatic relations…

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Saudi Arabia extends measures to mitigate pandemic impact

Saudi Arabia extended several government initiatives to support the private sector in mitigating the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, state news agency SPA reported, citing a decision by King Salman.…

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Emirates airline says issued over $517 mln in refunds in past two months

Emirates, one of the world's biggest long-haul airlines, has processed close to 650,000 refunds over the past two months, refunding over 1.9 billion dirhams ($517 million), it said on Thursday.…

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UAE says residents, citizens cannot travel abroad for tourism yet

United Arab Emirates authorities on Wednesday said residents and citizens were not yet allowed to travel abroad for tourism and leisure purposes and all travel abroad needed a permit, as…

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Emirates to re-start passenger flights to Cairo, Tunis, Glasgow and Malé

Emirates continues to add travel options for customers with the announcement that it will re-start passenger flights to Cairo (from 1 July), Tunis (from 1 July), Glasgow (from 15 July)…

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Qatar to further ease coronavirus curbs as infections pass peak

Qatar aims to further ease coronavirus curbs from July 1, allowing the limited reopening of restaurants, beaches and parks, as infections have passed their peak and the rate was subsiding,…

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UAE suspends incoming passengers from Pakistan over COVID fears

The United Arab Emirates will not receive passengers coming from Pakistan as of June 29 until a special COVID-19 lab is set up to test them, the civil aviation authority…

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Masks to become compulsory in parts of Iran

Mask-wearing will be mandatory in certain areas of Iran as of next week and virus-hit provinces can reimpose restrictive measures, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday. The Islamic republic has…

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