Abroad

JEDDAH — The Council of Ministers has recently approved restructuring of visa system for Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as for visitors and transit passengers. This is through unifying the visa fee for issuing visa for each person at a rate of SR300. The Cabinet also canceled fee for repeating Umrah pilgrimage. This revoked the earlier rule to the ... Read More »

  Hunter said he believed Behenna’s conviction was unjustified because of erroneous jury instructions and the failure of prosecutors to turn over evidence supporting a self-defense claim WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has pardoned a former US soldier convicted in 2009 of killing an Iraqi prisoner, the White House announced Monday. Trump signed an executive grant of clemency, a full pardon, ... Read More »

Saudi authorities said various government agencies were involved in the operation, including those who handle environmental protection The vessel had a crew of 26, including 24 Iranians and two Bangladeshis DUBAI: Saudi Arabia said Thursday it was responding to an emergency involving an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Jiddah, and analysts said the vessel carried over 1 million ... Read More »

Rain showers with hail led to flooding in some valleys, roads and neighborhoods Civil Defense officials cautions the public to remain careful and to follow safety guidelines at all times RIYADH: Inclement weather affecting parts of Saudi Arabia have caused flooding in some areas, prompting rescue operations by the Directorate for Civil Defense, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on ... Read More »

MADINAH, Saudi Arabia – Police have arrested five Bangladeshi expatriates accused of stealing large quantities of medicines from the warehouse of a government hospital in Madinah. The officers seized medicines worth about SR4 million from the men. This is the fourth incident involving theft of medicines in Madinah in the past two years. Large quantities of medicines have mysteriously disappeared ... Read More »

Fontain, a British man who used to be a Jazz singer and a successful Diamond trader until he accepted Islam and dedicated his life to Da’wah: John Fontain was born in Manchester, UK to a working class Christian family. As a young boy, he would always make an intention in Church that he was praying to God alone. At seven, ... Read More »

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — A pall of gloom has descended on the downtown of Balad in Jeddah which houses most of the garment shops that include children and women wear as deadline for Saudization of these shops nears. A majority of these shops are being run by Bangladesh expatriates. Although the shops and kiosks are located on narrow lanes, they are ... Read More »

The 41-year-old worker was kidnapped and tortured by his Indian captors, say police Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged in court BEIRUT:  A Bangladeshi man kidnapped by Indian workers in Lebanon was the victim of a ransom plot, Lebanese internal security forces said. The 41-year-old worker was kidnapped as he was heading to work in the coastal region ... Read More »

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The issuance or renewal of work permits has been linked with the authentication of house rent contracts in the Ejar network, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and the Ministry of Housing announced on Monday. This is in implementation of the Council of Ministers’ decision issued in February 2017 that made it mandatory for the Labor ... Read More »

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Employers can now change expat workers’ job titles mentioned on their iqamas (residence permits). The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) on Sunday (July 22) lifted an year-old ban on the change of professions. The move is believed to pave the way for applying a new occupation matrix and allowing profession change based on the ... Read More »

RIYADH — As many as 811,000 expatriates have left the Kingdom on final exit visa in the past 18 months, Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper reported on Wednesday quoting the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat). According to the Jawazat, an average of more than 1,500 expatriates left the Kingdom on a daily basis on final exit visa during this period. During the ... Read More »

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti authorities said they have captured one of six Pakistani men accused of kidnapping and raping a 9-year-old Egyptian child, Al-Rai newspaper has reported. Criminal investigation officers in the Khaitan, a suburb of Kuwait City, said they immediately launched investigations after the father of the child victim reported the incident. They said they arrested a suspect who confessed to ... Read More »

Jeddah — Nine expatriate workers were killed and six were injured when the van they were travelling in overturned on a mountainous road in Al-Baha province on Saturday evening. The workers, belonging to a catering company that supplies food to patients in Baljurashi hospital, were going to Qunfuda corniche to spend their day-off when the accident occurred. Apparently due to ... Read More »

RIYADH: A total of 361,370 people have been arrested in the Kingdom during the past two months for violations of labor and immigration laws and the Public Security authority warned on Tuesday that it would continue its operations in the coming days. The joint field campaign is being conducted by the police in cooperation with the ministries of interior, labor ... Read More »

Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi Okaz recently published a financial analysis, prepared by Muhammad Al-Sobhi from Jeddah. The report said that the program of fees on expats and their dependents will bring in SR 133 billion in revenue in three years. This is part of the new programs announced by Saudi Arabia to diversify sources of income and increase job opportunities for ... Read More »