World / Gulf

Iran says it has received Saudi hajj invite 10 Jan 2017 - 11:30 am

Tehran: Iran said Tuesday it had received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia for its pilgrims to attend this year's hajj, two weeks...

Riyadh Metro on track despite cuts 09 Jan 2017 - 05:25 pm

Riyadh: A major contractor on Riyadh's $22.5 billion urban rail and bus system said Monday the project is on track despite Saudi government...

Snake on a plane grounds Emirates flight 09 Jan 2017 - 12:16 pm

Dubai: An Emirates flight from Muscat to Dubai was cancelled after baggage handlers discovered a snake in the aircraft's cargo hold. The animal...

Kuwait re-routes 14 flights due to bad weather: KUNA 09 Jan 2017 - 12:05 pm

DUBAI: Kuwait has re-routed fourteen incoming flights on Monday due to bad weather conditions, state news agency KUNA said, quoting the country's civil...

Over 18,000 expats caught in Oman for labour law violations 08 Jan 2017 - 08:24 pm

MUSCAT: More than 400 expatriate workers were caught every week in 2016 for violating labour laws, reports Times of Oman, quoting the statistics...

Littering while driving can lead to 10-day prison stay in Oman 08 Jan 2017 - 08:08 pm

Throwing litter, including cigarette butts while driving is a punishable crime and the law breaker will be jailed for 10 days in Oman,...

Saudi Arabia to increase number of pilgrims for Haj 06 Jan 2017 - 10:57 pm

Jeddah: THE Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has approved raising capacity of pilgrims...

Bahrain restores arrest powers to spies 05 Jan 2017 - 11:20 pm

Dubai: BAHRAIN yesterday announced that it has restored the power of its domestic spy service to make some arrests, reversing a key reform...

Emiratis banned from keeping wild pets 04 Jan 2017 - 02:04 pm

Dubai: The private ownership of wild animals has been outlawed in the United Arab Emirates, where keeping exotic creatures as pets is a...

Dubai plans to build largest harbor in MENA 02 Jan 2017 - 02:53 pm

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Dubai's ruler has announced that the sheikhdom which is home to the world's tallest skyscraper will build a new...

Olympics: IOC refuses to lift Kuwait sports ban 01 Jan 2017 - 05:59 pm

Lausanne: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected a call by the Kuwaiti government to temporarily lift a 14-month sports ban while the...

Saudi arrests three over abduction of Shiite cleric 01 Jan 2017 - 04:34 pm

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has detained three people and is searching for three others in connection with the December abduction of a Shiite cleric,...

Bahraini activist Rajab freed on bail after months of detention 28 Dec 2016 - 04:30 pm

DOHA: A leading Bahraini activist was granted bail on Wednesday after months of detention while facing trail over a series of tweets. Nabeel...

Filipina in Kuwait jailed for 10 years for joining Islamic State group 26 Dec 2016 - 10:37 pm

Kuwait City: A Kuwaiti court yesterday sentenced a Filipino woman to 10 years in jail after convicting her of joining the Islamic State...

Appeals court overturns newspaper ban in Oman 26 Dec 2016 - 10:31 pm

Muscat: An Omani appeals court yesterday cancelled an order to close down a newspaper that had reported on alleged corruption within the judiciary....

Oman holds municipal elections 25 Dec 2016 - 11:59 pm

Muscat: Voters in Oman headed to the polls yesterday to choose municipal councillors in only the second local election held in the Gulf...

Omani men look at the list of candidates for the municipal elections, at a polling station in Al Suwayq, in northeastern Oman, yesterday.

Municipal council elections begin in Oman 25 Dec 2016 - 10:34 am

Muscat: Omani voters on Sunday begin casting their vote for the second municipal elections (2017-2020). In all, 107 election centers are ready to...

GCC Red Crescent Societies Gear up to Help Aleppo 24 Dec 2016 - 07:02 pm

Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has participated in a high-profile meeting of top officials of Red Crescent Societies of the Cooperation Council...