Tag: Saudi

Foreign trucks need e-documents to enter Saudi Arabia from April

[ad_1]
Riyadh: Saudi Transport General Authority has announced that all foreign trucks must present transit e-documents to enter the Kingdom from April 1, state media reported.
The document will contain information about the sender and recipient of the shipment, trip itinerary and routes, among others, said the the Saudi Press Agency report on Saturday.
The authority said the decision aimed to support local transportation and logistic services, ensure fair competition, enhance the investment environment and boost safety levels for cargo services, Xinhua news agency reported.
The authority added that cargo transport within the kingdom is confined to the national carrier as per the accredited transport mechanism, and prohibits non-Saudi companies to carry out transport operations within the country.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Foreign #trucks #edocuments #enter #Saudi #Arabia #April
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 26, 2023
Saudi Arabia and Syria in talks to re-establish ties: Report

[ad_1]
Saudi Arabia and Syria are discussing the resumption of consular services, according to Saudi official media, more than a decade after the Gulf kingdom severed relations with President Bashar al-dictatorship.
“A discussion is underway between officials in the kingdom and their counterparts in Syria about resuming the provision of consular services,” state-affiliated channel Al-Ekhbariya said, citing a Saudi foreign ministry official.
The report did not provide a timetable for the move, which would be the latest Saudi effort to heal fences with regional enemies.
Earlier this month, a Chinese-brokered agreement was revealed to restore diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been cut for seven years.
For weeks, Riyadh has hinted at a reconciliation with Syria.
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake that slammed southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, killing tens of thousands of people, it provided relief to both rebel-held and government-controlled areas of the nation.
The efforts did not entail direct communication with Assad’s internationally isolated administration, and Saudi officials instead organised supplies into government-controlled areas via the Syrian Red Crescent.
After the earthquake, Damascus has witnessed more Arab participation, especially from countries that have so far rejected normalisation after more than a decade of conflict.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated in February that the Arab world was coming to the conclusion that a new strategy for Syria would be required, involving dialogue with Damascus in order to solve humanitarian concerns.
“There is a consensus within the Arab world that the status quo is not working and that we need to find some other approach. What that approach is, is still being formulated” Prince Faisal told the Munich Security Conference.
According to the Saudi foreign minister, policy changes in Syria might benefit Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, particularly Jordan and Lebanon.
Emirati official media said that Assad visited the UAE on Sunday, when President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed him that it was time for Damascus to be reintegrated into the larger Arab area.
The visit is Assad’s second to the oil-rich UAE in as many years, following a visit to Oman last month, his only formal engagements in Arab nations since Syria’s civil conflict began in 2011.
Syria was kicked out of the Cairo-based Arab League in 2011 for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
[ad_2]
#Saudi #Arabia #Syria #talks #reestablish #ties #Report
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 24, 2023
Saudi: Largest int’l competition for Quran recitation, Adhan is back

[ad_1]
Riyadh: Today, Ramadan 1, the second edition of the Otr Elkalam TV show kicks off in Saudi Arabia. The show presents international talent competitions in reciting the Holy Quran (the Islamic Holy book) and adhan (raising the call to prayer for Muslims), relying on the vocal abilities of the contestants.
The competition has allocated prizes totalling USD 3.3 million to the winners, which is the largest prize in the history of international competitions of this kind. The competition is one of the initiatives of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.
The top twenty of the Quran recitation and adhan tracks share the prizes of the international competition, which is the first of its kind to combine two of the greatest Islamic rituals.
The first winner in the Quran recitation track gets USD 800,000, while the first winner in the adhan track gets USD 534,000.
The competition started online with 50,000 contestants from 165 countries. It aims to show the vocal talents of reciters and muezzins based on the use of melody rules to convey the emotions and meaning that the reciters and muazzins want to deliver to the audience.
50 contestants are competing in the final qualifiers for the competition, 32 of whom qualify for the next stage. The qualified contestants are from the United States of America, France, Germany, Spain, UAE, Bangladesh, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Syria, Mauritania, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Libya, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
They will continue the competition in the second episode of the show, which is broadcast daily during Ramadan on MBC and the Shahid digital platform.
The contestants are evaluated by a jury specialized in voices and maqamat (music structures) based on good performance, perfect intonation, emotional expression and the deliverance of recitation and adhan with humility to the hearts of the listeners.

[ad_2]
#Saudi #Largest #intl #competition #Quran #recitation #Adhan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 24, 2023
US citizen sentenced to 19 years in Saudi over tweets criticizing govt released

[ad_1]
Riyadh: The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have released a Saudi-United States (US) citizen sentenced to 19 years in prison for tweets criticizing the Saudi government.
72-year-old Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a retired project manager living in Florida, was arrested in November 2021, while visiting family in the kingdom and was sentenced in October 2022 to 16 years.
In February 2023, his prison sentence had risen to 19 years.
The Saudi court convicted him of attempting to destabilize the kingdom and supporting terrorism.
As per media reports, Saad Almadi had been detained over 14 tweets posted on Twitter over the past seven years, mostly criticizing government policies and accusing them of corruption. He was also banned from travelling for 16 years.
His son, Ibrahim, confirmed the news and said that Saad Ibrahim Almadi was released at 2 am local time on Tuesday and is currently in Riyadh under a travel ban. However, he noted that the family now needs to fight the travel ban.
“All charges have been dropped but we have to fight the travel ban now,” Ibrahim was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
It is not yet clear why Mohammed bin Salman’s government decided to release Almadi or whether it was part of a deal with the United States (US).

US President Joe Biden raised the issue of Almadi’s arrest when he visited Saudi Arabia in July 2022.
[ad_2]
#citizen #sentenced #years #Saudi #tweets #criticizing #govt #released
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Saudi, Iranian FMs agree to meet ahead of reopening embassies

[ad_1]
Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud have agreed to meet at the earliest opportunity to prepare the ground for the reopening of embassies and consulate generals between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry in Tehran announced on Thursday.
The two Ministers discussed the issues in a phone call to congratulate each other on the starting of the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying.
The Saudi Foreign Minister pointed to the positive achievements of the Beijing meeting, in which the two countries signed an agreement on the normalisation of ties after seven years, and highlighted the necessity of meeting his Iranian counterpart in the near future and the reopening of the embassies.
Meanwhile, Amir-Abdollahian expressed satisfaction with the detente between Tehran and Riyadh, expressing Iran’s readiness to develop and strengthen bilateral relations.
China, Saudi Arabia and Iran on March 10 announced that Riyadh and Tehran had reached a deal that included the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh.
Following the agreement to restore diplomatic relations, the two nations also announced they will reopen embassies within two months and re-establish trade and security relations.
Saudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after demonstrators stormed its embassy in Tehran after Riyadh had executed the prominent Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was convicted of terror-related offences.

Since then, tensions between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbours have often been high, with each regarding the other as a threatening power seeking regional dominance.
They have been on opposing sides of several regional conflicts, including the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
[ad_2]
#Saudi #Iranian #FMs #agree #meet #ahead #reopening #embassies
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Video: Saudi woman makes history by skydiving from 15K feet with national flag

[ad_1]
Riyadh: Razan Al-Ajami, the first Saudi Arabian woman to receive a skydiving license, has now become the first woman to skydive from 15,000 feet carrying Kingdom’s flag.
Razan Al-Ajami, posted a video clip on Instagram, where she is seen walking confidently toward the plane, wearing a white T-shirt with an outline of the map of Saudi Arabia on the front and the flag on her sleeve.
After the jump, she raises the flag as she sinks to the ground.
“Achieving my dream to jump with country flag is starting now,” Razan Al Ajami said in the caption of the Instagram video.
Watch the video below here
Al-Ajami encourages and invites more Saudi women to try this sport, and super fly at Boulevard World is a great opportunity to do so.
Al-Ajami’s ultimate dream is to represent Saudi Arabia while competing in the World Skydiving Championships. She wants to leave a mark and make Saudi Arabia a global hub for this sport.
She received her training and skydiving license in Dubai, where the sport is practiced more than in the Kingdom.
She now plans to establish a first skydiving club in the Kingdom to increase the number of practitioners of this sport.

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Video #Saudi #woman #history #skydiving #15K #feet #national #flag
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia being recalled

[ad_1]
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is considering recalling the countrys Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ameer Khurram Rathore, hardly a year after he was posted by former premier Imran Khan.
The process of recall has started but not finalised yet, The News reported.
Rathore was earlier posted as Pakistan’s High Commission in Canada and hardly a month after his settlement there, he was asked to get ready for posting in Riyadh.
He was flown to Saudi Arabia during Khan’s visit, which turned out to be the latter’s last one as Prime Minister.
Rathore had then not formally assumed the charge by the time.
A government official said Rathore’s removal had been on the cards since long because he was considered politically aligned with the PTI.
“He is known as (Khan’s) loyalist,” a well-placed official in the Prime Minister Office told The News.
Rathore was primarily considered close to Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former foreign minister and PTI vice chairman, and had served in a party office for a year by taking leave from the government job some years back, it has been learnt.

A think tank was set up by PTI in Lahore and Rathore served there from 2012 to 2013, The News reported.
Another official said the government got alerted about him after Khan’s revelation during an interaction with journalists a month back where he said he was in touch with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
How far Khan’s claim was true and whether Rathore played any role in restoring his contact with the Saudi ruler remains unverified, The News reported.
A diplomatic source was, however, dismissive that Rathore could either have that clout or risk his career by playing as a messenger between the opposition leader and the Saudi dignitary.
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office said he was not aware of any special reason other than his affiliation with the PTI.
Rathore is the third consecutive ambassador in Riyadh who is being prematurely recalled. He assumed office on February 15, 2022.
His predecessor Lt Gen (R) Bilal met the same fate. And so too his predecessor, Raja Ali Ejaz, who was suspended weeks before his retirement and recalled at a short notice.
Khan had censured Ejaz during a meeting he held with him.
That decision, however, didn’t go well with the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as some retired diplomats recorded protest at this public humiliation in April 2021.
[ad_2]
#Pakistan #ambassador #Saudi #Arabia #recalled
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
First India-Gulf Cooperation Council held in Saudi Arabia

[ad_1]
Riyadh: The first round of the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) was held in Riyadh. Ausaf Sayeed, secretary(CPV&OIA), Ministry of External Affairs held a meeting with Saudi Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eng. Waleed bin Abdul Kareem El-Khereiji on the Political-Security-Social-Cultural pillar of India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC), the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.
During the India-GCC meeting on March 20, the two sides conveyed happiness over the progress made in trade and investment between India-GCC countries. The Indian delegation was led by Ausaf Sayeed, while the GCC delegation was led by Abdul Aziz Bin Hamad Al-Owaishaq, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Negotiations, GCC.
Both sides agreed for an early finalisation of the India-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the press release. Sayeed called for more collaboration between India and GCC countries in renewable energy, food security, health, IT sector and counter-terrorism. The two sides proposed the formation of Joint Working Groups to cater to particular areas of cooperation between India and GCC countries.
“Secretary(CPV&OIA) invited for more collaboration between India and GCC countries in renewable energy, food security, health, IT sector and counter-terrorism,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in the press release.
Ausaf Sayeed on Wednesday held a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. Sayeed expressed gratitude to Tawfiq Al-Rabiah for the allocation of a Haj quota of 1,75,025 for India for 2023, the MEA said in the press release.
Sayeed said an invitation was extended to him to visit India at his earliest convenience. Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia tweeted, “Secretary (CPV&OIA), Dr Ausaf Sayeed @drausaf met with Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia H.E. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and had discussions on various issues pertaining Indian Hajj and Umrah Pilgirms.”
It was great hosting first GCC-India strategic dialogue at the senior officials level. Dr Ausaf Sayeed @drausaf Secretary (CPV&OIA) led #India‘s delegation@IndianEmbRiyadh
Very rich discussion on political issues, regional security and ways to move our partnership forward. pic.twitter.com/84TYLuSRAl
— Abdel Aziz Hamad ALUWAISHEG (@abuhamad1) March 21, 2023
On March 20, Sayeed met Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed bin Abdul Kareem El-Khereiji on the Political-Security-Social-Cultural pillar of India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC). Both sides assessed the continued high-level contact between India and Saudi Arabia.
Sayeed discussed the progress made under the Committee on Economy and Investment of the SPC with Saudi Centre for International Strategic Partnerships (SCISP) President and CEO Dr Faisal Al-Sugair.

The two sides agreed to make further progress on priority opportunities identified under the Committee in various sectors, including renewable energy, grid connectivity, pharmaceuticals, food security, IT, fintech and water resources, the release stated.
On March 19, Sayeed met the Deputy Minister for International Partnerships in the Saudi Ministry of Investment Mohammad Al Hassnah and discussed opportunities for bilateral investment exchanges. The two sides discussed setting up an investment bridge for accelerating the pending investment projects and facilitating investors.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

[ad_2]
#IndiaGulf #Cooperation #Council #held #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 23, 2023
Ramzan to begin on March 23 in Saudi Arabia

[ad_1]
The moon sighting committee of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia (KSA) announced on Wednesday that the first fast of the month of Ramzan will be on Thursday, March 23, while Taraweeh will begin on March 22, after Isha prayers.
The crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramzan 1444 AH (Anno Hegirae in Latin or “in the year of the Hijra”), has been sighted in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday evening.
Therefore, Wednesday was the last and 30th day of Shaban 1444 Hijri.
The Ramzan crescent was observed using a CCD camera at Taif observatory. It was observed across the Kingdom in all observatories including Sudair and Tumair.
On Tuesday, Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel reported, “It was not possible to see the crescent of the month of Ramzan today in the observatories of Tabuk, Tamir and Sudair.”
It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court on Sunday, March 19, has called on all Muslims in all parts of the Kingdom to investigate the sighting of the crescent of the month of Ramadan 1443 this Friday evening.
List of countries that follow Saudi Arabia’s moon sighting announcement
1 United Arab Emirates (UAE)
2 Bahrain
3 Kuwait
4 Qatar
5 Syria
6 Palestine
7 Egypt
8 Yemen
9 Lebanon
10 Sudan
11 Somalia
12 Iraq
13 Turkey
14 Tunisia
15 Djibouti
16 Libya
17 United Kingdom (UK)
18 Philippines
On the other hand, Eid-ul-Fitr, marks the end of the month-long fast. Eid ul Fitr is expected to begin on Friday, April 21, 2022. Eid holidays will be from Ramzan 29 until Shawwal 3 – based on the Islamic calendar.
The exact date of the start of Eid-ul-fitr will be confirmed closer to the date, based on the moon-sighting tradition.

In Islam, Ramzan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon.
Ramzan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and is believed to be the month during which the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and abstain from food and drink during this period.

[ad_2]
#Ramzan #March #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 22, 2023
Ramzan 2023: Saudi ready to receive millions to Grand Mosque, Prophet’s Mosque

[ad_1]
Riyadh: The Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah are ready to receive millions of worshippers and visitors during the holy month of Ramzan 1444 AH/2023, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
With the latest technology and highest standards, the head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais announced the readiness of the two holy Mosques for the holy month.
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais said that all stairs, elevators, sound systems, guidance services and technical services have been prepared to receive the influx of visitors that the two mosques will witness during the holy month.
Al-Sudais said that the presidency “has completed the maintenance of the advanced audio system, as well as the audio and video broadcasting of the call to prayer and prayers around the world as part of the Ramzan preparations.”
مشيداً بتوجيهات خادم الحرمين الشريفين بمواصلة العمل بأعلى كفاءة وأميز عطاء وبذل كل ما من شأنه التيسير على ضيوف الرحمن.. الرئيس العام يؤكد جاهزية منظومة الرئاسة التشغيلية وبذل أقصى الجهود لاستقبال المعتمرين والمصلين خلال شهر رمضان المباركhttps://t.co/EAEzaeZoqe pic.twitter.com/kdIDfG8JTS
— رئاسة شؤون الحرمين (@ReasahAlharmain) March 21, 2023
On March 16, Al Sudais published a list of the imams who will lead the Taraweeh, night prayers that take place during Ramzan.
Muslims from all over the world and within the kingdom, especially during the last ten days of the holy month of Ramzan, visit the two holy Mosques to perform Taraweeh, and Umrah and pay respect to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has unveiled a series of facilities for Muslims who want to come to the country to perform Umrah.
The kingdom expects the number of Umrah pilgrims to reach 9 million from the beginning of the season last July until the end of Ramzan.

The monitoring committee announced that the month of Ramzan will start on Thursday after the observers were unable to spot the new crescent moon on Tuesday.

[ad_2]
#Ramzan #Saudi #ready #receive #millions #Grand #Mosque #Prophets #Mosque
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 22, 2023

1	United Arab Emirates (UAE)
2	Bahrain
3	Kuwait
4	Qatar
5	Syria
6	Palestine
7	Egypt
8	Yemen
9	Lebanon
10	Sudan
11	Somalia
12	Iraq
13	Turkey
14	Tunisia
15	Djibouti
16	Libya
17	United Kingdom (UK)
18	Philippines

Tag: Saudi

Watch the video below here

List of countries that follow Saudi Arabia’s moon sighting announcement