Tag: Saudi

Sudan army sends envoys to Saudi Arabia for truce talks

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Khartoum: The Sudanese Army said that it has sent negotiators to the Saudi port city of Jeddah to discuss the humanitarian truce as part of a Saudi-American initiative to end the conflict in the African country.
As part of the Saudi-American initiative, a delegation of the Sudanese Armed Forces left for Jeddah to discuss the details relating to the truce, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued on Friday by the Sudanese army.
“This tends to secure and prepare the suitable circumstances to deal with the humanitarian aspects for our citizens under the current conditions,” the statement added.

Earlier this week, both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend the truce for seven days.
The RSF has not officially confirmed that it had sent negotiators to Jeddah, though local media reports said so.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in the capital city of Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.
According to UN statistics, thousands of Sudanese citizens have been displaced or forced to seek refuge in safe areas in Sudan and neighboring countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Chad.
So far, the deadly clashes have left 550 people dead and 4,926 others wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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#Sudan #army #sends #envoys #Saudi #Arabia #truce #talks
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 6, 2023
Saudi Arabia launches e-visas in seven countries including India

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has launched new initiative to issue electronic visas, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Starting in seven countries, e-Visas will replace visa stickers on passports and make it possible to retrieve visitor data using a QR code.
The initiative is part of the process to automate and improve the quality of consular services.

The new initiative went into effect in seven countries on May 1, 2023.
As the first phase, the new procedure was activated at the Kingdom’s diplomatic missions in
The country is seeking to diversify its oil-dependent economy and attract more foreign visitors.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib said in March 2023 that the number of visitors to Saudi Arabia reached 2.4 million in January and rose to 2.5 million in February.
The Kingdom aims to receive 25 million foreign tourists this year.

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#Saudi #Arabia #launches #evisas #countries #including #India
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 5, 2023
Haj 2023: Saudi announces start of issuing permits for domestic pilgrims

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah announced the start of issuing Haj permits to domestic pilgrims, starting today, Friday, 15th of Shawwal.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that completing the necessary immunizations is a prerequisite for issuing permits.
It indicated that the immunizations required to be taken are: the COVID-19 vaccine, the meningitis vaccine, and the seasonal influenza vaccine.

The Ministry of Haj indicated that the last time to complete the immunizations is ten days before the start of the Haj season.
It is noteworthy that the Pilgrims Housing Committee had announced the start of receiving applications for permits for buildings designed to accommodate pilgrims since September 2022, and it is still continuing until now.
On January 5, Kingdom announced the start of the registration period for the Haj pilgrimage 2023 for citizens and residents in the Kingdom.
On January 10, Kingdom announced that it will no longer impose limits on the number of pilgrims for this year’s Haj after three years of restrictions to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Kingdom expects to receive two million pilgrims during this season.

The number of pilgrims during the 2022 season reached 899,353, including 779,919 from outside the Kingdom, while the 2021 season was limited to 60,000, compared to only 10,000 in 2020.
Saudi Arabia had received 2.5 million pilgrims in 2019, in the last season before the pandemic.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 5, 2023
Will Lionel Messi leave PSG to move to Saudi club in Rs 3272 cr deal?

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is preparing to offer Argentina footballer Lionel Messi, the most lucrative salary deal of USD 400 million (Rs 32,72,18,00,000) annually to move to the Saudi Professional League this summer, the British Telegraph reported.
Discussions are ongoing to determine whether the player will leave PSG when his contract expires at the end of June.
If the deal gets materialized, this would be around twice what was offered to Messi’s rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, when he moved to Saudi club Al Nassr.

Ronaldo penned a record 177 million pounds-a-year deal after Manchester United ripped up his contract.
According to the report by The Telegraph, Messi’s deal is being negotiated by his father Jorge. Messi has been associated with the Saudi club Al-Hilal several times over the past few months.
These reports come in light of the tense relationship between Messi and the management of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club.
PSG suspended Messi on Tuesday, for two weeks after he travelled to Saudi Arabia without permission from the organization, according to CNN.
In 2022, Messi was appointed tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia and was in the Kingdom this week as part of that contract.

Recently, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the Minister of Tourism for the country, tweeted updated photos of the Argentine.
“We welcome visitors from around the world to experience a unique journey to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality,” he tweeted.
Messi & his family treated themselves to a delightful selection of international cuisine & a luxurious shopping experience in #ViaRiyadh followed by a fun-filled afternoon of games, VR experiences, & quality family time at Riyadh City Boulevard. #WelcomeMessi pic.twitter.com/3O6gRQEN4h
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 2, 2023
#WelcomeMessi to Diriyah, the land of traditions, heritage and history. Leo Messi, his wife Antonella and his sons Mateo and Ciro had an enjoyable tour where they learned about the history of Saudi and met its generous and hospitable people in At-Turaif. pic.twitter.com/vna7y63m2u
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 2, 2023
سعيد بزيارة ميسي وعائلته إلى #السعودية للاستمتاع بوجهاتنا السياحية المتنوعة، واستكشاف تجارب أصيلة تعكس حفاوة شعبنا وكرمهم، ونرحب بالزوار من مختلف دول العالم للاستمتاع برحلة فريدة إلى المملكة 🇸🇦#أهلًا_ميسي pic.twitter.com/unHGN2z5nV
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 1, 2023
Messi himself recently posted on social media about the country. He captioned an image of some trees, “Who would have thought Saudi Arabia had so much greenery? I love exploring its unexpected wonders whenever I can. #visitaudi.”

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#Lionel #Messi #leave #PSG #move #Saudi #club #deal
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 4, 2023
US dollar, UK pound, Saudi riyal, Dirham, Aus dollar to INR exchange rates on May 3

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The exchange rates of the US dollar, UK pound, Saudi riyal, UAE’s Dirham, Australian dollar, and other currencies to Indian rupees depend on demand and supply.
Following are the exchange rates as on May 3, 2023.
Foreign currencies INR values (Change)
US Dollar 81.75
UK Pound 102.53
Dirham 22.26
Australia 54.55
Saudi Arabia 21.80
Factors that affect exchange rates

Following are some of the factors that affect exchange rates.
Inflation
Interest rates
Flow of capital
Liquidity
Current Account Deficits
Inflation: It is an important factor in the exchange rate calculation. As higher the inflation, the lower the currency value, rupee depreciates with the rise in inflation. Rupee appreciates in case of a fall in inflation.
Interest rate: As global investors who look for fixed income will always get attracted to countries that offer higher interest rates, which contributes to the appreciation/depreciation of the Indian rupee.
Flow of capital: As the inflow of capital will result in a rise in demand for the rupee value, it appreciates the rupee. The opposite happens when there is a rise in the outflow of capital.

Liquidity: It is the money supply in the market. With the rise in the money supply, the rupee loses its value and it results in the depreciation of the currency. If the money supply in the market decreases, the rupee appreciates.
Current Account Deficits: It represents that a country is importing goods valued more that the goods it is exporting. This imbalance results in a fall in the value of the currency.
CAD depreciates the currency whereas, Current Account Surplus appreciates the currency.
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#dollar #pound #Saudi #riyal #Dirham #Aus #dollar #INR #exchange #rates
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 3, 2023
Saudi: Makkah records 181 days of extreme heat in 37 years

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Riyadh: Makkah, one of the cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the holiest city in Islam, recorded the highest number of 181 days that witnessed temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius between 1985 and 2022.
After Makkah, Al-Ahsa saw 167 days, Al-Qaisumah 59, and Dammam 54 days, according to a report issued by the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) in Saudi Arabia.
In terms of dust storms, Al-Qaisumah recorded the highest number of incidents during the same period with 119 days, followed by Al-Ahsa with 110 days and Rafha with 99 days.

In terms of thunderstorms, Abha saw 788 days of thunderstorms during this period, followed by Taif with 784 days, Al-Baha with 746 days, Khamis Mushait with 528 days and Bisha with 296 days.
Khamis Mushait topped the list of cities most exposed to rain for 363 days, followed by Al-Baha with 320 days, Taif with 295 days, Abha with 252 days, and Bisha with 201 days.
Al-Wajh came first in terms of the number of days of fog recurrence, with 28 days, followed by Yanbu with 22 days, Jeddah with 11 days, Abha with 6 days, and Al-Baha with 4 days.
The report also highlighted that Dhahran recorded its highest temperature at 51 degrees Celsius in May 2009, while the city of Rafha recorded its lowest temperature at 21 degrees Celsius in 2000.
Bisha recorded the highest amount of rainfall with 96 mm on May 1, 2013, and the highest amount of precipitation was in Khamis Mushait with 159 mm in May 2019.

The report indicated that the Al-Jawf region recorded during this period a maximum wind speed of 115 km/h, while the highest frequency of dust storms was recorded in May in Al-Qaisumah 119 times.
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#Saudi #Makkah #records #days #extreme #heat #years
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Saudi Arabia extends deadline for Makkah Haj housing

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Haj Pilgrims Housing Committee in Makkah has extended the deadline for issuing housing permits until May 20.
The committee said that the relevant requests will continue until the end of the current month of Shawwal, which is expected to end on May 20.
The committee urged real estate owners interested in renting their homes for this purpose to review approved engineering offices to finalize the permits, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Applications are submitted by engineering offices accredited by Makkah Municipality and Civil Defence, who will examine those buildings to ensure they meet the required safety and health conditions.
As part of this process, the committee asked the owners who are interested in renting out their houses to accommodate pilgrims to comply with all safety requirements and apply for permits as soon as possible.
In December 2022, the committee began receiving applications for permits for buildings to be approved to house pilgrims for the upcoming Haj season and has since extended the deadline several times.
Haj pilgrimage to Makkah is a mandatory religious duty that must be performed by those Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in a lifetime.
Saudi Arabia has announced that the minimum age for this year’s Haj is 12-year-old as the number of pilgrims returns to pre-pandemic levels.

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#Saudi #Arabia #extends #deadline #Makkah #Haj #housing
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Saudi Arabia grants free visas to evacuated nationals from Sudan

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has announced that it will grant free visas to all Sudanese nationals who have been evacuated from Sudan, local media reported.
In an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV, Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al Yahya, director general of Passports (Jawazat), confirmed this development and said that this initiative comes under the directives of the wise leadership of Saudi Arabia.
Accordingly, those who have been evacuated from Sudan can enter the Kingdom as any member of the Saudi society and as any person visiting the Kingdom, and move freely.

However, they must have scheduled departure plans.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that 5013 people from 100 countries have been evacuated from Sudan since military operations began between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
The Saudi government is making efforts to evacuate its citizens and nationals of friendly countries from Sudan to the Kingdom.
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#Saudi #Arabia #grants #free #visas #evacuated #nationals #Sudan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
US dollar, UK pound, Saudi riyal, Dirham, Aus dollar to INR exchange rates on May 2

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The exchange rates of the US dollar, UK pound, Saudi riyal, UAE’s Dirham, Australian dollar, and other currencies to Indian rupees depend on demand and supply.
Following are the exchange rates as on May 2, 2023.
Foreign currencies INR values (Change)
US Dollar 81.73
UK Pound 102.16
Dirham 22.26
Australia 54.19
Saudi Arabia 21.79
Factors that affect exchange rates

Following are some of the factors that affect exchange rates.
Inflation
Interest rates
Flow of capital
Liquidity
Current Account Deficits
Inflation: It is an important factor in the exchange rate calculation. As higher the inflation, the lower the currency value, rupee depreciates with the rise in inflation. Rupee appreciates in case of a fall in inflation.
Interest rate: As global investors who look for fixed income will always get attracted to countries that offer higher interest rates, which contributes to the appreciation/depreciation of the Indian rupee.
Flow of capital: As the inflow of capital will result in a rise in demand for the rupee value, it appreciates the rupee. The opposite happens when there is a rise in the outflow of capital.

Liquidity: It is the money supply in the market. With the rise in the money supply, the rupee loses its value and it results in the depreciation of the currency. If the money supply in the market decreases, the rupee appreciates.
Current Account Deficits: It represents that a country is importing goods valued more that the goods it is exporting. This imbalance results in a fall in the value of the currency.
CAD depreciates the currency whereas, Current Account Surplus appreciates the currency.
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#dollar #pound #Saudi #riyal #Dirham #Aus #dollar #INR #exchange #rates
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023
Iranian diplomatic missions resume operations in Saudi Arabia

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Tehran: The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that three Iranian diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia have resumed operations.
Nasser Kanaani made the remarks on Monday at a weekly press conference when asked to comment on the progress by Iran and Saudi Arabia to reopen their diplomatic missions following an agreement that was reached between the two countries in March on the normalisation of their bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by Mehr news agency.
The three diplomatic missions are Iran’s embassy in Riyadh, a consulate general in Jeddah and a representative office to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Kanaani was quoted as saying.

Kanaani stressed that the two countries are in the early stages of resuming their bilateral relations and reopening their embassies, adding that Iran’s technical team is currently based in Saudi Arabia and laying the groundwork.
He said he is optimistic that the two countries’ embassies will start their full operations as planned in accordance with their agreement.
The two countries had carried out good coordination in a humanitarian issue in their first steps toward the resumption of the bilateral diplomatic activities, said Kanaani, adding that the evacuation of 65 Iranian nationals from Sudan and their transfer to Iran via the Saudi port city of Jeddah was a positive development.
Regarding an upcoming visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Saudi Arabia, Kanaani said Tehran has received an official invitation from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and has responded to it officially.
At a press conference held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that he and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud have also invited each other for official visits.

Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal in March to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions in the two countries within two months.
On April 6, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
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#Iranian #diplomatic #missions #resume #operations #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 2, 2023

Foreign currencies	INR values (Change)
US Dollar	81.75
UK Pound	102.53
Dirham	22.26
Australia	54.55
Saudi Arabia	21.80