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Tag: Saudi

  • Saudi Arabia to establish more cemeteries for non-Muslims

    Saudi Arabia to establish more cemeteries for non-Muslims

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    Riyadh: The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) plans to establish more cemeteries for non-Muslims in order to facilitate the speedy procedures for burying the dead, local media reported.

    In this regard, the Saudi Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing has issued an instruction to the mayors of various governorates to find more places to build cemeteries for non-Muslims.

    This will make the posthumous rituals of those who die in Saudi easier. Currently, Kingdom has limited burial facilities for non-Muslims.

    According to Arabic daily Okaz, ministry has established specifications for these cemeteries that differ from those designated for Muslims.

    To this end, efforts include preparing cemeteries, and granting the family of the deceased the possibility of obtaining an immediate electronic death certificate instead of certificates issued by ministry of health hospitals.

    Until 2012, the Saudi authorities refused to bury non-Muslims on their lands, and there were no cemeteries for non-Muslims on Saudi lands, with the exception of a single cemetery in the city of Jeddah known as the Khawajat cemetery, the Christian cemetery, which dates back to about 500 years ago.

    In 2012, for the first time in its history, the Saudi authorities allowed burying non-Muslims in a Christian cemetery in Jeddah in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.

    This step comes after a series of human rights criticisms against Saudi Arabia, which was deporting the bodies of dead non-Muslims outside the country.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi Arabia launches first electric bus in Jeddah

    Saudi Arabia launches first electric bus in Jeddah

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    Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has launched the first electric public transport bus in the city of Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

    The launch of this bus comes with the implementation of the agreement signed between the Public Transport Authority (PTA) and Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO).

    Public Transport Authority Acting President Dr Rumaih Al Rumaih flagged off the first service of the country’s first electric bus.

    The bus can cover a distance of 300 kilometers on a single charge and is considered one of the modern buses with high efficiency, as it consumes less than 10 percent of electricity compared to other electric buses.

    The modern electric passenger buses, operated by SAPTCO, will serve the residents within the public transportation routes in Jeddah.

    The electric buses will operate along the A7 road that connects Khalidiya and Balad, passing through Prince Saud Al-Faisal street and Madinah road.

    The PTA and the Jeddah Municipality also plan to launch electric public transport services in medium-sized cities such as Jazan, Sabya, Abu Arish, Taif, and Qassim this year, followed by Tabuk, Al-Ahsa, and other cities, providing a convenient mode of transportation for citizens and residents.

    The launch comes within the framework of the national strategic objectives for transport and logistics services aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2030.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi allocates prayer area for elderly women at Grand Mosque

    Saudi allocates prayer area for elderly women at Grand Mosque

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    Riyadh: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that it has launched a prayer area for elderly women located on the ground floor inside the Grand Mosque.

    The prayer area is located near Gate 88, and provides all the services needed by the elderly.

    The Undersecretary of the General President for Women’s Social, Voluntary and Humanitarian Services, Abeer bint Mohammad Al-Juffair, explained that the opening of a prayer area dedicated to elderly women in the Grand Mosque comes in order to comfort the women worshippers and give them an easy access to services.

    Al-Juffair stated that the prayer area, “comes as one of the services that the agency is interested in in order to harness all capabilities to facilitate and provide comfort for the elderly women who heads to the Grand Mosque.”

    During the launch, meals, Zamzam water, Qurans, and winter clothing were provided to those visiting the prayer area.

    On Wednesday, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque affirmed its keenness to provide the best services to achieve the maximum levels of comfort for the destination. 

    It also confirmed that the agency investing in artificial intelligence techniques, digitizing programs, and harnessing electronic applications in various fields to serve the destinations, and addressing them in international languages ​​to facilitate their rituals and enrich their experience.

    Millions of Muslims from within Saudi Arabia and around the world flock to the Grand Mosque, throughout the year.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi executions doubled under rule of King Salman, Crown Prince: Report

    Saudi executions doubled under rule of King Salman, Crown Prince: Report

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    The annual rate of executions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has almost doubled since King Salman and Crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, came to power in 2015.

    This came in a report, issued on Tuesday by the non-profit European Saudi organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) and the anti-death penalty charity Reprieve.

    The report, entitled “Bloodshed and Lies: Mohammed bin Salman’s Kingdom of Execution,” stated that the average number of executions increased by 82 percent under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman and his father.

    The two organizations confirmed that more than 1,000 executions were carried out during the reign of the current leadership of the Kingdom, after matching official data with their own investigations and interviews with lawyers, families of death row, and activists.

    In the year 2022, the Kingdom executed 147 people, including 81 people in one day in March 2022 on charges related to terrorism, in the largest mass execution in the history of Saudi Arabia, and this matter sparked international condemnation.

    In November 2022, Saudi Arabia executed 12 people in 10 days.

    Saudi Arabia executed in 2022 executed twice the number of individuals who were executed in 2021. 67 were executed in 2021 and 27 in 2020.

    According to the report, the Kingdom carried out an average of 70.8 executions per year during the period from 2010 to 2014, and during the period from 2015 to 2022, it carried out 129.5 executions per year.

    However, the past six years witnessed the largest number of executions in modern history in Saudi Arabia.

    Almost three-quarters of the women executed from 2010-2021 were foreign nationals, and of these, at least 56 percent were domestic workers.

    The report pointed out that “executions in Saudi Arabia have always been shrouded in secrecy.

    The government refuses to publish data on executions, despite repeated warnings from the United Nations in this regard and does not notify families of executions or of returning bodies to their families.

    The report considers that “this lack of transparency enables Saudi Arabia to cover up its violations and hinders the efforts of other countries and organizations to hold it accountable.” 

    “Every point in this report represents a human life lost,” said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve.

    Maya Foa continued, “The Saudi death penalty machine reaps children, demonstrators, vulnerable women in domestic service, drug carriers without their knowledge, and people whose only ‘crime’ is owning banned books or speaking to foreign journalists.”

    “The Saudi authorities are taking this bloody path with the aim of intimidation and political repression,” said Taha al-Hajji, legal director of the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights, noting that “reports of secret executions since the end of 2022 are very disturbing.”



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Iraq keen to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia: President

    Iraq keen to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia: President

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    Baghdad: Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid said his country is keen to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia at various levels and continue its coordination and consultation with the kingdom on regional and international issues of common concern.

    Rashid made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Presidency.

    It is the Saudi top diplomat’s first visit to Iraq since the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani took office in October last year, reports Xinhua news agency.

    During Faisal’s meeting with al-Sudani on Thursday, the two officials “discussed bilateral relations, strengthening cooperation in various fields, and coordination on regional and international issues,” according to a statement released by the media office of the Prime Minister.

    In a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein shortly after Faisal’s arrival, they discussed bilateral relations and the latest development in the region, said a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad.

    “The relations between the two countries are witnessing a great positive momentum” and the two sides “are working closely to continue the momentum to deepen coordination on the economic and development front and support Baghdad’s efforts to consolidate prosperity, stability, and growth,” Faisal told a joint press conference with Hussein after their meeting.

    For his part, Hussein said Iraq was coordinating with Saudi Arabia regarding oil policy within the framework of OPEC and OPEC+, and carrying out intensive cooperation in bilateral trade and investment.

    Iraq has been cooperating with Saudi Arabia in the security field and the fight against drug gangs, the top diplomat said, adding the two countries are also strengthening cooperation to reduce the tension in the region.

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    #Iraq #keen #strengthen #cooperation #Saudi #Arabia #President

    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Employees in Saudi, UAE confident of job opportunities in 2023

    Employees in Saudi, UAE confident of job opportunities in 2023

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    The majority of the employees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) show confidence in obtaining new job opportunities inside or outside their company, that offers flexibility and a higher salary, a survey by LinkedIn has found.

    The findings, which were released on Tuesday, noted that 68 per cent of employees in the Saudi Arabia and 74 per cent in UAE are confident in securing new job role despite the slowing hiring levels across Europe and the Middle East in 2022 compared to 2021.

    Only 10 per cent of workers in the UAE and 11 per cent in the Saudi said they lacked the confidence to find a new job this year, according to LinkedIn, which polled 22,985 workers from countries including the US, UK, Germany, India, Singapore, the UAE and Saudi Arabia between December 9 and 19.

    Almost 7 in 10 workers in the UAE and Saudi are confident about pushing for a pay raise. Despite the increase in confidence to grow their current role, 77 per cent of UAE employees and 73 per cent of Saudi employees are considering changing their jobs in 2023.

    Top reasons for job switch in Saudi

    • Better work-life balance 28 per cent
    • Confidence in ability to land better role 28 per cent

    Top reasons for job switch in UAE

    • Better work-life balance 34 per cent
    • Confidence in ability to land better role 31 per cent

    The increased willingness to change employers is highest among millennials, who show 15 per cent more confidence in their job search, interviewing, and ability to secure new and better jobs in 2023 compared to their younger colleagues, LinkedIn said.

    This is attributed to the fact that about 80 per cent of the millennial age group — typically those born between 1980 and 1995 — feel a lack of investment from their employer, as well as feeling undervalued, unmotivated, and underpaid.

    Generation Z employees — those under the age of 25 — report being very concerned about job security because they worry that their employers haven’t handled the current economic uncertainty very well.

    The survey reveals that while many workers feel more confident about their career prospects, concerns about job security and a preference for remote working options remain prevalent.

    Six in ten workers surveyed said they would decline new office-based job offers in favor of hybrid or remote work.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital ranks 1st in Middle East, 20th globally

    Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital ranks 1st in Middle East, 20th globally

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    Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital ranks 1st in Middle East, 20th globally

    Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center has been ranked first in the Middle East and 20th globally, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

    This is according to the Brand Finance’s 2023 ranking of the best healthcare institutions in the world.

    Six more hospitals in the Kingdom also ranked in the list of the 250 best centers in the world.

    Other ranked Saudi hospitals are

    • King Abdullah Medical City
    • National Guard Health Affairs
    • King Fahd University Hospital
    • King Khalid University Hospital

    More than 500 hospitals around the world. Based on more than 30 performance indicators, it examines health care, research and education centers, and its results emerged after surveying thousands of health practitioners in more than 40 countries.

    The ranking of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) is a result of the health sector transformation program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – one of the initiatives of Vision 2030 – the quality of services provided in the Kingdom, as well as the support provided by King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the health sector.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi Arabia: American comedian Kevin Hart to perform in Riyadh

    Saudi Arabia: American comedian Kevin Hart to perform in Riyadh

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    American comedian Kevin Hart to perform in Riyadh

    Riyadh: The famous American comedian Kevin Hart is set to perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of his Reality Check tour of the Middle East.

    Kevin Hart will perform a one-off concert on Saturday, February 25th, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Riyadh City Boulevard.

    Hart concerts in the Middle East

    • Cairo on February 21, 2023
    • Abu Dhabi on February 22, 2023
    • Sakhir in Bahrain on February 24, 2023
    • Riyadh, February 25, 2023

    43-year-old Kevin Hart is considered one of the most prominent international faces in stand-up comedy shows and has a high audience in various countries of the world, as the halls and stands in which he presents his creations are filled with fans of stand-up comedy art.

    During his career, Hart achieved many international awards, and was nominated for Emmy and Grammy Awards, while tickets for his performances are highly competitive as soon as they are released.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi Arabia to sponsor FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

    Saudi Arabia to sponsor FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

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    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourist authority is reportedly set to be sponsor of FIFA’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year, local media reported.

    Visit Saudi is expected to  join global brands such as Adidas, Coca-Cola and Visa under FIFA’s new “commercial partnership structure”.

    The 2023 Women’s World Cup competitions in Australia and New Zealand will start on July 20, and will end on August 20.

    The 2023 Women’s World Cup will witness for the first time an increase in the number of teams to 32 teams, and also for the first time that it will be held in two countries, after it was 24 teams in the 2019 edition in France.

    Despite the huge strides women’s football has made in recent years, the announcement that Visit Saudi will become the headline sponsor has sparked condemnation.

    In recent years, the Kingdom has been criticized for its record on human rights and women’s rights.

    In 2022, it was ranked as the second worst human rights violation worldwide by Human Rights Watch due to the execution of 81 men in one day.

    This sponsorship will be the latest in a series of major sports investments by Saudi Arabia.

    Saudi Arabia has begun to enter the women’s football arena with full force since the country implemented its ambitious plan for Saudi Vision 2030, as the country has two degrees of competition, through the Women’s Premier League with the participation of 8 teams, and the First Division League with the participation of 17 teams.

    At the beginning of this year— 2023, Saudi Arabia organized the first international women’s football championship, under the name — Women’s International Friendly Championship 2023 in the Saudi city of Khobar, which witnessed the participation of Mauritius, Comoros, Pakistan and the Saudi landowner, who won the title.

    In June 2022, the country organized the West Asian Championship for Futsal Women 2022 in Jeddah, which ended with the landowner winning the runner-up, in exchange for the championship title going to the Iraqi national team.

    Women were allowed to attend football matches in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2018, and the country introduced a women-only national football team for the first time in 2022.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Cup

    Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Cup

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    The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Wednesday, announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) won the hosting of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, for the first time in its history, since its inception in 1956.

    This came during the work of the 33rd Congress of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which kicked off on Wednesday, February 1, in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

    The Kingdom was the only bid presented at the Congress in Manama after India’s withdrawal in December 2022.

    After the announcement, the Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel quoted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying, “This victory is an opportunity to create the future of football in the Kingdom and the continent of Asia, and we look forward with determination to open new horizons for Asian football.”

    The Saudi Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, expressed, in a speech on the occasion, his country’s welcome to the countries of Asia in 2027, stressing that “the Kingdom is making great strides in hosting the largest international sporting events.”

    The Saudi Arabia 2027 committee concerned with the Saudi file to host the 2027 Asian Nations Cup on Wednesday revealed the new and developed stadiums that will be worked on to host the tournament.

    On October 17, the AFC Executive Committee selected a shortlist of those wishing to host the continental event held once every four years, which included Saudi Arabia and India, but the final decision to be made by the General Assembly, postponed it until early February.

    The Kingdom obtained the vote of 43 countries to organize the 2027 Asian Nations Cup out of 45 votes, and Palestine and Turkmenistan abstained from voting.

    It is noteworthy that Qatar will host the next edition of the Asian Cup, from June 26 to July 16, 2023.



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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )