Tag: Saudi

Saudi: Last date for pilgrims to get vaccines before Haj season
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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirmed that the last date for pilgrims to receive vaccinations is ten days before the Haj 1444 AH.
Receiving vaccinations is a condition to enable them to perform the rituals of Haj.
This came in response to an inquiry on the ministry’s Twitter account, asking if receiving the third dosage of COVID-19 was a requirement for performing the Haj.

In response, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated that receiving all recommended vaccinations is necessary in order to issue the Haj permits.
Below is a list of the COVID-19 vaccines approved by Saudi Arabia
Pfizer/BioNTech — 2 doses
Oxford/AstraZeneca— 2 doses
Covovax— 2 doses
A certificate of vaccination with quadrivalent meningitis vaccine (ACYW135), issued three years ago and not less than ten days prior to arrival in Saudi Arabia, is also required from pilgrims.
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.
On April 14, that the ministry had set the tenth of Shawwal as the last date for domestic pilgrims to pay the third and final instalment of their Haj ritual reservation.

The final instalment is 40 percent of the set fee for packages approved during this pilgrimage season.
This year, the issuance of official permits will start on May 5, which is the 15th of Shawwal.
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#Saudi #date #pilgrims #vaccines #Haj #season
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
April 26, 2023
Iran, Saudi Arabia resume trade: Minister

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Tehran: An Iranian official announced that trade between Tehran and Saudi Arabia has resumed as the two Arab countries stepped up efforts to normalise ties following a China-brokered deal in March.
Trade Minister Reza Fatemi-Amin made the remarks to mediapersons on Tuesday when asked to comment on the agreement reached between Tehran and Riyadh to normalise bilateral relations in March, Xinhua news agency reported.
On Sunday, Iran’s Roads and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash announced that the country has received a proposal from Saudi Arabia to launch three regular flights between the two countries per week, in addition to the Haj flights.

Iran and Saudi Arabia reached a deal in March to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions in the two countries within two months.
In a meeting held in Beijing on April 6, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud signed a joint statement, announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran after the kingdom executed a Shia cleric.
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#Iran #Saudi #Arabia #resume #trade #Minister
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
Operation Kaveri: 3rd batch of 135 stranded Indians reaches Saudi Arabia

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Jeddah: The third batch of another 135 stranded Indians, aboard the second IAF C-130J aircraft that had left strife-torn Sudan on Wednesday has reached Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah.
Earlier today, Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, received the second batch of the 148 evacuated Indians as the first IAF C-130J reached Jeddah airport.
Earlier, the naval vessel INS Sumedha reached Jeddah port with 278 evacuated passengers.

“#OperationKaveri in full swing. The second IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah, carrying another 135 passengers. This is the third batch of evacuees under #OperationKaveri,” MEA had tweeted.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted that 121 passengers left by the IAF C-130J aircraft.
However, the MoS MEA later tweeted saying 148 Indians were evacuated in the second batch.
“First IAF C-130J aircraft under #OperationKaveri from Port Sudan carrying 148 Indians landed in Jeddah,” tweeted MoS MEA V Muraleedharan.
On Tuesday, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs inspected the transit facility at the International Indian School, Jeddah where Indians evacuated from Sudan will be received & put up briefly before arriving in India.

“Inspected transit facility @IndianPage, Jeddah where Indians evacuated from Sudan will be received & put up briefly before travel to India. It is fully equipped incl with mattresses, provisions, fresh meals, toilets, medical facilities, Wifi. Has 24*7 control room. #OperationKaveri,” the MoS wrote on Twitter.
Indian Navy’s INS Teg on Tuesday joined ‘Operation Kaveri’ to further facilitate the ongoing evacuation of Indians stranded in Sudan. The frigate on Tuesday arrived at Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies for stranded Indians, a senior MEA official said.
“INS Teg joins #OperationKaveri. Arrives at Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies for stranded Indians,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Tuesday.
“Will boost ongoing evacuation efforts by Embassy Camp Office at Port Sudan,” Mr Bagchi added. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.
In a recent development, warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce while countries are engaged in evacuating their citizens from the country.
Happy to receive 278 Indians from Sudan onboard INS Sumedha at Jeddah Port. Glad Saudi Director General, MFA, Jeddah Branch H.E.Mazin Hamad Al Himly joined me
Thank Saudi authorities for excellent support in Jeddah.
#OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/r0RpWLTOmh
— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 25, 2023

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#Operation #Kaveri #3rd #batch #stranded #Indians #reaches #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
Operation Kaveri in full swing, MoS Muralidharan in Saudi to oversee the rescue

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Jeddah: Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key country which is ferrying out stranded citizens. The Kingdom is playing a very important role in the evacuation process and India has already established close contact since the fighting broke out on April 14, 2023.
Red Sea Port city Jeddah in Saudi Arabia has become a crucial point for foreigners in Sudan to escape and reach safe haven.
Minister of state for external affairs Muralidharan arrived here on Tuesday to oversee rescue Operation Kaveri at the control room in Jeddah. India has begun ‘Operation Kaveri’ – a rescue operation by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force to rescue Indians stranded in the war hit African country. The control room was set up to facilitate evacuation and also ensured that necessary infrastructure was in place both in Sudan Port and Jeddah.

“I express my profound gratitude to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for making a part of Operation Kaveri to bring back stranded Indians safely from Sudan,” said Muraleedharan.
“Team is in full readiness on the ground,” Muraleedharan said in Jeddah.
The Minister will receive the first batch of Indians evacuated from Sudan port and who boarded INS Sumedha and are headed to Jeddah and expected to arrive in late evening of Tuesday, from here they would be flown to India.
The evacuees will be accommodated at Indian school in Jeddah.
There are 278 Indians on board this ship and there are close to 250 more who will be ferried to Jeddah,” according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Another ship, INS Teg also pressed into the rescue mission that reached Port Sudan with additional officials and essential relief supplies, according to officials.
Two Indian Air Force aircraft are parked in Jeddah to bring the Indians back to India. C130J aircraft has a capacity of 300 people.
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#Operation #Kaveri #full #swing #MoS #Muralidharan #Saudi #oversee #rescue
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Saudi Arabia: Permits for performing Umrah to continue post Ramzan

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirmed that the condition for obtaining a permit to perform Umrah “continues” after the month of Ramzan.
This came in response to an inquiry on the ministry’s Twitter account, asking if an Umrah permit is still required after Ramzan.
In response, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated that in order to perform the rituals of Umrah, a permit must be obtained from the Nusuk or Tawakkalna platforms, provided that the applicant is not infected with or has been in contact with a person infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The ministry also indicated that pilgrims and visitors can move between Makkah and Al-Madinah and all cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during the period of their stay and the period of its validity.
It is worth noting that the ministry had set the tenth of Shawwal as the last date for domestic pilgrims to pay the third and final instalment of their Haj ritual reservation.
The final instalment is 40 percent of the set fee for packages approved during this pilgrimage season.
This year, the issuance of official permits will start on May 5, which is the 15th of Shawwal.

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#Saudi #Arabia #Permits #performing #Umrah #continue #post #Ramzan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
Saudi Arabia evacuates nationals, foreigners from Sudan

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Riyadh: Saudi Foreign Ministry has announced the evacuation of Saudi citizens and other nationals from Sudan as fierce fighting continues in the country.
A total of 158 people, including Saudi nationals and people from other countries, have been evacuated from Sudan and transferred to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah ports by boat, the Saudi state television was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.
The move came when armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum enters the second week.

The Sudanese army on Saturday said its General Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received calls from leaders of a number of countries requesting the evacuation of their nationals and diplomats.
“Al-Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure this,” the army said in a statement.
Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.
Until Friday, the clashes left over 400 people dead and about 3,500 wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry.

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#Saudi #Arabia #evacuates #nationals #foreigners #Sudan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
Pakistan, Saudi expected to sign deal for USD 2bn deposits post Eid

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Islamabad: Cash-starved Pakistan is likely to ink a deal for additional deposits of USD 2 billion from Saudi Arabia after Eid, authorities said on Saturday, a move that will help the country secure the much-required bailout from the IMF.
In March, Pakistan sought Saudi Arabia’s confirmation for funds to ink an IMF deal. Earlier this month Pakistan got Riyadh’s nod for additional funding.
The assistance from Saudi Arabia comes at a crucial time as the IMF programme, signed in 2019, will expire on June 30, 2023, and under the set guidelines, the programme cannot be extended beyond the deadline.

The Washington-based crisis lender has imposed the condition on Pakistan that it should secure USD 3 billion from other countries for the revival of its USD 7 billion bailout package.
A top government official told The News International that the State Bank of Pakistan would sign a deal with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) soon after Eid for an additional USD 2 billion deposit.
The official added that Saudi Arabia has confirmed the bilateral assistance support to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was also acknowledged by the lender’s staff, the report said.
This agreement is the follow-up on the confirmation of additional financial support of USD 2 billion and USD 1 billion from the Kingdom and the UAE, the official added.
Official sources clarified that Pakistan neither made any fresh request for more support from Saudi Arabia nor the UAE, except for the already confirmed USD 2 billion and USD 1 billion by these countries, respectively.

Saudi Arabia had already rolled over USD 3 billion in deposits for one year, which matured on December 5, 2022. This USD 3 billion deposit is part of foreign exchange reserves of USD 4.43 billion, lying with the State Bank of Pakistan.
In March, Pakistan received a rollover of USD 2 billion in deposits for a period of one year from its all-weather ally China.
Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
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#Pakistan #Saudi #expected #sign #deal #USD #2bn #deposits #post #Eid
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
US dollar, UK pound, Saudi riyal to INR exchange rates on April 21

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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 April 21, 2023.
Foreign currencies INR values (Change)
US Dollar 82.08
UK Pond 102.06
Dirham 22.35
Australia Dollar 54.98
Saudi Riyal 21.88
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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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 21, 2023
Eid Al-Fitr 2023: Where to watch fireworks in Saudi Arabia
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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has determined the locations for the dazzling fireworks display that will light up the sky of 13 cities in the Kingdom during the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The fireworks display, which is part of the activities of the Eid 2023 program, is scheduled to start at 9 pm Saudi time on Friday, April 21.
Places are
Boulevard Riyadh City, Riyadh
Jeddah Art Promenade, Jeddah
Al-Magwa recreational road, Hail
Prince Hussam Park, Al-Baha
Tabuk Central Park, Tabuk
Public park opposite Al-Othaim Mall, Arar
Al-Nahda neighborhood, Najran
King Fahd Central Park, Madinah
King Abdullah National Park, Buraidah
Northern Corniche walk, Jazan
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#Eid #AlFitr #watch #fireworks #Saudi #Arabia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
April 21, 2023
Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz hold ‘positive’ meeting with Saudi Crown Prince

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Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Friday met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a media report.
During the meeting, both sides discussed the current issues being faced by Pakistan and the solutions to them in detail, Geo News reported.
According to sources, the meeting between former Prime Minister Sharif and the Crown Prince was positive.

Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are currently in Saudi Arabia where they performed Umrah along with their other family members.
The Sharif family reached Saudi Arabia on April 11. The PML-N chief is visiting Saudi Arabia after six years, Geo News reported.
Sources told The News that Sharif had initially planned to stay in Saudi Arabia till April 26, but his son Hussain Nawaz and his family had requested him to prolong his stay in Jeddah at his residence.
According to sources, Sharif might also hold a meeting with the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, in Jeddah.
Earlier this month, sources had claimed Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud invited Sharif who is considered closer to the royal family and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the Kingdom to perform Umrah as a gesture of goodwill, Geo News reported.

Shehbaz Sharif had told the lower house of the Parliament earlier this month that Saudi Arabia has provided another $2 billion to Pakistan in order to bolster the country’s foreign exchange reserves, The Express Tribune reported.
In January, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir, had met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries.
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#Nawaz #Sharif #Maryam #Nawaz #hold #positive #meeting #Saudi #Crown #Prince
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 21, 2023