Inside Saudi’s hajj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day
Mina, Saudi Arabia -- Near the holy city of Makkah, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue,...
Arts & Culture
Butter chicken battle hits Indian court
Arts & Culture
Djokovic and Nadal to play 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia
Arts & Culture
Qatar table tennis says ‘prepared to escalate’ after chaotic vote
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's table tennis association has warned of possible legal action as it disputes the result of a...
Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
Sports key pillar as UAE emerges as soft power center
Everyone in the sports delegations taking part in the future forums now has a greater obligation to spare no effort...
- UAE has evolved into a strategic and powerful center for soft power, says Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai
- Sports play a pivotal role as one of the most significant pillars of this soft power, adds Sheikh Ahmed, who is also President of the UAE National Olympic Committee
Muslims mark Eid al-Adha with prayers, festivities
Hundreds of millions of Muslims in their best dresses packed mosques in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the...
- Tens of thousands of worshipers in white robes gathered at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina to mark the sacred event
- Exhorting Muslims to fear God, the imam of the Grand Mosque Sheikh Yasser bin Rashid Al-Dosari said it is the "strongest, most important, and "fairest form of righteousness"
Arts & Culture
UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture honors winners in Paris
Paris, France-- The19th UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture was awarded to Kassem Istanbouli, Lebanese actor-director, and Hajer Ben Boubaker, French...
- Organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with UNESCO, the event celebrated the achievements of Kassem Istanbouli and Hajer Ben Boubaker
- The award recognized contributions of both recipients for promoting the arts and Arab culture and supporting their local communities
Geostrategy
Iranian pilgrims at ease during hajj post Riyadh-Tehran detente
MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA- If a landmark reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has eased tensions in the Gulf, clouds have also...
- An Iranian tour operator who has joined the hajj on several occasions said he was feeling "comfort and safety" in Saudi Arabia.
- More than 86,000 Iranians, including 300 aged over 80, are on this year's hajj, according to Iranian media reports.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabia to host 2023 FIFA Club World Cup
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA- The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced on Monday...
- This follows an official visit made by a FIFA delegation to Jeddah last week to inspect the ongoing preparations to host the World Cup.
- FIFA experts inspected the infrastructure and stadiums nominated to host the WC, including King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.
Geostrategy
Record number of pilgrims, braving suffocating heat, converge for Hajj climax
After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, the giant black cube at Mecca's Grand Mosque that Muslims pray towards...
- Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air-conditioned buses.
- They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world's largest encampment, before the hajj's high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat.
Arts & Culture
Saudi Arabian Football Federation launches funding program for women clubs
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced unprecedented funding and support for women’s football clubs. This...
- SAFF will provide financial help to Saudi Premier League and Women's First Division clubs and will allocate US$13 million for the purpose.
- Only those clubs which have a SAFF membership and Nafes license to participate in women’s tournaments will be eligible for the funding.
Saudi Arabia hosts the biggest hajj pilgrimage in years
Islam's holiest site is expected to host more than two million worshipers from 160 countries during the annual rites that...
- The hajj began early on Sunday with the "tawaf" -– the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the large cubic structure draped in black cloth with gold trimmings
- This year’s pilgrimage will be the biggest since Saudi Arabia scrapped rules in 2021 that banned women who weren't accompanied by a male relative
Arts & Culture
GCC women diplomats play vital role in fostering peace
"The GCC member states have over the years extended unwavering support to the diplomatic women of the GCC through tailoring...
- GCC Secretary General recognizes GCC women's essential role in nurturing generations and serving as family pillars
- GCC women play a decisive role in promoting inter-country relations and peace, adds Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi
Arts & Culture
‘Domestic violence is overlooked in custody rulings’
"When custody decisions are made in favour of the parent who claims to be alienated without sufficiently considering the views...
- Reem Alsalem, a UN human rights expert, uncovers substantial gender bias in family courts, frequently ignoring past domestic violence incidents in custody rulings
- Violence persistently threatens women and children, causing significant hardship. For minority women, stereotypes and justice hurdles further exacerbate challenges, she adds
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Inside Saudi’s hajj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day
Mina, Saudi Arabia -- Near the holy city of Makkah, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue,...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Butter chicken battle hits Indian court
Arts & Culture
Djokovic and Nadal to play 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia
Arts & Culture
Latest News
UAE elected Vice Chair of UNESCO’s committee for promotion of cultural diversity
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE has been elected the Vice Chair of the UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) for the...
Arts & Culture
Reincarnation and realpolitik: Dalai Lama’s succession dilemma
Tibetan activists are keenly aware that his death will mark a major setback in his push for more autonomy for...
Iraq economy likely to grow this year, says IMF
BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Economic growth of the country is projected to continue amid fiscal expansion, an International Monetary Fund (IMF)...
Business
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US designer, ‘geriatric starlet’ Iris Apfel dies age 102
New York, United States - Iris Apfel, centenarian style icon from the New York borough of Queens immediately recognizable by her...
- A flamboyant interior designer, she was a fixture on front rows of Paris fashion shows for more than half a century
- Her cropped white hair, massive glasses, bright lipstick, large-bead necklaces and bangles earned her kooky distinction among New York's glitterati
Asia’s richest man takes global rich to the zoo
The three-day gala -- which saw "Umbrella" singer Rihanna perform on Friday for the first time since last year's Superbowl...
- Pop icon Rihanna and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are among the rich and famous guests who jetted in for a three-day celebration hosted by Mukesh Ambani
- Indian media reports said the Ambani family will on Saturday host a "Walk on the Wildside", an event held outdoors in the Anant Ambani's animal rescue center
Business
Oil spills disrupt farming activities in drought-hit Iraq
Oil spills in Iraq -- a country ravaged by decades of conflict, corruption and decaying infrastructure -- have contaminated farmland...
- Amid the hills of Salaheddin province, puddles of the viscous black liquid pollute the otherwise fertile and green fields, rendering vast swathes of farmland barren
- "The oil has damaged all that the land can give," said one farmer, Abdel Majid Said, 62, who owns six hectares (15 acres) in the village of Al-Meaibdi