Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
To make this year's pilgrimage safer, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of extra personnel and relied on an arsenal...
Arts & Culture
New metro cuts through Saudi social divisions
With its eye-watering oil riches, intricate tribal networks and large numbers of foreign workers, Saudi society has long been divided...
Arts & Culture
Nile-side Egypt town heralds spring with millennia-old pungent delicacy
The delicacy of saltwater fish, buried in salt for weeks at a time, remains a staple as Egyptians celebrate on...
- The traditional dish feseekh dates back more than 4,000 years and has been found in archaeological sites in Egypt, said former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass
- Even a sharp economic crisis impacting every facet of Egyptian life over the past year, has not stopped locals from getting feseekh at a price of about $7-8 per kilo
Thousands throng Jerusalem for Orthodox Easter ‘Holy Fire’ rite
In the past about 10,000 worshippers would fill the church, with many more crowding outside, before the flame was flown...
- The church is in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, and for the second consecutive year Israeli police had told church leaders access would be considerably restricted
- Christians made up more than 18 per cent of the population of the Holy Land when Israel was created in 1948, but now they are fewer than two percent, mostly Orthodox
Empowering women can drive economic growth in GCC region
Many countries in the region have invested in education and provided better access to technology-related fields, resulting in women graduating...
- Many countries in the MENA region have invested in women's education and provided better access to technology-related fields
- This trend has resulted in women playing a significant role in high-profile tech projects in the region, such as the UAE's Mars Hope probe
Geostrategy
Iranian police to prosecute women violating dress code
Iranian police said they will deal with women who violate the Islamic dress code. The number of women defying the...
- A wave of civil protest swept the Islamic republic after Amini's death, three days after her arrest by the morality police.
- "Removing hijab is considered a crime, and the police deal with social anomalies within the framework of the law," the police said
Geostrategy
Iran plans to strengthen penalties for violence against women
TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's parliament has adopted proposals to toughen penalties for perpetrators of violence against women which could be voted...
- The text or the draft bill, which can still be modified, could be formally promulgated into law in the coming months.
- The text allows the judiciary to provide married women with a permit to leave the country even if their husband prevents them from travelling abroad.
Geostrategy
Schoolgirl poisonings continue in Iran
TEHRAN, IRAN - Dozens of schoolgirls were poisoned Saturday in several schools across Iran, local media reported, in continuation of the...
- School going girls have been regularly targeted by poisoning since late November 2022 in Iran.
- Iran reported that till March 7, over 5000 students across 25 provinces in the country have been poisoned.
Economy
UAE’s health sector witnesses digital transformation
The Gulf country has an influential and effective international presence and continues to fulfil its obligations in enhancing the efficiency...
- The UAE supports digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and big data in healthcare worldwide, says UAE's Minister of Health and Prevention
- The country ranked first in the world in 14 health indicators in 2022, adds Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais on World Health Day
Business
Abu Dhabi sees 40 percent drop in labor dispute cases
ABU DHABI, UAE - Labor disputes in Abu Dhabi plunged by 40 percent in 2022 compared to the same period...
- The companies and individuals' increased awareness of laws in force in the country played a key role in the results, official said.
- The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department ran multiple campaigns to enhance the knowledge of workers' rights under UAE's labor laws.
Arts & Culture
UAE highlights ways to enhance education system at UK meet
DUBAI, UAE - A UAE group highlighted its technological programs and initiatives aimed at boosting the educational system and reviewed...
- The UAE emphasized the significance of the event to explore the future of EdTech and ways to benefit from its applications.
- It has launched initiatives that attract international academic expertise to improve the integrated educational model.
Geostrategy
Iran puts two women behind bars for refusal to wear hijab
Iranian authorities ordered the arrest of two women, the judiciary said after a viral video appeared to show them being...
- The new incident comes after the death in custody of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in September sparked months of protests
- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated calls affirming that Iranian women should wear the hijab as a "religious necessity".
Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat in hajj apex
To make this year's pilgrimage safer, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of extra personnel and relied on an arsenal...
Arts & Culture
Company News
Epstein case: Social media frenzy over released papers
Arts & Culture
Latest News
UAE residents plead for lifestyle changes to save planet
Dubai, UAE-- As many as 81% of people in the UAE say that they owe it to future generations to...
Economy
US teens make efforts for Jewish-Muslim dialogue in New Jersey suburb
TEANECK, US - They are only teenagers, but a pair of New Jersey high school students -- one Jewish and one...
Arts & Culture
AI game gains popularity during Chinese New Year festivities
SHANGHAI, CHINA - Young Chinese flocking home for Lunar New Year this weekend have turned to an AI chatbot game to...
Arts & Culture
Most Read
Arts & Culture
Iran’s long-lasting love for gemstones believed to have divine power
Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the...
- Iran's senior officials including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have often been spotted wearing rings with agate or turquoise stones
- Agate, especially from Yemen, is popular "because it is recommended by imams" who often claim it can boost livelihoods
Arts & Culture
Djokovic and Nadal to play 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will headline a new exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia, organizers said. The...
- The Serb and the Spaniard will be joined by Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner at the event
- World number three Daniil Medvedev and seventh-ranked Holger Rune will also play the event in Riyadh in October, Saudi Arabia's latest foray into the sport
Arts & Culture
25,000 fragments of early Islamic era artifacts discovered in Saudi
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- As many as 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating from the early Islamic era, the first two...
- The discovery was announced by the Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission.
- The project aims to preserve national antiquities and archaeological sites, uncover the rich history of the Kingdom, and promote historic Jeddah as a cultural destination.