RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia will permit citizens immunised against Covid-19 to travel abroad from May 17, the interior ministry said Sunday, more than a year after Saudis were barred from external trips. The ministry said three categories of people would be considered immunised — those who have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, those administered a single dose at least 14 days prior to travel, and people who have recovered from […]
Tag: saudi
Saudi king invites Qatari emir to visit: emir’s office
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invited Qatar’s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to visit the kingdom, the emir’s office said Monday, the latest sign of improving relations between the former rivals. Riyadh and allies broke off ties with Qatar in June 2017 over claims it was too close to Iran and backed radical Islamist groups, allegations Qatar has always denied. But in January, the boycotting countries agreed to reestablish ties […]
Huthi missile debris sparks fire at Saudi university
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Debris from missiles fired by Yemen’s Huthi rebels into Saudi Arabia caused a small fire on a university campus in the kingdom’s south, the Riyadh-led military coalition operating in Yemen said. Saudi air defence intercepted five ballistic missiles and four drones deployed by Yemeni rebels on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to the coalition. The missiles were fired and drones sent from Yemen’s Sa’ada province, a rebel stronghold in […]
Saudi plans to invest $3.2 trillion to boost private sector
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia announced plans Tuesday to pump $3.2 trillion in fresh investments by 2030 to boost the private sector, as the OPEC kingpin pushes to diversify its oil-reliant economy. The announcement by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman comes as the petro-state battles high unemployment and a coronavirus-triggered downturn. “The total investment injected… into the national economy is expected to reach 12 trillion riyals ($3.2 trillion) by 2030,” […]
Fire at Saudi oil terminal after projectile hit: energy ministry
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — A fire broke out at an oil terminal in southern Saudi Arabia after it was hit by a projectile, the energy ministry said Friday, the sixth anniversary of a Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. “A projectile attack on a petroleum products distribution terminal in Jizan… resulted in a fire in one of the terminal’s tanks,” the ministry said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency, adding that […]
Saudis offer ceasefire to Yemen’s Huthis as conflict escalates
by Anuj Chopra with Dana Moukhallati in Dubai RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia on Monday offered Yemen’s Huthi rebels a “comprehensive” UN-supervised ceasefire, as part of a series of fresh proposals aimed at ending a catastrophic six-year conflict. But the Huthis swiftly dismissed the initiative, which comes as the Iran-backed rebels escalate attacks on the kingdom — including its oil facilities — and push to seize the Saudi-backed Yemeni government’s last northern stronghold […]
Drone hits eastern Saudi port, missile targets Aramco facilities: energy ministry
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — A drone struck a Saudi oil port and a ballistic missile targeted facilities of energy giant Aramco in the country’s east on Sunday, the energy ministry said. “One of the petroleum tank areas at the Ras Tanura Port in the Eastern Region, one of the largest oil ports in the world, was attacked this morning by a drone, coming from the sea,” the ministry said in a statement released by […]
Khashoggi fiancee demands punishment for Saudi prince
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — The Turkish fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi said on Monday that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman should be “punished without delay” over the murder. The United States on Friday declassified a report that publicly accused the crown prince of approving Khashoggi murder in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in 2018. But the United States stopped short of applying sanctions against the 35-year-old de facto leader, known by his […]
US says Saudi prince approved Khashoggi murder but spares him sanctions
by Sebastian Smith and Shaun Tandon Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Friday for the first time publicly accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving the gruesome murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but stopped short of targeting the powerful heir apparent. The prince, who is de facto ruler of the US ally and oil provider, “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill […]
Biden pulls Yemen war support, welcomes refugees in US reset
by Shaun Tandon and Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday ended US support for Saudi Arabia’s devastating war in Yemen and dramatically increased the welcome to refugees, ushering in a major reset in American foreign policy. In his first major speech on foreign affairs as president, Biden also froze former president Donald Trump’s plans to redeploy troops from Germany and vowed a tough approach against […]
Saudi bars entry from 20 countries as Covid-19 surges
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia on Tuesday suspended entry from 20 countries, ranging from some neighbouring states to the United States, in a bid to curb a jump in coronavirus infections. The interior ministry announced the “temporary suspension” would be effective from 9.00 pm (1800 GMT) on Wednesday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The ban applies to neighbouring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and in the wider region, to […]
Saudi warns of virus restrictions as infections rise
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s health minister warned Sunday that new coronavirus restrictions could be imposed amid an uptick in infections, as the kingdom slows the rollout of vaccines due to supply delays. “We have seen in recent days a noticeable and continuous rise in coronavirus infections,” Tawfiq al-Rabiah said in a video message, blaming “gatherings and lax enforcement of preventative measures”. “The lack of compliance will undoubtedly force us to introduce measures […]





