Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a few other Arab countries have rejected recognition to Pakistan’s postgraduate university programme in medical education – MS and MD – through the diplomatic channel.

The development implies that the Pakistani doctors with MS/MD postgraduate degree programme are no longer eligible to work in these countries.

This decision has reportedly rendered hundreds of highly qualified medics jobless. A majority of them are in Saudi Arabia who have been told to leave or be ready for deportation.

After Saudi Arabia's move, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain also took a similar step, according to the report.

Most of the affected doctors were hired in 2016 by the Saudi Health Ministry when it conducted interviews in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad after inviting applications online.&nbsp;

The Ministry claimed that Pakistan`s MS/MD programmes lacked structured training, which is a mandatory requirement to hire medics against important positions.

One of the doctors affected by the move said that the decision has brought embarrassment for them since the same degree programme offered by India, Egypt, Sudan, and Bangladesh was acceptable in Saudi Arabia and other countries.

A copy of the service termination letter obtained by this correspondent read, "Your application for professional qualification has been rejected. The reason is that your master degree from Pakistan is not acceptable according to the SCFHS regulations."

Ali Usman, an affected medic, said, "I had done five-year postgraduate qualification from the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, with training from Lahore General Hospital... But all of a sudden the Saudi health ministry terminated my job contract, landing me and my family in immense shock."

(With inputs from ANI)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a few other Arab countries have rejected recognition to Pakistan’s postgraduate university programme in medical education – MS and MD – through the diplomatic channel.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a few other Arab countries have rejected recognition to Pakistan’s postgraduate university programme in medical education – MS and MD – through the diplomatic channel. The development implies that the Pakistani doctors with MS/MD postgraduate degree programme are no longer eligible to work in these countries. This decision has reportedly rendered hundreds of highly qualified medics jobless. A majority of them are in Saudi Arabia who have been told to leave or be ready for deportation. After Saudi Arabia's move, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain also took a similar step, according to the report. Most of the affected doctors were hired in 2016 by the Saudi Health Ministry when it conducted interviews in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad after inviting applications online. The Ministry claimed that Pakistan`s MS/MD programmes lacked structured training, which is a mandatory requirement to hire medics against important positions. One of the doctors affected by the move said that the decision has brought embarrassment for them since the same degree programme offered by India, Egypt, Sudan, and Bangladesh was acceptable in Saudi Arabia and other countries. A copy of the service termination letter obtained by this correspondent read, "Your application for professional qualification has been rejected. The reason is that your master degree from Pakistan is not acceptable according to the SCFHS regulations." Ali Usman, an affected medic, said, "I had done five-year postgraduate qualification from the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, with training from Lahore General Hospital... But all of a sudden the Saudi health ministry terminated my job contract, landing me and my family in immense shock." (With inputs from ANI)

Pakistan doctors face mass sacking in Arab countries after MS, MD degrees derecognised

The southern&nbsp;separatists'&nbsp;takeover&nbsp;of Aden, the interim seat of Yemen's government, could leave Saudi Arabia struggling to hold together a military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis.

It also risks fragmenting southern Yemen as the United Nations struggles to restart talks to end the 4-1/2-year war that has pushed millions to the brink of famine.

What has happened in Yemen?

Separatists, who want to split from the north and are backed by the United Arab Emirates, effectively <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/celebration-by-yemens-separatists-after-aden-takeover-242101">seized Aden by taking over the government's military bases</a> on Saturday after they accused a party allied to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi of complicity in a Houthi missile attack on their forces.

The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government hit back on Sunday, saying it attacked one target, after threatening to act if southern forces do not cease fighting.

The two sides had been nominally allied in the coalition fighting the Houthis, who ousted Hadi's government from the capital Sanaa in 2014, but they have rival agendas.

What does it mean for the coalition?

It makes it harder for Saudi Arabia to weaken the grip of the Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most urban centres.

The Western-backed, Sunni Muslim coalition intervened in Yemen against the Houthis in 2015. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Houthis have no traction in the south, where the UAE has armed and trained 90,000 Yemeni troops drawn from southern&nbsp;separatists and coastal plains fighters.

But the Southern Transitional Council that leads the&nbsp;separatists may not have broad support outside Aden. Its move risks igniting infighting in the south and emboldening militant groups like al Qaeda, among Yemen's many destabilising forces.

How did it reach this point?

There is no love lost between the&nbsp;separatists and Hadi's government, which they accuse of mismanagement and corruption.

The war has revived old strains between north and south Yemen, formerly separate countries that united into a single state in 1990.

This is not the first&nbsp;separatist&nbsp;uprising. They seized Aden in January 2018. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi helped end that standoff.

The UAE has asked UN envoy Martin Griffiths to exert pressure on both sides. Riyadh said it would host an emergency summit of the parties to restore order.

"Recruiting separate militias across the south ... was always playing with fire. It’s a bit rich now of the UAE to say the U.N. special envoy needs to sort it out," said Elisabeth Kendall of Oxford University.

Is the Saudi-UAE alliance in Yemen broken?

The coalition is fractured but not broken. Analysts say the UAE is unlikely to recommit troops but will support Riyadh, with which it is working to contain Shi'ite Iran.

"This could be a&nbsp;turning point but it will be papered over by the leaderships in the way that it always is - but papering over bigger and bigger cracks now so the paper is thinner and thinner," Kendall said.

The UAE said it scaled down its presence in Yemen due to a holding truce in the main port of Hodeidah, which became the focus of the war last year when the coalition tried to seize it.

Diplomats say it was because the UAE accepted there could be no military solution due to global criticism of coalition airstrikes that have killed civilians and the humanitarian crisis.

Western pressure to end the war that has killed tens of thousands, and heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, which risk triggering a war in the Gulf, added impetus to the decision

What can the&nbsp;UN do?

For now shuttle diplomacy. Griffiths had been trying to salvage a stalled troop withdrawal deal agreed by the Houthis and Hadi's government at December peace talks in Sweden.

He is also trying to calm tension between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after the movement stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities in recent months.

But if any broader political talks on a transitional ruling body materialise, they would have to include more of Yemen's fractious parties, including southern&nbsp;separatists.

The southern separatists' takeover of Aden, the interim seat of Yemen's government, could leave Saudi Arabia struggling to hold together a military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis.

The southern separatists' takeover of Aden, the interim seat of Yemen's government, could leave Saudi Arabia struggling to hold together a military coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis. It also risks fragmenting southern Yemen as the United Nations struggles to restart talks to end the 4-1/2-year war that has pushed millions to the brink of famine. What has happened in Yemen? Separatists, who want to split from the north and are backed by the United Arab Emirates, effectively seized Aden by taking over the government's military bases on Saturday after they accused a party allied to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi of complicity in a Houthi missile attack on their forces. The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government hit back on Sunday, saying it attacked one target, after threatening to act if southern forces do not cease fighting. The two sides had been nominally allied in the coalition fighting the Houthis, who ousted Hadi's government from the capital Sanaa in 2014, but they have rival agendas. What does it mean for the coalition? It makes it harder for Saudi Arabia to weaken the grip of the Houthis, who hold Sanaa and most urban centres. The Western-backed, Sunni Muslim coalition intervened in Yemen against the Houthis in 2015. The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis have no traction in the south, where the UAE has armed and trained 90,000 Yemeni troops drawn from southern separatists and coastal plains fighters. But the Southern Transitional Council that leads the separatists may not have broad support outside Aden. Its move risks igniting infighting in the south and emboldening militant groups like al Qaeda, among Yemen's many destabilising forces. How did it reach this point? There is no love lost between the separatists and Hadi's government, which they accuse of mismanagement and corruption. The war has revived old strains between north and south Yemen, formerly separate countries that united into a single state in 1990. This is not the first separatist uprising. They seized Aden in January 2018. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi helped end that standoff. The UAE has asked UN envoy Martin Griffiths to exert pressure on both sides. Riyadh said it would host an emergency summit of the parties to restore order. "Recruiting separate militias across the south ... was always playing with fire. It’s a bit rich now of the UAE to say the U.N. special envoy needs to sort it out," said Elisabeth Kendall of Oxford University. Is the Saudi-UAE alliance in Yemen broken? The coalition is fractured but not broken. Analysts say the UAE is unlikely to recommit troops but will support Riyadh, with which it is working to contain Shi'ite Iran. "This could be a turning point but it will be papered over by the leaderships in the way that it always is - but papering over bigger and bigger cracks now so the paper is thinner and thinner," Kendall said. The UAE said it scaled down its presence in Yemen due to a holding truce in the main port of Hodeidah, which became the focus of the war last year when the coalition tried to seize it. Diplomats say it was because the UAE accepted there could be no military solution due to global criticism of coalition airstrikes that have killed civilians and the humanitarian crisis. Western pressure to end the war that has killed tens of thousands, and heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, which risk triggering a war in the Gulf, added impetus to the decision What can the UN do? For now shuttle diplomacy. Griffiths had been trying to salvage a stalled troop withdrawal deal agreed by the Houthis and Hadi's government at December peace talks in Sweden. He is also trying to calm tension between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after the movement stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities in recent months. But if any broader political talks on a transitional ruling body materialise, they would have to include more of Yemen's fractious parties, including southern separatists.

Separatist takeover of Yemen's Aden leaves Saudi Arabia in a bind

Muslims at hajj gather on Mount Arafat to atone for sins

By Alainna Liloia

Saudi women will soon be allowed to obtain passports and travel without the permission of a male relative.

This new regulation, announced by the government in early August, eases one of the most limiting aspects of the Gulf country’s “guardianship system,” which puts men in charge of their female relatives.

Saudi women will also be allowed to register marriages, divorces and births and to receive official family documents without their guardian’s approval, but they must still get permission from male chaperones to marry, leave prison and move out from a domestic abuse shelter.

Social pressure likely means some Saudi women still won’t travel without family permission. Though it became legal for women to drive in 2018, familial disapproval has kept many women off the roads.

Saudi Arabia enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law that sees gender separation and male authority as vital to preserving a moral Islamic society. But women are much more than victims in this patriarchal regime.

As a researcher who studies women’s movements across the Middle East, I have learned that Saudi women – like any large population – are a diverse group with different opinions and experiences. They attend school, work as journalists and airline pilots, scuba dive, meet friends for coffee – and, increasingly, defy the law to expand women’s rights.

The fight for equality

Saudi women’s new freedoms are part of broader reform efforts led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to modernize the conservative Muslim country of 33 million and to alleviate international human rights concerns.

But these legal advances have come coupled with the repression of the Saudi female activists who have pushed to reform the guardianship system. Women fought for decades for the right to drive cars, and before the ban was lifted last year several activists were arrested for very publicly getting behind the wheel. Many remain in prison.

Saudi women have also campaigned to abolish the guardianship system, circulating online petitions with the hashtag #IAmMyOwnGuardian and holding workshops to educate women on guardianship laws. A woman-created app called “Know Your Rights” gives women information on their legal rights.

Saudi women even make the most of laws forbidding gender mixing in public places, I’ve found.

In the private, women-only areas of malls, parks, restaurants, schools and coffee shops, women feel free to express their independence. They remove their abayas – the long black robes all Saudi women must wear – and talk openly, without male oversight.

Some women have even called for more gender-segregated places to give women more breathing room in this patriarchal society.

Women’s education 
 
Saudi women have been attending university since the 1970s, but their educational opportunities have grown markedly over the past 15 years.

A government-funded study abroad program launched in 2005 sends tens of thousands of young Saudi women to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and many other countries each year.

Saudi Arabia’s first women’s college, the Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University, was founded in 2010. With room for about 60,000 undergraduate students – the world’s largest all-women’s campus – the school aims to give female students better access to male-dominated fields like medicine, computer science, management and pharmacology.

In 2015, Saudi women’s undergraduate enrollment rates actually surpassed those of men. Women comprise 52 per cent of all university students in the kingdom, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education.

Working women 
 
Employment rates have not followed these educational trends.

Only 22 per cent&nbsp;of Saudi women worked outside the home in 2016, compared to 78 per cent&nbsp;of the male population, according to the World Bank.

Still, women can – and do – work in nearly all of the same fields as men, with the exception of “dangerous” fields like construction or garbage collection. Since Islamic law permits women to own and manage their own property, ever more Saudi women see employment as the path to financial independence.

There are female Saudi journalists, like Weam Al Dakheel, who in 2016 became the first female TV presenter to host morning news in Saudi Arabia.

There are female Saudi lawyers, like Nasreen Alissa, one of only a few women to run a law firm in Saudi Arabia and the inventor of the “Know Your Rights” app.

And just over half of all teachers in Saudi Arabia are female, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Saudi women also make up almost half the kingdom’s retail workers.

The Saudi government has set a goal of a 30 per cent&nbsp;female labour participation rate by 2030. Though gender-mixing is often prohibited in the workplace, women are a key component of the kingdom’s ongoing “Saudisation” efforts to replace non-Saudi workers with a local workforce.

Political engagement 
 
Saudi Arabia began slowly expanding the rights of women after the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks, part of a rebranding effort to counter negative views of the country as a breeding ground for terrorism and religious fundamentalism.

Women have made particular progress in politics in recent years. In a series of firsts, women were appointed as deputy education minister in 2009, advisers to the king in 2010 and ambassador to the United States in 2019.

In 2015, Saudi women were given the right to vote and to run in municipal elections. Nearly 1,000 women campaigned for seats on local councils, comprising 14% of the total candidate pool.

Saudi Arabia’s first crop of female candidates struggled to convince voters – just 9% of whom are women – to elect them. Today they hold just 20 of Saudi Arabia’s 2,000 local council seats.

Two prominent women’s rights activists, Loujain Hathloul and Nassima Al-Sadah, were disqualified from running in 2015 for unspecified reasons.

In patriarchal Saudi Arabia, the women elected face significant barriers to performing even the limited duties of their office, which include overseeing garbage collection and issuing building permits. Some must attend council meetings via video conference to avoid being in the same room as men.

These challenges have not stopped Saudi women from working – both within and outside of the political system – to change their country.

“I was never but a good citizen that loved her country, a loving daughter and a hardworking student and a devoted worker,” wrote the Saudi activist Nouf Abdulaziz in a letter posted online after her arrest in June 2018.

Even facing jail, she “wished the best for” Saudi Arabia. 
&nbsp;

(Alainna Liloia is Graduate Associate, PhD Student, University of Arizona)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/saudi-women-are-fighting-for-their-freedom-and-their-hard-won-victories-are-growing-121610">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By Alainna Liloia Saudi women will soon be allowed to obtain passports and travel without the permission of a male relative. This new regulation, announced by the government in early August, eases one of the most limiting aspects of the Gulf country’s “guardianship system,” which puts men in charge of their female relatives.

By Alainna Liloia Saudi women will soon be allowed to obtain passports and travel without the permission of a male relative. This new regulation, announced by the government in early August, eases one of the most limiting aspects of the Gulf country’s “guardianship system,” which puts men in charge of their female relatives. Saudi women will also be allowed to register marriages, divorces and births and to receive official family documents without their guardian’s approval, but they must still get permission from male chaperones to marry, leave prison and move out from a domestic abuse shelter. Social pressure likely means some Saudi women still won’t travel without family permission. Though it became legal for women to drive in 2018, familial disapproval has kept many women off the roads. Saudi Arabia enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law that sees gender separation and male authority as vital to preserving a moral Islamic society. But women are much more than victims in this patriarchal regime. As a researcher who studies women’s movements across the Middle East, I have learned that Saudi women – like any large population – are a diverse group with different opinions and experiences. They attend school, work as journalists and airline pilots, scuba dive, meet friends for coffee – and, increasingly, defy the law to expand women’s rights. The fight for equality Saudi women’s new freedoms are part of broader reform efforts led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to modernize the conservative Muslim country of 33 million and to alleviate international human rights concerns. But these legal advances have come coupled with the repression of the Saudi female activists who have pushed to reform the guardianship system. Women fought for decades for the right to drive cars, and before the ban was lifted last year several activists were arrested for very publicly getting behind the wheel. Many remain in prison. Saudi women have also campaigned to abolish the guardianship system, circulating online petitions with the hashtag #IAmMyOwnGuardian and holding workshops to educate women on guardianship laws. A woman-created app called “Know Your Rights” gives women information on their legal rights. Saudi women even make the most of laws forbidding gender mixing in public places, I’ve found. In the private, women-only areas of malls, parks, restaurants, schools and coffee shops, women feel free to express their independence. They remove their abayas – the long black robes all Saudi women must wear – and talk openly, without male oversight. Some women have even called for more gender-segregated places to give women more breathing room in this patriarchal society. Women’s education Saudi women have been attending university since the 1970s, but their educational opportunities have grown markedly over the past 15 years. A government-funded study abroad program launched in 2005 sends tens of thousands of young Saudi women to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and many other countries each year. Saudi Arabia’s first women’s college, the Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University, was founded in 2010. With room for about 60,000 undergraduate students – the world’s largest all-women’s campus – the school aims to give female students better access to male-dominated fields like medicine, computer science, management and pharmacology. In 2015, Saudi women’s undergraduate enrollment rates actually surpassed those of men. Women comprise 52 per cent of all university students in the kingdom, according to the Saudi Ministry of Education. Working women Employment rates have not followed these educational trends. Only 22 per cent of Saudi women worked outside the home in 2016, compared to 78 per cent of the male population, according to the World Bank. Still, women can – and do – work in nearly all of the same fields as men, with the exception of “dangerous” fields like construction or garbage collection. Since Islamic law permits women to own and manage their own property, ever more Saudi women see employment as the path to financial independence. There are female Saudi journalists, like Weam Al Dakheel, who in 2016 became the first female TV presenter to host morning news in Saudi Arabia. There are female Saudi lawyers, like Nasreen Alissa, one of only a few women to run a law firm in Saudi Arabia and the inventor of the “Know Your Rights” app. And just over half of all teachers in Saudi Arabia are female, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Saudi women also make up almost half the kingdom’s retail workers. The Saudi government has set a goal of a 30 per cent female labour participation rate by 2030. Though gender-mixing is often prohibited in the workplace, women are a key component of the kingdom’s ongoing “Saudisation” efforts to replace non-Saudi workers with a local workforce. Political engagement Saudi Arabia began slowly expanding the rights of women after the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks, part of a rebranding effort to counter negative views of the country as a breeding ground for terrorism and religious fundamentalism. Women have made particular progress in politics in recent years. In a series of firsts, women were appointed as deputy education minister in 2009, advisers to the king in 2010 and ambassador to the United States in 2019. In 2015, Saudi women were given the right to vote and to run in municipal elections. Nearly 1,000 women campaigned for seats on local councils, comprising 14% of the total candidate pool. Saudi Arabia’s first crop of female candidates struggled to convince voters – just 9% of whom are women – to elect them. Today they hold just 20 of Saudi Arabia’s 2,000 local council seats. Two prominent women’s rights activists, Loujain Hathloul and Nassima Al-Sadah, were disqualified from running in 2015 for unspecified reasons. In patriarchal Saudi Arabia, the women elected face significant barriers to performing even the limited duties of their office, which include overseeing garbage collection and issuing building permits. Some must attend council meetings via video conference to avoid being in the same room as men. These challenges have not stopped Saudi women from working – both within and outside of the political system – to change their country. “I was never but a good citizen that loved her country, a loving daughter and a hardworking student and a devoted worker,” wrote the Saudi activist Nouf Abdulaziz in a letter posted online after her arrest in June 2018. Even facing jail, she “wished the best for” Saudi Arabia. (Alainna Liloia is Graduate Associate, PhD Student, University of Arizona) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Saudi women are fighting for their freedom and their hard-won victories are growing

Hundreds of thousands of white-clad pilgrims, many gripping umbrellas to ward off <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-talks-maritime-security-iran-with-saudi-crown-prince-241417&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwibt_Lph_PjAhUG448KHeUwDO0QFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2E2XKsGbA3DJVE6efEtyOH">Saudi Arabia</a>'s blistering summer sun, descended on Mecca this week ahead of the annual haj.

Saudi officials asked Muslims to focus on rituals of worship, warning against politicising the rite as wars rage on in the region and at a time of heightened tensions between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shiite Muslim adversary Iran.

"Haj...is not a place for political conflicts or to raise sectarian slogans that divide Muslims," Abdulrahman al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, told reporters.

Mecca Governor Prince Khalid al-Faisal asked worshippers earlier this week to "leave all other matters in your countries to discuss when you are back".

Saudi Arabia stakes its reputation on its guardianship of Islam's holiest sites and organising a peaceful haj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes, fires and riots.

Authorities said more than 1.8 million pilgrims had so far arrived in the kingdom for the world's largest annual Muslim gathering, which retraces the route the Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago.

Outside the Grand Mosque, the world's largest, temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius as industrial fans sprayed water.

"All of this is for the sake of the haj," 43-year-old Fatima Sayed from Giza, Egypt, said of the searing heat. "We applied twice before but God didn't permit it, and, thank God, it was a very big surprise that He ordained it for me this year."

Every able-bodied Muslim who has the means should perform the haj at least once in their lifetime under a quota system.

Saudi Arabia has made use of technology to manage the flow of millions at the same place at the same time. This includes electronic identification bracelets, connected to GPS, that were introduced after a 2015 crush killed hundreds of people.

A new highspeed railway linking Mecca and Medina, Islam's second most sacred site, is being used during the haj season for the first time after its inauguration last September.

The pilgrimage is the backbone of a plan to expand tourism under a drive to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil. The haj and the umrah, the year-round lesser pilgrimage, generate billions of dollars in revenues from worshippers' lodging, transport, fees and gifts.

Amjad Khan, a pharmacist from Manchester in Britain, said the new measures made the pilgrimage a smoother experience.

"Here in the company of our brothers from all over the world, it’s a very good feeling," Khan, 36, said.

Hundreds of thousands of white-clad pilgrims, many gripping umbrellas to ward off Saudi Arabia's blistering summer sun, descended on Mecca this week ahead of the annual haj.

Hundreds of thousands of white-clad pilgrims, many gripping umbrellas to ward off Saudi Arabia's blistering summer sun, descended on Mecca this week ahead of the annual haj. Saudi officials asked Muslims to focus on rituals of worship, warning against politicising the rite as wars rage on in the region and at a time of heightened tensions between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shiite Muslim adversary Iran. "Haj...is not a place for political conflicts or to raise sectarian slogans that divide Muslims," Abdulrahman al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, told reporters. Mecca Governor Prince Khalid al-Faisal asked worshippers earlier this week to "leave all other matters in your countries to discuss when you are back". Saudi Arabia stakes its reputation on its guardianship of Islam's holiest sites and organising a peaceful haj, which has been marred in the past by deadly stampedes, fires and riots. Authorities said more than 1.8 million pilgrims had so far arrived in the kingdom for the world's largest annual Muslim gathering, which retraces the route the Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago. Outside the Grand Mosque, the world's largest, temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius as industrial fans sprayed water. "All of this is for the sake of the haj," 43-year-old Fatima Sayed from Giza, Egypt, said of the searing heat. "We applied twice before but God didn't permit it, and, thank God, it was a very big surprise that He ordained it for me this year." Every able-bodied Muslim who has the means should perform the haj at least once in their lifetime under a quota system. Saudi Arabia has made use of technology to manage the flow of millions at the same place at the same time. This includes electronic identification bracelets, connected to GPS, that were introduced after a 2015 crush killed hundreds of people. A new highspeed railway linking Mecca and Medina, Islam's second most sacred site, is being used during the haj season for the first time after its inauguration last September. The pilgrimage is the backbone of a plan to expand tourism under a drive to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil. The haj and the umrah, the year-round lesser pilgrimage, generate billions of dollars in revenues from worshippers' lodging, transport, fees and gifts. Amjad Khan, a pharmacist from Manchester in Britain, said the new measures made the pilgrimage a smoother experience. "Here in the company of our brothers from all over the world, it’s a very good feeling," Khan, 36, said.

'Haj is not a place for political conflicts':Imam of Mecca

Saudi&nbsp;energy&nbsp;minister&nbsp;Khalid Al-Falih&nbsp;discussed<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-saudi-says-ready-to-pump-more-oil-to-balance-market-148765/amp">&nbsp;oil&nbsp;markets</a>&nbsp;with his&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;counterpart&nbsp;and stressed that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-to-travel-abroad-without-male-guardian-approval-240033">Saudi&nbsp;Arabia</a> would continue to comply with production cuts until the&nbsp;end of Q1 2020,&nbsp;he&nbsp;said in a tweet on Saturday.

"We confirm that we will continue to hold such meetings and talks between our two countries to ensure further progress, partnership, investment development, and mutual trade," Al-Falih added during the&nbsp;meeting.

Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih discussed oil markets with his Russian counterpart and stressed that Saudi Arabia would continue to comply with production cuts until the end of Q1 2020, he said in a tweet on Saturday.

Saudi energy minister Khalid Al-Falih discussed oil markets with his Russian counterpart and stressed that Saudi Arabia would continue to comply with production cuts until the end of Q1 2020, he said in a tweet on Saturday. "We confirm that we will continue to hold such meetings and talks between our two countries to ensure further progress, partnership, investment development, and mutual trade," Al-Falih added during the meeting.

Saudi energy minister says he discussed oil markets with Russian counterpart

Saudi Arabia announces new reforms in its governance. As last year Saudi women got allowed to travel, now they got to travel without the consent of any male.

Saudi women free to drive, now free to travel without male consent

Top oil exporter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-to-travel-abroad-without-male-guardian-approval-240033">Saudi Arabia</a> may cut prices for most of the crude grades it sells to Asia for a second straight month in September after Middle East benchmark prices weakened.

The official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light crude could drop by at least 50 cents a barrel, falling below a premium of $2 a barrel for the first time in four months, a Reuters survey of five buyers in Asia showed.

The cuts would track a backwardation between prompt and third month <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dubai-ruler-s-wife-seeks-forced-marriage-protection-order-in-english-court-239545">Dubai</a> prices that narrowed by 70 cents a barrel in July versus June. Spot prices are higher than those in future months in a backwardated market.

Asia's incremental demand for September-loading Middle East crude weakened last month with several North Asian refineries scheduled to shut for maintenance during their autumn season.

Strong fuel oil margins, however, are likely to support prices for heavier grades that produce more of the residual fuel, survey respondents said.

"Fuel oil cracks rallied the most," one of the respondents said, adding that this could lead to smaller price adjustments for Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude versus light grades.

Two of the five respondents expect Arab Heavy crude's OSP to stay unchanged in September, while most of the respondents said Arab Medium's September OSP could fall by 20-40 cents a barrel.

Saudi Arabia's crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting more than 12 million barrels per day (BPD) of crude bound for Asia.

State oil giant Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices.

Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdom's monthly OSPs.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia may cut prices for most of the crude grades it sells to Asia for a second straight month in September after Middle East benchmark prices weakened.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia may cut prices for most of the crude grades it sells to Asia for a second straight month in September after Middle East benchmark prices weakened. The official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light crude could drop by at least 50 cents a barrel, falling below a premium of $2 a barrel for the first time in four months, a Reuters survey of five buyers in Asia showed. The cuts would track a backwardation between prompt and third month Dubai prices that narrowed by 70 cents a barrel in July versus June. Spot prices are higher than those in future months in a backwardated market. Asia's incremental demand for September-loading Middle East crude weakened last month with several North Asian refineries scheduled to shut for maintenance during their autumn season. Strong fuel oil margins, however, are likely to support prices for heavier grades that produce more of the residual fuel, survey respondents said. "Fuel oil cracks rallied the most," one of the respondents said, adding that this could lead to smaller price adjustments for Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude versus light grades. Two of the five respondents expect Arab Heavy crude's OSP to stay unchanged in September, while most of the respondents said Arab Medium's September OSP could fall by 20-40 cents a barrel. Saudi Arabia's crude OSPs are usually released around the fifth of each month, and set the trend for Iranian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi prices, affecting more than 12 million barrels per day (BPD) of crude bound for Asia. State oil giant Saudi Aramco sets its crude prices based on recommendations from customers and after calculating the change in the value of its oil over the past month, based on yields and product prices. Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdom's monthly OSPs.

Saudi Arabia may cut crude oil prices to Asia in September

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-imran-are-fantastic-people-if-they-want-i-can-intervene-in-kashmir-issue-trump-240059">PM Modi, Imran are fantastic people, if they want I can intervene in Kashmir issue: Trump</a>

After US president offered to mediate on Kashmir during his meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan last month, Trump once again reiterated his stand asserting that it was "really up to Prime Minister Modi to accept the offer of mediation."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-more-missiles-third-round-of-tests-in-a-week-240037">North Korea fires more missiles; third round of tests in over a week</a>

North Korea has fired unidentified short-range projectiles, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Friday, citing the country's military as a source.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rescuers-retrieve-55-migrant-bodies-from-capsized-boat-off-libyan-coast-240042">Rescuers retrieve 55 migrant bodies from capsized boat off Libyan coast</a>

Fifty-five bodies have been recovered so far off the Libyan coast, an aid worker said on Saturday, after a wooden boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-to-allow-women-to-travel-abroad-without-male-guardian-approval-240033">Saudi Arabia to allow women to travel abroad without male 'guardian' approval</a>

Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said Thursday, ending a restriction that drew international censure and prompted extreme attempts to flee the kingdom.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-lost-bit-of-love-for-cricket-at-one-point-says-steve-smith-after-ashes-comeback-century-240047">I lost bit of love for cricket at one point, says Steve Smith after Ashes comeback century</a>

Australia's Steve Smith said he had contemplated the end of his career after marking his first Test since a year-long ball-tampering ban with a superb century on the opening day of the 2019 Ashes.

PM Modi, Imran are fantastic people, if they want I can intervene in Kashmir issue: Trump After US president offered to mediate on Kashmir during his meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan last month, Trump once again reiterated his stand asserting that it was "really up to Prime Minister Modi to accept the offer of mediation.

PM Modi, Imran are fantastic people, if they want I can intervene in Kashmir issue: Trump After US president offered to mediate on Kashmir during his meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan last month, Trump once again reiterated his stand asserting that it was "really up to Prime Minister Modi to accept the offer of mediation." North Korea fires more missiles; third round of tests in over a week North Korea has fired unidentified short-range projectiles, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Friday, citing the country's military as a source. Rescuers retrieve 55 migrant bodies from capsized boat off Libyan coast Fifty-five bodies have been recovered so far off the Libyan coast, an aid worker said on Saturday, after a wooden boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized on Thursday. Saudi Arabia to allow women to travel abroad without male 'guardian' approval Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said Thursday, ending a restriction that drew international censure and prompted extreme attempts to flee the kingdom. I lost bit of love for cricket at one point, says Steve Smith after Ashes comeback century Australia's Steve Smith said he had contemplated the end of his career after marking his first Test since a year-long ball-tampering ban with a superb century on the opening day of the 2019 Ashes.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said Thursday, ending a restriction that drew international censure and prompted extreme attempts to flee the kingdom.

The landmark reform erodes the longstanding guardianship system that renders adult women as legal minors and allows their "guardians" -- husband, father and other male relatives -- to exercise arbitrary authority over them.

The decision, following years of campaigning by activists, comes after high-profile attempts by women to escape their guardians despite a string of reforms including a historic decree last year that overturned the world's only ban on female motorists.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-forces-israel-among-states-rapped-by-un-for-killing-children-239735">Also read:&nbsp;Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children</a>

"A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application," said a government ruling published in the official gazette Umm al-Qura.

The regulation effectively allows women over the age of 21 to obtain passports and leave the country without their guardian's permission, the pro-government Okaz newspaper and other local media reported, citing senior authorities.

Women in the kingdom have long required permission from their male "guardians" to marry, renew their passports or exit the country.

The reform grants women greater autonomy and mobility, the pro-government Saudi Gazette newspaper said, hailing the decision as "one giant leap for Saudi women".&nbsp;

The decision was met with jubilation on social media, with the hashtag "No guardianship over women travel" gaining traction and many posting humorous memes of women fleeing with suitcases and being chased by men.

"Some women's dreams were aborted due to inability to leave the country for whatever reason... to study abroad, a work opportunity, or even flee if so desired," Saudi businesswoman Muna AbuSulayman said on Twitter.

"This change means women are in a way in full control of their legal destiny."

The changes announced Thursday also grant Saudi women what has long been a male entitlement -- the right to officially register childbirth, marriage or divorce and to be recognised as a guardian to children who are minors.

Crackdown and reform

The reform comes as Saudi Arabia faces heightened international scrutiny over its human rights record, including an ongoing trial of women activists who have long demanded that the guardianship system be dismantled.

That includes Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent rights activist who marked her 30th birthday this week in a Saudi prison, campaigners said.

Alongside a sweeping crackdown on dissent, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- the kingdom's de facto ruler -- spearheads a wide-ranging liberalisation drive that is aimed at transforming the conservative petro-state, long criticised for its treatment of women.&nbsp;

His reforms include the much-celebrated decision allowing women to drive in June last year, allowing women to attend soccer games alongside men and take on jobs that once fell outside the narrow confines of traditional gender roles.&nbsp;

But while transforming the lives of many women, critics said the reforms will be cosmetic for many others until the kingdom abolishes the "guardianship" system.

Some have undertaken perilous attempts to escape overseas despite the reforms.

They include 18-year-old Rahaf al-Qunun, whose live-tweeted asylum plea from a Bangkok hotel in January after she fled her Saudi family drew global attention.

Later, two Saudi sisters who sought sanctuary in Hong Kong from what they called family abuse were allowed passage to a third country that was not named for their safety.

And subsequently, two other Saudi sisters fled to Georgia.

The latest reform, which weakens but does not completely dismantle the guardianship system, could lead to family clashes in the deeply patriarchal society, observers warn.

Saudi officials have expressed commitment to fighting guardianship abuse, but have warned the system can only be dismantled piecemeal to prevent a backlash from arch-conservatives.

In a one-off case last year, a Saudi court ruled in favour of a 24-year-old woman who challenged her father's decision to not let her have a passport. But until Thursday's ruling, she would have still required his permission to travel.

Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said Thursday, ending a restriction that drew international censure and prompted extreme attempts to flee the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia will allow women to travel abroad without approval from a male "guardian", the government said Thursday, ending a restriction that drew international censure and prompted extreme attempts to flee the kingdom. The landmark reform erodes the longstanding guardianship system that renders adult women as legal minors and allows their "guardians" -- husband, father and other male relatives -- to exercise arbitrary authority over them. The decision, following years of campaigning by activists, comes after high-profile attempts by women to escape their guardians despite a string of reforms including a historic decree last year that overturned the world's only ban on female motorists. Also read: Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children "A passport will be granted to any Saudi national who submits an application," said a government ruling published in the official gazette Umm al-Qura. The regulation effectively allows women over the age of 21 to obtain passports and leave the country without their guardian's permission, the pro-government Okaz newspaper and other local media reported, citing senior authorities. Women in the kingdom have long required permission from their male "guardians" to marry, renew their passports or exit the country. The reform grants women greater autonomy and mobility, the pro-government Saudi Gazette newspaper said, hailing the decision as "one giant leap for Saudi women". The decision was met with jubilation on social media, with the hashtag "No guardianship over women travel" gaining traction and many posting humorous memes of women fleeing with suitcases and being chased by men. "Some women's dreams were aborted due to inability to leave the country for whatever reason... to study abroad, a work opportunity, or even flee if so desired," Saudi businesswoman Muna AbuSulayman said on Twitter. "This change means women are in a way in full control of their legal destiny." The changes announced Thursday also grant Saudi women what has long been a male entitlement -- the right to officially register childbirth, marriage or divorce and to be recognised as a guardian to children who are minors. Crackdown and reform The reform comes as Saudi Arabia faces heightened international scrutiny over its human rights record, including an ongoing trial of women activists who have long demanded that the guardianship system be dismantled. That includes Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent rights activist who marked her 30th birthday this week in a Saudi prison, campaigners said. Alongside a sweeping crackdown on dissent, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- the kingdom's de facto ruler -- spearheads a wide-ranging liberalisation drive that is aimed at transforming the conservative petro-state, long criticised for its treatment of women. His reforms include the much-celebrated decision allowing women to drive in June last year, allowing women to attend soccer games alongside men and take on jobs that once fell outside the narrow confines of traditional gender roles. But while transforming the lives of many women, critics said the reforms will be cosmetic for many others until the kingdom abolishes the "guardianship" system. Some have undertaken perilous attempts to escape overseas despite the reforms. They include 18-year-old Rahaf al-Qunun, whose live-tweeted asylum plea from a Bangkok hotel in January after she fled her Saudi family drew global attention. Later, two Saudi sisters who sought sanctuary in Hong Kong from what they called family abuse were allowed passage to a third country that was not named for their safety. And subsequently, two other Saudi sisters fled to Georgia. The latest reform, which weakens but does not completely dismantle the guardianship system, could lead to family clashes in the deeply patriarchal society, observers warn. Saudi officials have expressed commitment to fighting guardianship abuse, but have warned the system can only be dismantled piecemeal to prevent a backlash from arch-conservatives. In a one-off case last year, a Saudi court ruled in favour of a 24-year-old woman who challenged her father's decision to not let her have a passport. But until Thursday's ruling, she would have still required his permission to travel.

Saudi Arabia to allow women to travel abroad without male 'guardian' approval

Al-Qaeda's post-Osama strategy: Hamza bin Laden's 'voice' used to blunt Islamic State

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/old-habits-die-hard-saudi-arabia-struggles-to-end-oil-addiction-238374">Saudi Arabia</a>-led military coalition fighting in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/saudi-led-airstrike-on-market-kill-13-in-northern-yemen-239413">Yemen</a> killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-among-14-civilians-killed-in-syria-strikes-235562">child casualties</a>, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year.

Guterres also reported that the highest number of Palestinian children had been killed or injured last year since 2014, mainly by Israeli forces, though no parties were blacklisted in the annex to the annual Children in Armed Conflict report, seen by Reuters.

The report, which does not subject those listed to action but rather shames parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children, has long been controversial with diplomats saying Saudi Arabia and Israel both exerted pressure in recent years in a bid to stay off the list.

The Israeli UN&nbsp;mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest report. In 2015 the United Nations left Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas off the blacklist, after they had been included in an earlier draft, but criticized Israel over its 2014 military operations. Israel denied lobbying then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue.

Saudi UN&nbsp;Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the report acknowledges steps taken by the coalition to safeguard children, noting that "every child's life is precious." But he also questioned the sourcing and accuracy of the report, describing the numbers as "exaggerated."

The coalition had been briefly added to the blacklist in 2016 and then removed by Ban pending review. At the time, Ban accused Saudi Arabia of exerting "unacceptable" undue pressure after sources told Reuters that Riyadh threatened to cut some UN&nbsp;funding. Saudi Arabia denied threatening Ban.

Highest child <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-highway-blast-kills-at-least-35-on-bus-injures-27-239691">casualties in Afghanistan </a>

In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the blacklist released in 2017 by Guterres was split into two categories. One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children and the other includes parties that have not.

The blacklist submitted to the Security Council on Friday named the Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen government forces on the first list, and the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, pro-Yemen government militia, the Security Belt Forces and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on the second list.

The UN&nbsp;report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties.

"I condemn the increasing number of child casualties, which are often a result of attacks in densely populated areas and against civilian objects, including schools and hospitals," Guterres said in the report, produced by UN&nbsp;Children and Armed Conflict envoy Virginia Gamba and issued in Guterres' name.

"The rise in the number of child casualties attributed to the Government Forces and the Coalition and the persistent killing and maiming of children by the Popular Resistance are increasingly worrying," the report said.

Last year, the report verified that 59 Palestinian children had been killed - 56 by Israeli forces - and another 2,756 injured, while six Israeli children were injured. The report found Israeli forces injured some 2,674 children "in the context of demonstrations, clashes and search and arrest operations.”

Guterres urged "Israel to immediately put in place preventive and protective measures to end the excessive use of force" and "all Palestinian actors to refrain from encouraging children's participation in violence."

The annual children and armed conflict report is produced at the request of the UN&nbsp;Security Council.

"In Afghanistan, the number of child casualties remained the highest such number in the present report (3,062) and children accounted for 28 per cent of all civilian casualties. In the Syrian Arab Republic, airstrikes, barrel bombs and cluster munitions resulted in 1,854 child casualties," the report said.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total child casualties, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total child casualties, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the Security Council on Friday that blacklisted the coalition for a third year. Guterres also reported that the highest number of Palestinian children had been killed or injured last year since 2014, mainly by Israeli forces, though no parties were blacklisted in the annex to the annual Children in Armed Conflict report, seen by Reuters. The report, which does not subject those listed to action but rather shames parties to conflicts in the hope of pushing them to implement measures to protect children, has long been controversial with diplomats saying Saudi Arabia and Israel both exerted pressure in recent years in a bid to stay off the list. The Israeli UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest report. In 2015 the United Nations left Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas off the blacklist, after they had been included in an earlier draft, but criticized Israel over its 2014 military operations. Israel denied lobbying then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue. Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the report acknowledges steps taken by the coalition to safeguard children, noting that "every child's life is precious." But he also questioned the sourcing and accuracy of the report, describing the numbers as "exaggerated." The coalition had been briefly added to the blacklist in 2016 and then removed by Ban pending review. At the time, Ban accused Saudi Arabia of exerting "unacceptable" undue pressure after sources told Reuters that Riyadh threatened to cut some UN funding. Saudi Arabia denied threatening Ban. Highest child casualties in Afghanistan In an effort to dampen controversy surrounding the report, the blacklist released in 2017 by Guterres was split into two categories. One lists parties that have put in place measures to protect children and the other includes parties that have not. The blacklist submitted to the Security Council on Friday named the Saudi-led military coalition and Yemen government forces on the first list, and the Iran-allied Houthi rebel group, pro-Yemen government militia, the Security Belt Forces and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on the second list. The UN report said the Houthis killed and injured 398 children and Yemeni government forces were responsible for 58 child casualties. "I condemn the increasing number of child casualties, which are often a result of attacks in densely populated areas and against civilian objects, including schools and hospitals," Guterres said in the report, produced by UN Children and Armed Conflict envoy Virginia Gamba and issued in Guterres' name. "The rise in the number of child casualties attributed to the Government Forces and the Coalition and the persistent killing and maiming of children by the Popular Resistance are increasingly worrying," the report said. Last year, the report verified that 59 Palestinian children had been killed - 56 by Israeli forces - and another 2,756 injured, while six Israeli children were injured. The report found Israeli forces injured some 2,674 children "in the context of demonstrations, clashes and search and arrest operations.” Guterres urged "Israel to immediately put in place preventive and protective measures to end the excessive use of force" and "all Palestinian actors to refrain from encouraging children's participation in violence." The annual children and armed conflict report is produced at the request of the UN Security Council. "In Afghanistan, the number of child casualties remained the highest such number in the present report (3,062) and children accounted for 28 per cent of all civilian casualties. In the Syrian Arab Republic, airstrikes, barrel bombs and cluster munitions resulted in 1,854 child casualties," the report said.

Saudi-led forces, Israel among states rapped by United Nations for killing children

Saudi petrochemicals giant SABIC said on Sunday its net profits for the second quarter and the first half of this year dived due to a sharp decline in product prices.

SABIC net profit for the three months to June 30 slid by 68 per cent to 2.1 billion riyals ($560 million) from a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

Profit for the first six months of the year plunged 55 per cent to 5.5 billion riyals ($1.47 billion), it said.

The slide in earnings was blamed on "lower average selling prices," and a drop in profits made by its associates and joint ventures said the largest listed company on the Saudi bourse.

Revenues from sales in the first half of the year dropped by 14 per cent to $19.5 billion, reported SABIC, which is among the world's 10 biggest chemical firms.

State-owned energy conglomerate Aramco said in March it was buying the government's 70-per cent stake in SABIC for $69.1 billion, in a deal aimed at providing cash to finance the kingdom's ambitious transformation programme.

Aramco, the world's most profitable company, is paying most of the price in cash over the next few years but has already raised a $12 billion loan from leading international banks.

Saudi petrochemicals giant SABIC said on Sunday its net profits for the second quarter and the first half of this year dived due to a sharp decline in product prices.

Saudi petrochemicals giant SABIC said on Sunday its net profits for the second quarter and the first half of this year dived due to a sharp decline in product prices. SABIC net profit for the three months to June 30 slid by 68 per cent to 2.1 billion riyals ($560 million) from a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Profit for the first six months of the year plunged 55 per cent to 5.5 billion riyals ($1.47 billion), it said. The slide in earnings was blamed on "lower average selling prices," and a drop in profits made by its associates and joint ventures said the largest listed company on the Saudi bourse. Revenues from sales in the first half of the year dropped by 14 per cent to $19.5 billion, reported SABIC, which is among the world's 10 biggest chemical firms. State-owned energy conglomerate Aramco said in March it was buying the government's 70-per cent stake in SABIC for $69.1 billion, in a deal aimed at providing cash to finance the kingdom's ambitious transformation programme. Aramco, the world's most profitable company, is paying most of the price in cash over the next few years but has already raised a $12 billion loan from leading international banks.

Saudi chemical giant profits nosedive over low prices

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed three congressional resolutions barring billions of dollars in weapons sales to countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are engaged in a devastating war in Yemen.

The resolutions "would weaken America's global competitiveness and damage the important relationships we share with our allies and partners," Trump said in letters to the Senate justifying blocking them.

It is the third time the president has employed his veto power since taking office.

The measures cleared Congress this month in a strong rebuke to Trump, whose administration took the extraordinary step of bypassing legislators to approve the sales in May.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said the administration was responding to an emergency caused by Saudi Arabia's arch-foe Iran.

But lawmakers including some Senate Republicans said there were no legitimate grounds to circumvent Congress, which has the right to disapprove arms sales.

Senator Lindsey Graham delivered a stinging rebuke to Riyadh last month, saying he hoped his vote against the sales would "send a signal to Saudi Arabia that if you act the way you're acting, there is no space for a strategic relationship."

The senator was referring to last year's brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey at the hands of Saudi agents, an incident that outraged lawmakers and triggered a full-blown crisis in Riyadh's relations with the West.

Critics also say the arms sales would aggravate the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a US-backed coalition that also includes the UAE in a battle against the Iranian-supported Huthi rebels.

World's worst humanitarian crisis&nbsp;

The UN says the conflict has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

But Trump argued Wednesday that barring the sale of US weapons "would likely prolong the conflict in Yemen and deepen the suffering it causes," and that "without precision-guided munitions, more&nbsp;-- not fewer&nbsp;-- civilians are likely to become casualties."

The US president also pointed to Iran in justifying blocking the resolutions. 
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are "a bulwark against the malign activities of Iran&nbsp;and its proxies in the region," and the arms sale licenses Congress sought to block enhance their "ability to deter and defend against these threats," he argued.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since Trump pulled the US out of a deal with Iran last year that was aimed at curbing its nuclear program, and imposed punishing sanctions.

The US has said it brought down one and possibly two Iranian drones last week, and has blamed Iran for a series of mysterious attacks on tanker ships in strategic Gulf waters.

Tehran shot down an unmanned US aircraft in June, after which Trump announced that he had called off airstrikes on Iran at the last minute because the resulting death toll would have been too high.

Trump has said that the choice between war and diplomacy with Iran "could go either way," and that he is "okay either way it goes."

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed three congressional resolutions barring billions of dollars in weapons sales to countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are engaged in a devastating war in Yemen.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed three congressional resolutions barring billions of dollars in weapons sales to countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are engaged in a devastating war in Yemen. The resolutions "would weaken America's global competitiveness and damage the important relationships we share with our allies and partners," Trump said in letters to the Senate justifying blocking them. It is the third time the president has employed his veto power since taking office. The measures cleared Congress this month in a strong rebuke to Trump, whose administration took the extraordinary step of bypassing legislators to approve the sales in May. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said the administration was responding to an emergency caused by Saudi Arabia's arch-foe Iran. But lawmakers including some Senate Republicans said there were no legitimate grounds to circumvent Congress, which has the right to disapprove arms sales. Senator Lindsey Graham delivered a stinging rebuke to Riyadh last month, saying he hoped his vote against the sales would "send a signal to Saudi Arabia that if you act the way you're acting, there is no space for a strategic relationship." The senator was referring to last year's brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey at the hands of Saudi agents, an incident that outraged lawmakers and triggered a full-blown crisis in Riyadh's relations with the West. Critics also say the arms sales would aggravate the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a US-backed coalition that also includes the UAE in a battle against the Iranian-supported Huthi rebels. World's worst humanitarian crisis The UN says the conflict has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis. But Trump argued Wednesday that barring the sale of US weapons "would likely prolong the conflict in Yemen and deepen the suffering it causes," and that "without precision-guided munitions, more -- not fewer -- civilians are likely to become casualties." The US president also pointed to Iran in justifying blocking the resolutions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are "a bulwark against the malign activities of Iran and its proxies in the region," and the arms sale licenses Congress sought to block enhance their "ability to deter and defend against these threats," he argued. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since Trump pulled the US out of a deal with Iran last year that was aimed at curbing its nuclear program, and imposed punishing sanctions. The US has said it brought down one and possibly two Iranian drones last week, and has blamed Iran for a series of mysterious attacks on tanker ships in strategic Gulf waters. Tehran shot down an unmanned US aircraft in June, after which Trump announced that he had called off airstrikes on Iran at the last minute because the resulting death toll would have been too high. Trump has said that the choice between war and diplomacy with Iran "could go either way," and that he is "okay either way it goes."

Trump vetoes measures blocking arms sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE

When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi.

Chief executive Amin Nasser arrived unannounced early on April 11, 2018, finalised the agreement and signed it later that day. Negotiators had just finished hammering out the details.

His last-minute flight, after a business trip to France with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-doing-spectacular-job-donald-trump-231336">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>, underlined the importance of the deal both to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vetoes-measures-blocking-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-uae-238285">Saudi Arabia</a> and its huge state oil firm.

The planned investment in the $44-billion refinery and petrochemical project on India’s west coast is a prime example of how Aramco is trying to squeeze value out of each barrel of oil it produces by snapping up refining capacity, mainly in fast-growing Asia.

But it also underlines the challenge Saudi Arabia faces in reducing its heavy economic reliance on oil. The results of its programme to diversify have been mixed, some projects are moving slowly and others are too ambitious, economic and energy analysts say.

Prince Mohammed's stated goal of being able to "live without oil" by as early as 2020 looks set to be missed.

"Saudi Arabia's oil addiction is as strong as ever...economically, of course, the Saudi economy runs on oil. Oil still dominates GDP, exports and government revenues," said Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.

"That said, Saudi Arabia is changing its relationship with oil. The dependence remains. But the kingdom is squeezing more value out of its oil," he said.

The slow progress means the Saudi economy is likely to remain hostage to oil prices for longer than planned. Any delay in implementing change also risks denting Prince Mohammed's image as a reformer.

Securing the future

Announcing his plan three years ago, the Crown Prince said Saudi Arabia must end its "oil addiction" to ensure the world's biggest oil exporter and second-largest producer cannot be "at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets."

He spoke after a fall in crude oil prices boosted the Saudi fiscal deficit to about 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, slowing government spending and economic growth.

This year the deficit could hit 7 per cent of GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, as oil-related growth slows following production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Aramco is central to the Crown Prince's reform plan in several ways, not least because its planned partial privatisation will generate income for the reforms.

The company has also been involved in most of the kingdom's high-profile deals in the last two years as it increased investment in refining and petrochemicals.

In that time, Aramco has announced at least $50 billion worth of investments in Saudi Arabia, Asia and the United States. It aims to almost triple its chemicals production to 34 million metric tons per year by 2030 and raise its global refining capacity to 8-10 million barrels per day (bpd) from more than 5 million bpd.

In March last year, Aramco finalised a deal to buy a $7billion stake in a refinery and petrochemicals project with Malaysia's Petronas. A month later, Nasser and a consortium of Indian companies signed the initial deal that would give Aramco a stake in the planned 1.2 million bpd refinery in India's western Maharashtra state.

In February of this year, Aramco signed a $10 billion deal for a refining and petrochemical complex in China. Last month it signed 12 deals with South Korea worth billions of dollars, ranging from shipbuilding to an expansion of a refinery owned by Aramco.

"This is what I call the back to basics approach to economic diversification in the Gulf," said Robin Mills, chief executive of energy consultancy Qamar Energy in Dubai. "The energy industry has the assets, capital and skills, so it's the engine of new projects refining, petrochemicals, gas and so on."

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi.

When Saudi Aramco was on the verge of a deal last year to buy a stake in an Indian oil refinery, its boss quickly boarded a company jet in Paris and flew to New Delhi. Chief executive Amin Nasser arrived unannounced early on April 11, 2018, finalised the agreement and signed it later that day. Negotiators had just finished hammering out the details. His last-minute flight, after a business trip to France with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, underlined the importance of the deal both to Saudi Arabia and its huge state oil firm. The planned investment in the $44-billion refinery and petrochemical project on India’s west coast is a prime example of how Aramco is trying to squeeze value out of each barrel of oil it produces by snapping up refining capacity, mainly in fast-growing Asia. But it also underlines the challenge Saudi Arabia faces in reducing its heavy economic reliance on oil. The results of its programme to diversify have been mixed, some projects are moving slowly and others are too ambitious, economic and energy analysts say. Prince Mohammed's stated goal of being able to "live without oil" by as early as 2020 looks set to be missed. "Saudi Arabia's oil addiction is as strong as ever...economically, of course, the Saudi economy runs on oil. Oil still dominates GDP, exports and government revenues," said Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute. "That said, Saudi Arabia is changing its relationship with oil. The dependence remains. But the kingdom is squeezing more value out of its oil," he said. The slow progress means the Saudi economy is likely to remain hostage to oil prices for longer than planned. Any delay in implementing change also risks denting Prince Mohammed's image as a reformer. Securing the future Announcing his plan three years ago, the Crown Prince said Saudi Arabia must end its "oil addiction" to ensure the world's biggest oil exporter and second-largest producer cannot be "at the mercy of commodity price volatility or external markets." He spoke after a fall in crude oil prices boosted the Saudi fiscal deficit to about 15 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015, slowing government spending and economic growth. This year the deficit could hit 7 per cent of GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, as oil-related growth slows following production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Aramco is central to the Crown Prince's reform plan in several ways, not least because its planned partial privatisation will generate income for the reforms. The company has also been involved in most of the kingdom's high-profile deals in the last two years as it increased investment in refining and petrochemicals. In that time, Aramco has announced at least $50 billion worth of investments in Saudi Arabia, Asia and the United States. It aims to almost triple its chemicals production to 34 million metric tons per year by 2030 and raise its global refining capacity to 8-10 million barrels per day (bpd) from more than 5 million bpd. In March last year, Aramco finalised a deal to buy a $7billion stake in a refinery and petrochemicals project with Malaysia's Petronas. A month later, Nasser and a consortium of Indian companies signed the initial deal that would give Aramco a stake in the planned 1.2 million bpd refinery in India's western Maharashtra state. In February of this year, Aramco signed a $10 billion deal for a refining and petrochemical complex in China. Last month it signed 12 deals with South Korea worth billions of dollars, ranging from shipbuilding to an expansion of a refinery owned by Aramco. "This is what I call the back to basics approach to economic diversification in the Gulf," said Robin Mills, chief executive of energy consultancy Qamar Energy in Dubai. "The energy industry has the assets, capital and skills, so it's the engine of new projects refining, petrochemicals, gas and so on."

Old habits die hard: Saudi Arabia struggles to end oil addiction

Israeli government officials on Tuesday condemned the actions of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kushner-holds-open-door-to-wary-palestinians-in-bahrain-peace-push-230685">Palestinians</a> who hurled abuse and chairs at a Saudi blogger visiting Jerusalem as a guest of the Jewish state.

The Saudi visitor, named by Israeli public radio as Mohammed Saud, was one of six invitees from Arab states brought to Israel by its foreign ministry to give them fresh viewpoints on the country.

Such visits have been held before, but Iraq and Saudi Arabia were taking part for the first time, the foreign ministry said.

Delegates were expected to meet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-warns-of-crushing-retaliation-after-hezbollah-chiefs-remarks-235756">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a> on Tuesday, an official said.

Video posted online showed mainly young Palestinians spitting, cursing and throwing plastic chairs at Saud as he walked on Monday through the Old City of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The spitting and abuse continued as he toured the Al-Aqsa mosque complex.

"Go and pray with the Jews, go and pray in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). What are you doing here?" one man shouted.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Netanyahu, described Saud as a "peace activist".

"When he came to pray at the #AlAqsaMosque, Palestinian thugs attacked him &amp; spat on him, thus defiling this holy place," Gendelman wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Saudi peace activist is currently visiting Israel. When he came to pray at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlAqsaMosque?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlAqsaMosque</a>, Palestinian thugs attacked him &amp; spat on him, thus defiling this holy place. 
 
The Palestinians don't want peace, but Israel's relations w/ the Arab world are getting warmer regardless. <a href="https://t.co/GCcjWi1h7g">pic.twitter.com/GCcjWi1h7g</a>
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) <a href="https://twitter.com/ofirgendelman/status/1153537931719712778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"It was barbaric, impudent," a foreign ministry spokesman, Hassan Kabia, told AFP.

He would not identify the visitors but described them as "social activists, bloggers and media people."

Jerusalem and its holy sites are the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third-holiest site in Islam.

Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount, revered as the location of the two biblical-era temples, and consider it their holiest place.

It is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

The visit comes as Israel seeks to improve ties with Gulf Arab countries, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.

Those states have held off offering Israel formal recognition due to its continuing occupation of Palestinian territory, but their relations have warmed of late, largely due to common concerns over Iran.

The journalists were to visit Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, parliament and holy sites, among others, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said it had "the aim of exposing the journalists some of whom come from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel to Israeli positions on diplomatic and geopolitical issues".

Jordan is also participating, the ministry said.

It is one of only two Arab countries, along with Egypt, that has diplomatic relations with Israel.

On Thursday, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said he had met his Bahraini counterpart publicly for the first time during a visit to Washington last week.

Katz also recently visited Abu Dhabi for a UN climate conference, where he met United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and an unnamed "high ranking UAE official".&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Israeli government officials on Tuesday condemned the actions of Palestinians who hurled abuse and chairs at a Saudi blogger visiting Jerusalem as a guest of the Jewish state.

Israeli government officials on Tuesday condemned the actions of Palestinians who hurled abuse and chairs at a Saudi blogger visiting Jerusalem as a guest of the Jewish state. The Saudi visitor, named by Israeli public radio as Mohammed Saud, was one of six invitees from Arab states brought to Israel by its foreign ministry to give them fresh viewpoints on the country. Such visits have been held before, but Iraq and Saudi Arabia were taking part for the first time, the foreign ministry said. Delegates were expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an official said. Video posted online showed mainly young Palestinians spitting, cursing and throwing plastic chairs at Saud as he walked on Monday through the Old City of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. The spitting and abuse continued as he toured the Al-Aqsa mosque complex. "Go and pray with the Jews, go and pray in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). What are you doing here?" one man shouted. Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Netanyahu, described Saud as a "peace activist". "When he came to pray at the #AlAqsaMosque, Palestinian thugs attacked him & spat on him, thus defiling this holy place," Gendelman wrote on Twitter Tuesday. A Saudi peace activist is currently visiting Israel. When he came to pray at the #AlAqsaMosque, Palestinian thugs attacked him & spat on him, thus defiling this holy place. The Palestinians don't want peace, but Israel's relations w/ the Arab world are getting warmer regardless. pic.twitter.com/GCcjWi1h7g — Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) July 23, 2019 × "It was barbaric, impudent," a foreign ministry spokesman, Hassan Kabia, told AFP. He would not identify the visitors but described them as "social activists, bloggers and media people." Jerusalem and its holy sites are the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third-holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to it as the Temple Mount, revered as the location of the two biblical-era temples, and consider it their holiest place. It is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community. The visit comes as Israel seeks to improve ties with Gulf Arab countries, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations. Those states have held off offering Israel formal recognition due to its continuing occupation of Palestinian territory, but their relations have warmed of late, largely due to common concerns over Iran. The journalists were to visit Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, parliament and holy sites, among others, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It said it had "the aim of exposing the journalists some of whom come from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel to Israeli positions on diplomatic and geopolitical issues". Jordan is also participating, the ministry said. It is one of only two Arab countries, along with Egypt, that has diplomatic relations with Israel. On Thursday, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said he had met his Bahraini counterpart publicly for the first time during a visit to Washington last week. Katz also recently visited Abu Dhabi for a UN climate conference, where he met United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and an unnamed "high ranking UAE official".

Israel condemns Palestinian attacks on Saudi blogger at Al-Aqsa mosque

Britain said Iran seized two oil tankers in the Gulf on Friday (July 19) and told Tehran to return the vessels or face consequences in the latest confrontation to ratchet up tension along a vital international oil shipping route. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had captured the British-flagged Stena Impero, announcing the move two weeks after the British navy seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said the second vessel, the British-operated Mesdar, had not been seized. It said the ship had been allowed to continue its course after being given a warning over safety and environmental issues.

UK: Seizure of tanker is not acceptable at all

Iran seizes British oil tanker, Indians among 23 crew members on board

Saudi Arabia's King Salman approved hosting US forces in the country to boost regional security and stability, news agency Reuters reported quoting the state news agency (SPA) on Friday.

The US Defence Department confirmed the move in a statement, saying it would deploy troops and resources to Saudi Arabia to "provide an additional deterrent" in the face of "emergent, credible threats."

The development comes amid escalating tensions between US and Iran in the Gulf that have impacted global oil markets.&nbsp;

On Friday, Iran said it had seized a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, but denied Trump's claim that US Navy has shot down an Iranian drone.&nbsp;

The decision on hosting US forces aims "to increase joint cooperation in defence of regional security and stability and to preserve its peace" SPA said, quoting a Ministry of Defence official, without giving further details.

Te deployment would include about 500 US military personnel in Saudi Arabia, and is part of a boost in the number of US troops in the Middle East that the Pentagon announced last month.

In June, the Pentagon said it would deploy 1,000 troops to the Middle East but did not say where they were going.

Relations between Washington and Tehran worsened last year when President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's King Salman approved hosting US forces in the country to boost regional security and stability, news agency Reuters reported quoting the state news agency (SPA) on Friday.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman approved hosting US forces in the country to boost regional security and stability, news agency Reuters reported quoting the state news agency (SPA) on Friday. The US Defence Department confirmed the move in a statement, saying it would deploy troops and resources to Saudi Arabia to "provide an additional deterrent" in the face of "emergent, credible threats." The development comes amid escalating tensions between US and Iran in the Gulf that have impacted global oil markets. On Friday, Iran said it had seized a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, but denied Trump's claim that US Navy has shot down an Iranian drone. The decision on hosting US forces aims "to increase joint cooperation in defence of regional security and stability and to preserve its peace" SPA said, quoting a Ministry of Defence official, without giving further details. Te deployment would include about 500 US military personnel in Saudi Arabia, and is part of a boost in the number of US troops in the Middle East that the Pentagon announced last month. In June, the Pentagon said it would deploy 1,000 troops to the Middle East but did not say where they were going. Relations between Washington and Tehran worsened last year when President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran. (With inputs from Reuters)

Saudi king approves hosting US troops to enhance regional security: Report

Britain said Iran seized two oil tankers in the Gulf on Friday (July 19) and told Tehran to return the vessels or face consequences in the latest confrontation to ratchet up tension along a vital international oil shipping route. New visuals of the incident have been released now by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. In an exclusive conversation with WION, the British High Commission to India has said that the UK has been deeply concerned over Iran's activities in the Persian Gulf. The High Commission said that UK ships have been advised to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz for an interim period.

Watch: Iran taking control of UK ship

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday (July 19) they had captured a British-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf after Britain seized an Iranian vessel this month, ratcheting up tension along a vital international oil shipping route. Britain said it was urgently seeking information about the Stena Impero after the tanker, which had been heading to a port in Saudi Arabia, suddenly changed course after passing through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. A second tanker, the British-operated Mesdar, also made a sharp change of direction in the Gulf around the same time. But the Guards made no mention of a second vessel. Relations between Iran and the West have become increasingly tense since British naval forces seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar on July 4 on suspicion of smuggling oil to Syria in breach of European Union sanctions.

Iranian forces: Seized British-flagged oil tanker in Gulf

In an exclusive conversation with WION, the British High Commission to India has said that UK has been deeply concerned over Iran's action in the Persian Gulf. The High Commission said that UK ships have been advised to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz for an interim period. This is after Iran seized British oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. Watch this video to know more.

WION Exclusive: UK ships advised to avoid Strait of Hormuz

Iran had vowed retaliation after seizure

Ambassadors from 37 countries jointly sent a letter on Friday to the United Nations Human Rights Council, showing their support for China's achievements in protecting human rights in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Watch this video to know more.

Saudi Arabia defends China on human rights achievements in joint letter to UN

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-rejects-saudi-weapons-sales-trump-to-veto-236775">US House of Representatives</a> on Wednesday voted to block emergency arms sales to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-adds-saudi-arabia-cuba-in-human-trafficking-blacklist-china-myanmar-remain-on-list-229035">Saudi Arabia</a>, United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

The three resolutions which were approved by the US House were already passed by the Senate. This means that the measures will now go to US President Donald Trump, where he is expected to veto them.

The chamber approved two of the resolutions with 238-190. The third one was approved with 237-190 votes, according to The Hill.

While the US Congress cannot override Trump`s veto, it reflects the differing takes on Saudi Arabia which are held by the legislature and the executive in the United States.

The US legislature has previously been critical of Riyadh, especially after journalist Jamal Khashoggi`s killing and the mounting death toll in Yemen.

Trump had in May bypassed the Congress to fast-track the sale of weapons worth USD eight billion to Saudi Arabia and the other two Gulf countries, citing escalating tensions with Iran in the region.&nbsp;

The weapons sale bypassed laws which give the US Congress the power to review major arms sale, according to Al Jazeera.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to block emergency arms sales to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The three resolutions which were approved by the US House were already passed by the Senate.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to block emergency arms sales to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The three resolutions which were approved by the US House were already passed by the Senate. This means that the measures will now go to US President Donald Trump, where he is expected to veto them. The chamber approved two of the resolutions with 238-190. The third one was approved with 237-190 votes, according to The Hill. While the US Congress cannot override Trump`s veto, it reflects the differing takes on Saudi Arabia which are held by the legislature and the executive in the United States. The US legislature has previously been critical of Riyadh, especially after journalist Jamal Khashoggi`s killing and the mounting death toll in Yemen. Trump had in May bypassed the Congress to fast-track the sale of weapons worth USD eight billion to Saudi Arabia and the other two Gulf countries, citing escalating tensions with Iran in the region. The weapons sale bypassed laws which give the US Congress the power to review major arms sale, according to Al Jazeera.

US House votes to block 'emergency' arms sale to Saudi Arabia

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-people-have-freedom-of-religion-us-should-stop-using-issue-of-religion-to-interfere-china-236881">Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi</a>, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally.

Speaking at a high-level State Department conference on religious freedom, Pence listed Badawi along with prisoners in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-gave-you-nobel-peace-prize-for-what-trump-asks-yazidi-activist-nadia-murad-236832">Eritrea, Mauritania and Pakistan</a> who he said were being held for religious expression.

"The American people stand with them, and so today the United States of America calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of conscience of these men and let these men go," Pence said.

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, was arrested in 2012 and&nbsp;sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 &nbsp;on charges of insulting Islam through electronic channels.

Vice President Mike Pence also vowed to press North Korea to respect freedom of religion, despite the narrow US focus on denuclearisation in high-profile summits.

"You can be confident, as President Trump continues to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea and lasting peace, the United States will continue to stand for freedom of religion of all people of all faiths on the Korean peninsula," he told a major gathering on religious freedom at the State Department.

Pence also informed that the United States is imposing sanctions on the leaders of two Iranian-linked militia groups in Iraq.

"Let me be clear, the United States will not stand idly while Iranian-backed militias spread terror," Pence told a high-level meeting on religious&nbsp;freedom, without naming the individuals targeted.

&nbsp;

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally.

Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday urged Saudi Arabia to free Raif Badawi, a blogger jailed for 10 years for insulting Islam, in a rare criticism of the US ally. Speaking at a high-level State Department conference on religious freedom, Pence listed Badawi along with prisoners in Eritrea, Mauritania and Pakistan who he said were being held for religious expression. "The American people stand with them, and so today the United States of America calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the rights of conscience of these men and let these men go," Pence said. Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced for 10 years imprisonment and 1,000 lashes in 2014 on charges of insulting Islam through electronic channels. Vice President Mike Pence also vowed to press North Korea to respect freedom of religion, despite the narrow US focus on denuclearisation in high-profile summits. "You can be confident, as President Trump continues to pursue the denuclearization of North Korea and lasting peace, the United States will continue to stand for freedom of religion of all people of all faiths on the Korean peninsula," he told a major gathering on religious freedom at the State Department. Pence also informed that the United States is imposing sanctions on the leaders of two Iranian-linked militia groups in Iraq. "Let me be clear, the United States will not stand idly while Iranian-backed militias spread terror," Pence told a high-level meeting on religious freedom, without naming the individuals targeted.

Free Badawi and others held in prison for religious expression: US to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Oil prices steadied on Tuesday as a resumption of output in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Barry and a boom in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-oil-sanctions-wont-go-without-response-iran-213205&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjj4bTblLnjAhWJA4gKHayhADcQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2N7rYgrXrmgJR5alcxjn-1">US&nbsp;supply</a> due to shale oil countered tensions in the Middle East.

Prices remained under pressure as data on Monday showed that second-quarter economic growth in China slowed to 6.2% from a year earlier, the weakest pace in at least 27 years.

Brent crude futures were up 4 cents at $66.52 a barrel by 0852 GMT. The international benchmark lost 24 cents, or 0.4%, on Monday.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose by 1 cent to $59.59 a barrel. The US&nbsp;benchmark fell about 1% in the previous session.

US&nbsp;oil companies on Monday began restoring some of the nearly 74% of production that was shut at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-jump-45-per-cent-on-united-states-crude-stocks-draw-gulf-of-mexico-storm-234960&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU6vaclbnjAhVinI8KHdSmCrUQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3wuMvTZ1nP71fehkxYtIVE">Gulf of Mexico</a> platforms ahead of Hurricane Barry.

"Crude oil is having a quiet day today after giving back some of last week's gains," Saxo Bank commodity strategist Ole Hansen said.

"US&nbsp;output from the Gulf looks set to increase and ... Barry failed to hit refinery assets along the coast."

Workers were returning to the more than 280 production platforms that had been evacuated. However, it can still take several days for full production to resume.

"You could almost hear the big sigh of relief from oil producers and refiners in the region as the storm passed without causing significant damage," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

The market was also weighed down by signs of further increases in output from the United States, which has ridden a wave of shale oil production to become the world's biggest crude producer, ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

US&nbsp;oil output from seven major shale formations is expected to rise by about 49,000 barrels per day in August, to a record 8.55 million barrels per day, the US&nbsp;Energy Information Administration said.

Rising US&nbsp;output will undermine efforts by Russia and Saudi Arabia to reduce global oil inventories by convincing suppliers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and outside OPEC to cut production.

The global supplier group, known as OPEC+, agreed this month to extend production cuts for another nine months.

Market activity has started to slow as it tends to do in July and August, the peak European and US&nbsp;holiday season, Hansen said.

Tension between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme kept the market nervous given the potential for a price spike should the situation deteriorate.

"The Iranian tension ... still makes any oil bear careful," Varga said.

Oil prices steadied on Tuesday as a resumption of output in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Barry and a boom in US supply due to shale oil countered tensions in the Middle East.

Oil prices steadied on Tuesday as a resumption of output in the Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Barry and a boom in US supply due to shale oil countered tensions in the Middle East. Prices remained under pressure as data on Monday showed that second-quarter economic growth in China slowed to 6.2% from a year earlier, the weakest pace in at least 27 years. Brent crude futures were up 4 cents at $66.52 a barrel by 0852 GMT. The international benchmark lost 24 cents, or 0.4%, on Monday. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose by 1 cent to $59.59 a barrel. The US benchmark fell about 1% in the previous session. US oil companies on Monday began restoring some of the nearly 74% of production that was shut at Gulf of Mexico platforms ahead of Hurricane Barry. "Crude oil is having a quiet day today after giving back some of last week's gains," Saxo Bank commodity strategist Ole Hansen said. "US output from the Gulf looks set to increase and ... Barry failed to hit refinery assets along the coast." Workers were returning to the more than 280 production platforms that had been evacuated. However, it can still take several days for full production to resume. "You could almost hear the big sigh of relief from oil producers and refiners in the region as the storm passed without causing significant damage," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said. The market was also weighed down by signs of further increases in output from the United States, which has ridden a wave of shale oil production to become the world's biggest crude producer, ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. US oil output from seven major shale formations is expected to rise by about 49,000 barrels per day in August, to a record 8.55 million barrels per day, the US Energy Information Administration said. Rising US output will undermine efforts by Russia and Saudi Arabia to reduce global oil inventories by convincing suppliers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and outside OPEC to cut production. The global supplier group, known as OPEC+, agreed this month to extend production cuts for another nine months. Market activity has started to slow as it tends to do in July and August, the peak European and US holiday season, Hansen said. Tension between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme kept the market nervous given the potential for a price spike should the situation deteriorate. "The Iranian tension ... still makes any oil bear careful," Varga said.

Oil steadies as US supply concerns ease, Iran tension unresolved

A senior Pakistani judge was sacked on Friday following a scandal over blackmail claims relating to the jailing of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges, the law ministry said.

The removal of accountability court judge Arshad Malik prompted immediate calls by Sharif's PML-N party for the release of the 69-year-old former premier, who is serving a seven-year jail sentence.

"The decision against Nawaz Sharif should be dismissed and he should be released immediately," party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb said, adding that Sharif's conviction should be considered "void".

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-court-allows-nawaz-sharifs-personal-physician-to-visit-him-in-jail-234746&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiyoIbeqq_jAhVFZt4KHYzfCBAQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1HWKrSvXRMzLEbkT5athba">Sharif</a> was convicted and jailed last year after failing to prove the source of income that had led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia. Under Pakistani law, this is taken to prove corruption.

The PML-N has disputed the conviction and last week party leaders presented a video apparently showing Malik saying he had been pressured into ruling in favour of conviction by individuals with compromising footage against him.

Malik later issued a statement denying he had been blackmailed to convict Sharif and said the video had been manipulated. He also declared in an affidavit he had been offered bribes followed by blackmail threats by figures close to Sharif to rule in favour of the former premier.

After days of growing pressure, Islamabad High Court asked the law ministry to remove him from his position.

"Judge Arshad Malik was asked to stop working based on the alleged video and the press release," Law Minister Farogh Naseem told a news conference.

The scandal adds to an already heated political climate in Pakistan where Prime Minister Imran Khan's government, which came to power last year vowing to root out corruption, has been facing increasing economic difficulties.

Earlier this month it agreed to a $6 billion bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund, which has demanded a tough package of austerity measures.

As the problems have mounted, opposition parties have stepped up attacks, accusing the government and its allies in the powerful military establishment of crushing dissent and orchestrating Sharif's removal from power and conviction.

A senior Pakistani judge was sacked on Friday following a scandal over blackmail claims relating to the jailing of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges, the law ministry said.

A senior Pakistani judge was sacked on Friday following a scandal over blackmail claims relating to the jailing of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges, the law ministry said. The removal of accountability court judge Arshad Malik prompted immediate calls by Sharif's PML-N party for the release of the 69-year-old former premier, who is serving a seven-year jail sentence. "The decision against Nawaz Sharif should be dismissed and he should be released immediately," party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb said, adding that Sharif's conviction should be considered "void". Sharif was convicted and jailed last year after failing to prove the source of income that had led to his ownership of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia. Under Pakistani law, this is taken to prove corruption. The PML-N has disputed the conviction and last week party leaders presented a video apparently showing Malik saying he had been pressured into ruling in favour of conviction by individuals with compromising footage against him. Malik later issued a statement denying he had been blackmailed to convict Sharif and said the video had been manipulated. He also declared in an affidavit he had been offered bribes followed by blackmail threats by figures close to Sharif to rule in favour of the former premier. After days of growing pressure, Islamabad High Court asked the law ministry to remove him from his position. "Judge Arshad Malik was asked to stop working based on the alleged video and the press release," Law Minister Farogh Naseem told a news conference. The scandal adds to an already heated political climate in Pakistan where Prime Minister Imran Khan's government, which came to power last year vowing to root out corruption, has been facing increasing economic difficulties. Earlier this month it agreed to a $6 billion bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund, which has demanded a tough package of austerity measures. As the problems have mounted, opposition parties have stepped up attacks, accusing the government and its allies in the powerful military establishment of crushing dissent and orchestrating Sharif's removal from power and conviction.

Pakistani judge who jailed Nawaz Sharif sacked over blackmail claims

In a first of its kind,&nbsp;UAE will now provide free mobile phone SIM cards to the tourists arriving in the country.

The cards will contain free data, international calling minutes and text message facility. Valid for a month, the SIM cards will get renewed if tourists extend their stay.

The scheme was announced after an agreement was signed between the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship and TeleKomNow in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

No documentation is required by the tourists to avail the service. They will be handed over&nbsp;the SIM cards as a gift at the immigration. Once the tourist inserts the card and enter&nbsp;their identification and arrival date&nbsp;their service will be immediately activated and within two minutes the tourist can use the facility.

UAE has also waived off visa fee for dependents, aged 18 years or below, between July 15 and September 15. 
 
The scheme will be applicable every year and is expected to boost the tourist footfall. The decision was taken by the UAE cabinet last year in July. 
 
Earlier in May,&nbsp;UAE had launched a permanent residency scheme to attract individuals and highly skilled workers, such as doctors, engineers, scientists and artists, to the oil-rich Gulf country.

Foreigners account for 90 per cent of the population of around nine million in the UAE, the Arab world's second-largest economy which has seen rapid development in recent years.

 
(With inputs from agencies)

In a first of its kind, UAE will now provide free mobile phone SIM cards to the tourists arriving in the country. The cards will contain free data, international calling minutes and text message facility.

In a first of its kind, UAE will now provide free mobile phone SIM cards to the tourists arriving in the country. The cards will contain free data, international calling minutes and text message facility. Valid for a month, the SIM cards will get renewed if tourists extend their stay. The scheme was announced after an agreement was signed between the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship and TeleKomNow in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. No documentation is required by the tourists to avail the service. They will be handed over the SIM cards as a gift at the immigration. Once the tourist inserts the card and enter their identification and arrival date their service will be immediately activated and within two minutes the tourist can use the facility. UAE has also waived off visa fee for dependents, aged 18 years or below, between July 15 and September 15. The scheme will be applicable every year and is expected to boost the tourist footfall. The decision was taken by the UAE cabinet last year in July. Earlier in May, UAE had launched a permanent residency scheme to attract individuals and highly skilled workers, such as doctors, engineers, scientists and artists, to the oil-rich Gulf country. Foreigners account for 90 per cent of the population of around nine million in the UAE, the Arab world's second-largest economy which has seen rapid development in recent years. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE to provide free SIM cards to tourists

HipHop Star Nicki Minaj Will Perform In Saudi Arabia's Jeddah World Fest 2019! Nicki Minaj, the hiphop star is known for her revealing clothes and raunchy videos. Now she will perform in Saudi Arabia, out of all the place, at the Jeddah World Fest 2019. Saudi is infamous for suppressing it's women. So what is this hypocrisy from the Kingdom? Is noone bothered about the double standards? Here's a report

Gravitas: Nicki Minaj's upcoming Saudi concert stirs hornet's nest

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/opec-decides-to-extend-oil-output-cuts-after-saudi-arabia-russia-pact-232179">Saudi Arabia</a>'s new ambassadors to the United States and the United Kingdom have taken up their posts after several months' vacancy amid tensions with Western allies over the Yemen war and the murder of journalist<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jamal-khashoggis-fiance-calls-for-international-probe-in-killing-230470"> Jamal Khashoggi</a>.

Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, the Gulf kingdom's first female ambassador, presented her credentials in Washington while her brother, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, did so in London, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday.

They arrive at a fraught period in both bilateral relationships, with heightened criticism of Riyadh's human rights record and calls to freeze arms sales amid a four-year-old war in Yemen where the Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Princess Reema was named in February to replace Prince Khalid bin Salman, who was heavily criticised for denying that Khashoggi had been killed last October inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul before the authorities ultimately acknowledged the murder of the Washington Post columnist.

The former ambassador, a brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is now deputy defence minister in Riyadh. The CIA and some Western countries believe the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's murder, which Saudi officials deny.

The new ambassadors, both in their 40s, are the children of a former long-time envoy to the United States. Princess Reema lived in Washington with him for many years and studied at George Washington University.

She has no previous diplomatic experience, having worked in the private sector before joining the kingdom’s General Sports Authority where she championed women’s participation in sports and focused on increasing women’s empowerment.

She becomes ambassador as deeply conservative Saudi Arabia is opening up and granting women more freedom, though also cracking down on dissent including the detention of around a dozen women activists, most of whom had campaigned for the right to drive, which was granted last year. Some campaigners say they have been subjected to torture.

Her brother Prince Khalid was previously ambassador to Germany, whose relationship with Riyadh has been strained in recent years by a moratorium on German arms exports and criticism of the kingdom's "adventurism" in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia's new ambassadors to the United States and the United Kingdom have taken up their posts after several months' vacancy amid tensions with Western allies over the Yemen war and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia's new ambassadors to the United States and the United Kingdom have taken up their posts after several months' vacancy amid tensions with Western allies over the Yemen war and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan, the Gulf kingdom's first female ambassador, presented her credentials in Washington while her brother, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, did so in London, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday. They arrive at a fraught period in both bilateral relationships, with heightened criticism of Riyadh's human rights record and calls to freeze arms sales amid a four-year-old war in Yemen where the Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Iran-aligned Houthis. Princess Reema was named in February to replace Prince Khalid bin Salman, who was heavily criticised for denying that Khashoggi had been killed last October inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul before the authorities ultimately acknowledged the murder of the Washington Post columnist. The former ambassador, a brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is now deputy defence minister in Riyadh. The CIA and some Western countries believe the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's murder, which Saudi officials deny. The new ambassadors, both in their 40s, are the children of a former long-time envoy to the United States. Princess Reema lived in Washington with him for many years and studied at George Washington University. She has no previous diplomatic experience, having worked in the private sector before joining the kingdom’s General Sports Authority where she championed women’s participation in sports and focused on increasing women’s empowerment. She becomes ambassador as deeply conservative Saudi Arabia is opening up and granting women more freedom, though also cracking down on dissent including the detention of around a dozen women activists, most of whom had campaigned for the right to drive, which was granted last year. Some campaigners say they have been subjected to torture. Her brother Prince Khalid was previously ambassador to Germany, whose relationship with Riyadh has been strained in recent years by a moratorium on German arms exports and criticism of the kingdom's "adventurism" in the Middle East.

New Saudi ambassadors take up posts in Washington and London

saudi-arabia

Saudi Arabia, News on Saudi Arabia, stories on Saudi Arabia, articles on Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia stories at Wion, Saudi Arabia news, Saudi Arabia latest news

saudi arabia