Government | Thursday 11 August, 2016 7:54 am

Prince Khaled unveils blueprint for ‘Taif of Future’

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, emir of Makkah and adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has unveiled an ambitious plan to develop Taif into a modern Saudi city. “The Souk Okaz city, a technology park and a modern airport will be the major highlights of Taif,” he said while...

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Government | Wednesday 10 August, 2016 8:15 am

1.5m pilgrims expected to perform Haj this year

As many as 1.5 million external and domestic pilgrims are expected to perform Haj this year, the Central Haj Committee was told. The committee met here under the chairmanship of Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and listened to various reports on the arrangements being made to receive the...

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Government | Wednesday 10 August, 2016 7:12 am

New rules to improve road safety: Traffic chief

The Traffic Department will not show any leniency in implementing new regulations, especially Article 69 of the law pertaining to drifting/stunt driving, said Director of the Traffic Department Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Zahrani. The Council of Ministers on Monday amended a number of Articles in the...

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Government | Tuesday 9 August, 2016 7:56 am

New visa regime announced

The Cabinet on Monday took a number of decisions based on a recommendation of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Planning on increasing non-oil revenue.  The weekly Cabinet session was chaired by Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Mohammed bin Naif at...

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Government | Tuesday 9 August, 2016 7:35 am

Penalties for stunt driving toughened

More stringent penalties now await recalcitrant citizens who engage in “car drifting,” a popular pastime of Saudi youth which is now considered a major health hazard. In a session on Monday at the Al Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Council of Ministers, chaired by Vice Custodian of the Two ...

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Government | Monday 8 August, 2016 7:13 am

King issues directives to resolve all cases of unpaid salaries

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Sunday issued a series of directives to agencies concerned to address once and for all the cases of distressed workers of companies who have contracts with the government. The king directed the Minister of Labour and Social Development to take...

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Government | Sunday 7 August, 2016 3:01 am

Low-cost Haj for 49,000; Mina tents get new air-coolers

A total of 49,000 pilgrims, both Saudis and residents, will benefit from the low-cost Haj package through 76 companies and agencies this year. The Ministry of Haj and Umrah on Thursday opened the application process for the pilgrimage under this category. Registration for the same needs to be...

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Government | Friday 5 August, 2016 7:57 am

Local pilgrims can now register

The Ministry of Haj and Umrah today launched its portal for local pilgrims to register for their participation in this year’s Haj. Citizens and residents intending to perform Haj can access the e-portal to choose local Haj companies on http://localhaj.Haj.gov.sa There are 77 Haj...

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Government | Friday 5 August, 2016 7:44 am

First group of Hajis arrive in Saudi Arabia

The first batch of Hajis from Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and India arrived at Jeddah and Madinah airports on Wednesday and Thursday.  The Bangladeshi group of 401 Hajis, out of the expected 101,758 pilgrims, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday, while the Indian batch with 340 pilgrims of...

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Government | Tuesday 2 August, 2016 7:32 am

SR4bn fund to boost growth

The Cabinet on Monday authorized the Public Investment Fund to coordinate with the Ministry of Commerce and Investment to take necessary measures to establish a SR4 billion fund to be tasked with investing in venture capital funds and private properties, to support and stimulate investment...

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