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Saudi Arabia launches fundraising drive for war-hit Syrians

December 27, 2016

Riyadh, Dec 27: Saudi Arabia launched on Monday a kingdom-wide fundraising campaign for people displaced by the civil war in Syria, including those evacuated from eastern Aleppo.

Syrians

More than 11 million Syrians — around half of the population — have been displaced by the fighting, which began in 2011 and has killed more than 300,000 people.

Thousands of Syrian fighters and civilians have been evacuated from eastern Aleppo in a week-long operation this month after government forces backed by Russia and Iran closed in on their stronghold. Many of them are staying in temporary shelters in freezing temperatures.

A Royal Court statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ordered a relief campaign to be started today and had allocated 100 million riyals ($27 million) to the drive.

“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, has ordered a popular campaign to be launched ... to provide relief for the brotherly Syrian people,” SPA said.

The King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Works (KSRelief) will coordinate with pertinent authorities the provision of aid items, such as foodstuff, drugs and shelters and will receive the injured for treatment, furnish camps and help delivery of complete wintertime aid packages, SPA said.

King Salman donated SR20 million for the campaign, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif donated SR10 million, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman donated SR8 million.

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest donors to United Nations relief campaigns for Syria, including at fundraising meetings in Kuwait and elsewhere. The Kingdom has also a continuing relief aid program for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and even inside Syria.

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News Network
April 15,2020

Dubai, Apr 15: Saudi Arabia reported 493 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 5869, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday.

According to the ministry of health, the number of recoveries today are 42 cases, making total of recoveries in the kingdom 931. And 71 critical cases in intensive care.

The ministry also confirmed 6 deaths bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 79.

Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour curfew and lockdown on the cities of Riyadh, Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran and Hofuf and throughout the governorates of Jeddah, Taif, Qatif and Khobar. This week the curfew was extended until further notice.

Overall, Saudi Arabia has reported one of the lowest rates of infection in the region, with around 5,000 cases in a population of over 30 million. Mecca was one of the first Saudi cities to be placed under a full-day curfew, and authorities took unprecedented precautions, suspending religious tourism in February and closing mosques across the country in March.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Makkah, Jul 31: Organising this year's scaled-down hajj required "double efforts" by Saudi authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, King Salman said Friday after being discharged from hospital following gall bladder surgery.

Only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom are participating in this year's pilgrimage, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"Holding the ritual in the shadow of this pandemic... required reducing the numbers of pilgrims, but it obliged various official agencies to put in double efforts," 84-year-old King Salman said in a speech read out on state television by acting media minister Majid Al-Qasabi.

"The hajj this year was restricted to a very limited number of people from multiple nationalities, ensuring the ritual was completed despite the difficult circumstances," he said.

The speech came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, a day after the king left hospital following a 10-day stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder.

The hajj, which began on Wednesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Authorities implemented the "highest health precautions" during the rituals, the king said.

Pilgrims, who were all tested for the virus, are required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

For Friday's "stoning of the devil", the last major ritual of the hajj, Saudi authorities offered the pilgrims pebbles that were sanitised to protect against the pandemic.

In a sign that its strict measures were working, the health ministry reported no coronavirus cases in the holy sites on Wednesday or Thursday.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Dubai, Apr 24: The UAE reported 525 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The Ministry of Health and Prevention said the total number of confirmed cases in the UAE is now 9,281.

MOHAP reported 8 deaths taking the total number of deaths in the country to 64. 123 recoveries have also been announced.

According to the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the latest cases were detected through its intensified investigation and examination procedures.

The ministry conducted over 32,000 additional COVID-19 tests among citizens and residents.

The ministry offered its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. It also wished a speedy recovery to all patients and called upon the general public to strictly adhere to preventative measures out of concern for the health and safety of all.

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