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Saudi Arabia mourns war hero

October 2, 2016

Jeddah, Oct 2: The nation on Saturday mourned the loss of a Saudi security officer who laid down his life defending the border. At the same time, the Kingdom felt proud of its forces who foiled a massive Houthi attack on the southern border.

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Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said Cpl. Nader bin Ahmed Abdullah Ali was injured when projectiles launched by the Houthis landed in Twaal, Jazan on Thursday. He died before he could be rushed to hospital. Al-Turki said the Saudi border guards countered the attack in coordination with the Saudi ground forces.

Saudi forces on Saturday foiled a 9-hour attack launched by Houthi militants and militias loyal to deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh near Mawsem village in the Jazan region.

Saudi gunships, supported by members of the Saudi-led coalition, thwarted the attack that took place in a very unhelpful weather.

The battle resulted in the killing of a Houthi leader and over 40 militiamen. The Saudi gunfire destroyed their vehicles at their positions.

Mawsem village with a population of 500 people is situated at the Saudi-Yemeni border.

The coalition's warplanes continued the mop-up operation for 30 minutes after the battle ended, according to Al Arabiya.

Ahmad Bakil, a senior official of Yemen’s Popular Resistance Committees, said the Houthis try to put pressure on the coalition through border attacks.
The Houthis and their armed backers from the Saleh faction know their attacks cannot succeed, but attack nevertheless to cover up for their very poor military situation in Yemen, he explained.

Speaking to Arab News, Bakil said: "The Houthis try to improve their political standing by launching random attacks on Saudi borders to compensate for their losses in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition has hit the Houthi military infrastructure. The Houthis also lost many leaders in battles and their military capabilities have been destroyed.”

In another development, the Saudi-led force in Yemen said it rescued passengers on Saturday from a vessel being used by the UAE military that was attacked by the Houthis in a strategic Red Sea shipping lane.

“The coalition rescued civilians from a vessel targeted by Houthi militias ... that was transferring medical aid to the city of Aden and evacuating wounded civilians for treatment,” the coalition said in a statement to SPA.

The UAE military said on Saturday one of its vessels had been involved in an “incident” near the Bab Al-Mandab strait off Yemen’s southern coast but none of its crew had been hurt.

Separately, a suicide bomber blew himself up near a cinema in the port city of Aden on Saturday, killing one person and wounding three others, residents and a local official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing in Aden's Crater district, which was carried out by an attacker wearing an explosive belt.

Terrorists, including Daesh, have exploited an 18-month civil war between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militias.

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Agencies
June 22,2020

Riyadh, Jun 22: The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MMRA) in Saudi Arabia has announced the continuation of the ban on providing Shisha (hubble-bubble), and the closure of children's play areas in restaurants as a precautionary measure for protecting the health of citizens and residents from the novel coronavirus COVID-19 infection.

The new stage, in which the Kingdom is beginning to coexist with the virus, focuses on the concept of "social distancing" that has emerged since the start of the coronavirus crisis throughout the world,

It stipulates leaving at least 2 meters between one person and the other in public places to prevent the transmission of infection, in addition to covering the mouth and nose by wearing a facemask.

It also specifies complying with the preventive protocols in workplaces, stores, shops, mosques and tourist attractions, with human gatherings not to exceed 50 people, as a maximum.

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KT
April 13,2020

Dubai, Apr 13: The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) on Monday announced 172 new recoveries in the country, taking the total recoveries to 852 cases.

"With today's 172 cases, the total number of fully recovered Covid-19 patients has become 852, while three residents of different nationalities were declared dead, taking the total number of deaths to 25," Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the ministry, said.

"We have also carried out up to 23,380 new tests on Monday all over the country."

Also read: UAE residency, visit visas valid until end-2020

Dr Hosani said His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has launched the national home-based testing programme for determined people, be they nationals or residents.

"The program, targeting this important segment of the society who have difficulty doing tests outdoors, is part of the national drive-through testing national program."

Addressing some baseless rumours that are viral on social media, Dr Al Hosani confirmed that no one can fix a date for the peak of infected cases.

"So many studies have affirmed that physical distancing is so critical in reducing not only the number of Cobid-19 new cases but also the infection curve."

Dr Al Hosani advised the public to wear gloves whenever they go out. "However, do not touch your personal stuff when wearing gloves, particularly when using your phone, and safely dispose of them."

It is still so critical to clean your hands with water and soap on a regular basis, she underlined. "Cleaning and washing our hands are much better and safer than wearing gloves."

Wearing one-time disposable surgical gloves is highly advisable, she said. "If not available, hand-made cloth masks can be used but need to be cleaned regularly with water and soap."

Masks should be worn properly covering the nose, mouth and the chin, she pointed out. "Do not touch the internal or external parts of the face masks, while the blue colour side must be always outward."

Priority in drive-through tests are given for those with respiratory issues, senior people, and pregnant women, she said in answer to a question raised by media people.

"If you are developing no Covid-19 infection symptoms and just wish to make sure you are sound, you need to book an appointment, be aware that it will cost you Dh370."

"If developing minor symptoms, the public is urged to stay home and call any of these toll-free numbers for help: (800011111), (8001717), (800342)."

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Dubai, Jul 28: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) (ADCB.AD) is letting go hundreds of employees, sources said, the latest in a round of lay-offs by regional banks as pressure mounts to cut costs amid lower oil prices and the coronavirus crisis.

The UAE’s third-biggest lender is laying off 400 employees, two sources familiar with the matter said, after it had committed to not cutting staff because of the crisis.

In a statement, a spokesman said ADCB had pursued efficiency over the last decade by managing out its lowest underachievers after regular reviews, while ensuring talent was deployed in high-growth areas, such as digital banking.

“A certain number of redundancies are therefore expected every year in the normal course of business,” the bank spokesman added.

The sources said the cuts would involve ADCB’s consumer business and several in top management were among those being let go. One source said the bank was looking to close 20 branches.

In March, ADCB had declared, “No employee will be made redundant during 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

UAE banks have been hit by government measures to rein in the spread of the virus, forcing many businesses to shut temporarily.

Last week, Dubai’s largest bank, Emirates NBD, reported a slump of 58% in profits. In June, sources told Reuters the bank started a new round of hundreds of lay-offs.

In May, ADCB reported a fall of 84% in first-quarter net profit as it took impairments of $292 million on debt exposure to troubled hospital operator NMC Health and payments group Finablr.

It was a major lender, with an exposure of about $981 million, to NMC Health, which went into administration this year after months of turmoil following questions over financial reporting.

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