Saudis slam Trump's 'irresponsible' Jerusalem move

Agencies
December 7, 2017

Riyadh, Dec 7: Saudi Arabia today slammed US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, calling the move "unjustified and irresponsible".

Trump ended seven decades of US ambiguity on the status of the disputed city, prompting an almost universal diplomatic backlash and fears of new bloodshed in the Middle East.

He also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"The kingdom expresses great regret over the US president's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," said a Saudi royal court statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The decision goes against the "historical and permanent rights of the Palestinian people", the royal court said, calling on Trump to reconsider his decision.

"The kingdom has already warned of the serious consequences of such an unjustified and irresponsible move," the statement said.

"The US move represents a significant decline in efforts to push a peace process and is a violation of the historically neutral American position on Jerusalem."

Saudi King Salman on Tuesday had warned Trump that moving the US embassy for Israel to Jerusalem was a "dangerous step" that could rile Muslims worldwide.

Trump's announcement appears to have cast a pall over relations between Saudi Arabia and the US, which have warmed in the months after his election, with the president choosing the Gulf kingdom for his first overseas visit in May.

While the two countries have long been allies, Riyadh viewed Trump's predecessor Barack Obama as overly friendly with its arch-nemesis Iran.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic relations.

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Khaleej Times
May 27,2020

Dubai, May 27: As the authorities have taken steps to ease the Covid-19 restrictions to allow the people of Dubai to resume sporting activities from Wednesday, May 27, the Dubai Sports Council has answered your key questions.

Q&A

What are the age groups allowed to practice sports during this period?

From 12 years old to 60 years old.

Is it required to do the Coronavirus (Covid 19) medical test certificate before resuming physical activity?

Returning to the activity does not require a Coronavirus (Covid 19) test certificate.

Is it allowed for the elderly with chronic diseases to return to sports activities in fitness and yoga centers?

No, it is not allowed.

Is it allowed to use the shower cabins and bathrooms in fitness and yoga centers?

Shower cabins, saunas and jacuzzis are not allowed, while bathrooms are allowed, with sterilisation being emphasised after each use.

What sports can resume its activities?

All sports except water sports/swimming and that are practiced indoors and swimming pools.

What is the approved operational percentage within the sports facility?

A maximum 50% capacity

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News Network
May 20,2020

Cairo, May 20: A senior Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for imposing a tax on expatriates’ remittances to shore up the country’s finances.

MP Khalil Al Saleh, the head of the parliament’s Human Resources Committee, has presented a draft law on the proposed tax to the legislature.

“Imposing fees on expatriates’ transfers will have a role in improving the state's revenues and diversify sources of income,” he told Al Rai newspaper.

Migrant workers transfer about 4.2 billion dinars annually from Kuwait, he added, citing figures from Kuwait’s Central Bank.

“This system is in effect in most countries of the world and in more than one Gulf country. Expats there have not objected to it. Allowing this money to exit the country is very dangerous and has a direct effect on economy,” MP Al Saleh said.

“We do not target brotherly expats because imposing symbolic fees on financial transfers will not affect their money, but will have a positive effect on the state’s sources,” he said. “This has become a necessity after the money transferred outside Kuwait has reached 4.2 billion dinars annually without the state [Kuwait] making any benefit from this.”

Foreign workers make up 3.3 million of Kuwait’s 4.6 million population.

Several Kuwaiti public figures have recently pushed for redrawing the demographic imbalance in the country, accusing expatriates of straining health facilities and increasing the Covid-19 threat.

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News Network
April 18,2020

Dubai, Apr 18: Saudi Arabia has reported 1,132 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients to 8,274, the Ministry of Health revealed on Saturday.

The ministry has also announced five more deaths from the virus, taking to 92 the Kingdom’s death toll.

Recoveries
As for recoveries, 280 new recoveries were reported, pushing the total number of patients recovered to 1,329.

The ministry revealed that 79 per cent of today’s cases are expatriates and that 65 per cent of the cases were detected through intensified and active COVID-19 screening in densely-populated areas.

A total of 201 patients of Saturday’s cases have contracted the disease due to being in contact with existing cases, the ministry added.

The new infected cases have been placed under complete isolation and they are receiving necessary medical care, an official from the ministry said.

He affirmed that medical teams are intensifying efforts and screening tests in workers' neighbourhoods and accommodations in order to limit the spread of the disease.

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