Driver gifted car on ‘sponsored’ big fat Saudi wedding

January 20, 2014

Saudi_weddingJeddah, Jan 20: In a heart-warming gesture rarely witnessed, a Saudi businessman in Buraidah celebrated the wedding of his Indonesian driver and, what is more, handed over the keys of his personal car to the groom as a wedding gift that has been applauded by Saudis and expats alike.

Rashid Al-Shallash, the businessman, not only footed the wedding bill of Solikin Abu Ahmed, but also paid his salary and that of his wife for a year besides taking on the expense of transferring the wife’s sponsorship.

Al-Shallash did not stop there. To make it a truly memorable event, he invited prominent personalities in the town, including businessmen and religious scholars, to attend the wedding that was performed as per Saudi tradition.

Al-Oudah commended the businessman for responding positively to the initiative aimed at fighting the racist behavior of some Saudis against foreign workers.

He urged all Saudis to behave decently with foreigners working under their sponsorship, especially house servants. In his program titled “Wasm” (brand), Al-Oudah had addressed the issue of Saudis’ misbehavior against foreigners.

“I am extremely happy to hear this news,” said Dr. Abdelelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh. “This is what we should do while dealing with foreign workers. This is what we have learned from Islam. People who ill-treat their workers are very few. They don’t represent the Saudi society,” he told Arab News.

“We should treat all foreigners including non-Muslims in a nice manner and we have several examples for this from the life and teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him),” Saaty said, and praised Al-Oudah for encouraging people to do such wonderful things. “I wish I can see many more such good examples from Al-Shallash and other businessmen.”

Speaking to Arab News, Akbar Batcha, a senior business executive, said all Saudis should emulate Al-Shallash to improve their image and uphold the Kingdom’s reputation.

“All are equal before Allah. No Arab is better than a non-Arab except in faith and fear of Allah,” Batcha said, quoting a Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). “If Saudis follow the Prophet’s teachings in their lives, their country will become a Paradise.”

Stating that he was very happy with what Al-Shallash did for his Indonesian driver, he said: “I have not seen or heard of such an inspiring incident in all my 27 years of life in Saudi Arabia. There are many good people like Al-Shallash in the Kingdom but the bad behavior by a handful of Saudis makes headlines.”

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News Network
March 26,2020

Riyadh, Mar 26: The video summit of the G20 leaders slated for Thursday will unite the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia's King Salman said.
"As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges to healthcare systems and the global economy, we convene this extraordinary G20 summit to unite efforts towards a global response. May God spare humanity from all harm," tweeted King Salman, who will chair the summit.
The summit will be held today via video conference with an aim to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications, the Kingdom had said yesterday in a statement.
India is a member nation of the G20 group. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take part in the summit, said that the Group of 20 (G20) has an important role to play in the fight against coronavirus.
He said: "The G20 has an important global role to play in addressing the #COVID19 pandemic. I look forward to productive discussions tomorrow at the G20 Virtual Summit, being coordinated by the Saudi G20 Presidency."
The other members of the group include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.
Several international organisations -- including the United Nations, World Bank, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization will take part.

Leaders from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Financial Stability Board, the International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development -- will also be the part of the conference.

Regional organisations will be represented by: Vietnam, the Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); South Africa, the Chair of the African Union (AU); the United Arab Emirates, the Chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); and Rwanda, the Chair of the New Partnership for Africa's Development.

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News Network
July 6,2020

Dubai, July 6: Even as the world’s one of the most sought after tourist destinations is gearing up to welcome foreign tourists from July 7, the authorities have taken necessary measures to prevent the spread of covid-19.

If the foreign tourists want to avoid self-isolation after landing in Dubai International Airport, they have to fetch covid-negative certificates from their home country. The certificate ought to have been issued up to 96 hours prior to the travel.

Those without a cvid-negative certificate, however, will need to undergo a PCR test on arrival at the Dubai airports and self-isolate until they receive their negative results.

"If passengers opt to take the PCR test on arrival in Dubai, they must self-isolate until test results are received. If the test result is negative, passengers can leave the hotel and enjoy the trip as normal. However, if the test result is positive, passengers are asked to follow the advice of the Dubai Health Authority and self-isolate," Emirates said in a statement.

Budget carrier flydubai said if a passenger tests positive for Covid-19, he/she would need to observe a 14-day quarantine. The airline also advised passengers to comply with all the precautionary Covid-19 measures in place in Dubai "including wearing a mask, observing social distancing and washing your hands regularly".

Tourists with Covid-19 symptoms

* If a traveller is suspected to have Covid-19 symptoms, Dubai Airports has the right to re-test to ensure the tourist is free of the virus

*It is mandatory for Covid-positive tourists to isolate themselves at an institutional facility provided by the government for 14 days at their own expense.

Other requirements

*Travel insurance: Tourists must have a travel insurance with Covid-19 cover or declare that they would bear the costs for treatment and isolation if required. "Bring an insurance certificate stating Covid-19 coverage to present at check-in," Emirates said.

*Visa: Referring to visa requirements, Emirates said: "Depending on your nationality you can get a visa on arrival, or you can apply for your visit visa from Dubai Immigration before you travel."

*Health Declaration Form: Tourists need to complete the form that states they are free from Covid-19 symptoms. This must be done before embarking.

*Tracing app: Tourists must download the Covid-19 DXB app and register details. "This is critically important since it facilitates easy coordination and communication with the health authorities if tourists experience Covid-19 symptoms," Dubai authorities had said earlier.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Dubai, Mar 23: All inbound, outbound and transit passenger flights to and from the United Arab Emirates – home to one of the world’s busiest hubs – are to be suspended for two weeks.

The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced that passenger flights to, from and through the country will be suspended from 25 March for a period of two weeks, in order to “curb the spread of the Covid-19”.

Freight and emergency evacuation flights will still be permitted to operate.

The suspension affects major global hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai-based Emirates has already announced that it will suspend most of its passenger flights from 25 March.

“Additional examination and isolation arrangements will be taken later should flights resume, in order to ensure the safety of passengers, air crews and airport personnel and their protection from infection risks,” state the NCEMA and the GCAA.

Dubai International Airport was the third-busiest airport in the world in 2018, handling 89 million passengers.

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