Saudi King decrees half brother Muqrin to be future monarch

March 28, 2014

Riyadh, Mar 28: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has appointed his half-brother and country's former intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz as the deputy crown prince, paving the way for him to become a future monarch.

Saudi_King"Prince Muqrin will receive oath of allegiance as crown prince in case the position becomes vacant, and as king in case the positions of king and crown prince become vacant," a royal decree issued by King Abdullah said yesterday.

Prince Muqrin, 68, the second deputy premier, is the youngest son of the Kingdom's founder King Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

The appointment makes him the next in line to ascend the Saudi throne after 89-year-old King Abdullah and 78-year-old Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, the Arab News reported. King Abdullah ascended the throne on August 1, 2005, upon the death of his half-brother King Fahd.

King Abdullah has emphasised that nobody would be allowed to change the appointment of Prince Muqrin as deputy to the crown prince or replace him since the Allegiance Council, the body responsible for determining future succession to the throne of Saudi Arabia, has approved his new appointment.

He said both himself and Crown Prince Salman signed a document to this effect on March 20.King Abdullah said the royal decree was issued to strengthen the Kingdom's unity and stability."The members of the Allegiance Council expressed their opinion on the appointment of Prince Muqrin as deputy crown prince upon consent from both myself and Crown Prince Salman," said King Abdullah. He said the majority of members, which exceed three-quarters of those present, backed the appointment.

King Abdullah said Prince Muqrin would continue in his present position as second deputy premier.

The decree also stated that the king would have the right to propose his candidate to the Allegiance Council in future if he wanted to appoint a deputy crown prince and issue a royal decree for that appointment following the council's approval.

Prince Muqrin has held many important positions in the government, including director of intelligence and governor of Hail and Madinah.

He graduated with a degree in aeronautics from the Britain's RAF College in Cranwell in 1968 and also acquired a master's degree in military sciences.

He has also served in several positions in the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) until 1980, when he was appointed as the governor of Hail.

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Agencies
August 8,2020

Beirut, Aug 7: A devastating explosion that destroyed much of Beirut might have been the result of a missile attack or bomb, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said, as the death toll from the blast rose to 154.

More than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate had been sitting in a port warehouse for six years, but there have been conflicting accounts about why Lebanese authorities decided to empty the shipment of explosive material. The vessel carrying the flammable cargo was heading from Georgia to Mozambique when it stopped in the Lebanese port to load up on iron, according to the ship’s captain.

By Friday, 19 suspects had been arrested and Lebanon’s former director general of customs Chafic Merhy had been questioned by military police.

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KT
April 16,2020

Dubai, Apr 16: Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), unveiled a series of outdoor ads that form part of its new campaign to encourage the community to stay home.

Featuring the slogan 'For My Sake #StayHome for Us', the campaign depicts stunning artwork developed in collaboration with Emirati artist Maitha Demithan. The ads have been displayed on billboards, lamp posts and digital screens across Dubai.

The campaign reinforces the importance of staying at home in line with the strict restrictions on movement put in place by Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management as part of intensified measures to combat Covid-19.

Nehal Badri, Director of Brand Dubai, said: "The outdoor campaign, displayed in prominent locations across Dubai, was designed to illustrate the importance of staying at home during the current sensitive period. Using Maitha Demithan's stunning creative artwork, we sought to send out a clear message to the community that staying at home is vital to safeguard the wellbeing of our loved ones. 

This project is one of a series of initiatives launched in collaboration with UAE-based artists to raise awareness about the need to unite efforts to protect vulnerable people from the risk of infection."

Emirati artist Maitha Demithan said: "It has been a privilege for me to work on this project and an honour to serve my country through my artworks. The three portraits featured in the campaign create a triptych that represents the people who are the most vulnerable to being infected by the virus. During such difficult times, art can play a crucial role in raising awareness on how to stay safe, but most importantly it can keep everyone inspired. I encourage all my fellow artists and the creative community to continue practicing social distancing and stay connected by using their creativity and innovation to raise awareness during this period."

Brand Dubai partnered with several media outlets, including Media 24/7, Arabian Outdoor Media and Hypermedia to launch the outdoor ads. The ads are displayed on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Marina.

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News Network
May 7,2020

Dubai, May 7: The holy month of Ramadan is expected to be a 30-day month this year, said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

According to Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm, he said that Sunday, May 24, will mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal.

Additionally, he said that the crescent of Shawwal will occur on Friday, May 22, at 9.39pm, after sunset, and will be visible on Sunday, May 24, the beginning of Shawal, which makes Ramadan a 30-day month this year.

He added that the next Ramadan is expected to start on April 13, 2021, and the one after that on April 2, 2022.

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