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Tag: Saudi Arabia

  • Businesses in Saudi Arabia will no longer shut down during namaz

    Businesses in Saudi Arabia will no longer shut down during namaz

    The Saudis, known for their strict adherence to Shariah laws, have recently progressed in technology and societal aspects as they attempt to rebrand themselves as a modern state. Keeping that in mind, concerned authorities have decided not to close businesses during prayer time because they want to create a 24 hours business environment and a promising economy.

    Dr Al Gaith, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, expressed “There is no legal base for closing shops for prayer after amending the bylaws of the authority. Forcing shops to close their doors and people to pray right at the beginning of prayer time, and to do this in a mosque, stands no ground – neither in Shariah nor in law.”

    “Rather is rather a breach of both of them, and an infringement on people’s religious rights (right of Ijtihad freedom to follow a reference) and worldly rights (freedom of movement, shopping, benefiting of services round the clock without being forced to abide by judicial matters subject to conflict and differences.” 

    Saudi Arabia is now aiming to become tourist-friendly. Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the country and last year the government granted permanent residence to a foreigner. A few years back, it was near to impossible.

  • Maximum number of Umrah pilgrims in 2019 were Pakistanis

    The maximum number of Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the season on August 31 until December 26, 2019 were Pakistanis official statistics released by the Kingdom have revealed.

    According to a report in Arab News, 495,270 Pakistanis performed their Umrah during the period, followed by 443,879 Indonesians and 262,887 Indians. Other countries on the list included Malaysia, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

    Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Ministry Spokesman Imran Siddiqui expressed his happiness at the news and iterated that “Pakistan was the number one country with more than 1.7 million people performing Umrah last year.”

    While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always enjoyed good relations in the past, following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ascent to office, the friendship between the two countries has further strengthened.

    Saudi Arabia has also relaxed its strict laws under the Vision 2030 reforms plan, making it easier for pilgrims to visit the Arab state. The plan aims to attract more than 30 million Umrah pilgrims and provide them with excellent services.

  • Imran now an international puppet: Bilawal

    Imran now an international puppet: Bilawal

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) cheif Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and called him an “international puppet” for reportedly having succumbed to pressure from Saudi Arabia and cancelling his trip to Malaysia.

    Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah had last week quoted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying that Pakistan had decided to stay away from the recently concluded Kuala Lumpur summit because of Saudi Arabia’s threats of economic sanctions.

    The statement had come amid claims by media outlets that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had “pressurised and threatened” Pakistan to refrain from participating in the summit that was attended by hundreds of government officials, businessmen, representatives of civil societies and experts from different sectors across the Muslim world.

    Besides Erdogan, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were among the Muslim world leaders who attended the summit hosted by Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad. Meanwhile, Riyadh had rejected claims that Islamabad was told not to participate.

    With the PPP chief continuing to taunt the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for being “selected to power” and PM Imran for being “powerless”, he has now said that the premier “is not just a puppet of Pakistan, but also that of another country”.

    Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal also announced that he would not appear before the Nat­ional Accountability Bureau (NAB) on December 24, saying the call-up notice served to him by the anti-corruption watchdog is “unconstitutional and illegal”.

    NAB had summoned the PPP chairperson for a second time this month in the fake bank accounts and money laundering case on December 24.

    According to Dawn, Bilawal accused the government of creating obstacles in his party’s plans to observe late former PM Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary on December 27, and also called out the Imran administration for “preventing a son from observing the death anniversary of his mother” by not yet issuing permission to hold the death anniversary observance ceremony.

    “I will become even more dangerous if I am arrested. Arrest me if you can,” the PPP chief maintained as he criticised the government for “selective accountability” and for attempting to “pressurise the opposition”.

  • Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for killing Khashoggi

    Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for killing Khashoggi

    A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, the public prosecutor has said.

    Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was killed inside the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul by a team of Saudi agents.

    The Saudi public prosecutor said it was the result of a “rogue operation” and put 11 unnamed individuals on trial; Saud al-Qahtani, a former high-profile Saudi royal adviser, was investigated but not charged and was released.

    The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, triggered Saudi Arabia’s biggest diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks as world leaders and business executives sought to distance themselves from Riyadh.

    The CIA concluded that the country’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered Khashoggi’s assassination. The crown prince denies involvement, but told US TV last month that he took “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia”.

    The prosecutor said three more people in the case had been sentenced to jail terms totalling 24 years.

  • Report reveals more than 11m Pakistanis went overseas for employment since 1971

    Report reveals more than 11m Pakistanis went overseas for employment since 1971

    More than 11 million Pakistanis have left Pakistan since 1971 to pursue employment opportunities in different parts of the world. 4.2 million of the 11 million were labourers.

    According to a report by the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, 11,052,663 workers registered for overseas employment with the bureau between 1971 and November 2019.

    While labourers topped the list, drivers came at number two with 1.3m people leaving the country to become drivers.

    Meanwhile, the profession that saw the least amount of workforce export was that of photographers, with only 1,949 leaving the country for overseas employment.

    Of the 11m manpower exports, 4.7m has been categorised as ‘skilled’ and 4.6m as ‘unskilled’.

    Saudi Arabia has been the most popular destination among Pakistani workers seeking employment opportunities. The report says 5.4m Pakistanis registered as employees in the kingdom since 1971. Saudi Arabia also took in the most number of Pakistanis in 2019, with the figure standing at 294,156.

    United Arab Emirates is second on the list with 3.8m Pakistanis working there while Oman (793,454) comes at number three.

  • Fate of Muslims not in UN Security Council members’ hands: Erdogan at Kuala Lumpur Summit

    Fate of Muslims not in UN Security Council members’ hands: Erdogan at Kuala Lumpur Summit

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said that the fate of the world’s 1.7 billion Muslims was no longer in the hands of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

    According to Anadolu Agency, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Summit in the Malaysian capital, Erdogan reiterated that the world was bigger than the five permanent UNSC members, whose veto power could prove catastrophic for smaller nations.

    “The world is bigger than five” is a famous slogan repeatedly used by Erdogan to criticise the permanent council members that are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).

    He also said that Turkey did not bow to pressure to silence it, including a coup attempt, economic terror and slander. “As they try to silence Turkey, we insist on calling attention to Palestine, Gaza, the Rohingya, Libya, Somalia, and Syria.”

    Earlier at the opening ceremony, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as well as the host, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, delivered speeches.

    Hundreds of government officials, businessmen, representatives of civil societies and experts from different sectors across the Muslim world, except Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, are taking part in the summit.

    Islamabad reportedly decided not to participate in the moot after being told so by Riyadh.

  • ‘Saudi Arabia telling a nuclear-power what to do’; Twitter react to PM Imran’s Malaysia decision

    ‘Saudi Arabia telling a nuclear-power what to do’; Twitter react to PM Imran’s Malaysia decision

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has cancelled his scheduled visit to Malaysia reportedly after succumbing to pressure from Saudi Arabia and Twitter is not happy about it.

    According to reports, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi will represent Pakistan in the premier’s place at the Kuala Lumpur Summit scheduled for December 18-20, after a meeting between PM Imran with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in Riyadh, during which matters related to bilateral relations were discussed.

    The Kingdom has reportedly raised serious concerns over the statement of Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad, who had recently said that the Muslim countries at Kuala Lumpur Summit would form a new platform to replace the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that he said had failed to deliver on issues faced by the Muslims across the world.

    Here’s what politicians and journalists among other Twitterati have to say about PM’s Malaysia decision.

    And many have termed the move “a failure of Pakistan’s foriegn policy”.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that after his Bahrain visit, the premier will travel to Geneva and return to Pakistan Thursday, following which a final decision regarding his Malaysia trip would be taken.

  • Saudi Arabia ‘forces’ PM Imran to cancel Malaysia trip

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has cancelled his scheduled visit to Malaysia following his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in Riyadh, The News reported.

    According to reports, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be representing Pakistan in the premier’s place at the Kuala Lumpur Summit scheduled for December 18-20, which will also be attended by notable Muslim leaders, including Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

    “Saudi Arabia raised serious concerns over the statement of Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad who had recently said that the Muslim countries at Kuala Lumpur Summit would form a new platform to replace the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which he said had failed to deliver on issues faced by the Muslims across the world,” the report quoted sources as saying.

    Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Bahrain are perturbed over the expected presence of Qatari emir, Turkish president and Iranian president at the summit and fear a new but parallel leadership forum is being developed to undermine Saudi Arabia and its allies, it said.

    The report further claimed that the UAE has also raised its concerns over Mahathir’s statement and has requested Pakistan to avoid the Kuala Lumpur Summit that “may trigger a new controversy among the Muslim Ummah”.

    “PM Imran was also conveyed concerns by Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa over the intentions of the Kuala Lumpur Summit. The premier assured the royals of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain that he would not be a partof any scheme being planned to undermine the Gulf leadership,” sources were quoted as saying.

    They said that UAE’s Emir Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan had raised his concerns with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa three days ago on December 14 as well.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said decision about Imran Khan’s visit to Malaysia to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit will be taken according to national interest.

    She noted that after his Bahrain visit, the premier will travel to Geneva and return to Pakistan Wednesday, following which a final decision regarding his Malaysia trip would be taken.

  • Saudi royals unhappy with Imran; PM to visit Kingdom, clarify his position

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will visit Saudi Arabia on Saturday after recent signals from Riyadh indicate that the kingdom’s leaders were not happy with Imran’s decision to attend Kuala Lumpur summit scheduled to be held in Malaysia later this month, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, PM Imran will reportedly reassure Saudi leadership that ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia remain firm despite Islamabad’s engagement with other Muslim countries.

    The reports further reveal that Saudis are seeing the summit an an attempt by Malaysia to present an alternative to the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as the progressively dysfunctional OIC works under the de-facto leadership of the Saudis.

    Other leaders which are participating in the summit include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Iranian President Hasan Rouhani among others.

    Pakistan has expressed its keenness to attend the summit as the Foreign Office (FO) in its recent statement has said, “The KL summit would provide Pakistan with an opportunity to exchange views and find solutions to challenges facing the Muslim world, particularly the governance, development, terrorism and Islamophobia”.

    “The summit will also provide us an opportunity to foster cooperation in diverse areas with the participating countries”, the statement added.

    Meanwhile, FO spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal while responding to questions about PM Imran’s sudden visit to Saudi Arabia has said, “High-level political exchanges between the two countries are the hallmark of this brotherly bilateral relationship. You have witnessed the high frequency of leadership level exchanges, especially since last August”.

    Dr Faisal further said, “The PM has undertaken at least three visits to KSA since May this year. Any further information about any future visit will be shared accordingly.”

  • Saudi Arabia’s energy company ‘Aramco’ worth’s $1.7 trillion after a historic IPO

    Saudi Arabia’s energy company ‘Aramco’ worth’s $1.7 trillion after a historic IPO

    Saudi Arabia has recently turned Aramco (Arabian-American Oil Company) in publicly owned enterprise. By making it a public entity – that investors can buy and sell shares in the stock market.

    Shaybah

    In the Initial Public Offering (IPO) phase, the worth of the company has plunged to $1.88 trillion that break all the records of the recent decades.

    The offering price of Armaco shares were 32 Riyals ($8.53) and people bought the shares of $25.6 billion – eclipsing Alibaba’s $25 billion IPO of 2014.

    Moreover, seconds after the debut on Riyadh’s Tadawul exchange, the price per stock rose to 35.2 riyals. This development further boosted the energy giant’s valuation.

    Haradh Gas Plant (Aramco)

    On the launch ceremony, the Chairman of Aramco Yasir Al-Rumayyan said “Today the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no longer the only shareholder of the company. More than five million shareholders have joined including citizens and residents, in addition to Gulf countries and international investment institutions. The kingdom is immensely proud of this day.”

    It was the strategy of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to overhaul the oil-reliant economy.

    The IPO process had put the energy giant’s value at $1.7 trillion, far ahead of other firms in the trillion-dollar club, including Apple and Microsoft.

    The listing of Aramco, with its huge capital value, boosts the Saudi bourse — known as Tadawul — to the ranks of the world’s top ten.