Middle East Experience

The Saudi state-owned oil company said reports it will engage in the process of creating cryptocurrency are "false."
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Saudi Aramco denies rumors it will produce bitcoins

Entities in both Qatar and Italy praised high jumpers Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi for opting to share an Olympic gold medal, though one commentator said such a deal was unbecoming of elite athletes.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Qatari and Italian athletes praised for sharing gold medal at Olympics

Qatar has appointed an ambassador to Egypt, for the first time since reconciliation efforts started between the two countries earlier this year, setting the stage for better relations with Cairo in the coming period.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egypt, Qatar appoint mutual ambassadors

Israel is flooding Palestinian markets with large quantities of agricultural products with the aim to ruin the Palestinian agricultural seasons.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel undercuts Palestinian agriculture with cheap produce

The probe into the Beirut port explosion has yet to yield any results as the one-year anniversary of the deadly incident nears. Numerous investigations have been launched in an effort to find out who is accountable for the country’s most tragic peacetime disaster, which killed 214 people in left 300,000 homeless. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.However, no top officials have been questioned over the disaster so far, further angering many crisis-weary Lebanese.In one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions, a warehouse that had been storing 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the port since 2014 caught fire, leading to the blast. Although France has already launched its own inquiry into the matter, focusing on the death of French citizens, political leaders have repeatedly refused international investigations.Meanwhile, a domestic investigation is still underway and many are worried that the disaster will go unpunished. Parliament ready to lift immunity Lebanon’s influential parliament speaker Nabih Berri said on Thursday the legislature was ready to lift the immunity of its members in order allow for questioning over last year’s port blast in the capital Beirut.“The priority of parliament was and will continue to be complete cooperation with the judiciary,” Berri said in a statement after a meeting with the Future Movement, parliament’s main Sunni bloc.Long-time politician and head of the party Saad al-Hariri had called for lawmakers’ immunity to be lifted earlier this week by suspending all constitutional and legal regulations that allow for it.Berri did not say when immunity would be lifted or how.A probe into the port blast led by judge Tarek Bitar has been hindered over the past month as requests sent parliament and the government to lift immunity and enable questioning of several top officials were either declined or stalled.President ready to answer questions Lebanese President Michel Aoun told the country’s public prosecutor last week that he was ready to give a statement about the blast if needed.“No one is above the law no matter how high up, and justice can only be achieved through the specialized judicial branches that provide guarantees,” Aoun told prosecutor Ghassan Ouidat during a meeting, according to a statement released by the president’s office.FBI report The amount of ammonium nitrate that exploded at Beirut port last year was one fifth of the shipment unloaded there in 2013, according to the FBI, adding to suspicions that much of the cargo had gone missing.The FBI’s Oct 7, 2020 report, which was seen by Reuters this week, estimates around 552 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded that day, much less than the 2,754 tons that arrived on a Russian-leased cargo ship in 2013.However, the report gave no explanation as to how the discrepancy arose, or where the rest of the shipment went.In response to a detailed request for comment, an FBI spokesperson referred Reuters to the Lebanese authorities.FBI investigators came to Beirut after the blast at Lebanon’s request.A senior Lebanese official who was aware of the FBI report and its findings said the Lebanese authorities agreed with the Bureau on the quantity that exploded.Many officials in Lebanon have previously said in private they believe a lot of the shipment was stolen.The ammonium nitrate was going from Georgia to Mozambique on a Russian-leased cargo ship when the captain says he was instructed to make an unscheduled stop in Beirut and take on extra cargo.The ship arrived in Beirut in November 2013 but never left, becoming tangled in a legal dispute over unpaid port fees and ship defects. No one ever came forward to claim the shipment.The senior Lebanese official said there were no firm conclusions as to why the quantity that exploded was less than the original shipment. One theory was that part of it was stolen. A second theory was that only part of the shipment detonated, with the rest blown out to sea, the official said.The FBI report said “an approximate amount reaching around 552 metric tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in warehouse 12”.It noted the warehouse was large enough to house the 2,754 ton shipment, which was stored in one-ton bags, but added “it is not logical that all of them were present at the time of the explosion”.- With ReutersRead more:Lebanon’s post-explosion economy, one year on: Chief economist weighs in‘They kill us every day’: Survivors of Beirut port blast call for justice one year onBeirut blast: Lebanon’s crisis hotline witnesses surge in calls as anniversary nears
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Probe into deadly Beirut port blast yields no results one year later 

The United Arab Emirates will lift a ban on transit passenger traffic from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries from Aug. 5, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Tuesday.The UAE, a major international travel hub, has banned passengers from many South Asian and African countries for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.NCEMA said on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to departure.Final destination approval would also have to be provided, the authority said, adding that UAE departure airports would arrange separate lounges for transiting passengers.The transit ban had also included Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Uganda.NCEMA said that a ban on entry to the UAE for passengers from these countries would also be lifted for those with valid residencies and who are certified by Emirati authorities as fully vaccinated.However, they would need to apply for online entry permits prior to travelling and would need to present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure.Those working in the medical, educational or government sectors in the Gulf Arab state as well as those studying or completing medical treatment in the UAE would be exempt from the vaccination requirement as would humanitarian cases.Read more:UAE’s Hope Probe captures crystal-clear image of Mars’ surfaceSinopharm COVID vaccine available for children ages 3 to 17 in UAEUAE health authorities report 1,548 new COVID cases, four deaths
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE lifts ban on transit flights from India, Pakistan, others: NCEMA

The United Arab Emirates is lifting an entry ban on vaccinated passengers from India, Pakistan, and Nigeria with valid residency visas, the National Crisis Emergency and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on Tuesday.The decision will come into effect on August 5, NCEMA said.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Travelers from these countries will need to apply for entry permits online prior to traveling.They are also expected to present a negative PCR test taken not more than 48 hours prior to their departure.Those working in the medical, educational, or government sectors in the UAE, as well as those studying or completing medical treatment in the country will be exempt from the vaccination requirement as would humanitarian cases.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The UAE, a major international travel hub, had banned passengers from many South Asian and African countries for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic.On Tuesday, NCEMA announced on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to departure.The transit ban also included Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Uganda.The UAE’s COVID-19 cases have decreased tremendously over the past month, averaging at around 1,532 newly diagnosed infections per day.Also on Tuesday, the country recorded 1,548 new coronavirus infections, 1,504 recoveries and four deaths in 24 hours, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 1,960, total diagnosed cases to 685,462, total recoveries to 662,660 and active cases to 20,842, according to NCEMA.- With ReutersRead more:UAE lifts ban on transit flights from India, Pakistan, others: NCEMAPossible MERS-like COVID-19 strain that could kill 1 in 3 infected people: StudyFrance puts Bahrain on COVID-19 green list, effective immediately
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE allows entry of vaccinated residents traveling from Pakistan, India, others

Saudi Arabia reopened its borders to foreign tourists on Sunday and began allowing entry to tourist visa holders after a months-long ban due to the coronavirus pandemic. For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Only fully vaccinated travelers are allowed to enter the Kingdom, and all passengers must provide a negative PCR test within 72 hours from the time of departure. Citizens from 49 countries can apply for a tourist visa through the “Spirit of Saudi” website, visitsaudi.com. Read more:Students in Saudi Arabia must receive first COVID-19 vaccine dose before Aug 8Saudi Arabia to welcome tourists starting from August 1The countries whose citizens may be granted a tourist visit are as follows: 1. United States2. Canada3. Andorra 4. Austria 5. Belgium6. Bulgaria 7. Croatia 8. Cyprus9. Czech Republic10. Denmark11. Estonia 12. France13. Greece14. Holland15. Hungary16. Iceland17. Ireland18. Italy19. Poland20. Latvia21. Finland22. Germany 23. Liechtenstein24. Lithuania 25. Luxembourg 26. Malta 27. Monaco 28. Montenegro 29. Norway 30. Russia 31. Portugal 32. San Marino33. Romania 34. Ukraine35. Slovakia 36. Slovenia 37. Spain38. Switzerland39. Sweden 40. Brunei 41. China (including Hong Kong and Macao) 42. Japan43. Australia and Oceania 44. New Zealand45. Malaysia46. Singapore47. South Korea48. Kazakhstan49. United Kingdom
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia allows citizens from 49 countries to apply for e-visa: Full list

A non-piracy incident is under way off the coast of the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Tuesday.The UKMTO warning notice, based on a third party source, advised vessels to exercise extreme caution in the area, around 61 nautical miles east of the emirate of Fujairah.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.UKTMO provided no details regarding the vessel or vessels involved.However on Tuesday afternoon a Singapore-flagged chemical tanker in roughly the same position off Fujairah named Golden Brilliant updated its AIS tracking status to "Not Under Command", according to Refinitiv ship tracking data.This status indicates a ship is unable to maneuver due to exceptional circumstances.Last week an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman killed two crew members and was blamed on Iran by the United States, Israel and Britain.Iran denied involvement in that suspected drone attack and said on Monday it would respond promptly to any threat against its security.The United States and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their allies to respond to last week’s attack on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime.Iran and Israel have exchanged accusations of carrying out attacks on each other’s vessels in recent months.Tensions have increased in Gulf waters and between Iran and Israel since 2018, when then US President Donald Trump ditched Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.Read more:PM Bennet says Israel can respond to Iran attack on ship aloneIran summons British envoy over accusations Tehran behind ship attack off Oman coastUK summons Iran ambassador over attack on Israeli-managed oil tanker
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UK warns of non-piracy ‘incident’ off the coast of UAE’s Fujairah

The passengers must have received the second vaccine dose at least 14 days prior to travel..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Flights to UAE: Emirates lists 11 countries from where passengers can travel