Middle East Experience

The United Kingdom's decision follows historic highs in daily COVID-19 cases in the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: UK bans travel from UAE

Nobody was hurt in the blast, which took place in New Delhi on the 29th anniversary of Israel and India establishing relations.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Explosion hits near Israeli Embassy in India

Under the extension, more than 6,700 Syrians will retain their special immigration status through September 2022.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Biden administration extends temporary protections for Syrians

The region took a hard hit from the pandemic, and it’s far from over, but Egypt and Saudi Arabia are managing better than expected.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Post-COVID Mideast economies look to the Gulf and Egypt

Iran on Saturday executed Javid Dehghan, an ethnic Baluchi man accused of belonging to a “terrorist” group, despite calls from the United Nations and international organizations for Tehran to end its killing spree, Iran International reported.The 31-year-old was executed in the Zahedan Central Prison in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, according to the report.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Dhahghan was reportedly a leader of the Jaish al-Adl Sunni militant group, and was convicted for killing two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2015. Jaish al-Adl says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for ethnic minority Baluchis. The UN human rights office had urged Iran to halt the hanging of Dehghan and several other prisoners from minority groups only a day earlier.“#Iran: We strongly condemn the series of executions – at least 28 – since mid-December, including of people from minority groups. We urge the authorities to halt the imminent execution of Javid Dehghan, to review his and other death penalty cases in line with human rights law,” the UN human rights office said on Twitter.Iran – which regularly receives criticism from international organization for its human rights violations against minorities and anti-regime activists – frequently dismisses the accusations as baseless.Sistan-Baluchestan, Iran’s poorest province, is mostly populated by ethnic Sunni Baluchis. As a minority in the mostly-Shia country, the group complains of ethnic and religious discrimination and accuses the Iranian regime of deliberately neglecting the province due to the population’s Sunni faith.In December 2020, Iran executed two ethnic Baluchi citizens on unclear charges in Zahedan, the Europe-based rights group Baluchi Activists Campaign said.(With Reuters)Read more:UN condemns Iran execution spree, worried about minoritiesIran executes two ethnic Baluchis on unclear charges: Rights groupIran executes dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam: Iranian media
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran executes Javid Dehghan despite calls from UN, organizations to end killing spree

Iraq announced Jan. 28 that its US-trained Counterterrorism Services in coordination with national intelligence had conducted an operation leading to the killing of the commander of Islamic State remnants in the country, in an "insurgent-infested" valley of the oil-rich, disputed southern Kirkuk province.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iraq, coalition partners had been on trail of IS commander a 'long time'

The United Arab Emirates adopted amendments that would allow it to grant citizenship to investors and specialized professionals, as well as their families – the country’s latest effort to attract talent to the region, UAE Vice President and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Saturday.Those who fall under the category of specialized professionals include: scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey,” Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter.The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts, and executive councils will nominate candidates who are eligible to receive the Emirati citizenship given that they meet the specified criteria for each category, the Sheikh said.The criteria have yet to be announced.Those who will be granted citizenship will also be allowed to keep their existing citizenship, according to the new law, he added.Read more:New UAE laws create framework for inheritance, divorceUAE abolishes ‘honor crimes’ law granting leniency in latest move towards equalityUAE set to amend law granting citizenship to expats with certain criteria: Report
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE to grant citizenship to investors, professionals in bid to attract talent

For months, nations, researchers and pharmaceutical companies entered into a global race to find a COVID-19 vaccine as the pandemic raged across the borders.The fight against the pandemic saw vaccine development at record speed, with more than 170 different vaccines currently in trials.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.But as vaccine contenders such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm received the green-light – paving the way for mass vaccination drives across the globe – now begins another race; keeping up with global demand.Countries across the world have been reporting shortages of vaccines; hampering roll-outs of governments’ globally to deliver on ambition promises to vaccinate their individual populations.Here are the different vaccines – and the countries which are reporting shortages.PfizerPfizer in mid-January announced it would temporarily reduce deliveries of its vaccine while it upgrades capacity at its plant in Belgium. Countries soon after began reporting shortages of the dose, or announced cutbacks to vaccination roll-out schemes.In the Middle East, many countries have been affected.Last week, Dubai announced it had postponed its Pfizer-BioNtech vaccination campaign for people scheduled to receive their first dose of the vaccine, amid a global supply shortage of the dose. Campaigns in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and other countries were also postponed.In Europe, officials have also felt the impact of short supplies. The United Kingdom has warned of a critical shortage, while healthcare professionals in France, Germany and Switzerland have also reported they have bit enough doses.It led to six European Union governments asking the executive EU Commission in a letter to pressure Pfizer-BioNTech, “to ensure stability and transparency of timely deliveries” of vaccines against COVID-19.The letter, signed by the health ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, said Pfizer/BioNTech had told them that agreed vaccine deliveries in the coming weeks would be substantially reduced.Reports show that Americas have also complained supply doesn’t meet demand.In the US, calls for more delivers ar also abound, as Pfizer juggles global demand.Answering growing frustration over vaccine shortages, President Joe Biden announced this week that the US is ramping up deliveries to hard-pressed states over the next three weeks and expects to provide enough doses to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer or early fall.Shortages have been so severe that some vaccination sites around the US had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people seeking their first shot.This week, Canada also announced it won’t receive a single vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to an international shortage – causing provinces to temporarily delay their vaccine rollouts. Over the next month, Canada’s vaccine deliveries will be cut in half with up to 400,000 doses delayed.Pfizer/BioNTech said they are working flat out to boost production of their Covid-19 vaccine, but warned there will be gaps in supply until others are rolled out.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.AstraZenecaSimilarly, British Swedish vaccine maker AstraZeneca – approved for use across European Union countries, the UK, Argentina, India and Mexico, among others, have also come under fire over shortages.The company has infuriated the EU by saying it can deliver only a fraction of the doses it promised for the first quarter of the year.The bloc agreed to buy up to 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine last year.AstraZeneca blames production issues at European plants, but the EU says doses made elsewhere should make up the shortfall.The EU has been criticized for the slow rollout of its vaccinations.Shortages have led to some countries banning exports on vaccines to ensure their own population needs are met.Earlier this month, India banned the export of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for several months, the head of Serum Institute of India, which has been contracted to make 1 billion doses of the vaccine for developing nations, said at the time.SinopharmIn September, the UAE was the first country outside China to approve emergency use of the Asian nation’s Sinopharm vaccine. So far, no shortages of the vaccine have been reported. China’s state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm is ready to supply at least 10 million COVID-19 vaccine vials to the Philippines this year, its local distributor said Tuesday.Mark Tolentino, president and CEO of MKG Universal Drugs Trading Corp., told CNN Philippines that the concerned parties were still on the negotiation stage, but noted there would be no problem when it comes to the volume of available vaccines.MKG is the sole and exclusive distributor of Sinopharm in the country.SinovacAs for China’s other vaccine frontrunner – Sinovac - several Asia countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and the Phillipines and Indonesia, as well as international countries such as Bahrain and Brazil, have approved the vaccine. Turkey has ordered 50 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac and this week received 6.5million doses of the vaccine.To date, only Brazil has reported potential shortages. The São Paulo government has ordered 46 million doses of the vaccine, with 6 million doses made available after the regulator’s approval. However, this batch will soon run out and Beijing has not yet approved shipment of ingredients needed to make more, according to latest reports.Sputnik VRather than a shortfall, Russia been offering its homemade vaccine to other countries against a backdrop of shortages of other coronavirus vaccines.This week Russia offered the EU doses of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine. In the second quarter of 2021, Russia could deliver 100 million doses of Sputnik V to the EU, the public investment fund that co-finances and sells the vaccine said on Friday.The doses could be used to vaccinate 50 million people, as two doses are needed for immunity.In Russia, some 1.5 million people have already received the two doses, reports the Belga news agency.However, Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine could only be used in the EU if it is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which is currently analyzing it.Read more:Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortageCoronavirus: Germany expects COVID-19 vaccine shortage to continue until AprilUS boosts delivery of COVID-19 vaccines amid shortages
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Explainer: COVID-19 vaccines shortages; which countries are struggling with supplies?

Authorities in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi have updated the rules on entering the emirate from within the country effective from February 1, according to an official statement.The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said that UAE citizens and residents in the country will be allowed to enter Abu Dhabi within 48 hours of receiving a negative PCR test result. A mandatory PCR test must be taken on the fourth day of entry for those who stay for four days or more, and on the eighth day for those staying eight days or more.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Alternatively, residents can enter Abu Dhabi within 24 hours of receiving a negative result via the laser-based Diffractive Phase Interferometry (DPI) test. But then a mandatory PCR test must be taken on the third day of entry for those who stay for 48 hours or more, and on the seventh day for those staying seven days or more.The committee, in a tweet, said those who do not take the required tests are liable for fines.The procedures apply to all UAE residents, including Abu Dhabi residents, except for those vaccinated as part of national vaccination programs and volunteers in vaccine clinical trials who have an active status (letter ‘E’ or gold star) on the Alhosn app.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Residents who have been vaccinated within national vaccination programs will have their status changed to reflect they have been vaccinated – i.e they will be given the ‘E’ status - after 28 days from the second dose. Volunteers get the gold star after they have completed all phases of vaccination trials.For travelers who have been vaccinated in national vaccination programs, those arriving from countries given a ‘green’ status by Anu Dhabi, will still need to take a PCR test on arrival, and a further PCR tests on the sixth day, without the need to quarantine. Those arriving from other countries, a PCR is required on arrival and on the eight day, as a well as a 10-day quarantine period.Read more:Coronavirus in the UAE: Abu Dhabi updates rules on entering the emirateCoronavirus: Abu Dhabi opens 18 new DPI testing centers at border area Coronavirus: Entering Abu Dhabi now requires COVID-19 PCR test before reaching border
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi updates rules on entering the emirate

Israeli intelligence warned a prominent Hamas leader in the West Bank against running in the Palestinian elections.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Hamas leaders in West Bank warn of Israeli intimidation ahead of elections