Middle East Experience

The United Arab Emirates recorded an increase of 3,432 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 249,808, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced on Saturday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The new infections are the highest number of cases ever recorded in the country since the outbreak first began in January 2020.The COVID-19 death toll increased by seven, which brought the total number of deaths caused by the virus to 740.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries rose to 222,106 after 3,118 people recovered from the coronavirus.While most coronavirus restrictions in the country have been lifted, facemasks and social distancing is still required in public.Read more:Coronavirus: Pfizer delays Bahrain’s vaccine delivery for JanuaryCoronavirus: Lebanon’s parliament approves law on COVID-19 vaccines Coronavirus: Jordan’s King Abdullah receives COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE records 3,432 new COVID-19 cases, death toll rises by 7

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Riyadh to discuss the bilateral relationship between the two countries and regional developments.“In today’s meeting, we discussed a number of issues of common interest, and developments in regional and international issues, foremost of which is the Middle East peace process,” Prince Faisal said.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“During the meeting, we stressed the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.”Also read: Saudi Arabia condemns Israel’s approval of new settlements in West BankThe two also discussed the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Libya, as well as Iranian and Turkish interference in the affairs of countries in the region, the Kingdom’s foreign minister said.“We also discussed the situation in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Libya, in addition to Iranian and Turkish interference in the affairs of the countries of the region and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Prince Faisal.For his part, Safadi said that the relationship between Jordan and Saudi Arabia is “historical and strategic,” adding that the two countries are working together to achieve security and stability in the region.Read more:Arab Coalition destroys three Houthi drones launched towards Saudi ArabiaPalestinians to hold first elections in 15 years, presidential vote on July 31Coronavirus: Jordan’s King Abdullah receives COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia, Jordan’s FMs discuss regional issues in Riyadh meeting

Saudi Arabia will open an embassy in Qatar’s capital city Doha within days, the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Saturday during a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart in Riyadh.The reopening of the embassy is a matter of logistics and will happen once the necessary prodecures are complete, he added. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed the AlUla declaration at the conclusion of the 41st Gulf summit, ending the dispute with Qatar and restoring full ties with it.Saudi Arabia formally reopened its airspace and land and sea borders to Qatar on January 4, with commercial flights resuming between Riyadh and Doha as of January 14.The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, had severed diplomatic, trade and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017over Doha’s support of terrorism.Read more:First Qatari flight arrives in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh from DohaElated Qataris stream into their ‘second country,’ Saudi Arabia, after borders reopen
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia will open an embassy in Qatar’s capital Doha within days: FM

Hamas praised Saudi Arabia for the Gulf reconciliation, in an attempt to break the deadlock with Riyadh.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Hamas seizes Gulf detente opportunity to get close to Saudi Arabia

Riyadh is still angry with Israel for leaking reports on a secret meeting between the Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Neom last year..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Saudi Arabia ‘ignoring’ Israel as punishment for leaking secret Netanyahu-MbS meeting

Saudi Arabia confirmed 140 new cases of the coronavirus and five more deaths over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.The health ministry said the five deaths announced on Saturday marked a single-digit fatality rate for as many days since the outbreak of the pandemic in the Kingdom last year.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The current total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Kingdom now rises to 364,753 while the virus-related death toll reached 6,318.The ministry also reported 159 new recoveries, raising the total number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 to 356,541.Read more:COVID-19: Saudi Arabia warns against travel to 12 countries without permissionCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives COVID-19 vaccineCoronavirus: Saudi residents recount COVID-19 vaccine experience in RiyadhCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince gets COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia detects 140 new COVID-19 cases, five more deaths

The new sanctions 'block the path to peace', Iran claims..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iran says EU sanctions on Syrian FM 'unconstructive'

A research team at the Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Saudi Arabia has succeeded in producing the first Saudi vaccine against the coronavirus after its preclinical studies were concluded pending clinical trials once approved.The research team is led by Dr. Iman Al-Mansour, an assistant professor at the university with a doctorate in biomedical engineering and biotechnology from the University of Massachusetts.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.“The vaccine was developed using pDNA vaccination technology, indicating that DNA vaccines provide several advantages, including its ability to stimulate humoral and cellular immunity, as well as its ease of transport and storage. It also has high stability as it does not require transporting it under very low temperature,” al-Mansour said in a statement to the al-Yaum newspaper.“It is expected that after conducting clinical trials, the safety of the vaccine will be secured through several stages separately, and the first stage includes the safety of vaccine tests after its effectiveness until its completion, and each stage has an evaluation to know the success rate, and each stage paves the way for future studies, and after the success of all studies it is licensed after several months,” she added.Currently, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education is financing the project led by al-Mansour and her team at the Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC) linked with the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University.Al-Mansour confirmed to Arab News newspaper that clinical trials would begin as soon as “the proper approvals had been given.”Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia detects 140 new COVID-19 cases, five more deathsCOVID-19: Saudi Arabia warns against travel to 12 countries without permissionCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives COVID-19 vaccineCoronavirus: Saudi residents recount COVID-19 vaccine experience in Riyadh
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s first COVID-19 vaccine seeks nod for clinical trials

Khaleej Times joins Dubai Economy during surprise Covid safety inspection..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Coronavirus: How Dubai inspectors keep Naif Market Covid-safe

Diplomat Assadollah Assadi is accused of involvement in an alleged….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Belgian court postpones verdict in Iran diplomat case