Middle East Experience

The UAE’s authorities set on Saturday dates to start receiving applications to renew expired residency visas and ID cards.A day earlier the Cabinet announced that their decisions regarding extending the validity of expired documents such as visas, Emirates ID cards, and entry permits due to the coronavirus pandemic will no longer be in effect.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) said on Friday that the decision was “in line with the return to normalcy in various fields and sectors and to support continuity of business activity."During the early months of the coronavirus pandemic amid lockdowns and travel bans, the UAE had extended the validity of residency visas, entry and residency permits, and ID cards expired after March 1 until December 31.ICA said on Saturday that it will resume its services and collect the relevant fees starting from Sunday, July 12, and urged all expat residents, UAE citizens, and GCC nationals residing in the country to renew their expired documents.The deadlines are as follows:For residency visas and Emirates ID cards which expired in March, 2020, individuals can start applying to renew those documents starting from July 12.For residency visas and Emirates ID cards which expired in April, 2020, individuals can start applying to renew those documents starting from July 12.For residency visas and Emirates ID cards which expired in May, 2020, individuals can start applying to renew those documents starting from August 11.For residency visas and Emirates ID cards which expired between July 1-11, 2020, individuals can start applying to renew those documents starting from September 10.For residency visas and Emirates ID cars which expired after July 11, 2020, there are no date restrictions on when to apply to renew the documents.The ICA urged everyone to adhere to the schedule above not only to maintain social distancing as a coronavirus precautionary measure, but also “to avoid paying administrative fines.”For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE adjusts expiry extensions, fine collection rules for visas, ID cardsCoronavirus: UAE plans to conduct 2 mln COVID-19 tests in next two monthsCoronavirus in UAE: Abu Dhabi implements COVID-19 safety measures as flights resumeCoronavirus: Dubai resumes flights of foreign airlines as it welcomes back tourists
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE sets dates to renew expired visas, ID cards after coronavirus restrictions eased

The majority of Yemeni society bears the consequences and stands alone, unable to confront the ravages of war, division and the ongoing economic deterioration.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Yemeni economy in free fall amid collapsing currency, COVID-19

The UAE’s first respirator manufacturing facility can produce 90,000 N95 masks daily to help keep frontline workers safe from the deadly coronavirus, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The facility, which was established in May in Al Ain, has already secured orders until the end of the year, said Ismail Ali Abdulla, CEO of Strata Manufacturing under Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor.“To date, we have already supplied N95 masks to those on the UAE’s frontline, including healthcare workers and emergency response personnel, and have further orders until the end of the year from other UAE entities,” Abdulla told WAM.The facility was set up to minimize the need for masks to be imported from outside the region, he added.“The facility is capable of producing 90,000 units per day and we are committed to fulfilling the country’s needs and have a goal of being able to produce quantities that will support international countries,” he said.“Through local production, we are able to have a considerable impact on reducing previous costs incurred through importing N95 masks such as shipping, other logistical costs, warehouse storage, transport and tariff charges.”The N95 mask is the most efficient type of face mask to protect against COVID-19, according to a new study published in journal ACS Nano, by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).The company’s main priority is to meet local demand and support the government’s efforts, according to WAM.However, if there is high international demand for masks, the company may consider producing additional quantities to support the global effort, Abdullah added.Read more:Coronavirus: N95 face mask is best, cotton better than synthetic, says COVID-19 studyCoronavirus in UAE: Emirates to operate repatriation flights to five Indian citiesUAE sets dates to renew expired visas, ID cards after coronavirus restrictions eased
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE’s first local mask manufacturer can produce 90,000 masks daily

The Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya will only agree to a ceasefire if the Libyan National Army (LNA) withdraws from the strategic positions of Sirte and Jufra, Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Financial Times (FT) on Sunday.Cavusoglo told the FT that there is a “determination” among GNA officials to resume its offensive against the LNA if it does not retreat from the strategic positions in central Libya.He also hinted that Turkey could support a GNA offensive, saying that Ankara considers the GNA’s “preconditions” for the ceasefire “legitimate and reasonable,” according to the FT.Read more: Libya conflict: Sirte-Jufra ‘red line’ set to be next major flashpointTurkey’s intervention in Libya in May changed the course of the war in favor of the GNA, which had been under siege in the capital Tripoli by the LNA, led by military Gen. Khalifa Haftar.The GNA, supported by thousands of Syrian mercenaries sent to Libya by Turkey as well as Turkish air defense systems, weapons, and troops, broke the LNA’s siege of Tripoli and capturing the strategic al-Watiya air base to the south of the capital.Since then, the GNA has been poised to attack Sirte and Jufra in central Libya, but has not began a forward offensive. Both sides have vowed to control the strategic center of the country, with Egypt and its allied LNA describing it as a “red line” that would prompt escalation.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Sirte is the western gateway to the country’s “oil crescent,” the central region that contains over 60 percent of Libya’s oil, while Jufra is home to the al-Jufra airbase.The GNA and Turkey rejected the Cairo Initiative, put forward by Gen. Haftar and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which called for an immediate ceasefire.Read more:Libya forces call for mechanism to distribute oil revenues fairly: Haftar spokesmanLibya’s LNA demands militias not receive oil revenues before opening fields, portsBritish Embassy in Libya welcomes resumption of NOC oil exports, calls for dialogue
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Turkish FM says Libya’s GNA will only agree to ceasefire after taking Sirte, Jufra

Saudi Arabia detected 2,779 new coronavirus cases and 42 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the Kingdom to 232,259 and the virus-related death toll to 2,223, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The capital Riyadh recorded the highest number of daily cases with 247 new infections. Jeddah detected 191 new cases, Al Hufof detected 162, and Dammam detected 157. The other infections were reported in cities and provinces across the country.Meanwhile, 1,742 people recovered from the coronavirus, which raises the total number of recoveries in the Kingdom to 167,138.Half of the critical cases being treated in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Saudi Arabia are of people above the age of 60, the health ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said. People between the ages of 40 to 60 make up a third of those in the ICUs, he added.When asked if it was safe for people to hold gatherings, the spokesman said that it was safe as long as everyone followed precautionary measures, such as refraining from shaking hands, keeping a safe distance between one another, and limiting gatherings to a maximum of 50 people. He urged the public to follow preventative measures to ease the return to normalcy. Read more: Coronavirus: Hajj pilgrimage registration deadline passes as Saudi Arabia preparesCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia bans collective housing for more than 20 people
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia detects 2,779 new COVID-19 cases, 1,742 recoveries

Exclusive: discovery of two ancient mummies filmed for Channel 5 documentary..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: ‘Sensational’ Egypt find offers clues in hunt for Cleopatra’s tomb

In a televised interview that aired late on Saturday, Ghosn confirmed that he is aiding those who helped smuggle him out of Japan..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Ghosn says he's 'aiding' those who helped him flee to Lebanon

The UAE reported on Sunday 401 new coronavirus cases in individuals from different nationalities, and two more deaths due to COVID-19, the Ministry of Health said.The country’s Ministry of Health and Community Protection said the 401 cases were detected after 50,000 new COVID-19 tests were conducted on different groups in society over the past 24 hours on Sunday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The ministry also announced the recovery of 492 new cases of people infected with COVID-19, raising the total number of recoveries so far to 45,140.The country’s current death toll due to the pandemic now stands at 333.The UAE’s first respirator manufacturing facility can produce 90,000 N95 masks daily to help keep frontline workers safe from the deadly coronavirus, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The facility, which was established in May in Al Ain, has already secured orders until the end of the year, said Ismail Ali Abdulla, CEO of Strata Manufacturing under Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor.The UAE’s authorities set on Saturday dates to start receiving applications to renew expired residency visas and ID cards.(With inputs from Al Arabiya English’s Tamara Abueish and Tuqa Khalid)Read more:UAE sets dates to renew expired visas, ID cards after coronavirus restrictions easedCoronavirus: UAE’s first local mask manufacturer can produce 90,000 masks dailyCoronavirus in UAE: Emirates to operate repatriation flights to five Indian cities
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE announces 401 new coronavirus cases, two more deaths due to COVID-19

Despite having 20,005 deaths from the Covid-19 illness, the Middle East has been relatively lightly hit by the virus, which has killed over half a million people across the globe..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Coronavirus claims over 20,000 lives across Mideast

Israeli warplanes were sighted flying at high altitude over Sidon, Tyre and Zahrani Sunday, the National News Agency reported..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Israeli jets sighted over south Lebanon