Middle East Experience

Saudi Arabia will enforce several health measures and protocols for Muslims who will be performing the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage in an effort to prevent the deadly coronavirus from spreading, the Kingdom’s Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah said on Tuesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, will only welcome a “limited number” of people this year, the country’s foreign ministry had said on Monday.Every year, about 2.5 million Muslims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina, which could make it a possible breeding ground for the disease.To prevent COVID-19 from spreading among pilgrims, the health ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umraj, developed a plan to ensure the safety of all visitors.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We worked with the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia to develop preventative and precautionary measures and protocols that are needed to ensure a safe Hajj season,” the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten said.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia holds ‘limited’ Hajj pilgrimage for various nationalitiesCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia will lift COVID-19 restrictions on June 21Here are the protocols: 1. The number of Muslims allowed to perform the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage may be around 1,000. 2. All pilgrims will be tested before they reach the holy sites.3. Only Muslims under the age of 65 will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.4. All pilgrims will be asked to self-quarantine after they complete the Hajj rituals.5. All workers and volunteers will be tested before the Hajj pilgrimage begins.6. The health status of all pilgrims will be monitored daily.7. A hospital has been prepared for any emergency that occurs during the pilgrimage.8. Social distancing measures will be enforced.A total of 9,108,670 people worldwide have been infected with the deadly coronavirus, which has also killed 472,703 others, according to a tally by John Hopkins University.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia announces Hajj protocols, measures for pilgrims 

The Doha-based Al Jazeera network is controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said in a leaked audio recording that reportedly captured a conversation between him and the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.“Al Jazeera is controlled, members of the Muslim Brotherhood are controlling the programs on Al Jazeera,” Gaddafi is heard saying.“I agree with you, I am telling you this is true,” the former prime minister then replied.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Muslim Brotherhood, along with ISIS and al-Qaeda, have all been classified as terrorist organizations by the Kingdom, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.Al Arabiya English could not verify the authenticity of the recording, which was posted on social media by Qatari opposition activist Khalid al-Hail.The recordings were secretly taped by Gaddafi during his meetings with world leaders in Libya, which have since been leaked following the Libyan leader’s death in 2011.In several other leaked recordings, former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were heard steering Al Jazeera’s coverage.Read more:Qatar’s former emir, PM assure Gaddafi Al Jazeera won’t host anti-Libya guests: AudioObama called ‘slave’ by Qatar’s ex Emir Hamad bin Khalifa in leaked Gaddafi recordingSaudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt had severed all ties with Qatar on June 2017 for supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran.The audio recordings between the Qatari leadership and Gaddafi that have been leaked recently have raised controversy over the country’s foreign policy.In another recording leaked from the same year, Gaddafi and the former prime minister can reportedly be heard discussing plans to carve up Saudi Arabia.Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim did not deny the recording and said that the issue was discussed to appease Gaddafi.In 2013, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani handed over power to his son, current Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani. Hamad bin Jassim stepped down from his positions in government at the time and reportedly has strained relations with the current emir.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Muslim Brotherhood controls Al Jazeera, says former Qatari PM in new leaked recording

The UAE recorded 380 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after conducting over 40,000 COVID-19 tests, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 45,683.The rise is consistent with the recent daily increases in the country, with 378 new cases on Monday and 392 on Sunday.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.The UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) also reported two new deaths from the virus, bringing the total to 305.A further 657 people recovered from the virus, said NCEMA.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Read more: Coronavirus: UAE’s decision to allow travel does not apply to everyone, says officialUAE travel reopening, but not for everyoneThe UAE announced on Wednesday that citizens and residents will be allowed to travel to some countries starting from June 23.“Travel to select destinations will be permitted based on a classification system. The countries that citizens and residents are allowed to travel to will be based on the countries’ practices and will be in accordance to 3 categories,” said NCEMA at the time, releasing a list of countries in the low-risk and medium-risk categories.However, authorities since clarified that the decision “does not apply to everyone,” reported the UAE's official WAM news agency.According to NCEMA spokesperson Saif al-Dhaheri via WAM, people wishing to travel should contact their airlines for advice.The emirate of Abu Dhabi remains closed off from the rest of the UAE after extending the ban on entering the emirate for a week from June 22.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE studies reopening schools, universities, issues COVID-19 regulationsCategories, restrictions: All the facts about UAE allowing travel amid coronavirusDubai open for tourists on July 7, read more about new coronavirus travel protocols-Developing
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE records 380 new cases after conducting over 40,000 COVID-19 tests

The United Arab Emirates announced the resumption of camel racing, coupled with precautionary guidelines, which is among the most popular sports in the Gulf with prizes sometimes reaching millions of dollars.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: UAE camel racing to resume following a five-month hiatus

The Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj will be taking place under "exceptional" circumstances this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Saudi Arabia's Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh on Tuesday.The minister made the comments to Al Arabiya television.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.He discussed the special and preventative measures that will govern this year's Hajj, which the Kingdom announced will be going ahead under limited capacity due to COVID-19 on Monday.Read more: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia announces Hajj protocols, measures for pilgrims Hajj in 2020 under coronavirusThe Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, will only welcome a “limited number” of people this year, the country’s foreign ministry had said on Monday.Every year, about 2.5 million Muslims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina, which could make it a possible breeding ground for the disease.Read more: Umrah and Hajj explained: Your simple guide to Islam’s pilgrimagesTo prevent COVID-19 from spreading among pilgrims, the health ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umraj, developed a plan to ensure the safety of all visitors.Here are the protocols:1. No more than 10,000 people will be allowed to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at a single time.2. All pilgrims will be tested before they reach the holy sites.3. Only Muslims under the age of 65 will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.4. All pilgrims will be asked to self-quarantine after they complete the Hajj rituals.5. All workers and volunteers will be tested before the Hajj pilgrimage begins.6. The health status of all pilgrims will be monitored daily.7. A hospital has been prepared for any emergency that occurs during the pilgrimage.8. Social distancing measures will be enforced.A total of 9,108,670 people worldwide have been infected with the deadly coronavirus, which has also killed 472,703 others, according to a tally by John Hopkins University.Read more: Safest coronavirus countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE rank in top 20 of COVID-19 analysis
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Hajj 2020 will be under 'exceptional' circumstances, says Saudi Minister

The Iraqi government's decision to reduce government employees’ salaries has caused a major uproar among the political forces.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iraq's plans to cut salaries face strong backlash

Saudi Arabia detected 3,139 new coronavirus cases and 39 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom to 164,144 and the virus-related deaths to 1,346, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The capital Riyadh recorded 299 new infections, while the city of Jeddah reported 393 new cases.The other new infections were detected in cities and provinces around the Kingdom, according to the ministry.Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries in Saudi Arabia rose to 109,885 after 4,710 people recovered from the coronavirus.All individuals, including children, who suffer from chronic illnesses are urged to adhere to preventative measures, health ministry spokesperson Mohammed al-Abd al-Ali said on Tuesday.Everyone in the Kingdom should follow precautionary measures, such as maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask at all times, he added.Saudi Arabia will enforce several health measures and protocols for Muslims who will be performing the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage in an effort to prevent the deadly coronavirus from spreading, the Kingdom’s Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah said on Tuesday.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia announces Hajj protocols, measures for pilgrims Coronavirus: Resuming international flights to, from Saudi Arabia under review
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia detects 3,139 new cases, 39 deaths in 24 hours

"Western countries are struggling to access the information needed to carry out epidemiological investigations with wide-scale efficiency,” according to the report.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus: IDF report details digital track options for Israel, world

Trump trails the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, who was Obama's vice president, by 13 percentage points ahead of the November 3 presidential election.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Trump accuses Obama administration of treason without any evidence

Christodoulides arrived via helicopter to Ben-Gurion Airport, which has a special "green zone" for diplomatic visits.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Ashkenazi asks Cyprus to help with Europe's annexation response