Middle East Experience

Saudi Arabia’s General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) disbursed approximately 1.2 billion Saudi Riyals ($319 million) to more than 400,000 Saudi nationals working in private sector companies which were affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.“The financial assistance was provided to the beneficiaries who submitted applications during the specified period announced earlier,” said Sulaiman Al-Gwaiz, the GOSI governor.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.Those who submitted their applications after the end of the specified period and during April, will be paid the compensation for May on June 1, 2020.“The (financial) assistance covered more than 80,000 firms and more than 400,000 Saudis have benefited from it. They represent over 23 percent of the total number of Saudi nationals in the private sector who are registered with GOSI,” Al-Gwaiz said.He added that government statistics reflected the strength and resilience of the Saudi economy during the coronavirus pandemic, as most private sector organizations did not request assistance because of their financial ability to survive the crisis.Financial and economic measures in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia has taken a number of fiscal and economic measures to lessen the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on both individuals and businesses.More than 120 billion riyals, which is equivalent to about 4 percent of Saudi gross domestic product, has been allocated to implement those measures.Nine billion riyals has been allocated to protect the Saudis working in the private sector from losing their jobs and providing alternative income for those who lose income from their jobs.The Saudi government allocated 50 billion riyals to expedite the payment of the dues of the private sector.The Kingdom also announced the deduction of 30 percent of electricity bills for the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors, with a budget of 900 million riyals.Read more:Moody’s downgrades Saudi Arabia’s outlook to ‘negative’ on crash in oil pricesSaudi Arabia may borrow extra $26.6 bln amid low oil prices, coronavirus crisisSaudi Arabia facing coronavirus crisis from position of strength: Finance Minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia gives 9 mln to 400,000 private sector employees hurt by coronavirus

An extraordinary media appearance from one of Syria’s most powerful businessmen close to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gives a rare glimpse into rifts in the regime’s inner circle.In a video broadcast live on Facebook, Rami Makhlouf, chairman of the state-owned telecoms company Syriatel, opposed recent government measures to seize his assets. Syriatel he said, had paid $23.4 million in taxes for 2019 and 50 percent of its profits went to the government. “For every lira we make, the state takes another lira” he said.Yet government auditors, he said, had now ordered him to pay an additional $244.3 million and $254 million, more than 20 times the amount. “I spend 10 million liras on my employees, they tell me to cut it to 5 million liras,” he said. “These are real expenses. They are not made up.”For years, Damascus’s decisions and spending have been controlled by the Assads and a small, elite circle of relatives and family friends. Though feuds and rivalries are often rumored, they are seldom made public.“To have it aired so openly is rare and incredible,” said journalist Sam Dagher, author of Assad or We Burn the Country.“Makhlouf, you thief!”Makhlouf is al-Assad’s first cousin and Syria’s richest man. When protests began in the city of Dar'aa in 2011, Makhlouf was evoked in slogans as a “thief”. US diplomatic cables have described the billionaire as a “poster boy for corruption.”“He was hugely important in helping the regime evade sanctions. Syriatel was a cash cow for al-Assad and the Makhloufs,” adds Dagher.Yet in the 15-minute long video, Makhlouf portrays himself as the victim of an “unfair” crackdown and as a selfless benefactor to the country.“People are saying there is money I have to pay, regardless of my charitable work,” he said. “We are not playing games. You are our people, our family. Would anyone steal from themselves? These businesses are to serve you, not me. I am a small, small, part in this.”Makhlouf also described the humanitarian aid that he had provided to through his charities. “At the beginning of the war in 2011, when I found myself a burden to you, I withdrew from my businesses and dedicated myself to humanitarian work,” he said.One of his charities, Jamiat al-Bustan, funded Allawite militia and made payments to the families of fallen fighters.“In other words, he warns that if Bashar loses him, he also loses [support from] the Allawite community,” said Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat and activist.“There’s no money hidden beneath the tiles”The crackdown on Syria’s richest man comes months after sanctions on the regime were tightened and the country faces bankruptcy. The Syrian pound is rapidly depreciating and queues for bread in major Syrian cities reveal the extent of food shortages.In 2019, al-Assad ordered Syrian businessmen, including Makhlouf, to pay millions of dollars into the Central Bank in an attempt to save the country’s devastated economy. Last week, the government seized the assets of another of Makhlouf’s companies, Abar Petroleum Service SAL.In the video, Makhlouf claims the new taxes will cause the company to “fall apart,” and requests a payment plan. “There’s no money hidden beneath the tiles,” he said, citing the salaries of Syriatel’s 6,500 employees as an expense.He agreed to pay the sum in full, but insisted that Assad personally oversees its redistribution to the country’s “poor”. “The money has to be distributed by you, with your trust and assurances,” he said, “I don’t trust anyone else.”Throwing a bone at MoscowThe move on Makhlouf comes as Damascus faces increased pressure for concessions from Moscow. Assad has repeatedly rejected the Kremlin’s advice of implementing political reforms.“Makhlouf supports al-Assad’s position that any concession in the political process is the beginning of a relinquishment of power,” said Barabandi. He believes the video signals a disagreement between Makhlouf and Asma al-Assad, the president’s wife. “Asma wants an empty political process that is closer to the Russian position.”Moscow also doubts Assad’s ability to reign in the corruption that is collapsing the country's economy.Last month, a series of reports published by a Russian news agency criticized Assad’s “weak leadership”. “We are investing large sums of money in the Syrian economy, but we are not seeing results”, a Russian expert was quoted as saying. The reports were subsequently removed from the website.It may be an indication that Russia is calling the shots in the country. “Oligarchs around Putin are driving anger against Assad in Moscow. This group long viewed Makhlouf and his business associates as obstacles to their economic projects in Syria,” wrote the Middle East Institute’s Randa Slim on Twitter.What next for Makhlouf?Makhlouf once relied on his late aunt Aniseh, al-Assad’s mother, to mediate with the president. But his options today are less certain.“It’s too early to say that Makhlouf is finished, or that his relationship with al-Assad is over,” said Dagher. Others disagreed. “The Russians may force Makhlouf to leave for Russia, like they did with Rifaat al-Assad previously, to weaken this wing of the family,” said Barabandi.The video makes clear, however, that Makhlouf has exhausted all other methods to communicate with his cousin.“In the past, Bashar avoided requests from those closest to him by ignoring their calls. The same may have happened to Rami: he picked up the phone, but Bashar didn’t answer,” said Dagher, “And this time Aniseh is no longer alive to help.”Read more:Syrian President al-Assad vows to defeat opposition, as forces gain new groundTrial of Syrian officers in Germany to shed light on Assad reign of terror: Lawyers
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Top Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf shows rifts in Regime’s inner circle

An Iranian student has been sentenced to six years in prison and 74 lashes for taking part in Iran’s January protests after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) admitted to shooting down a Ukrainian passenger plane.Iranians took to the streets in early 2020 to protest the regime after it admitted to shooting down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people, having denied responsibility for several days.Mostafa Hashemizadeh, an engineering student at the University of Tehran, tweeted on Friday that he has been sentenced to five years in prison for “colluding against national security,” in addition to a year in prison and 74 lashes for “disturbing public order.”Amirmohammad Sharifi, another student at the same university, had said a few days ago that he had been sentenced to three months in prison for taking part in the January protests.Students in Tehran kick-started the protests by gathering outside their university campuses and chanting against the IRGC.Last week, five people in the northern city of Amol were sentenced to a total of 30 months in prison for protesting against the IRGC in January.Read more:Protests in Tehran following IRGC admission of Ukrainian plane atrocityWatch: Top 10 Iran protest videosIranian semi-official news agency reports anti-government protests
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran sentences student to six years in prison, 74 lashes for joining protests

Kuwait has recorded three new coronavirus fatalities over the past 24 hours and 242 new cases, raising the total to 4,619, the health ministry announced on Saturday.Health Minister Dr. Basel al-Sabah earlier announced an additional 101 people have recovered in the Kingdom. The death toll reached 33 while the number of recoveries is now 1,703.Read the latest coronavirus updates in our dedicated section.As the Kingdom maintains its low death toll, 69 people remain in the intensive care unit (ICU) with 34 in critical conditions.The first three cases in Kuwait were announced on February 24, all of which had arrived from Iran which was witnessing an explosion of cases at the time. Many of the subsequent cases confirmed in Kuwait during late February were also people arriving from Iran.Recently, as the country began repatriating its citizens, the number of travel-related cases grew, as well as number of local transmission where people did not adhere to social distancing became infected.Authorities continue to urge people to adhere to social distancing rules and to comply with precautionary measures such as wearing a face mask and avoiding crowds and gatherings.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE develops COVID-19 treatment, ‘could be game-changer’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Kuwait records three fatalities, 242 new cases, total now 4,619

Saudi Arabia confirmed a steady increase of 1,326 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 25,459, a health ministry spokesman said on Saturday.He also confirmed seven additional deaths, raising the death toll to 176.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.As the number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom continues to rise, an increasing number of patients are also recovering, and the death toll remains relatively low.Less than one percent of the those who contracted the virus in Saudi Arabia have passed away, while 3,765, about 15 percent of the country’s coronavirus patients, have recovered so far.Saudi Arabia began field testing in recent weeks in order to expand its testing capacity. Medical teams have so far made 1,800 visits to various neighborhoods throughout the Kingdom to test people in their homes, with a focus on densely populated labor residential areas. A spokesman said on Friday that 170,000 labor workers have been tested so far.Most confirmed coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia are of people living in densely populated residential areas, especially neighborhoods that house laborers, according to the health ministry.A committee for organizing labor housing in the Kingdom has taken several measures to reduce the spread of the virus in these densely populated areas. The Kingdom has provided 2,000 alternative residential properties that consist of 170,000 rooms which can house 350,000 labor workers.Read more:Saudi Arabia daily cases more than double since field testingUAE develops COVID-19 treatment, ‘could be game-changer’Saudi signs $265 million China deal to expand Kingdom’s testing capacity
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia confirms steady increase of 1,326 new cases, seven deaths

FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani has said that moving the European soccer season to the calendar year is a..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: FIFA vice-president ponders calendar year season in Europe

It conducted air raids after rejecting calls for a ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UN-recognised Libya gov't advances against Haftar's forces

Yet some technologists remain skeptical that spying tools reliant on phone location data can be used to effectively combat a virus, while privacy issues loom..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Israeli cyber-intel firms pitch governments on spy tools to trace the coronavirus

24-year-old Shady Habash died inside the Tora prison, where numerous activists and political detainees are similarly held without trial..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Egyptian jailed for directing song critical of Sisi dies in notorious Tora prison

More than 3.34 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 237,137 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 0200 GMT on Saturday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Latest on the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus