Middle East Experience

One-way traffic into the coastal enclave through the Rafah crossing would be allowed for the coming four days, Gaza's interior ministry said on Monday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Gaza opens Egypt crossing to returnees despite coronavirus concerns

"We will not give Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad an opportunity to carry out attacks";
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Guarding the Israeli border in times of coronavirus

President Reuven Rivlin is expected to announce that he will be granting the mandate to Netanyahu next.;
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Netanyahu, Gantz address the nation hours before Gantz's mandate expires

Saudi Arabian women continue to make up an increasing part of the Kingdom’s workforce, with participation growing 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 to 26 percent, according to official data.Overall unemployment among Saudi Arabians remained unchanged throughout in the quarter at 12 percent.Unemployment had fallen in the third quarter to 12 percent from 12.9 percent in the second, according to official data released Monday by the Kingdom’s General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT).The unemployment rate among Saudi Arabia’s total population stood at 5.7 percent. Around one-third of residents in the Kingdom are non-Saudis.Read more:Coronavirus: With 15,000 cases in the Gulf, here is how GCC states are copingCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia on verge of locally producing 1,000 ventilators per weekCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia cases could reach 200,000 within weeks, says ministerThese numbers will likely take a hit in 2020 as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causes severe economic shocks around the world. Governments have imposed lockdowns and shut businesses, with Saudi Arabia putting a 24-hour curfew in place for its major cities.Economic participation among Saudis, a goal of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan and Saudization initiatives, has increased. Figures for all Saudi Arabian citizens were up from 45.7 percent to 46.7 percent in Q4 2019. For Saudi Arabian males, the figure was 66.6 percent – a slight decrease of 0.4 percent.The increase reflects the growing role of women in the workforce. Age is also a factor, with young people constituting the highest proportion of the unemployed. The survey reported 64.1 percent of Saudi Arabians aged 20-29 were unemployed.GASTAT conducts quarterly surveys of the labor market in the Kingdom and also uses data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Human Resources Development Fund, National Information Center, and General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI).
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabian women increase role in workforce in late 2019: Data

Couples in the United Arab Emirates can now get married via online video conference after the Ministry of Justice launched a digital marriage service on Sunday, following a temporary ban on weddings in person in line with restrictions on movement aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.According to the announcement by the ministry, online wedding ceremonies will be conducted via video conference with a marriage registrar. Couples must first submit the required signed paperwork online, pay the required fees, and have the necessary documents approved by ministry officials.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.The registrar will confirm the identity of the couple and witnesses before he signs the marriage certificate, which is then sent to a specialized court to be attested. The couple will then receive confirmation that their marriage certificate has been successful issued through a text message sent to the case’s registered mobile number.The ministry says it launched the service “to maintain the health of the public and that of people working in courts and to limit the presence of employees in courts.”No announcement has been made about divorce proceedings, which were suspended in Dubai alongside marriages last Wednesday “until further notice” while the Emirate remains under a strict 24-hour lockdown.Under the current lockdown, residents are required to apply for permits to leave their homes, which are only granted by Dubai Police for essential services, work or emergencies.Read more:Coronavirus: Dubai announces 12 hour opening time, new rules for some businessesDubai to use recovered coronavirus patients’ plasma to treat critical COVID-19 casesCoronavirus: Dubai extends validity of expired health cards for three months
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE couples can now get married online as lockdown prevents ceremonies

Dubai’s Emirates airlines offered on Tuesday new options for travelers who have flight tickets issued before May 31 for travel before August 31, allowing them to either keep, exchange, or request a full refund for the tickets.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.The three options Emirates is offering to its customers affected by flight cancellations and travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are as follows:Keep the ticketAll Emirates tickets booked before May 31 for travel up to 31 August will be automatically extended for 760 days. Customers holding such tickets can be assured their tickets will be honored, and they can rebook when they decide to travel.When the customers are ready to travel again, within two years from the day their ticket was originally issued, they need to contact Emirates or their travel agents to reschedule their flight.Their ticket will be accepted for any flight to the same Emirates destination or to another city within the same Emirates region with no additional fees. Those who wish to rebook their ticket to travel to another region can also do so – Emirates will not charge reissuance fees, only any applicable fare difference.Request a travel voucherTravel vouchers are valid for one year from the date the voucher was issued, and can be extended for a second year. The voucher can be used for any Emirates product or service, which means customers can use it to offset charges for flights to any destination in any cabin class, or other services. No change fees apply to this voucher.RefundsCustomers who have opted to keep their ticket or opted for a travel voucher can still apply for a refund if they are unable to travel. There will be no refund penalties.Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said, “The travel and airline industry have complicated rulebooks for how fares, re-bookings, or refunds are applied, which also differ depending on market regulation.”“We sincerely hope that our customers will choose to rebook and fly with us again at a later time… We would just like to seek our customers’ understanding that refunds will take time as we have a significant backlog to manage.”UAE travel restrictions amid coronavirusThe UAE extended on April 2 the suspension of entry of all valid visa holders who are outside the country for two additional weeks.The country had also suspended issuing all entry visas starting from March 17 and called on its citizens abroad to return to their home country due to travel difficulties in light of the spread of the coronavirus and the travel restrictions the government put in place to contain the outbreak.It also suspended on March 23 all passenger and transit flights to and from the country for two weeks.However, national airlines Etihad and Emirates have recently begun operating flights to several international locations for people wishing to leave the UAE.The government also asked all those who have valid residency residing outside the country to register for the new service "My presence for residents" on the Ministry's website, as this service aims to facilitate their safe return to the UAE in emergency cases.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE extends residence visa expired in March until end of DecemberCoronavirus: Emirates to commence select flights from April 12 after UAE suspensionCoronavirus: Emirates airlines to restart limited UAE flights from April 6Coronavirus: Etihad to operate special flights to Europe, Japan in April
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Emirates airlines offers new options to keep, exchange or refund tickets

Israeli and Chinese genomics companies plan to provide a COVID-19 testing lab for the Gaza Strip, but in the meantime, there are no test kits to be had there.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gaza Strip to get laboratory for coronavirus testing

If the Israeli Labor party would indeed unite with Blue and White, the party could be perhaps saved and even rejuvenated.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israeli Labor to unite with Blue and White?

Israel may be headed for its fourth set of elections in a little more than a year.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Netanyahu’s moment of truth

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has 48 hours to choose between a fourth round of elections and a unity government under conditions orchestrated by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Israel's deadline after the deadline