Middle East Experience

At least 17 figures in the Iranian regime have died from coronavirus, and 13 others have been infected since the beginning of the outbreak in the Islamic Republic, according to reports by state media outlets.As of Monday, 2,640 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 38,309 confirmed cases.Former deputy speaker of parliament Mohammad Reza Khatami has been the latest prominent figure in Iran to be infected with coronavirus, according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday.For more coronavirus coverage, visit our dedicated section.A prominent figure in the reformist faction in Iran, Khatami was among supporters of the Islamic Revolution who occupied the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 US diplomats hostage in 1979.Khatami was the deputy speaker of parliament from 2000 to 2004.He is the younger brother of former president Mohammad Khatami.At least 12 other regime figures in Iran have been infected, according to reports by state media outlets.Iran’s first Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri is one of the infected officials, according to a report by the semi-official Fars news agency on March 11.Fars reported on the same day that Tourism Minister Ali Asghar Mounesan and member of the Expediency Council Mohammad Ali Iravani have also been infected with the coronavirus. Iravani is also a member of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office.The virus has also infected Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi, Minister of Industry Reza Rahmani, and former Justice Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi.Several lawmakers have also been infected, including Mojtaba Zolnour, Zohreh Elahian, and Masoumeh Aghapour Alishahi.Read more: Iran developing stem-cell therapy for coronavirus: Tasnim news agencyCoronavirus has also killed at least 17 regime figures, including military commanders, clerics and politicians.Habib Barzegari, a founding member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), died of coronavirus, state media reported last week.Former Iranian lawmaker Hamid Kahram also died from coronavirus, state media reported on March 19.Kahram was the head of current Iranian president Hassan Rouhani’s campaign in Khuzestan province during the 2017 presidential election.Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei-Golpaygani, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, also died from coronavirus, the official IRNA news agency reported on March 16.Iran’s Assembly of Experts is a clerical body that supervises and appoints the Supreme Leader. In theory, it is also capable of unseating the Supreme Leader.Bathaei-Golpaygani had blamed the coronavirus outbreak on the US prior to his death.“In my opinion, America is the source of coronavirus … American soldiers produced and spread the virus in China,” he said in a speech on February 22.Senior IRGC commander Nasser Shabani also died from coronavirus, the IRGC said on March 13.In an unusual admission, Shabani had explicitly said in August 2018 that the Houthi militia carried out Iran’s orders by attacking two Saudi tankers in Bab al-Mandeb Strait.“We told the Yemenis to attack the two Saudi tankers, and they attacked,” Shabani was quoted as saying by several Iranian state media outlets.Hossein Asadollahi, another senior IRGC commander, is suspected to have died from coronavirus.Several state news agencies reported on Saturday that Asadollahi died of “chemical injuries” sustained during Iran’s eight-year-long war with Iraq.Read more: Iran warns of lengthy ‘new way of life’ as coronavirus deaths riseSome Iranian exile run media outlets however reported that Asadollahi died of coronavirus.According to official statistics, 150,000 in Iran have lung injuries from exposure to chemical weapons during the 1980-1988 war with Iraq.These individuals are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.Iranian authorities organized a funeral procession for Asadollahi on March 23 which was attended by hundreds in Tehran, despite the capital being one of the worst-hit provinces by the coronavirus pandemic in Iran.Read more: Coronavirus: Iran and allies call for the US to waive sanctionsOther notable confirmed deaths from the virus in the Iranian regime include former ambassador to Syria Hossein Sheikholeslam, former lawmaker Mohammadreza Rahchamani, lawmakers Fatemeh Rahbar and Mohammad Ali Ramezani, Expediency Council Mohammad Mirmohammadi, and former ambassador to the Vatican cleric Hadi Khosroshahi.Several other regime figures have been infected and killed by coronavirus in Iran.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: In Iran, 17 regime figures have died

Saudi Arabia has recorded 154 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 1,453 a health ministry spokesman said on Monday.He added 22 of the confirmed cases are in the intensive care unit in critical condition but all others are in stable conditions.Read more in our dedicated coronavirus section.Earlier in the day, King Salman bin Abdulaziz ordered coronavirus treatment to be available for anyone in need of medical care, including people who have overstayed their visa in the Kingdom.Read more: Saudi's King Salman orders treatment for all, including visa violatorsThe spokesman urged anyone who may be a suspected case or those who are showing symptoms to seek medical attention and use the resources and services available in the Kingdom.The health ministry did not record any new deaths over the past 24 hours, keeping the death toll at eight. A total of 115 people have recovered so far.Saudi Arabia tightens coronavirus lockdown measuresSaudi Arabia tighetened its restrictions on movement aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom on Sunday.Residents in Saudi Arabia are banned from entering or exiting the Jeddah governorate as of Sunday in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior.King Salman approved measures last week that banned residents in the Kingdom from traveling between its 13 provinces. Riyadh, Mecca and Medina were also placed on lockdown as of Thursday, and curfew times were brought forward to begin at 3 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.Read more:Saudi Arabia orders Jeddah lockdown, enforces earlier curfewCoronavirus in Saudi Arabia: The latest facts about what is closed and bannedSaudi Arabia closes malls, bans serving food in restaurants, cafes
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia records 1,453 cases

The United Arab Emirates will extend distance learning for all government and private schools and universities until the end of the 2019-2020 academic year in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, state news agency WAM reported on Monday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section. Schools were initially supposed to be closed for four weeks starting from March 8, according to the education ministry. Students were given a “spring break” from March 8 to March 21. The distance learning initiative was set to run from March 22 through April 4.What is the UAE’s distance learning initiative?The distance learning initiative is the UAE Ministry of Education’s name for the process of students learning from home while their schools are shut due to coronavirus.Read more: UAE students, teachers try to adapt to distance learning from homeAccording to the ministry announcement which launched the initiative, parents should provide their children with “internet services, other distance education resources like computers, tablets, and smart phones.”The ministry said that it had directed school administrations on how to launch an awareness campaign on distance education, which should assign tasks and implement interactive lessons for students working from home.Students should be prohibited from using their devices for “distracting activities like photography and web-browsing” while studying, according to the ministry.“Implementation of this system is prioritized by the ministry to provide an interactive e-platform for distance education for all and to overcome time and geographical barriers, and harness educational potential and advanced technologies to ease student stress,” added the statement.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE extends distance learning till end of school year

Kingdom has said it will increase exports to 10.6 million barrels per day
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Saudi to raise oil exports to record levels from May

Ministry said the decision to extend the distance learning system comes in response to the coronavirus
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: UAE extends distance learning for schools until June

Dubai Health Authority confirmed 41 new cases of Covid-19 in the country
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: UAE announces two more coronavirus deaths

UFC president Dana White said last week that the fight would go ahead, but would be without fans
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Khabib Nurmagomedov says UFC 249 '99%' likely to be in UAE

UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai will now look to establish a change in dates
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Expo 2020 Dubai to consider postponing event by one year

Abu Dhabi tops region in Economist Intelligence Unit survey..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Abu Dhabi, Dubai most liveable cities in the Arab World

Saudi Arabia launched revenge strikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa on….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Saudi-led coalition revenge strikes target Sanaa following Houthi attack on kingdom