Middle East Experience

Saood Al Hosani says launch of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi in Q3 will attract more international tourists to UAE capital
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Wizz Air launch to boost Abu Dhabi visitor numbers, says tourist chief

Finance Ministry will exempt the private sector from some government fees and delay other payments under new measures
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: Saudi Arabia unveils new virus prevention steps to deliver bn savings

Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces suspension which took effect at midnight on Friday
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: UAE suspends entry of all Gulf nationals ahead of Covid-19 pre-check

Ministry of Health and Prevention says victims were 78-year-old Arab national returning from Europe and a 58-year-old Asian nationals who was a UAE resident
Source: Arabian Business
Full Article: UAE reports first two deaths related to the new coronavirus

January 1, 2020 marked the beginning of a brand-new decade that many looked at with optimism and as a chance at a new lease on life. Now, three months in many are wondering if this year could get worse and whether what’s passed so far could be a foreboding indicator of what’s yet to come.A stretch of bad events kicked off the year that will leave a stain on the rest of the year, even if it is to improve. The latest in a series of unfortunate events is the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has now brought entire countries to a standstill and has affected hundreds of thousands. Wildfires that ravaged the Australian outback and an accidental shooting down of a Ukrainian jetliner, in which 176 people were killed, as part of a series of escalatory retaliation events amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States were among events that rocked the world early this year.The year also witnessed violence in India’s capital Delhi which has left more than 50 dead and hundreds injured after a Hindu nationalist rampage. Other unfortunate events included the earthquakes in Turkey and the Caribbean, a locust swarm outbreak in East Africa, and the death of a world-renowned basketball player as well eight others in a sobering helicopter crash.Coronavirus pandemicThe outbreak of coronavirus, or COVID-19, is one 2020 calamity that has caused significant human suffering and major global economic disruption.The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, a city in China’s Hubei province, in December 2019, and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. As of March 21, more than 276,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 180 countries and territories, resulting in more than 11,400 deaths and 90,000 recoveries. The virus’s fatality rate is low – around 1-2 percent – but it spreads easily, and the economic impacts beginning to be felt are likely to have long-lasting effects.Australian bushfireThe 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season, known as the black summer, began with several serious and uncontrolled fires in June 2019, mainly in the southeast of the country. The fires, which peaked during December and January, have since been contained and extinguished.More than half of all Australians have been directly affected by the bushfire crisis, including millions whose health has been affected. As of March 9, the fires, unprecedented for Australia in terms of duration and intensity, burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares, destroyed over 5,900 buildings, and killed at least 34 people. However, smoke pollution that blanketed the country’s southeast during the bushfire may have killed more than 400 people, according to the estimate published in the Medical Journal of Australia.Ukrainian jetliner crash in IranThe beginning of the year also witnessed a dramatic escalation in hostilities between the US and Iran, after a US drone strike killed Iran’s most notorious spymaster, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Qassem Soleimani.This culminated in Iran’s military “unintentionally” shooting down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed killing all 176 aboard. The plane was shot down hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani.“The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted, offering his condolences and saying that investigations continue to identify and prosecute this “great tragedy & unforgivable mistake.”Devastating floods in IndonesiaFloods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta and nearby towns on the early hours of January 1, killed 66 people and forced almost 400,000 to flee their homes. At least 182 neighborhoods had been submerged in the city's greater area, inundating thousands of homes and buildings, including the presidential palace, and paralyzing transport networks.Overnight rains caused more rivers to burst their banks in greater Jakarta, sending muddy water up to five feet deep into residential and commercial areas. According to the country's disaster management agency (BNPB), many of the victims drowned or were buried by landslides. Several died of hypothermia and electric shocks.Communal riots in DelhiThe 2020 Delhi riots included multiple waves of bloodshed, property destruction, and rioting that killed 53 people, most of whom were Muslims who were shot, slashed with repeated blows, or set on fire by Hindu mobs in North East Delhi beginning on the night of February 23.Paramilitary forces— the Rapid Action Force (RPF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)—were deployed amid allegations of inaction and even complicity of Delhi Police personnel in the clashes.The events were the result of fallout from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the dangerous rhetoric employed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Delhi’s city elections and the mob incitement by a BJP leader to violently remove a group of Muslims who were blocking a road in the capital’s north-west to protest against the legislation.Taal volcano eruptionRed-hot lava gushed out of a volcano in the Philippines on January 12 after a sudden eruption of ash and steam forced villagers to flee and also shut down Manila’s international airport, offices, and schools.There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from Taal volcano’s eruption south of the capital. But clouds of ash blew more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) north, reaching the bustling capital, Manila, and forcing the shutdown of the country’s main airport with more than 240 international and domestic flights canceled.Death of Kobe Bryant in helicopter crashOn January 26, Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players, was killed at age 41 in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others on board.Bryant and fellow passengers were reported by local media to have been on their way to a sports academy in the nearby city of Thousand Oaks, California, where he was to have coached his daughter’s basketball team in a youth tournament.Earthquakes in Turkey and the CaribbeanA total of 41 people were killed and more than 1,600 were injured in eastern Turkey after an earthquake rattled the region on January 24.The 6.7 magnitude quake struck near the town of Sivrice, in eastern Elazig province, causing at least 10 buildings to collapse, Interior Minister Sulyman Soylu said. The earthquake was felt in the neighboring provinces of Diyarbakır, Malatya, and Adıyaman, and the neighboring countries of Armenia, Syria, and Iran.About 1,607 people were hospitalized, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management President (AFAD) said.Another powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck in the Caribbean on January 28, prompting brief tsunami warnings and office evacuations as far away as Florida.The quake hit between Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It is the largest earthquake in the Caribbean since 1946. Some offices were temporarily evacuated in Miami and parts of Jamaica.Locusts swam in East AfricaHundreds of billions of locusts swarmed through parts of East Africa and South Asia in the worst infestation for a quarter of a century, threatening the food supply of tens of millions. The Food and Agricultural Organization said that the locusts could affect the food security of 25 million people.City-sized swarms of the dreaded pests wrought havoc as they descend on crops and pasturelands, devouring everything in a matter of hours. The scale of the locust outbreak, which affected seven East African countries, was like nothing in recent memory.Gas plant explosion in Lagos, NigeriaAn explosion at a gas processing plant on March 15 killed at least 15 people and destroyed about 50 buildings after a fire broke out in a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the explosion was triggered after a truck hit some gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant near the corporation's pipeline in Abule Ado area of Lagos state.The impact of the explosion led to the collapse of nearby houses, damaged NNPC's pipeline and caused the corporation to halt pumping operations on the Atlas Cove-Mosimi pipeline, the state-owned oil company said in a statement.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Ten bad things that happened in 2020

Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has updated an app that can guide citizens and residents on whether to self-isolate or visit a hospital after registering their recent travel history and any coronavirus symptoms they may be showing.The Central Appointment System app called “Mawid” is provided by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health to enable patients to book, cancel or reschedule their medical appointments at primary health care centers, as well as managing their referral appointments.The app initially launched in May 2019 as part of the ministry’s plans to implement digital technology as part of Saudi Arabia’s healthcare system.Saudi Arabia confirmed 70 new coronavirus cases on Friday, raising the total number of cases in the Kingdom to 344 so far.Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia halts prayer in courtyards of holy mosques in Mecca, MedinaSaudi King on coronavirus: We will provide all medicine, food, living needsCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia suspends domestic flights, public transportation
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s Mawid app guides on self-isolation or hospital visit

Saudi Arabia announced 48 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 392, according to a health ministry spokesman.Five of the new cases are healthcare workers in Riyadh. The rest of the cases were infected when they were in close contact with other infected cases, the spokesman added.Read the latest coronavirus updates in our dedicated section.The spokesman also emphasized the significance of self-isolation and a 14-day quarantines. But what is most important, he said, is having people stay at home and away from gatherings to prevent the further spread of the virus.“Gatherings at home are dangerous as well,” the spokesman warned.Even small gatherings of 5 to 20 people are discouraged.“Don’t think not shaking hands or washing your hands will protect you,” he said. “It’s a prevention step but isn’t everything.”The spokesman added that young men and women considering themselves immune to the virus is “unacceptable.” He reiterated the World Health Organization’s warning about not thinking being young will prevent a person from being hospitalized due to an infection from the new coronavirus.He wrapped up the press conference by emphasizing once more the need to stay home and to self-isolate.“Not as an official health ministry spokesman…but as a doctor, as a friend, as a brother…stay at home as much as possible and stay away from the dangers of gatherings.”Out of all confirmed cases, 16 have fully recovered as of Saturday. The remaining patients are still receiving medical care while in quarantine, but most are in stable conditions. Only two are in critical conditions, the spokesman said.Two-thirds of those infected are Saudi nationals.Read more:Coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: The latest facts about what is closed and bannedSaudi Arabia health measures for arrivals from coronavirus-hit countriesSaudi Arabia halts prayer in courtyards of holy mosques in Mecca, Medina
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia confirms 392 cases, urges people to stay home

A weekly scheduled Qatar Airways flight arrived in Beirut from Tehran on Friday night with Lebanese authorities claiming it was carrying cargo, raising suspicions among analysts as the Rafic Hariri International Airport is currently in lockdown due to the coronavirus.The airport is currently closed to commercial traffic until March 29 as part of the nation’s coronavirus lockdown, but it is open to cargo flights, and UNIFIL staff and diplomats are still allowed into the country.Read more: Coronavirus lockdown more harm than help for Lebanese who can't afford to stay homeLebanon’s directorate general of civil aviation said the flight was a regularly scheduled weekly cargo flight. Flight trackers show that the QR8320 flight that landed at 9:43 p.m. is a cargo plane.The manager of the Beirut airport said the flight that originated in Doha first unloaded at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran before flying to Beirut to load some livestock.Local outlet MTV reported that the flight typically crosses Iranian airspace before landing in Lebanon to load sheep.Speaking on Al Arabiya’s sister channel Al Hadath, Lokman Slim said this is not convincing given the history of illicit trade and activity between Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, which, according to Slim, has partial control of the Beirut airport.“If the headline was that a cargo plane landed in Beirut then there’s no issue since cargos planes are the only ones allowed into Lebanese airspace. However, in this case, the links between airports in Iran to Doha to Beirut are highly suspicious and this is so for several years now,” Slim told Al Hadath.“This is a narrative which we heard before in July 2018 when several Iranian Qeshm Air which landed in Beirut via Doha and several reports revealed that they were holding weapons and military gear for the Hezbollah militia,” Slim said.The same narrative about transporting livestock was used in July 2018 and it was later revealed the plane contained weapons and military gear for Hezbollah.‘Who control’s Rafic Hariri International Airport?’Slim also questioned who was in control of Beirut’s international airport, given recent incidents showing Hezbollah militants and leaders at the airport welcoming recent arrivals from Iranian flights.On March 11, Lebanese news outlet Janoubia reported Hezbollah security accompanying party figures at the airport.“Despite the continuation of the corona epidemic in Lebanon… an Iranian plane was received this evening at Rafic Hariri International Airport at 08:39 with 150 Lebanese passengers on board, while sources indicated from inside the airport that these passengers are now at home and have not been subjected to any isolation measures,” Janoubia said in its report.Lebanese customs data show that livestock trade between the countries does happen. Lebanese exports of livestock to Iran accounted for 2 million Lebanese lira, or $1,322, in 2019, according to state data.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Lebanese analysts question Qatar Airways Tehran-Beirut flight

The United Arab Emirates confirmed 13 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 153, according the health ministry.The country urged its residents to avoid using mass public transportation services and to reduce outings to restaurants and markets in order to avoid further infections, spokesperson Dr. Farida al-Housni said during a press conference. People are also advised to delay non-emergency dental operations as a precautionary measure.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coroanvirus section.Thirty-eight people have recovered in the UAE as of Saturday, according to the health ministry. However, al-Housni said a negative coronavirus test result does not necessarily mean people can go on with their normal day-to-day life and they must adhere to self-isolation guidelines.“We regret what was circulated during the past few hours when images appeared of crowds in tourist areas such as beaches and parks,” al-Housni added.The country may announce penalties and consequences if people do not adhere to the isolation guidelines.The UAE announced overnight Saturday that two people in the country died of coronavirus and another 38 recovered, according to the health ministry.Read more:UAE reports its first coronavirus deaths: 78-year-old Arab and 58-year-old AsianAll you need to know about what is closed, banned in UAE
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE confirms 153 cases, urges people to comply with guidelines

There are worries coronavirus will spread further in Iraq as pilgrims flout distancing guidelines and attend the commemoration of a revered imam in large numbers..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iraq's Shia defy curfews as tens of thousands gather to commemorate revered imam