The Roads General Authority (RGA) clarified that the road network leading to Makkah includes a number of major axes linking the Kingdom’s various regions to Makkah, contributing to facilitating the movement of pilgrims and improving access efficiency during the Hajj season. The RGA affirmed that these roads form part of an interconnected network serving pilgrims by facilitating their movement between regions and by raising safety and operational efficiency on roads leading to Makkah. The RGA stated that it continues to develop and improve the road network to the highest standards, keeping pace with increasing road demand, contributing to achieving the…
Author: Editorial Team
Lunges, push-ups, split squats, press-ups. April 17 morning was no ordinary moment at Jumeirah Beach hotel as former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and his wife Kate led a community workout session for more than 100 people. The endeavour was, in essence, the couple’s effort to give back after a “heavy time for many”. By the time the duo took to the stage, along with personal trainers Amandio and Fea, the crowd was already in a frenzy. The ice-breaking happened on stage from time to time as Rio occasionally broke into dance, joked with the audience while Kate motivated them…
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), an initiative by Aramco, has announced the opening of registration for the fifth edition of its Summer Youth Program, starting today, April 16, and continuing through June 30, 2026. The program offers young participants an immersive journey into the cultural and creative industries by introducing them to the nature of the sector, broadening their knowledge of its field, and providing them with hands-on experience that strengthens their skills and supports their engagement in cultural professions. The four-week program will run from July 13 to August 6, 2026, at Ithra’s headquarters in Dhahran,…
You’ve seen it a thousand times on postcards and hotel campaigns, that unmistakable white sail rising from the ocean. But Burj Al Arab has always been more than its silhouette. It is a building that, in the 1990s, catapulted Dubai onto the global luxury map and announced its arrival on the world stage. Over the years, it has become synonymous with the city’s growth story, an early and enduring testament to Dubai’s steadfast ambition. With the announcement of its closure for an 18-month restoration, it feels like a fitting moment to revisit the quirks, engineering gambles and design choices that…
ANKARA — A school shooting in southeastern Turkey on Wednesday left nine people dead and 13 wounded, officials said, just one day after an incident in which a shooter wounded 16 people and then killed himself. Eight students and one teacher died in the attack in the province of Kahramanmaras, Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, adding that six of the wounded were in critical condition. “This was solely a personal attack carried out by one of our students, it is not a terror incident,” Ciftci said. Earlier, Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer had said the shooter had shot and…
NEW YORK — Two suspects on Wednesday pleaded not guilty at a federal allegations that they brought homemade bombs to an anti-Islam protest outside the New York City’s mayor’s home in a failed terror attack inspired by the Islamic State. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, entered the pleas during a brief appearance in federal court in Manhattan, according to the Associated Press news agency. The two men face charges that include attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist group and using a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors say Balat and Kayumi,both from Philadelphia, drove to Manhattan…
(L-R) Sanjaya Satharasinghe, Architecture Team Lead, Comstor Middle East & Mahmoud Hashem, Architecture Presales Manager, MHD Infotech, Oman. Sanjaya Satharasinghe, Architecture Team Lead, Comstor Middle East and Mahmoud Hashem, Architecture Presales Manager, MHD Infotech, Oman, discuss the digital transformation goals specific to Oman and Cisco support for managing cloud complexity in this exclusive joint interview. The datacenter landscape in the Middle East is evolving rapidly. From your perspective, what is driving this transformation? Sanjaya Satharasinghe: Across the Middle East, we are witnessing an accelerated shift toward digital-first business models. Governments and enterprises are investing heavily in cloud adoption, AI-driven services,…
Cisco today released its inaugural State of Wireless Report, revealing that wireless has evolved into a strategic growth engine in the UAE, where a single network investment drives compounding returns across operational efficiency, employee productivity, customer engagement, and revenue. Abdelilah Nejjari, Managing Director for Gulf and Levant at Cisco, believes that if enterprises adopt a more strategic approach to wireless technology then it will in turn drive better outcomes for their business. Based on findings from Cisco’s State of Wireless Report in the UAE, organizations across the country are reaching an inflection point in connectivity demand, and those that prioritize…
The Quran memorization circles department at the Prophet’s Mosque has announced an intensive review program for memorizers, as part of its ongoing efforts to support those who have memorized the Holy Quran. The department stated that the program is available across several levels, including the entire Quran, 20 parts, and 10 parts, allowing participants to enroll in accordance with their current level of memorization. The program will be held from April 17 to 18 at the Quran memorization circles area in the Prophet’s Mosque, near Gate 22. Those interested are encouraged to take advantage of this initiative, which aims to…
WASHINGTON — A resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to wage war in Iran has failed in the US Senate for the fourth time. More than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday to block arms sales to Israel, signaling a growing discontent in the party with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the wars in Gaza and Iran. If passed, the war-powers measure would have halted US military action in the conflict without congressional approval. Senators rejected it 52-47, largely along party lines in the chamber, which is run by the president’s…