by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Buzz, Muslim World
Mumbai : The Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL) on Tuesday announced its foray into the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia for opening a luxury hotel in collaboration with Umm Al Qura Development and Construction Co.
With 340 rooms, the hotel will come up on the King Abdul Aziz Road (KAAR) Project, one of the largest urban rejuvenation ventures in Makkah.
An agreement to this effect was signed between IHCL MD and CEO Puneet Chhatwal and Umm Al Qura’s Senior Executive, Hospitality, Hisham Ebeid, said a spokesperson here.
Scheduled to be operational in January 2023, the hotel will have banqueting facilities, multi-cuisine restaurants and will be in close proximity to the commercial centres, retail markets and other landmarks within the KAAR Project.
It will also be within walking distance of the Grand Mosque, Masjid Al-Haram, which is thronged by over six million Haj pilgrims every year, said Chhatwal.
This will be IHCL’s fourth hospitality venture in the MENA region with plans to open two more hotels in Dubai over the next 18 months, besides managing the Taj Dubai in the Burj Khalifa downtown area.
The Umm Al Qura for Development & Construction Co (UAQ) is a joint stock company entrusted with the development, construction and operation of the KAAR Project.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business Summit, Events, Muslim World
Dammam : The stage is set for the 29th Arab League summit scheduled to start in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam next Sunday with a tight agenda covering several vital issues affecting the Arab world including the Iranian interference in the region, the Palestinian issue, the crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen and the fight against terrorism.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has sent an official invitation to Doha to take part in the Arab summit. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman arrived in Dammam on Wednesday.
According to the Arab League’s bylaw, official invitation letters must be sent to all its member states. Final touches are being given to preparations for the summit. The cities of Dammam, Al-Khobar and Dhahran are being decorated to welcome Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and other Arab heads of states. Gates have been installed at various strategic locations and the cities are being beautified.
The traffic department has issued a traffic advisory for Saturday and Sunday. According to the advisory, all traffic will be closed on King Abdul Aziz Road which starts from King Abdul Aziz Port and leads to Abqaiq; Khobar-Dhahran Expressway that passes through Gulf Palace venue of the Summit; King Khalid Road in Al-Khobar; Prince Muhammad Road (Dammam-Dhahran Expressway connecting to Gulf Palace.) The traffic department has, however, kept Dammam-Khobar Freeway open. This road also leads to King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The traffic department expects heavy congestion on this road and is taking strict measures to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. In view of the traffic advisory, most of the schools in the city will be closed on Sunday.
The Dammam Airport Company (DACO) has also issued an advisory to passengers to arrive four hours before the schedule departure of flights in view of traffic congestion and the arrival of foreign dignitaries. A delegation from the General Secretariat of the Arab League arrived Monday in Riyadh to take part in the preparatory meetings of the summit.
—HA/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Entrepreneurship, Muslim World, Startup Basics, Success Stories
Jeddah : Three Saudi startups figure prominently on the Forbes list of 50 startups to watch in the Arab world this year.
These startups are those who have not yet received big-ticket funding but are looking promising for the future, Forbes said, releasing the list last month.
On number six in Forbes list of 50 is Halayalla, a booking platform for sports and entertainment. It was founded by Nadeem and Faheem Bakhsh, Farrukh Bandey, Yousef Shanti in 2016. On number 26 is Near Motion, a customer engagement tool, founded by Faisal Alferdos in 2015. Figuring on number 34 is Maharah, a booking app for home maintenance services, founded by Mujahed Marghlani, Saleem Barnawi, Ahmed Mereyani in 2015.
On number 42 figures Sawerly, an online platform to book photographers. It was founded by Hussein Attar and Mohamed Al-Zahrani in 2013. Forbes published a list of 182 Saudi entrepreneurs representing 100 startups last year. They included 29 women. They have startups in 23 sectors. There are 39 startups in Jeddah, 37 in Riyadh and 10 in Al-Khobar.
Saudi Arabia has given utmost importance to entrepreneurship as part of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program to encourage Saudis to start own businesses. It extends all support for skills development in order to help young Saudi men and women find solutions for environmental, housing, educational and other problems. Many Saudis now earn millions of riyals in profits from their small business enterprises and provide employment to others.
Fadi Yahya, a young businessman, said he was able to enter the business field very earl. He began his business eight years ago. Before that he had earned some experience by working for a non-profit organization while studying in the university. “This experience encouraged me to start a business of my own,” he told Al-Hayat Arabic daily. Yahya’s first project was in the design field. He later received King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship and went to the US to obtain a Master’s degree. There he started a technological project which did not last long. He returned to the Kingdom with another technological project.
—HA/UNA-OIC
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Representational image
Washington : The national security advisors of the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met at the White House on Friday to discuss joint efforts to counter the “Iranian regime’s malign influence and provocative behavior.”
The White House said in a statement that security officials of the three nations talked about issues of strategic importance to the three countries.
Senior officials from the US Departments of State, Defense, the Treasury and the intelligence community participated in the meeting, Xinhua reported.
The leaders agreed to meet trilaterally on a regular basis to develop and implement joint frameworks to mitigate threats to regional security and to bring greater peace, stability and prosperity to the Middle East.
“Additionally, the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan joined a session focused on discussing ways the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE can partner with Afghanistan to support the Afghan government and set conditions for an enduring peace settlement,” said the White House.
Also on Friday, the US sanctioned an Iranian entity and 10 individuals over “malicious cyber-enabled activities,” saying the hackers worked at the behest of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the US measures were “illegal and provocative,” proving the US inherent hostility against Tehran.
It also condemned Saudi Arabia’s allegations that Iran “is the source of terror and extremism,” saying that Saudi Arabia itself was the “essential source and cause of terrorism and extremism.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Riyadh : The Saudi Arabian Air Defence forces on Monday intercepted seven ballistic missiles launched by Yemeni Houthi rebels, according to authorities.
According to Turki al-Malki, the spokesperson for the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition who blamed Iran for the attack, three of the projectiles were heading towards Riyadh, one to Khamis Mushait in the province of Asir, another to Najran and the other two to Jizan, reports Efe news.
The interception of the missiles resulted in the dispersal of fragments of the shells, which fell over nearby residential areas, killing an Egyptian civilian, according to al-Malki.
Material damage was also reported, but the spokesperson did not provide further details on its extent.
“This aggressive and random act by the Iran-backed Houthi group proves that the Iranian regime continues to support the armed Houthi group with qualitative capabilities,” said Al-Malki, adding that the missile attack aimed to threaten the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region.
The Houthi-run news agency Saba claimed that the Army Missile Force sympathizing with the rebel group had launched ballistic missiles against several targets in Saudi Arabia, without providing further details.
The attack coincides with the third anniversary of the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s military intervention in Yemen, which provoked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in 2017.
The Saudi-led military operations in Yemen, which began on March 26, 2015, has targeted the Houthi rebels that have fought against Yemen’s ruling forces of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi since 2014.
Ballistic missile attacks by the rebels against Saudi territory have become a regular practice, but very rarely have shells reached Riyadh.
Saudi authorities blame Iran for these assaults and accuse it of threatening Saudi Arabia’s national security and supporting Shia groups in the region.
—IANS
