by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business Ideas, Entrepreneurship, Muslim World, Women Entrepreneur
Riyadh : Saudi women will from now on be allowed to open their own businesses without the consents of their male relatives, media reports said on Sunday.
Besides the opening up society Saudi Arabia seeks to achieve, especially integration of women in different walks of life, the decision also comes to meet the requirements of the fast-growing private sector, Xinhua reported.
“Women can now launch their own businesses and benefit from (governmental) e-services without having to prove consent from a guardian,” the ministry of commerce and investment said on its website.
The change in policy is also a step forward away from the strict guardianship system imposed on women for decades.
Under Saudi Arabia’s guardianship system, women are required to present proof of permission from a male guardian — normally the husband, father or brother — to do any government paperwork, travel or enrol in classes.
Long dependent on crude production for economic revenue, Saudi Arabia is pushing to expand the country’s private sector, including an expansion of female employment under a reform plan for a post-oil era.
Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor’s office this month said it would also begin recruiting women investigators for the first time.
The kingdom has also opened 140 positions for women at airports and border crossings, a historic first that the government said drew 107,000 female applicants.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
Riyadh : Saudi Arabia will grant visas free of charge to foreign scientists and experts, in a move that especially aims at improving its health sector, media reports said on Sunday.
Secretary general of the Saudi Health Council Ahmed Al Aamiri praised the decision made by the cabinet last week, Xinhua reported.
Aamiri said the new visa policy was approved as part of various health initiatives suggested by the council to promote the health sector.
The new visa, which will be provided only to those who have proven their competency in different fields, is expected to attract top foreign experts who will take part in the research programmes in the kingdom.
The experts, especially health specialists, could contribute to the major steps the kingdom has been taking to implement various reforms.
Especially, they will help Saudi deal with serious medical issues, including preventing the spread of contagious diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus that caused many deaths since 2012.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business Summit, Events, Muslim World
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor – Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
Riyadh : Global experts are slated to attend the first Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum here on February 26 and 27.
Organised by the King Salman Humanitarian and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the forum is the first of its kind to take place in the country, building on previous global humanitarian events to address changes to the humanitarian landscape and to formulate new practical and efficient responses which reflect the changing needs on the ground.
Bringing together professionals and key decision-makers from across the international humanitarian community, the two-day forum will be attended by high level global representatives from the UN, international and domestic NGOs.
Abdullah Al Rabeeah, advisor, Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, said on Thursday: “Historically, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken on a pioneering humanitarian role in serving the international community around the world…
“KSrelief has implemented 328 projects in 38 countries; the majority of our programmes have focused on Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Somalia. KSrelief’s 119 humanitarian partners include UN member agencies as well as many other international and national NGOs.”
—IANS/WAM
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Commodities, Commodities News, Muslim World
By Mahmut Geldi,
Riyadh: Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed at a meeting Wednesday in Riyadh to cooperate to help stabilize oil markets.
“Saudi Arabia and Russia play an historic role in the stability of the oil market,” Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said at a joint press conference with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak after they met.
Al-Falih said Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has called on all parties to maintain stability in oil prices.
Oil prices have been fluctuating widely since the beginning of the year, hitting their highest levels in more than three years in January but recently posting their biggest weekly losses in two months in line with production and industry developments such as fluctuating U.S. oil rig counts.
Novak said Russia’s coordination with Saudi Arabia supports stability in oil prices and there are many joint projects with Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco.
Al-Falih said Saudi Arabia is also working with Russia on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, adding the issue of climate change was also discussed.
Earlier today, King Salman received Novak in Riyadh. Following their meeting, a memorandum on energy cooperation was signed.
Novak said that during the meeting, bilateral relations in all fields were discussed and productive discussions were held on energy.
He added that Russia is supporting Saudi Arabia’s ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ economic plan with direct investments.
—AA
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Muslim World
By Viola Fahmy,
Cairo: Riyadh’s ambassador to the Arab League, Ahmed Qattan, has reiterated his country’s rejection of the “politicization” or “internationalization” of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
“Attempts to internationalize the Holy Places of Mecca and Medina are part of a wider conspiracy,” Qattan, who also serves as Saudi ambassador to Egypt, tweeted Tuesday.
“These attempts show that certain countries are following the lead of Iran, which has tried in the past to promote these contemptable ideas,” he added, in a veiled reference to Qatar.
Qattan went on to assert that the “politicization and/or internationalization” of Saudi Arabia’s holy sites was a “red line” that was tantamount to “political suicide”.
In recent years, Iran has floated the notion of establishing an “international administration” to manage the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage — an idea Saudi Arabia vociferously rejects.
Saudi Arabia severed its relations with Iran in early 2016 after Iranian demonstrators ransacked two Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad.
Last summer, Saudi Arabia and three Arab states — Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — collectively severed ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and standing too close to Iran.
Qatar, for its part, dismisses the allegations, saying that attempts to isolate it by its fellow Gulf States constitute a violation of international law.
—AA
