Riyadh Archives - Voice of the Cape

Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia to depart for Riyadh

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says its ambassador to Saudi Arabia will soon depart for Riyadh to lead Tehran’s diplomatic mission that was reopened in early June after seven years. Iran’s new envoy to the kingdom, Alireza Enayati, met Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Saturday and presented his final report before leaving for Riyadh, according to the ministry. reaking a seven-year diplomatic rift, Tehran officially reopened its embassy in Riyadh […]

3 September 2023

International

Saudi sculptor steps into limelight as religious curbs ease

Saudi ceramic artist, Awatif Al-Keneibit, walks proudly into a gallery displaying her work in Riyadh, where statues and earthenware figurines witness the return of plastic arts to Saudi Arabia after decades of religious restriction, Reuters reports. Her exposition includes ceramic faces, some with hollow eyes, others wearing eyeglasses, and figurines of Saudi Arabian women, displayed on red bricks and coloured to reflect traditional desert dresses. "Who could have imagined that one day, […]

14 March 2023

Uncategorized

Travel agents scramble to rearrange bookings as Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah over coronavirus fears

Saudi Arabia's decision to suspend travel to the country's holiest sites over fears of the fast-spreading coronavirus has left travel agents scrambling to rearrange bookings as pilgrims remain in the dark over how long the "temporary" ban might continue. Late on Wednesday, Riyadh's foreign ministry tweeted that it was suspending entry for pilgrims heading to Mecca and Medina for Umrah, as the coronavirus, also known as COV-19, continued to spread across the Middle East. Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca […]

28 February 2020

International News

Saudi forces shoot down ‘toy drone’ near royal palace

Saudi forces have shot down a toy drone near the royal palace in the capital, Riyadh, as videos posted online purported to show the area ringing with heavy gunfire. The official spokesman of Riyadh police said on Saturday that security forces "dealt with" an unauthorised, small drone-type toy after spotting it at a security point in Khuzama neighbourhood, state-run news agency SPA said. An investigation into the incident, which happened […]

22 April 2018

International News

Saudi Arabia: Houthi missile attack kills Egyptian in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has announced its forces had intercepted a number of ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels towards several locations in the kingdom. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement that Saudi air defence intercepted seven missiles, three of which were headed towards Riyadh. Colonel Turki al-Maliki also said that an Egyptian resident was killed as a result of shrapnel - the first death in Riyadh since […]

26 March 2018

International News

Saudi Prince Miteb and brother released after three weeks in detention

Two senior Saudi princes have been released after more than three weeks in detention as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's elite purge, according to sources. Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the former head of the National Guard, was released after being arrested as part of a crackdown on alleged corruption among senior Saudi officials. Two Saudi sources close to the royal family confirmed to Middle East Eye that […]

29 November 2017

Opinions

“Submit or Resign” – Defines Realpolitik of Saudi Arabia’s New Czar

By Iqbal Jassat What’s going on in Saudi Arabia? This appears to be the dominant question raised in many circles. A question, coupled with many more, seeking answers to try to make sense of the drama unfolding in the House of Saud. While some insiders refer to it as an internal palace coup, others have ventured to describe it as the beginning of the end of the monarchy. Though there […]

14 November 2017

International News

Gulf row stunts Qatar hajj numbers

Qatar has sent only dozens of its citizens across the border to Saudi Arabia for this week's hajj pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites because of the increasingly bitter crisis between the Gulf neighbours. The annual pilgrimage that draws two million Muslim faithful from across the globe and starts this year on Wednesday has become embroiled in a dispute between Doha and Riyadh now nearing its third month. Qatar's only land […]

29 August 2017

International News

Saudi Arabia bans Al Jazeera channels in hotels

Saudi Arabia has banned hotels and tourist facilities from airing Al Jazeera news channels and threatened to punish violators with the closure of their facility and a fine of up to $26,000. In a statement released on Friday, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage ordered that "all channels from the Al Jazeera Media Network must be removed" and replaced with channels compatible with "official Saudi television ones". "The […]

9 June 2017

Riyadh

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