Saudi Arabia Archives - Voice of the Cape

Mu’tamireen left stranded in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan after alleged travel operator scam

By Ragheema Mclean More than 30 Mu’tamireen (pilgrims) were left stranded in Saudi Arabia after embarking on a special Ramadan Umrah journey over the weekend. The group reportedly paid between R28,000 and R36,000 per person to a travel operator for a package that included airfare, accommodation, visas, and transfers. Speaking on VOC’s Ramadan AM on Wednesday, Advocate Shameemah Sallie Dollie confirmed the incident, stating that the Mu’tamireen had been deserted […]

27 March 2024

International

Iran, Saudi Arabia discuss cancelling visas, developing tourism

Iranian Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Maryam Jalali Dehkordi announced the continuation of Iranian and Saudi efforts to develop tourism relations and cancel visa requirements between the two countries. Maryam Jalali Dehkordi, who is currently in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to participate in World Tourism Day activities, confirmed: “I met and talked with Sultan M. Al-Musallam, Saudi Arabia’s deputy tourism minister for international affairs. We discussed ways to remove obstacles […]

1 October 2023

International

Saudi Arabia: Middle East security ‘requires just solution to Palestinian issue’

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud said on Saturday that Middle East security “requires a just solution to the Palestinian issue.” This came during his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. “Regional security requires a just solution to the Palestinian issue,” he said, stating that solution should lead to the creation of an independent state. Bin Farhan condemned “all unilateral measures that violate international […]

25 September 2023

International

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 Arabia: Brother of prominent scholar sentenced to death over tweets

Mohammed al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher, was sentenced to death over tweets from an anonymous account with nine followers, says his UK-based brother Saudi court has sentenced the brother of a prominent scholar and government critic to death over his tweets against corruption and for defending imprisoned religious scholars during interrogations, his family and rights groups have reported. In a tweet on Thursday, renowned UK-based religious scholar Saeed al-Ghamdi said the Specialised Criminal […]

26 August 2023

International

Saudi Arabia looks to buy its way into UK, Japan, Italy fighter jet programme: Report

Saudi Arabia is lobbying the UK, Japan and Italy to join a partnership that would give it access to their next-generation fighter jet project by offering a “significant financial contribution” to the programme. The UK and Italy are supportive of Saudi Arabia’s bid, but Japan is opposed, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the story on Friday. Japan, the UK and Italy announced in December they would team up to create a combat […]

12 August 2023

International

Germany loosens arms exports to Saudi Arabia, but continues blocking Eurofighter jets

Germany on Wednesday agreed to loosen some of its restrictions on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia but is continuing to block deliveries of Eurofighter jets. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government coalition reached an agreement to allow weapon exports to Riyadh "in specific individual cases", Scholz's spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said in a statement, which cited the kingdom's ceasefire efforts in Yemen. The conditions for those weapons sales are that the weapons must not […]

13 July 2023

International

Hajj pilgrims take off from Yemen to Saudi Arabia in first direct flight since 2016

The first commercial flight from Yemen's rebel-held capital to Saudi Arabia since 2016 took off carrying Hajj pilgrims on Saturday, in the latest sign of easing tensions after years of war. A Yemenia Airways plane carrying 277 travellers departed at around 8 pm (1700 GMT), an official told AFP, seven years since Sanaa's international airport was blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi movement. "Hopefully, the blockade will end, and the airport will remain open. We […]

18 June 2023

International

Saudi Arabia to cut oil output by 1 million barrels a day in July

Saudi Arabia has said it will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy by one million barrels per day (bpd), as the OPEC+ alliance of major oil-producing countries faces flagging oil prices and a looming supply glut. The kingdom said on Sunday that it would make these production cuts in July to support the sagging cost of crude after two earlier production cuts by OPEC+ members failed to push […]

5 June 2023

Saudi Arabia

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