Middle East

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — The Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation (SAAF) has announced the launch of the Red Sea Jeddah Marathon, set to take place in January 2025. This landmark event will be the first international marathon of its kind held on Jeddah’s ROSHN Waterfront. The marathon will play a …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi benchmark stock index Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) recorded an increase of 83.62 points (0.69 percent), reaching 12,187.44 points at the end of Wednesday’s session, with a trading of SR8.9 billion ($2.37 billion). The TASI registered the gains despite the energy sector’s …

Iraqi authorities seized record quantities of the potent stimulant captagon last year, at an estimated value of up to $144mn, with the country increasingly a critical drug conduit, a UN report said yesterday. “Iraq has been experiencing a dramatic surge in drug trafficking and consumption for the past five years,” …

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Sunday seeking a Gaza ceasefire deal that could help avert a wider war, while a senior Hamas official dismissed “American diktats” in negotiations.Making his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war began with Palestinian militants’ October 7 attack, …

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh Al-Jasser, confirmed that the Riyadh Metro will commence operations this year, aligning with the earlier announcement by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC). He emphasized that Riyadh Metro, in terms of scale, stands as the largest …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Authority of Accredited Valuers (TAQEEM) urged all precious metal and gemstone valuers to take advantage of the grace period granted to them to rectify their status. These valuers must meet all legal requirements by July 1, 2025, and to become members of the …

India’s annual economic report card has backed more Chinese investment in the country, even as investments worth billions of dollars from China suffer disruption due to increased geopolitical tensions between New Delhi and Beijing since 2020. India’s chief economic adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said in the annual economic survey tabled …

Israeli strikes kill 50 Palestinians in last 24 hours, medics say Israel: Forces killed dozens of Palestinian gunmen, seized arms Blinken’s 9th Mideast visit since war began does not yield deal Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 50 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, Palestinian health officials said on …

Saudi Gazette report NAIROBI — Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL) and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa honored the winners of the Global Elite Competition of the Ten Recitations in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. The ceremony was organized by MWL under the title …

Saudi Gazette report TURAIF — The advent of Suhail star over the sky of Arabia marks the end of the extreme heat of peak summer season and heralds the gradual declining of temperatures and approach of cooler conditions in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. This star appeared in the …