Middle East

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Matarat Holding Company announced the launch of the “Passenger with no Bag” service for domestic and international passengers in all airports across Saudi Arabia. This service will come into force during the first quarter of 2024, the company said in a statement. This service allows …

World Health Organisation officials voiced concern on Tuesday about the possible collapse of hospital provision in southern and central Gaza, with hundreds of medical staff and patients having fled facilities for their lives.Only about a third of Gaza’s hospitals are functioning in any way, and some only partly, in the …

By Wyre Davies TEL AVIV — Efrat Eldan Schechter is a native of Northern Galilee and never even considered moving anywhere else to bring up her family — that is until the events of 7 October. When she heard and watched reports of what was happening in southern Israel that …

Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has approved Casgevy, the first gene therapy for sickle cell anemia and thalassemia diseases in patients 12 years of age and older. It is a cell-based gene therapy, utilizing CRISPR/Cas9, a type of genome editing technology. Patients’ hematopoietic …

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of the Sultanate of Oman met Tuesday with German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation and ways to enhance it in all fields, and exchanged views regarding a number of issues of …

QUITO — Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a state of emergency for the South American nation after a notorious gang leader escaped from prison, heightening security fears as authorities struggle to control the bloodshed of a bloody criminal turf war. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of the feared …

Okaz/Saudi Gazette RIYADH — Police in the Makkah region arrested two illegal Ethiopians who are accused of killing a young Saudi man. Muhammad Al-Subaie, a young man, was shot dead by one of the Ethiopians when his compatriot attempted to offer drugs to the young man. The murder occurred in …

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators close down the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, Monday. Pressure grew on Israel Monday from its staunch ally the United States and from Middle East powers to ease up on its assault on Gaza as its forces inflicted the highest daily Palestinian death toll so far this …

CAPE CANAVERAL — The private US Moon mission launched on Monday has run into technical problems. The Astrobotic company behind the project says its Peregrine spacecraft has experienced an “anomaly” that has stopped it from pointing its solar panels stably at the Sun. Without the ability to charge its battery, …

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah announced on Monday that the number of pilgrims who have performed Umrah during the year 2023 reached a record number of 13.55 million. The increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims is estimated at five million or …