The UK has granted nationals from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain nationals electronic visa waiver status, according to a statement from the Home Office. The status will be effective on June 1, and under this new change, all Saudi Arabian and Bahraini nationals will be able to apply for an electronic visa waiver to travel to … Read more
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi during a brief visit to Tehran on Sunday, Iranian state television said. “Assad has left Iran for Damascus after meeting separately with the supreme leader” and the president, the report said. Iran is a major ally of Assad, backing him alongside Russia in Syria’s … Read more
After Inter Milan won 3-1 at Spezia on Friday, AC Milan will stay atop Serie A this weekend thanks to a 2-0 win over struggling Genoa. Milan, who are expected to be sold to Bahraini investment firm Investcorp, recaptured first place after being demoted to second place just before kick-off in front of almost 70,000 … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Covid-19 tests came positive on Monday, after his meeting with US Secretary of the State Antony Blinken. Bennett, who met Blinken in Jerusalem on Sunday on the sidelines of a “historic summit” of Israeli and Arab diplomats, “is feeling well and will continue his schedule as planned from his home,” a statement … Read more
SAKHIR, Bahrain – Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel had a Ukraine flag emblazoned on his helmet in protest at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when he drove his Aston Martin in testing in Bahrain on Thursday. The 34-year-old German had spoken out forcefully a fortnight ago when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion, declaring he … Read more
Zhou Guanyu is all set to make history as he is inches close to becoming the first Formula One drive from China. He had his first official outing on Thursday, on the final laps of his long journey to put his country on the F1 map. After sitting out the opening day of pre-season testing … Read more
When Steven Knox first took charge of the German national cricket team as a head coach in 2014, the idea that they could have qualified for a World Cup would have sounded far-fetched. When the former Scotland international player got associated with the squad, he was not much hopeful about making big with the team. … Read more
DUBAI – Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Monday due to visit the United Arab Emirates for the first time in nearly a decade, to revive relations that were long strained by regional disputes. Turkey and the oil-rich Emirates have backed opposing sides in the Libyan civil war and in a Gulf diplomatic crisis, and … Read more
MANAMA: Bahrain on Monday announced the creation of long-term visas for foreigners in an effort to “boost the economy”, following in the footsteps of some of its Gulf neighbours. With just over half of its 1.7 million population made up of foreigners, Bahrain is seen as a hub for professional expatriates, like much of the … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) TABUK visited Manama, Bahrain during regional maritime security patrols, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. Upon arrival at Mina Salman Sea Port, Pakistan Navy Ship was received by Ambassador of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub along with Commodore Vaqar Mohammad, and officials from Pakistan and Bahrain Naval forces. Read more: Pakistan Navy assumes … Read more
BEIJING: Foreign ministers from oil-rich Gulf states arrived in Beijing on Monday for a five-day visit as turmoil in neighbouring Kazakhstan raises concerns about China’s energy security. The officials from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, as well as secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef bin Falah al-Hajrah, will be in China … Read more
LONDON: From the great lockdown, to the great rebound? At the start of this year the world was optimistic that the development of pioneering vaccines would restrict the global spread of the Covid-19. December 2020 marked the date when vaccinations for the virus first began to be administered around the world. Since then, the death … Read more
RIYADH, Dec 30, 2021 (AFP) – Saudi Arabia on Thursday reimposed social distancing measures at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, after recording the highest number of infections in months. Workers have returned floor markings removed on October 17 to guide people to social distance in and around the Grand Mosque — … Read more
RIYADH: A feasibility study to establish a Saudi-Bahraini multidisciplinary holding company is being prepared with the aim of launching joint investment projects, the Saudi-Bahraini Business Forum has announced. The forum was organised by the Council of Saudi Chambers and the Bahrain Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Manama, on the sidelines of Crown Prince Mohammed … Read more
Bahrain has revived its age-old pearl industry, as it looks to other sources of revenue to diversify its oil economy, Arab News reported. The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones recently announced that it has examined over 10 million pearls from across the world since it was established in 2017. It said its commercial laboratory has become … Read more
RIYADH: Bahrain’s parliament on Wednesday approved plans to increase value-added tax to 10 per cent from the current 5 per cent, according to Reuters. The Cabinet referred last September a draft law to the parliament, to decide on increasing VAT starting Jan. 1, 2022. The legislators discussed earlier this year the options of reducing wages or social … Read more
S&P Global Ratings has revised Bahrain’s outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’ on the back of new fiscal reforms aimed at improving non-oil revenues and cutting state spending, Reuters quoted the ratings agency, as saying in a statement. Rated below investment grade, Bahrain was bailed out to avoid a credit crunch in 2018 with a $10 … Read more
RIYADH: Bahrain has launched a new strategic project plan to invest $30 billion in over 20 new projects, with the construction of five new offshore cities, according to the Bahrain News Agency. The strategic project plan will see infrastructure development, including a new causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain will also establish a 109km metro … Read more
RIYADH: Bahrain is qualifying developers for its first metro project, Asharq Alawsat reported, citing Bahraini Minister of Transport and Communications, Kamal Ahmed. The first phase of Bahrain Metro project, which consists of several phases, will be approximately 29 kilometers and include 20 stations, he added. He explained the project will attract international investors and will … Read more
DUBAI: Bahrain has detailed a new economic growth and fiscal balance plan that pushes a zero-deficit target back by two years to 2024 from 2022 and increases value-added tax to 10 per cent from 5 per cent, Arab News reported. A government statement said the updated fiscal balance programme also included reducing expenditure and project spending, streamlining … Read more
MANAMA: Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid began a landmark visit Thursday to Bahrain where he will open the Israeli embassy one year after the US-brokered normalisation of ties. The Israeli top diplomat touched down at Manama airport, where a Gulf Air plane was due to take off for the first commercial flight between the two countries … Read more
Bahrain has removed India from its “red list,” according to a recent COVID travel update, and has lifted travel restrictions for Indians. Now that India is no longer on the red list, Indian nationals with valid visas, as well as Indian residents of Bahrain, can enter the country. On September 3, the Bahraini government withdrew … Read more
Pakistan has been detached from Bahrain’s travel red-list, stated Bahrain’s media said on Wednesday. Further adding that easiness in limitations will be applied from September 3. Along with Pakistan, Bahrain has also detached India, Panama, and the Dominic Republic from its travel red-list. Whereas, Bahrain had adjourned the entry of travelers from countries on its … Read more
LONDON: The UK government has decided to move United Arab Emirate (UAE) from the red to the amber list with effect from Sunday, August 8, 2021 after reviewing progress in the international travel system amid Covid-19 outbreak, WAM reported. Under the move announced on Thursday, all those who visit these countries will no longer have to … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan wants peace but the ideology of India’s Hindu extremist organization RSS is an obstacle to peace in the region. Addressing the Pakistani business community in Bahrain, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the foundation for a fundamental change in foreign policy had been laid. Shah … Read more
Pakistan and Bahrain have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the promotion of trade between the two countries, working together for economic growth and business harmonization. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Board of Investment (BOI) and the Bahraini Economic Development Board at the end of the second meeting of the Joint … Read more
MANAMA: Pakistan and Bahrain have agreed to invest jointly in the industrial sector and hold expert-level meetings of the joint working groups in agriculture, trade and investment, labour and manpower, oil and gas and IT sectors. A statement issued after the conclusion of the second meeting of the Bahrain-Pakistan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) said both … Read more
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday left for Bahrain on a two-day official visit, where he will lead Pakistan’s delegation at the second session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC). During the JMC, both sides will hold expert-level talks, particularly focusing on commerce, investment, energy, overseas employment, agriculture, information and broadcasting, tourism and … Read more
