JEDDAH: Saudi police have arrested 17 suspects, including a woman, for plotting terror attacks in the Kingdom, the Ministry of Interior said on Monday.Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, MOI spokesman, said 15 of the suspects are Saudis and the rest are a Yemeni, a Palestinian and an Egyptian.In a statement released via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Al-Turki said police found explosive belts and other bomb materials that were apparently meant for terrori...

JEDDAH: Jeddah Municipality’s cleaning program entered its third phase, where officials focused on commercial areas, markets, restaurants, and entertainment facilities in the city. The campaign started on Sept. 13, and will continue till Oct. 2. Engineer Sami bin Hamid, director general of hygiene and cleaning, said that the campaign was launched to provide healthy environment to the residents of the city.The drive also aims to fight against stre...

JEDDAH: Five of eight juveniles who had fled a shelter for young people in Tabuk on Friday were apprehended; their escape was another episode in a series of runaway instances from several such shelters in the Kingdom.This latest escape has set off an alarm on the role of such shelters across the Kingdom and has prompted the authorities to look for the reasons that push young people to flee, in this case by breaking a window.

JEDDAH: It never occurred to Naif Al-Khathran that when he went to study political science in the United States he would end up part of an action team in the most important election worldwide, specifically part of the Hillary Clinton campaign.Speaking to an online publication, Al-Khathran said about his passion for politics: “I started by establishing a student club in Miami, and worked with many social initiatives under the umbrella of the unive...

JEDDAH: The number of Russian Haj pilgrims has been multiplying since the end of the Soviet Union and the figure will rise once Saudi Arabia increases the quota, said a Russian diplomat.“Russian pilgrims came to perform the sacred rituals in Makkah 400 years ago, but their number was very low. Between 20 and 40 Haj pilgrims came each year during the time of the Soviet Union. This year, 16,200 Hajis came from Russia,” Russian Consul General Bahaud...

JEDDAH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) recently launched a program titled “Imran,” which aims to peserve and develop of urban heritage in the Kingdom.The program also aims to enhance the partnerships and cooperation efforts between SCTNH, represented by the National Center for Urban Heritage (NCUH), and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.The program will help boost cooperation at the national, regional and domestic ...

JEDDAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif left Jeddah today for New York to head the Kingdom's delegation at the 71st annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.He was seen off at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Makkah Gov. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, adviser to the the King; Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdulaziz, governor of Jeddah; and a number of princes, ministers and officials.

MADINAH: The Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah is like a magnet pulling Muslims from across the world who come to pray there and salute Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and two of his close companions.However, a rich Islamic history lies hidden behind the breathtaking view of the mosque, which is an epitome of modern and ancient art and architecture. Riyazul Jannah (green carpet area), where the original mosque once stood, is the center of attracti...

JEDDAH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) aircraft have set two new world records in responding quickly to incidents and emergencies.Services provided by SRCA aircraft are not limited to air surveillance and response to incidents, but include speedy airlifting of patients in critical cases to hospitals, said Osman Al-Maswaie, director general of SRCA aircraft unit in Makkah.“SRCA’s aircraft set two new world records in quick response to inc...

JEDDAH: King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah will experience an overcapacity of 22.5 million passengers by the end of the year, an airport official has estimated.Turki Al-Zeeb, the manager of public relations and media at the airport, said an operational intensity of 31 million passengers is forecasted until the end of the current year at the 8.5 million passenger capacity port.“The number of passengers expected this year will be the h...

JEDDAH: Could you imagine a man as good in answering questions as Google? You would say no. Think again. Mohammad Al-Mutlaq is such a man who possesses a very elaborate and detailed memory of events, and much else.Al-Mutlaq, known as Saudi Google, can give the most accurate details of events that occurred half a century ago in minutes. He is a mobile encyclopedia, and this includes events in the Hijri or Gregorian calendar.

RIYADH: The success of the recent Haj is attributed to various factors, particularly the great support of the Kingdom’s leadership, according to experts.“The Saudi leadership, led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, spared no effort to ensure that this year’s pilgrimage would succeed,” they said. In fact, they said, “it was a tremendous success.”They noted that King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Moha...

JUBAIL: The Jubail Municipality has banned the use of plastic bags in public bakeries in the province and launched an awareness campaign about the health damages caused by plastic bags when used for hot food items.Jubail Municipality Chairman Naif Al-Dawish said: “According to directives from Eastern Province Mayor Fahad Al-Jubair on food quality and means of preserving the environment, I have issued a circular banning the use of plastic bags in ...

UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia is accusing Iran of supplying weapons to Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen and is urging the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran for violating an arms embargo.Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said in a letter to the council that smuggling arms to Houthi rebels violates council resolutions and constitutes “a direct and tangible threat” to Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the region and international peace and securit...

RIYADH: The cities of Madinah and Tabuk recorded the highest percentage of amputation surgeries in the Kingdom during the past three years, according to a Ministry of Health (MoH) report.The report said the cases of amputation during the years 1434, 1435 and 1436 in Madinah reached 1,344 due to gangrene caused by diabetes. This was followed by motor vehicle accidents and birth defects. The report said that Tabuk placed second in the number of amp...

AL-AHSA: Al-Ahsa region was among the competitors at the 10th annual meeting of UNESCO’s Creative Cities’ Network (UCCN) that took place from Sept. 14 to 16 at the Swedish city of Östersund. The event was held under the title: “The role of creativity and culture in sustainable urban development,” and brought together representatives of 116 creative cities of the world.

RIYADH: Pilgrims who are family members of Palestinian martyrs and guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques were welcomed in Madinah on Friday.They were given a warm welcome by program committees on the occasion, and a number of young Saudis met them at their hotel.Haji Mohammad Alian from Gaza expressed his overflowing happiness regarding the reception accorded to him and his fellow Palestinian pilgrims.“We can hardly believe that we are ...

JEDDAH: Passengers and crew of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) have been banned from using Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 on its flights because the device is prone to suddenly catching fire.In a circular to all its sectors, Saudia cited US Federal Aviation Administration’s warning against the use of the smartphone while suggesting not to turn on the device or recharge the battery on its flights.

JEDDAH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif is leaving for New York today as head of the Saudi delegation to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.The crown prince will address the UN General Assembly, which brings together some 135 heads of state and government in addition to dozens of ministers.The crown prince’s visit to the US comes at the direction of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.

JEDDAH/DAMMAM: After the longest summer vacation and Haj holidays in many years, schools and other educational institutions will reopen on Sunday.Over a million students in Riyadh are preparing for the first day of school in the new academic year.In Jeddah, more than 600,000 students will report to approximately 2,200 schools.International schools that cater to the children of expatriates are also reopening on Sunday.