Asian Lite News Archive

Category: Arab News

  • Iraqi forces withdraw from Syrian border

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    Iraqi security forces withdrew from the Syrian border in the Sunni province of Anbar, an official said Thursday. The Iraqi army, police and border guards withdrew late Wednesday night from their positions on the border with Syria near the city of Qaim, some 330 km northwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Also in the…

  • Louvre Abu Dhabi in Paris

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    Louvre Abu Dhabi will present a collection of its exceptional works as part of a new exhibition, entitled: Birth of a Museum, for the first time in Paris. More than 160 works acquired by Louvre Abu Dhabi – never seen before in France – will go on show till July 28. This collection celebrates the…

  • Dubai house prices to spike

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    However, the 18 per cent surge in rents on two-bedroom apartments in the first quarter reported by Asteco on the back of lower than expected new property completions is a reason to think again. Asteco said that 14,000 new units were delivered compared with a forecast 40,000, and thought the situation might improve later in…

  • Al Ansari, Videocon sign pact

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    Al Ansari Exchange, the UAE-based foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer company, has entered into a strategic alliance with Videocon, India’s leading brand in consumer electronics, home appliances, mobiles and tablets. Under the terms of the agreement, Indian expatriates can buy a Videocon product in the UAE at prices upto 30% lower than India and…

  • Egyptian billionaire sets up firm

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    Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris, whose family owns the Orascom group of companies spanning construction to telecoms, has set up an investment firm to tap into Egypt’s growth opportunities. Sawiris’s investment firm, Nile Holding Investments, has investors from the Arab Gulf, Europe and the United States. Egypt’s economy has stagnated since tourists and investors fled the…

  • Saudi to build largest desalination plant

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    Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation announced plans for what would be the world’s largest desalination plant using a technique called reverse osmosis, in Rabigh on the country’s west coast.The plant would be able to produce up to 600,000 meters cubed of desalinated water per day. An international water summit closed in Singapore with agreements…

  • Abu Dhabi Science Centre in 2016

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    A centre for informal science education featuring a planetarium and a land, sea and sky gallery, among other interactive activities, is expected to open by the third quarter of 2016, the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC) has announced. The 6,500 square-metre facility will be set up in Masdar City and will include over 200…

  • Saudi permits part-time govt jobs

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    Public sector employees have been allowed to work in other government departments after normal working hours to improve coordination and service delivery. Civil Service Minister Abdul Rahman Al-Barrak, who is a member of the Civil Services Council that issued the decision, said in a statement on Monday that the workers would be covered by the…

  • Expo 2020 may create 277,000 jobs

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    Expo 2020 is likely to create 277,000 jobs, said Mahmood Ahmed Al Bastaki, CEO of Dubai Trade, Dubai World, while delivering the keynote address at the first-ever industry ‘breakfast’ series hosted by the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD recently on the challenges for the future of human capital development in the U.A.E.. Future workforce…

  • Thousands flee Mosul

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    Iraqi PM declares highest alert against terrorist groups Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on the parliament to approve state of emergency, as insurgent groups took full control of Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul, while he declared the highest alert in the country Tuesday. Maliki said the serious situations in the country entail the…

  • Egypt’s interim cabinet quits

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    Interim Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab Monday submitted his cabinet’s resignation to newly-elected President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, a media report said. Sisi then asked Mahlab to form a new cabinet, Al Ahram news reported. Mahlab took charge as the interim prime minister on Mar 1, 2014, following the resignation of Hazem El-Beblawi, a liberal economist who…

  • Saudi fest to generate 5,000 jobs

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    There will be 45 summer festivals this year, opening up more than 5,000 temporary jobs for Saudis. The festivals are expected to attract more than 10 million visitors, with an estimated return of SR10 billion. Domestic tourism is expected to increase by 6 percent this summer in comparison with the same period last year. The…

  • Iran-US talks on nuclear issues

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    A two-day meeting scheduled for Monday between Iran and the US in Geneva will focus mainly on nuclear issues, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday. The meeting comes ahead of the next round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 or the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the…

  • Dubai Airport may be world’s largest

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    Capa says upgrades will ensure Dubai Airport will not only become largest international airport by 2015, but also maintain that position. Dubai International will become world’s busiest airport for good next year, according to an aviation think-tank, reports Emirates 24/7. Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) said short-term effects will see Dubai Airport slip behind…

  • Sisi sworn-in Egyptian president

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    Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday was sworn-in the seventh president of Egypt at a ceremony in Cairo. Sisi took the oath at the Supreme Constitutional Court, Al Ahram news reported. The ceremony was attended by former interim president Adly Mansour, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayib and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawdaros II. The…

  • Blasts kill 20 in Baghdad

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    At least 20 people have been killed and 80 others wounded in car bomb and roadside bomb attacks in Iraq , police said. The attacks occurred in a period of one hour Saturday night and were mainly focused on Shiite neighborhood around Baghdad, xinhua reported. So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.…

  • Rouhani to visit Turkey

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    Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to pay his first visit to Turkey Monday in a bid to improve bilateral ties between the two countries that have been strained by the developments in Syria, media reported Saturday. It is Rouhani’s first visit to Turkey since Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s presidential tour in 1996. During Rouhani’s visit…

  • Protest’s ahead of Sisi inauguration

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    Supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi staged several rallies around Egypt Friday, two days ahead of the expected inauguration of President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after his landslide victory in the elections held late in May. The rallies, under the theme “The military think it (Egypt) is their own backyard”, was organised by the National…

  • Visit visa conversion rule

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    The conversion of a visit visa into a permanent residency permit for family members of expatriates is not a rule and can only be done in the rarest of rare cases only with the approval of the Interior Ministry. Col. Mohammed Al-Hussain, spokesman of the Passport Department in the Makkah region, said such procedures fall…

  • Qatari plan for UK site

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    A Qatari-backed plan to redevelop a central London site next to the River Thames has been given the go-ahead by the British government, ending months of uncertainty about the project after it was subjected to a review. According to a Reuters report, the start of building had been delayed after the government intervened to consider…

  • Gulf:new era of travel

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    Saudi Arabia will constitute 60 percent of the GCC population by 2030, according to a report which was released during a panel discussion in Dubai. The report says the Saudi population is very tech savvy and 42 percent of leisure travelers plan trips via their smartphones. The coming-of-age of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s young…

  • UN chief urges Israel to freeze settlements

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    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday called on Israel to “heed the calls of the international community to freeze settlement activity”, as he voiced his deep concern over further construction by Isreal in West Bank. “The secretary general is deeply concerned by reports that Israeli authorities have issued tenders for the construction of over 1,400…

  • KSA’s first marine park

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    Jeddah is building the first marine park at Dhahban on the shores of the Red Sea, 40 km from the city. The groundbreaking project, which was under study for the last four years, was announced by the Jeddah Municipality.Dhahban is a popular picnic spot frequented by Saudi citizens especially fish lovers who visit the area…

  • Palestine raps Israeli settlement

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    Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu-Rudeineh on Thursday strongly condemned the announcement of the Israeli authorities to build 1,500 new housing units in West Bank and Jerusalem. The new settlements come at a time when the world has declared support for the Palestinian national unity government, Abu-Rudeineh said in remarks, according to Palestinian WAFA news agency.…

  • It’s official – Syrians want Assad!

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    Syria’s incumbent President Bashar al-Assad has won a third seven-year term in office in the presidential elections that took place Tuesday, the Syrian parliament announced on Wednesday. A parliament speaker said that 1,319,723 people voted for Assad, which made about 88.7 percent of the votes. On Tuesday, Egypt’s Sissi wins the elctions bt securing about 97%…

  • WFP helps Palestine in food insecurity

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    Naifa, a 47-year-old mother from Khan Younis in southern Gaza was cut off from her family’s farmland following the blockade in 2007. “We were living a decent life before with a stable income. All of a sudden we had to adjust,” recalls Naifa whose elderly husband cannot work and she shoulders the responsibility of providing…

  • LuLu , FELDA Malaysia ink pact

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    The LuLu Group has signed an MOU with Malaysia’s Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), the world’s most successful land development and resettlement agency, for the establishment of LuLu Hypermarkets in Malaysia. The memorandum was signed by the Director General of FELDA, Y. Bhg. Datuk Faizoull Ahmad and Mr. Yusuff Ali M.A., Managing Director, LuLu Group…

  • Saudi to build $1.6 bn mall

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    Dubai-headquartered Al-Futtaim group, a leading diversified conglomerate operating across 30 markets, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Riyadh-based Kayannat Real Estate Company to create Saudi Arabia’s biggest shopping mall, Al Diriyah Festival City, in a landmark agreement designed to redefine the capital city’ retail landscape. Omar Al-Futtaim, Vice Chairman, Al-Futtaim group and Fahad…

  • Bahrain to build over 40,000 homes

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    Bahrain is planning to construct more than 40,000 houses to be funded by the government to face growth in its population, according to the Gulf country’s deputy prime minister.  Contractors told to ensure they comply with tenders for such projects.says a Emirates 24|7 2014 report. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said contractors wishing to…

  • India relaxes rupee remittance limit

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    The Reserve Bank of India has relaxed some of the foreign exchange regulations it had introduced last year following a sharp decline of Indian currency. Under the revised rules the RBI has raised the annual investment ceiling for individuals to $125,000 from $75,000. In last August the RBI had reduced the ceiling from $200,000 to $75,000 per…

  • KSA to excavate 500,000oz of gold

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    Saudi Arabian Mining Company ( Maaden ) is planning to excavate 500,000oz of gold across the Kingdom, including in Madinah region, announced its president and CEO Khalid Al-Mudaifer at the Mining Investment Opportunities Forum . According to a report in the Saudi Gazette 2014, he said Maaden is also considering introducing downstream operations to the…

  • Dahiya to head top Ajman hotel

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    The Ajman Palace Hotel & Resort appoints Indian national Deepak Dahiya as its new Director of Sales & Marketing, says a press release.Dahiya is tasked with driving new business into Ajman’s first five-star certified hotel, The Ajman Palace Hotel & Resort – is managed by HMH-Hospitality Management Holdings. Deepak joins The Ajman Palace Hotel &…

  • India backs Palestine unity government

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    India Tuesday said it supported the formation of the Palestine unity government and hoped the dialogue with Israel is resumed at the earliest towards a mutually acceptable political solution. In a statement, the external affairs ministry spokesperson said the formation of the unity government is in keeping with India’s stance of supporting the reconciliation efforts…

  • Syrians cast ballots

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    Syria kicked off its presidential election Tuesday, with voters casting their ballots for the country’s three presidential candidates. The three candidates are incumbent President Bashar al-Assad, former minister Hassan al-Nouri and lawmaker Maher Hajjar, Xinhua reported. Syria’s interior ministry said that more than 15 million registered voters will cast their ballots at 9,610 polling stations…

  • Israel boycotts unity government

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    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the international community Sunday not to recognise the Palestinian unity government set to be announced Monday. “I call on all the responsible entities in the international community not to go ahead and acknowledge a Palestinian government which includes Hamas,”  quoted Netanyahu as saying in a statement. “Hamas is a…

  • Civil war costs Syria $143.8-bn

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    Asian Lite, leading newspaper in the UK, can report that Syria has suffered $143.8-bn economic loss due to civil war Syria has suffered $143.8 billion in economic losses due to the continuing civil war in the country, according to a new UN report. The joint report by the Syrian Centre for Policy Research and the UN…

  • Dubai to overtake Heathrow

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    Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said Dubai will overtake Heathrow as the world’s busiest  airport. “In 2013 Heathrow handled 67.3m international passengers. We handled 66.4m,”  Griffiths told London’s Sunday Times. “Heathrow’s international passenger numbers are growing by about 2.7% a year. We are growing by 15.5%, so we will be well ahead by the…

  • Sisi bags 96% in Egypt polls!

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    Former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has won an overwhelming victory in Egypt’s presidential election, according to provisional results, BBC reported. Sisi gained over 96% of the vote with ballots from most polling stations counted, state media say. However, turnout is expected to be around 45% despite a massive push to get more people to…

  • Dubai’s Big Heart Education Drive

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    Mirdif City Centre in Dubai has become a magnet for families and philanthropists, all coming together as one to raise money for approximately 1.2 million Syrian refugee children without education during a fund raising drive running until May 31st. Fundraising events by the Big Heart Campaign are led by its patron, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher…

  • Tit for tat expulsion of envoys

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    In retaliatory move, Syria declared the Jordanian charge d’affaires in Damascus persona non grata, a statement said. Syrian voters overseas are scheduled to cast their ballots May 28; those inside the war-torn country are to vote June 3 The foreign ministry said this was in retaliation for Jordan’s “unwarranted” and “strange” decision to expel the…

  • UAE role in philanthropy lauded

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     Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Co-operation and President of Zayed University, has said that the decision of the wise leadership to establish the Ministry of Development and International Cooperation supports the achievement of the U.A.E. in the global arena of philanthropy and the unification of the efforts of Emirati…

  • Hamas, Fatah agree on Palestine PM

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    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah Party and the Hamas movement have agreed on Rami Hamdallah as the prime minister of the transitional unity government, a Hamas official said. “We officially agreed that Rami Hamdallah will be the premier of the unity government… We also agreed on a number of ministers and we will continue our…

  • Egyptians go to poll

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      Egyptian voters started casting their ballots on Monday across the country in the first presidential election following the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Former military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who led Morsi’s overthrow, and leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahi are the only two contestants in the race, Xinhua reported. The former military chief garnered…

  • UAE pays tribute to GCC creators

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    On the 33rd anniversary of Cooperation Council for Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), the UAE Federal National Council (FNC) issued a statement paying tribute to the leaders of GCC member countries who launched the pan-Gulf entity in Abu Dhabi on May 25, 1981. FNC lauded the leaders’ far-sighted vision, sincere determination and faith in the…

  • Iran hangs tycoon for fraud

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    Mahafarid Amir Khosravi, also known as Amir Mansour Aria, a billionaire businessman at the heart of a $2.6 billion state bank scam, was executed on Saturday, Iranian state television reported. Authorities put Khosravi to death at Evin prison, just north of the capital, Tehran, the station reported. The report said the execution came after Iran’s…

  • Work goes on at Makkah Gate

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    The SR160bn Makkah Gate housing project will accommodate about 800,000 people when it is completed in 15 to 20 years, Saudi Gazette has reported. The Makkah Gate Co, a non-profit firm owned by the Al-Balad Al-Ameen Development and Urban Regeneration Co, the investment arm of Makkah Municipality, said the project will accommodate all citizens who…

  • Pope Francis begins Middle East tour

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    Pope Francis arrived in Jordan Saturday to begin his Middle East tour in which he aims to boost ties with Muslims and Jews and ease an age-old rift within the branches of Christianity, media reported. Pope Francis will also meet Muslim and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, BBC reported. A rabbi and an imam will accompany…

  • Analysis – Security at North Africa

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     Suresh Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of African Studies, Delhi University, says tinderbox situation prevails  in North Africa: Can have dangerous spillover effects ? The region of Sahara and Sahel in northern Africa is currently undergoing dramatic changes, and faces serious security threats and escalating tensions. Several cases and developments reflect this critical situation — from the upsurge…

  • Sharjah Charms Visitors

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    A U.A.E. paper has said that developmental projects are in full swing giving, every reason for visitors and residents of Sharjah to smile. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has stated that he is personally keen on drafting parks and roads because all these projects would eventually…

  • Qatar to host Arab Water Meet

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    The State of Qatar will host the Second Arab Water Conference from 27-29 May 2014 under the auspices of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation in cooperation with the Arab Ministerial Water Council. This prestigious conference is being held under the patronage of HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of…