Author: Steven Sahiounie

RIYADH: Abu Dhabi’s airports saw around 22.4 million travelers in 2023, a 40 percent increase from the previous year,

RIYADH: Private sector employment in Saudi Arabia reached 11.4 million by the end of June, marking a 1.24 percent increase from April.

RIYADH: More than 120,000 commercial registrations were issued by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce in the second quarter of 2024, marking a 78 percent year-on-year increase.   

RIYADH: Middle Eastern airlines saw a 9.7 percent annual growth in passenger demand in May fueled by an increase in Asia-related travel

Students at the University of Toronto have cleared out an encampment ahead of a court-ordered deadline to leave. The move came a day after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted the university an injunction to tear down the encampment, and gave Toronto police the authority to remove and arrest anyone who did not comply with the 6pm (22:00 GMT) deadline, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported. It quoted Mohammad Yassin, an encampment organiser, as saying: “We refuse to give the Toronto Police Service any opportunity to brutalise us.” “We are leaving on our own terms to protect our community…

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer formally took office as UK prime minister and received a mandate from King Charles III to form a cabinet, according to a video of the king’s audience released by Buckingham Palace. Starmer, 61, will now go to his Downing Street residence and address the nation as prime minister. He is the third UK prime minister during the reign of Charles III who took the throne less than two years ago. Starmer’s predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak, led the cabinet from October 25, 2022 until this Friday. Starmer took over as head of cabinet following the…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that the ruins of Gaza are emblematic of the lost legitimacy of the international order. In a passionate address at the 24th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Erdogan highlighted that over 16,000 Palestinian children have been killed and nearly 90,000 others injured as a result of Israel’s indiscriminate attacks in Gaza. Calling for immediate action, Erdogan called for pressuring Israel to accept a ceasefire to halt the destruction, asserting, “Pressure must continue and increase on its government.” He emphasized the necessity for justice and global fairness, acknowledging states that earnestly advocate…

Iranians have headed to the polls in the runoff presidential election, a week after none of the candidates could secure the majority of votes in the snap election. Polling stations opened at 8 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) on Friday and are scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. (1430 GMT), with the possibility of extensions by Interior Ministry. The final result will be announced on Saturday, although initial figures may come out sooner. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballot at a polling station in Tehran just as the voting began The runoff follows the June 28 election…

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia next Monday and Tuesday, the Kremlin announced on Thursday. The two leaders will discuss “prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as relevant issues on the international and regional agenda,” the Kremlin said in a statement. Russia and India have had strong bilateral relations since the Cold War, and New Delhi has acted as Moscow’s key trading partner since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the relationship between the two countries has become tense due to Russia’s close developments with India’s primary competitor, China.…

Sources disclosed to Al Mayadeen on Friday that the Chinese ambassador in Doha has conveyed to the Hamas leadership that President Mahmoud Abbas has approved the resumption of Palestinian national dialogue in Beijing. The same sources also reported that Hamas has once again accepted China’s invitation for another round of national Palestinian talks. Additionally, they indicated that the Fatah movement is seeking another meeting with the Hamas delegation before proceeding to expanded talks, while Hamas intends to build upon the outcomes of the previous talks. Al Mayadeen’s sources further stated that while no specific date has been set for the national dialogue in Beijing,…