UAE

DUBAI, June 17 (Reuters) - Iranians vote on Friday in a race likely to hand the presidency to a judge sanctioned by Washington for alleged involvement in executions of political prisoners, a result that would cheer the clerical leadership but stir Western human rights concerns.

Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, an ally and protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is favourite to succeed the pragmatist incumbent Hassan Rouhani, forbidden under the constitution from serving a third four-year term.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s presidential election Friday will determine who will lead the country’s civilian government as tensions remain high between the Islamic Republic and the West over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers.

WHO IS RUNNING?

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A militia leader and nephew of Yemen’s late strongman president has acknowledged that his Emirati-backed troops are stationed on an island in a crucial maritime chokepoint where a mysterious air base is now under construction.

The comments by Tariq Saleh come as ship-tracking data show that at least two Emirati-owned vessels have traveled to Mayun Island since an Associated Press story in May highlighted the base’s construction.

Dubai, Jun 15 (AP-PTI) The Middle East's largest airline, Emirates, announced on Tuesday a net loss of USD 5.5 billion over the past year as revenue fell by more than 66% due to global travel restrictions sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dubai-based airline said revenue had declined by USD 8.4 billion, largely due to the suspension of passenger flights at its hub in March 2020 and ongoing restrictions on travel.

13 June 2021; MEMO: About two-thirds of people eligible for inoculation against COVID-19 have now received two doses of the vaccine in Dubai, the tourist and business hub of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said, reports Reuters.

Dubai is the most populous of the seven emirates that make up the UAE and has one of the world's busiest airports.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia announced Saturday this year’s hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement by the kingdom comes after it ran an incredibly pared-down pilgrimage last year over the virus, but still allowed a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual ceremony.

11 June 2021; MEMO: The UAE has come under pressure from the Biden administration to remove China's Huawei equipment from its networks within the next four years or risk termination if its deal with Washington to purchase F-35 jets and drones; a major reason for why the Gulf state normalised ties with Israel last year.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The outgoing chief of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service has offered the closest acknowledgment yet his country was behind recent attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear program and a military scientist.

The comments by Yossi Cohen, speaking to Israel’s Channel 12 investigative program “Uvda” in a segment aired Thursday night, offered an extraordinary debriefing by the head of the typically secretive agency in what appears to be the final days of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule.

10 June 2021; MEMO: Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have been named among the countries that are deporting Uyghur Muslims to China, raising concerns about Beijing's growing reach, CNN reports.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s key stock market suspended trading Wednesday over what it referred to as an unexplained technical glitch.

Saudi state television reported the trades halting on Riyadh’s Tadawul in an urgent on-screen graphic, with an anchor saying officials were trying to fix the problem.

The Tadawul later said trading had resumed, but Saudi state TV said trading remain halted despite the stock market’s statement. There was no immediate explanation for the conflicting statements.