Saudi Arabia

09 Aug 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia yesterday sentenced Hamas representative to Riyadh Mohammed Al-Khodari to 15 years in prison, sources reported.

Al-Khodari's son, Hani, was sentenced to three years in prison, according to the family. Some 22 other Palestinians were handed prison terms ranging from five to 25 years.

The Palestinians, who lived in Saudi Arabia, were charged with "supporting the Palestinian resistance and Hamas."

30 July 2021; MEMO: Harrowing accounts of torture by Saudi officials were filed in a Canadian court recently in the ongoing case involving Riyadh's former top intelligence officer, Saad Al-Jabri. The 63-year-old is locked in a bitter legal battle with the kingdom over alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of state funds, which he denies.

29 July 2021; MEMO: The main universities in southern Saudi Arabia have dismissed 106 Yemeni academics after a decision was made to terminate their contracts without prior notice.

According to the Yemen News Portal citing media reports, a directive has demanded that the institutions in the provinces of Baha, Jizan, Najran and Asir be given only four months to terminate all contracts with Yemeni nationals working in those areas, which are close to the border with Yemen, where the kingdom has been waging a devastating war since 2015.

Riyadh; 27 July 2021 (UMMN): Saudi Arabia is to ban travel to ‘Red List’ countries In an efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday.

"The Ministry of Interior stresses that citizens are still banned from travelling directly or via another country to these states or any other that has yet to control the pandemic or where the new strains have spread," the official said.

25 July 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia re-opened the Muslim holy sites for the Umrah pilgrimage as of Sunday, according to the state news agency SPA.

"The Grand Mosque is ready to receive pilgrims and worshipers for Umrah" as of Sunday, July 25, SPA quoted the deputy head of the affairs of the Grand Mosque, Saad bin Muhammad al-Muhaimid, as saying.

He said pilgrims will be received in accordance with the necessary precautionary measures that will ensure the safety of visitors of the Grand Mosque.

Saudi-led coalition forces supporting the Yemeni government announced Sunday that bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and a ballistic missile belonging to Houthi rebels were neutralised, reports Anadolu Agency.

Iran-backed Houthis fired a ballistic missile and dispatched three UAVs to the southern region of Saudi Arabia, but were intercepted by Saudi Airforce, according to a statement issued by the coalition, said Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The Houthis have yet to comment.

22 July 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has sent two planeloads of troops and armoured vehicles to Aden. The military aircraft landed at the southern port city's airport on Monday amid tight security by Saudi forces already stationed there. The troops are reported to have turned off all of the airport lights, said the Yemen Press Agency.

RIYADH, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that it has extended the resident permits and exit/re-entry visas for the stranded foreigners in countries under the Saudi entry ban due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia has banned arrivals from nine countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Lebanon.

The foreigners with Saudi resident permits or visas are also banned from entering the kingdom if they are currently in the nine countries.

RIYADH, Jul 20 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that, the Hajj season is so far free from COVID-19 and other contagious diseases, Al Ekhbariay TV reported.

The Health Ministry Spokesman, Mohammed Al-Abdulaali, told a press conference that, the health condition of pilgrims is reassuring and there is no Hajj-related COVID-19 case in the kingdom.

Health sectors are standing by, to implement the precautionary plans and manage the crowds, he added.

19 July 2021; MEMO: Muslim pilgrims vaccinated against COVID-19 gathered on Sunday for the annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, which has barred worshippers from abroad for a second year running due to the pandemic and has also restricted entry from inside the kingdom, reports Reuters.