Government | Monday 14 August, 2017 9:56 am

Saudi budget deficit halves as financial reforms kick in

 Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit halved in the first six months of the year following sweeping spending cuts that form part of an ambitious economic reform plan. The deficit shrank by 51 percent to SR72.73 billion ($19.38 billion) which officials said reflected progress made in improving...

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Government | Sunday 13 August, 2017 1:39 pm

Security chief: 9,000 Saudi officers to protect Hajj metro

 As many as 9,000 officers and soldiers will be assigned to protect the “Hajj metro” train service and passengers, a security chief said. The Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro, as the transport service is known, operates for one week a year during the main pilgrimage season. The...

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Government | Sunday 13 August, 2017 1:35 pm

Saudi commission suspends services at main offices of STC, Mobily and Zain for violating rules

The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has temporarily suspended the services of the flagship offices in Riyadh of the Saudi Telecommunication Co. (STC), Mobily and Zain. Violations relating to implementation of the comission’s decision on protecting users have been...

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Government | Sunday 13 August, 2017 1:23 pm

Saudi government agencies present plans to serve pilgrims to Makkah governor

 Government agencies which have been assigned the task of serving pilgrims presented their executive and operational plans for the current Hajj season to Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal on Saturday. The plans aim to provide the best services for pilgrims and facilitate their...

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Government | Thursday 10 August, 2017 12:12 pm

DeG Explores Latest Digital Security Innovations with TRA

Marking a new step in a series of efforts to consolidate the progress of Sharjah government’s cybersecurity and data integration, Sharjah Department of e-Government (DeG) recently held a meeting with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to identify areas of cooperation in the...

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Government | Thursday 10 August, 2017 10:26 am

Kaaba kiswa raised indicating beginning of Hajj season

 Following the annual custom, the lower part of Kaaba garment (kiswa) was raised and tailors covered the exposed part with a white cotton cloth of about two meters across the four sides. This procedure is carried out every year as a precautionary measure to prevent people from damaging the...

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Government | Thursday 10 August, 2017 10:23 am

Saudi official gives assurance of safe Hajj

 Gen. Saeed bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani, assistant interior minister for operations affairs and general supervisor of public security, on Tuesday gave assurances that security forces will provide a safe Hajj pilgrimage. He gave the assurance while chairing the first meeting of commanders of Hajj...

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Government | Thursday 10 August, 2017 10:16 am

Makkah governor: Fourth Ring Road project 75% complete

 More than 75 percent of the Fourth Ring Road project in Makkah is complete, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal said Wednesday during an inspection. The project is being supervised by the region’s development authority and implemented by the Makkah Secretariat. It is an integral part...

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Government | Tuesday 8 August, 2017 12:30 pm

Saudi train fares ‘to be competitive compared to air ticket prices’

Train fares within the Kingdom will be competitive compared to the cost of traveling by air, an official of the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) told local media. Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik, chief executive of SAR, said the Kingdom has completed the majority of its planned railway network, notably in...

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Government | Monday 7 August, 2017 12:33 pm

Riyadh public transport project is 57% complete, says acting governor

 Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdul Aziz, acting Riyadh governor and vice-chairman of the Higher Committee for the implementation of the King Abdul Aziz Project for Public Transport in Riyadh, visited the Riyadh Metro project on Sunday. He was briefed on the developments and working...

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