Kuwait, UAE Advise Against Travel to Iraq

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stand in front of security forces near the office of prime minister, Baghdad, Iraq, 29 August 2022. (EPA)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stand in front of security forces near the office of prime minister, Baghdad, Iraq, 29 August 2022. (EPA)
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Kuwait, UAE Advise Against Travel to Iraq

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stand in front of security forces near the office of prime minister, Baghdad, Iraq, 29 August 2022. (EPA)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stand in front of security forces near the office of prime minister, Baghdad, Iraq, 29 August 2022. (EPA)

Kuwait has urged its citizens in neighboring Iraq to leave the country.

The state-run KUNA news agency also encouraged those hoping to travel to Iraq to delay their plans over the eruption of violent street clashes between rival Shiite groups in the country.

The Gulf sheikhdom of Kuwait shares a 254 kilometer (158 mile)-long border with Iraq.

Dubai's long-haul carrier Emirates stopped flights to Baghdad on Tuesday over the ongoing unrest in Iraq.

The carrier said that it was “monitoring the situation closely.”

It did not say whether flights would resume for Wednesday.

Fighting erupted in Iraq on Monday after influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced he was quitting political life.

The death toll rose to 22 Iraqis on Tuesday after the unrest erupted the previous day, according to two medical officials.

Iraq's military said four rockets were launched into the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government where armed clashes raged overnight between a militia royal to Sadr and Iraqi security forces.

Sadr's sudden resignation has catapulted Iraq into violence and chaos with no clear path out.

To avenge the killing of unarmed loyalists, Sadr's militia Saraya Salam clashed with Iraqi security forces in the Green Zone using an array of weapons, including mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, two security officials said.

The militia also took over some headquarters belonging to rival Iran-backed militia groups in the southern provinces overnight.

Iraq’s government has been deadlocked since Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority government. His refusal to negotiate with his Iran-backed Shiite rivals in the Coordination Framework and subsequent exit from the talks has catapulted the country into political uncertainty and volatility amid intensifying intra-Shiite wrangling.



Makkah Deputy Governor Carries Out Field Inspection of Grand Mosque Readiness for Ramadan 

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
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Makkah Deputy Governor Carries Out Field Inspection of Grand Mosque Readiness for Ramadan 

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)
Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz is seen during his inspection tour at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. (SPA)

Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz inspected the readiness of the Grand Mosque and its facilities, conducting a field tour to review operational and service preparations for receiving worshippers and Umrah performers during the holy month of Ramadan, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

Prince Saud was briefed on the operational plans implemented by the relevant authorities, including crowd management mechanisms, service enhancements, and facility preparations aimed at ensuring smooth movement and enhancing comfort and safety levels for visitors to the Grand Mosque, particularly during peak times.

He reviewed developmental initiatives and smart services supporting the operational system, notably electric mobility carts for transporting the elderly, persons with disabilities, and those in need of assistance within the Grand Mosque.

The tour also included an overview of the efforts of guidance teams deployed across the corridors and courtyards of the Grand Mosque, providing multilingual assistance and direction.

Prince Saud reviewed the interactive map and digital mobility platform, which allows visitors to plan their routes in advance and identify service locations, entrances and exits, and less crowded pathways.

He was briefed on crowd management systems, including the visitor density sensor platform that measures human density in real time, and the Tawaf and Sa’i crowd status display service, which allows worshippers to select appropriate times to perform rituals with ease. Models of the modern multilingual guidance system were also reviewed.

Prince Saud also visited the Smart Engineering Command and Control Center, which serves as an advanced central platform linking operational systems and monitoring performance in real time, boosting operational efficiency and raising readiness levels during Ramadan.


Saudi Leadership Provides Two Donations Worth SAR150 Mln Through Jood Eskan Platform

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
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Saudi Leadership Provides Two Donations Worth SAR150 Mln Through Jood Eskan Platform

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have provided two generous donations amounting to SAR150 million through the Jood Eskan platform.

The move aligns with the leadership's commitment to supporting all national efforts and initiatives to provide suitable housing for deserving families.

Minister of Municipalities and Housing and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Developmental Housing Foundation (Sakan) Majed Al-Hogail expressed his deep gratitude to the leadership for its unwavering support to all national efforts and initiatives aimed at providing suitable housing for eligible families across the Kingdom.

He noted the effective impact of previous generous donations in achieving the goals of housing development, and motivating individuals and institutions to donate through the Jood Eskan platform that is based on community giving that helps provide decent housing and boosts stability and quality of life for deserving families.


Saudi Crown Prince Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from President of Kazakhstan

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
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Saudi Crown Prince Receives Message on Bilateral Ties from President of Kazakhstan

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA file)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received on Tuesday a written message from President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on bilateral relations between their two countries.

The message was received by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah during a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Yermek Kosherbayev in Riyadh.