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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Suspends UAE, Vietnam and Ethiopia Flights Due to Virus Variant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Suspends UAE, Vietnam and Ethiopia Flights Due to Virus Variant

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia has suspended flights to three countries, including the UAE, to protect against a coronavirus variant, the interior ministry announced Saturday.

The move comes seven weeks after the Kingdom permitted fully immunized citizens to travel abroad, after a ban on foreign trips that lasted more than a year.

Flights to and from the UAE, alongside those to Ethiopia and Vietnam, will be suspended from Sunday, an interior ministry official said, according to state news agency SPA.

Saudi citizens and residents returning from these countries will be required to quarantine for 14 days, it added.

Citizens would be banned "from travelling directly or indirectly, without obtaining prior permission from... authorities".

The decision was taken due to "the spread of a new mutated strain of the (Covid-19) virus."

According to AFP, the variant, first detected in India and now present in at least 85 countries, is the most contagious of any Covid-19 variant yet identified.

The UAE announced last week it had recorded cases of the Delta variant and it has suspended flights to and from India.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns Repeated Iranian Attacks on UAE Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Repeated Iranian Attacks on UAE Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's strongest condemnation of the targeting of two ADNOC tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, describing repeated Iranian attacks against commercial vessels as reprehensible.

In a statement, the ministry stressed that these repeated attacks constitute a dangerous escalation, a direct threat to maritime navigation safety and global energy security, and a grave violation of international law, SPA reported.

It noted that the aggression blatantly defies UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the freedom of commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and condemns any actions obstructing it.

Holding Iran fully responsible for the consequences of its ongoing violations, the Kingdom demanded an immediate halt to these attacks and adherence to international laws. It emphasized that regional security and maritime safety are shared responsibilities, warning that continuing such actions is intolerable.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, affirming its steadfast support for all measures it takes to protect its sovereignty, security, and resources.

Gulf

Saudi Leadership Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day

(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
(R) Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, (L) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
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Saudi Leadership Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day

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

The Saudi leadership congratulated Pakistan on its Independence Day, reaffirming the strong and longstanding ties between the two countries and their peoples, the Saudi Press Agency said Friday.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud sent a cable of congratulations to President Asif Ali Zardari, wishing him continued good health and happiness and the government and people of Pakistan steady progress and prosperity.

King Salman also praised the strong relations binding the two countries and peoples, highlighting the shared commitment to advancing cooperation across all fields.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, also sent a cable of congratulations to President Zardari on Pakistan’s Independence Day. The Crown Prince similarly wished the Pakistani president good health and happiness and the government and people continued progress and prosperity.

 

 

 

Gulf

UAE Condemns ‘Hostile Iranian Attack’ on 2 ADNOC Vessels in Hormuz Strait

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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UAE Condemns ‘Hostile Iranian Attack’ on 2 ADNOC Vessels in Hormuz Strait

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

The United Arab Emirates on Friday blamed Iran for attacks on two vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.

The UAE foreign ministry denounced what it called "the hostile Iranian attack" targeting two vessels affiliated with ADNOC "with no injuries reported.”

ADNOC confirmed "two of its vessels were attacked while transiting" the waterway on Thursday evening, adding the situation was "brought under control,” Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Continued attacks in the strait led to the collapse of an April ceasefire between the United States and Iran.