Saudi Arabia

Five Saudi women pilots granted GACA licences

Manama - Emiratesvoice

Five Saudi women pilots have obtained licences by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) that allows them to work as captains on Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft. The issuance of licenses to Saudi women is part of GACA’s drive to empower Saudi women to work in the aviation sector in line with the objectives of the International Civil Aviation OrganisationRead more

Iran incapable of closing Hormuz, Bab Al Mandeb

Stavanger, Norway - Emiratesvoice

current US sanctions on Iran are unlikely to stop Iranian oil exports completely, a long-time adviser at Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Tuesday, adding Iran would be unable to close the straits of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb even partially. Speaking at an oil conference in the Norwegian city of Stavanger, Ebrahim Al Muhanna said Iran would be theRead more

Saudi university to open driving school for women

Kuwait - Emiratesvoice

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday said it would allow driving permits for women under a royal decree to take effect in June. Princess Nourah University in Saudi Arabia has said it will open a driving school for women, in a first for the ultra-conservative country after a ban on women driving was lifted. A university in Saudi Arabia has said itRead more

The struggle for gender equality and participation in the Gulf states

Kuwait - Emiratesvoice

What role should women play in society, political, and business leadership is a question at the center of controversy in the conservative Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) where religion, customs, and traditions strongly influence the role of gender in society. Yet there is a growing recognition that to develop the GCC states and overhaul their economies toRead more

Louvre Abu Dhabi replaces Gulf map that omitted Qatar

ABU DHABI - Emiratesvoice

The Louvre Abu Dhabi said Monday it has replaced a map of the Arabian Peninsula that omitted Qatar, embroiled in a months-long diplomatic dispute with its Gulf neighbours. The museum said the map was an "oversight" that had been rectified. The map, one of several aiming at placing exhibits in their geographical context, was located in the children's section ofRead more

UN Yemen envoy to step down next month

Dubai - Emiratesvoice

The UN Yemen envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed will step down as top negotiator for the war-stricken country next month, the international body announced on Monday. A statement released by the United Nations did not name a successor for Cheikh Ahmed, who was appointed special envoy for Yemen in April 2015. Cheikh Ahmed "does not intend to continue in hisRead more

Bahrain Press headlines

Manama - Emiratesvoice

Below are some headlines from Bahrain's newspapers on local events: // HM King receives HRH Premier, ruling out any new fees before restructuring subsidies. // Deputy Premier affirms educational progress at all schooling stages on track. // Interior Minister reveals massive pre-emptive security operation conducted, thwarting assassination plots and oil installation sabotage. // Media progressing in harmony with national developmentRead more

Bahrain arrests 47, charges 290 in mass crackdown

london - Emiratesvoice

Bahraini police said Sunday they had arrested 47 people on charges linked to terrorism, including plots to assassinate "public figures", as well as filing charges against another 290. Authorities have cracked down hard on dissent since mass street protests in 2011 which demanded an elected prime minister and constitutional monarchy in the Sunni-ruled, Shiite majority kingdom. The government accuses ShiiteRead more

Saudi Arabia calls for oil producers

Muscat - Emiratesvoice

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia called Sunday for extending cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers beyond 2018, after a deal to cut output succeeded in shoring up prices. The call, the first explicit invitation by Riyadh for long-term cooperation between oil producers, came with oil prices topping $70 a barrel thanks to the deal, after they dove below $30 aRead more