RIYADH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance reopened 19 mosques that were temporarily shut for cleaning after COVID-19 cases were confirmed among worshippers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Coronavirus infections have led to 1,280 mosques in the Kingdom being forced to close in the past 105 days. They were reopened after sanitization measures were completed.
The ministry said on Saturday that six were reopened in Riyadh, three each in Abha and Jazan, two each in Asir and Madinah, and one each in Najran, Tabuk and the Northern Borders.
It added that the cleaning measures were carried out for the safety of worshippers.
The Countries That Pay in the IEAâs Path to Net Zero Emissions
May 23 2021, 3:41 PM
May 23 2021, 10:30 AM
May 23 2021, 3:41 PM
(Bloomberg Opinion) Last week the International Energy Agency laid out a pathway for reaching net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. One feature got a lot of attention: It called for an end to oil exploration and the development of new fields.
(Bloomberg Opinion) Last week the International Energy Agency laid out a pathway for reaching net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. One feature got a lot of attention: It called for an end to oil exploration and the development of new fields.
LONDON: Martin Bashir, the BBC journalist who tricked princess Diana into giving an explosive interview, on Sunday apologized to Princes William and Harry, but said claims linking his actions to her death were “unreasonable.”
A report by retired senior judge John Dyson published on Thursday found that Bashir commissioned faked bank statements that falsely suggested some of Diana’s closest aides were being paid by the security services to keep tabs on her.
Bashir, 58, then showed them to Diana’s brother Charles Spencer in a successful bid to convince him to arrange a meeting between himself and Diana and earn her trust.
RIYADH: Saudi Cable Co. said first-quarter losses narrowed as its auditor revealed a claim from extra zakat liabilities of almost SR200 million ($53 million).
The provider of energy and telecoms cables posted a net loss of SR35.9 million for the first three months of the 2021, down from SR43.2 million a year earlier and SR46.6 million in the previous quarter, it said in a Tadawul filing.
Revenue increased 7.2 percent year on year to SR63.9 million, but was down 10.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2020.
The General Authority for Zakat and Tax (GAZT) has made a claim of SR199.8 million for additional zakat from previous years, which Saudi Cable is disputing and has not included any provision for in its financial results, its auditor said in the filing.
CAIRO: Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes Holding is targeting minority stakes in startups after its acquisition of a majority stake in state-owned Arab Investment Bank (AIB), its chief executive said on Sunday.
The acquisition of the 51 percent stake, approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, will be finalized in the third quarter, CEO Karim Awad told Reuters.
It is Egypt’s first privatization since 2006, when it sold a majority stake in Bank of Alexandria.
EFG Hermes, Egypt’s biggest investment bank, will use internal resources to buy new AIB shares worth 2.55 billion Egyptian pounds ($163 million), Awad said.
The Sovereign Fund of Egypt will also buy new shares worth 1.25 billion pounds, increasing AIB’s capital to 5 billion pounds, while the current owner, state-owned National Bank of Egypt, will retain a 24 percent stake.