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Tag: Saudi Arabia

  • Buhari arrives Makkah for Lesser Hajj

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday evening arrived Makkah, Saudi Arabia, at the end of the three-day Future Investment Initiative (FII), held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the President was received by His Royal Highness Prince Bader bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy-Governor of Makkah Region and other government officials at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, at about 7.05p.m (locat time).

    While in Makkah, President Buhari alongside some members of his entourage, will perform the Lesser Hajj and also observe the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

    Before leaving Riyadh today, President Muhammadu Buhari had met behind closed doors with Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

    The President had also on Wednesday met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz where the two leaders expressed their determination for deeper partnership, especially in the areas of oil and gas for the development of both countries.

    Buhari also met with U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin in Riyadh on Wednesday where they had positive discussions on investments in Nigeria under the new United States International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC), which provides 60 billion dollars for investments in developing nations.

    NAN reports that all the meetings were held on the sidelines of the the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit, which ended on Thursday in Riyadh.

    Buhari will on Saturday Nov. 2, proceed to the United Kingdom on a private visit, and is expected to return to Nigeria on Nov. 17.

  • Buhari arrives Saudi Arabia for FII summit

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday arrived Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit slated for between Oct. 29 and Oct. 31.

    The presidential aircraft conveying the president and some members of his entourage landed at King Khalid International Airport at 10.02 p.m (Local Time) with the temperature out at 29 degrees centigrade.

    The Nigerian leader was welcomed at the airport by the Governor of Riyadh Province, Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, other Saudi government officials, the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Muhammadu Dodo, as well as leadership of the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia.

    An earlier statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Spokesman, on Monday, revealed that, on the sideline of the FII summit, Buhari would hold bilateral talks with His Majesty, King Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and His Majesty, King Abdullah ll of Jordan.

    Adesina stated that the President would participate in High-Level Event titled “What is Next for Africa: How will Investment and Trade Transform the Continent into the Next Great Economic Success Story?” with Presidents of Kenya, Congo-Brazzaville and Burkina Faso on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

    FII is an international platform for expert-led debate between global leaders, investors and innovators with the power to shape the future of global investment.

    It is focused on utilising investment to drive growth opportunities, enable innovation and disruptive technologies, and address global challenges.​

    World leaders, investors and innovators will explore the opportunities, trends and challenges shaping the global investment landscape.

    In its third consecutive year, attendees will continue to discuss the role of companies, governments and global institutions in working together to achieve prosperity and growth in the long term.

    The conference will be held under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and chaired by Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

    In 2018, deals signed at the forum reached a total value of 56 billion dollars with American companies, accounting for most of the deals signed, according to Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid Al-Falih.

    At the end of the summit, Buhari will on Saturday, Nov. 2, proceed to the United Kingdom on a private visit.

    The President is accompanied by Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi and Aminu Masari of Katsina State.

    Also on the entourage are; Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and Minister of Communications, Ibrahim Pantami.

    Others include the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar, and the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kolo Kyari.

  • Beat me this time or step aside, Ruiz tells Joshua

    Beat me this time or step aside, Ruiz tells Joshua

    Nigeria born British boxer Anthony Joshua has been told to take a break from boxing should he fail to win in the December 7 rematch against Andy Ruiz Jnr.

    The Mexican himself sarcastically gave the advice while boasting about readiness for the showdown billed for Saudi Arabia.

    Joshua’s defeat was a huge surprise to many with the 29year old 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist admitting he had to ‘grieve’ after that shock loss in June at Madison Square Garden.

    The pair are scheduled to have a huge rematch in December after Ruiz Jnr took Joshua’s three world heavyweight title belts in their initial fight in New York.

    Ruiz Jnr believes he can defeat Joshua once again when they come to blows in Saudi Arabia and has advised the British to step away from the ring if he fails to regain his world titles.

    ‘I think he should take a little break if I beat him,’ Ruiz Jr told Sky Sports.

    ‘Let him recuperate, but one or two losses are not going to make a difference.

    ‘He’s still a warrior, he’s still a great fighter, and I’m sure he’ll bounce back,” he submitted

    Joshua nonetheless remains optimistic that he can reclaim his titles in the all-important rematch that has kept the boxing world waiting

    Recall that Joshua dropped Ruiz Jr. in the third round, for the first time in the challenger’s career. Ruiz Jr. beat the count, and scored his own knock down moments later. Joshua was down again towards the end of the round in a massive turn around.

    At the time of stoppage Ruiz Jr. was leading the fight 57–56 on two scorecards and Joshua was leading 57–56 on the other. It is still considered to be one of the biggest upsets in the history of boxing.

  • Shocking! Saudi Arabia snubs Nigeria, other African countries in new tourist visa eligibility

    Saudi Arabia has snubbed Nigerian citizens and other Africans in terms of eligibility for its new tourist visas.

    The conservative Islamic Kingdom that is trying to boost tourism income said citizens from up to 49 countries can apply through Saudi embassies and consulates across the world. There is no single African country on the list, not even Egypt that is its ally in the blockade of Qatar.

    The countries eligible are USA, Canada, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Malaysia, Austria, Cyprus, UK, Croatia, Estonia, Andorra, Denmark, Germany, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Czech Republic, Holland, Italy, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Greece and Liechtenstein.

    Others are Monaco, Iceland, Malta, Poland, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia,
    Montenegro, Slovakia, Switzerland, Portugal, Sweden, Australia, San Marino, Ukraine, China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

    Citizens from the 49 countries will be eligible to apply for e-visas and visas on arrival.

    Yet in obviously pandering to Europe and North America visitors, the Kingdom, Ahmed Al Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Heritage (SCTH) claimed the country is opening itself to the world.

    “For the first time, we are opening our country to tourists from all over the world. To those thinking of visiting Saudi Arabia, you won’t find a warmer welcome anywhere in the world. And you won’t find a people prouder to share the riches of their land with you”, he said at the launch of the visa scheme in Ad-Diriyah, a Unesco World Heritage Site in Riyadh on Friday.

    “Make no mistake, this is Vision 2030 in action. Under the leadership of his Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, we are delivering; supercharging a non-oil sector that will drive growth and diversify our economy for decades to come,” said Al Khateeb.

    “Saudi Arabia is opening. We are opening our economy. We are opening our society. Now we open our home and open our hearts to guests from around the world. Come, visit Saudi. And let us welcome you to Arabia.”

    Here’s a guide to getting the tourist visas, what to expect, and important points to keep in mind as shared by Gulf News.

    How can you apply for the visa?
    Go to visitsaudi.com to apply for an e-visa; alternatively, contact your nearest Saudi embassy or consulate.

    What documents do you need?

    For E-Visa and Visa on Arrival

    Passport, with a validity for more than 6 months at the time of entering Saudi Arabia
    Address of accommodation, Hard copy of the visa, although a soft copy is advised

    For Consulate-approved visa

    Passport, with a validity for more than 6 months at the time of entering Saudi Arabia, Proof of accommodation, Return ticket, Proof of employment, Bank statement, Supporting information includes: ID, home address, travel itinerary

    Processing time
    E-visa: Time taken to issue an e-visa is 5-30 minutes in most cases.

    At a Consulate: 1-2 business days in most cases.

    How long is the visa valid for?
    The visa is valid for one year with multiple entries, during which you can stay for up to three months per entry.

    A single entry visa allows you to stay for one month in Saudi Arabia.

    What happens if you overstay?
    Overstay fees is SAR 100 for each day of overstay.

    How much do you need to pay?
    The cost of applying for an e-visa or a visa on arrival is 440 riyals (around $117) plus VAT.

    Getting there
    There are 13 international airports and 15 domestic airports in the Kingdom. The international airports are:

    King Khalid International Airport (RUH) – Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) – Jeddah, King Fahd International Airport (DMM) – Dammam, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) – Madinah, Taif International Airport (TIF) – Taif, Abha International Airport (AHB) – Abha, Hail International Airport (HAS) – Ha’il, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz InternationalAirport (GIZ) – Gazan, Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz International Airport (ELQ) – Qassim, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (TUU) – Tabuk, Prince Abdulmohsin Bin Abdulaziz International Airport (YNB) –Yanbu, Al-Jouf International Airport (AJF) – Jouf, Al-Ahsa International Airport (HOF) – Al Ahsa

  • Saudi Arabia to offer first-ever international tourist visas

    Saudi Arabia to offer first-ever international tourist visas

    Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time under a new visa regime to be announced Friday evening, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said.

    The move is part of the kingdom’s efforts to boost tourism.

    Riyadh aims to increase international and domestic visits to 100 million a year by 2030.

    “Opening Saudi Arabia to international tourists is a historic moment for our country,” Ahmad Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, said in a media release on Friday.

    Saudi Arabia has long been one of the hardest countries for tourists to enter, with visas only granted for short-term business trips, religious pilgrimage, or for travellers with family in the country.

    Details about the new visa scheme and wider tourism plans will be announced at a gala event on Friday evening (local time) at Ad-Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Riyadh.

    The ultra-conservative kingdom is on a push to attract holidaymakers as it seeks to diversify the country’s economy and reduce its dependence on oil.

    The tourism announcement comes less than two weeks after drone attacks targeted two facilities operated by Saudi state oil giant Aramco in the eastern province of Buqyaq, forcing the kingdom to halt about half its oil supplies afterwards.

  • Oil facility attack: Trump approves troops, missiles deployment to Saudi Arabia, UAE

    US President Donald Trump on Friday approved the deployment of thousands of American troops to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in response to an attack on Saudi oil facilities.

    The approval was announced at the Pentagon by Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

    He said the deployment was at the request of Saudi Arabia, after its oil facilities were targeted in drone and missile attacks.

    “In response to the Kingdom’s request, the president has approved the deployment of U.S. forces, which will be defensive in nature and primarily focused on air and missile defense, ” Esper said.

    Esper said “all indications” are that Iran was responsible for the attacks. The troops will be deployed in a “defensive posture” to increase security, Esper said, though it was not immediately clear how many additional troops would be sent to the region.

    Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Dunford said it would not be “thousands” of troops.

    Trump had in recent days indicated the administration believed Iran was behind the incident, but officials had refrained from saying so definitively.

  • Photo: Saudi Arabia reveals damage done to oil facilities

    Photo: Saudi Arabia reveals damage done to oil facilities

    Saudi Arabia on Friday revealed extensive damage to key oil facilities following last Saturday’s aerial strikes that were blamed on Iran, but vowed to quickly restore full production even as regional tensions soar.

    Yemen’s Tehran-linked Huthi rebels, who on Friday announced a sudden halt to attacks on Saudi Arabia, claimed the strikes on state giant Aramco’s facilities in Khurais and the world’s largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq.

    But Washington has pointed the finger at Tehran, condemning an “act of war” which knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production and on Friday prompted US President Donald Trump to sketch out the latest in a series of economic sanctions against Iran.

    Abqaiq was struck 18 times while nearby Khurais was hit four times in a raid that triggered multiple explosions and towering flames that took hours to extinguish, Aramco officials said.

    “Many critical areas of the (Abqaiq) plant were hit,” an Aramco official said, pointing out the strikes had a high degree of precision.

    A towering stabilisation column, normally silver, had been charred black with a gaping hole blown in the shaft’s base.

    A separator plant also appeared ravaged in the raids and was surrounded by scaffolding and white-helmeted workers.

    “There are 112 shift workers here in normal times. Now 6,000 workers are involved in restoration work,” said Aramco official Khaled al-Ghamdi, pointing at damaged infrastructure.

    Aramco said it was shipping technical equipment from the US and Europe to speed up repairs.

    Aramco flew dozens of international journalists to the two sites to show it was speeding up repairs, giving rare access to the nerve centre of the world’s largest oil producer as it seeks to shore up investor confidence ahead of a planned initial public offering (IPO).

    “We will have production at the same level as before the strike by the end of this month — we are coming back stronger,” asserted Fahad al-Abdulkareem, an Aramco general manager, during the visit to Khurais.

    Badly warped thick metal piping — peppered with shrapnel during the aerial strikes — lay strewn around the area of the Khurais attack.

  • Drone attack hit half of Saudi oil capacity, more than 5 million barrels a day

    Drone attack hit half of Saudi oil capacity, more than 5 million barrels a day

    Coordinated strikes on key Saudi Arabian oil facilities, among the world’s largest and most important energy production centers, have disrupted about half of the kingdom’s oil capacity, or 5% of the daily global oil supply.

    Yemen’s Houthi rebels on took responsibility for the attacks, saying 10 drones targeted state-owned Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah news agency.

    Yet key questions about the attacks remain unanswered. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pinned the strikes directly on Iran, which backs the Houthi rebels.

    But he said there was “no evidence the attacks came from Yemen.”
    Preliminary indications are that the attacks likely originated from Iraq, a source with knowledge of the incident told a global news agency.

    Iran wields significant influence in southern Iraq, which is situated much closer than Yemen to the affected Saudi sites.

    “Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply,” Pompeo said in a Twitter post.
    A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, rejected the accusation that Tehran was behind the attacks, saying that “blind accusations and inappropriate comments in a diplomatic context are incomprehensible and meaningless.” Iraq denied that its territory was used to launch the attacks.

  • Five Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

    National Hajj Commission of Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed the death of five Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
    The Chairman of the National Medical Team, Ibrahim Kana, released the figure Tuesday in Madinah from the commission’s National Medical Team Electronic Health Medical Records.
    “So far, Nigeria has lost five pilgrims including three females and two males; out of which one died in Madina while the remaining four died in the city of Makkah.
    “They all died of various illnesses including heart and lung diseases.
    “Records shows that so far in both Makkah and Madina, we have made 10, 485 diagnosis with Makkah accounting for over 60 per cent.
    “Additionally, 108 referrals were made to various Saudi Arabian hospitals after keeping 45 pilgrims on observation for variety of illnesses in the four facilities in Madina and another five in Makkah.
    “In order to ameliorate suffering of pilgrims, all the clinics are located within a stone throw to pilgrims’ accommodation in both Makkah and Madina,” he stated.
    Over 150 million drugs had been consumed by Nigerian pilgrims at no cost to them, the record showed.
    “The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria prepared a drug forecast for the entire operation, including drugs for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, donated by the Federal Ministry of Health.

    “The remaining was procured by the commission, both onshore and offshore, following government due process.
    “In terms of the wellbeing of pilgrims so far on the medical side, we are yet to encounter any serious situation or potential outbreak of any disease, except for the extreme temperatures.
    “We admonish our pilgrims to stay indoors as much as possible.
    “If they must go out, they should cultivate the use of umbrellas and consume plenty of cold water,” he said.

    Regarding concerns of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV), Mr Kana said pilgrims were strongly advised to stay away from camels which were the reservoir and vector for the transmission of the disease.
    “We appeal to pilgrims to eat healthy and not patronise illegal food vendors to prevent cases of gastroenteritis as a result of food poisoning.
    “Similarly, pilgrims are strongly advised not to consume stale foods which get easily contaminated as a result of the high temperatures.”
    He also advised pilgrims to attend the health centres opened for them, reminding them that they were free to make use of the free services and called on the health personnel to be cautious and humane to “the guests of Allah.”
    Mr Kana said all the NAHCON clinics were fully computerised, “therefore, pilgrims with the habit of patronising clinics just to receive drugs would not be able to do that this time.”

  • NIMC extends registration to Nigerians in Saudi Arabia, Germany, other countries

    By Gabriel Okoro, Abuja
    The National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) has concluded plans to extend the National Identification Number (NIN) registration to other countries including Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Senegal, Benin Republic, Mali, India, amongst others.
    This follows the successful deployment of enrolment Centres in South Africa, US, UK, earlier this year.
    This was made known to newsmen through a release signed by Abdulhamid Umar, General Manager, Operations/Corporate Commission of NIMC, Abuja.
    According to the release, NIMC has also chosen major cities where the enrolment would take place in stated countries, which have high population of Nigerians, to ensure that more Nigerians are captured into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
    The rollout of additional enrolment centres in these cities is in collaboration with NIMC licensed partners: Dantata Universal Services Nigeria Limited/VFS Global, National e-Authentication/Defcon Systems and Slogani Consults Limited.
    The Commission said it has completed plans in the Middle East to start the registration in Saudi Arabia’s two major cities: Jeddah and Riyadh and in Ghana the exercise will take place in Accra, the capital, Dakar in Senegal, Cotonou and Port Novo in Benin Republic.
    There will also be registration centres in Banjul capital of The Gambia, Bamako in Mali, Ndjamena in Chad, Monrovia in Liberia, Lome in Togo, Abidjan in Ivory Coast and Douala in Cameroon.
    In Germany, the NIN enrolment centre will be deployed in Berlin and Frankfurt, and in Vancouver in Canada, Leicester and London in the United Kingdom and Houston in the United State of America.
    The venue for the registration in Jeddah is TasHeel Commercial Plaza, First Floor-Suwald Bin Sakher Street, Off Jundub Bin Kaab Street, Al Mohammadiyah District 1, Jeddah, KSA.
    In Riyadh the enrolment will take place in Shop 2, Zahra Building Umm al Hamam, Opposite Hyper Panda (Dove Plaza), Umm Al Haman Street, Riyadh, KSA.
    In Accra, Nigerians can register on the First Floor, Atlantic Tower, Airport City, Accra, Ghana.
    While in Dakar, the venue is VFS Global, rez de chausses, Immeeuble atrium centre, km 8 route de Ouakam, Dakar, Senegal.
    In Cotonou, there are two venues. The first is Satguru Travel & Tours Services, Immeuble Satguru, Derriere escape and the second is Feud Stade Matheeu Kerekou, rue pave d’ AGLA, 1er VON a gauche Immeuble MSS Sari.
    In Port Novo the venue is Tokpa ruw en face de project Songhai, ruw de I’ Englise Catholique Charles Ouganda, immeuble Carrefour le Destin.
    The enrolment centres in Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Mali, Chad, Cameroon, Liberia and Benin Republic will be flagged-off on the 29th July 2019.
    In India, registration will take place in three major cities; Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai at the following addresses; Shivaji Stadium Metro Station, Mezzanine Level, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi- 110001, India; No 74, 3rd Floor, Fagun Towers, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore, Chennai-600008, India; Urmi Axis Building, Behind Famous Studio, Opp. E Moses Road, Mahalaxmi (West), Mumbai – 400 01 and will be flagged off on the 31st August 2019.
    The centres in the United Kingdom, Germany, USA and Canada will be flagged off on 1st, 4th, 11th and 14th August respectively.
    Explaining further, the Director General, CEO of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz said that the enrolment of Nigerians in Diaspora is in fulfillment of the NIMC Mandate to enroll all Nigerians, Legal Residents and Nigerians in Diaspora into the National Identity Database (NIDB) and issue them the unique identification number, NIN.
    Aziz added that: “All Licensees are companies that have complied with the requirements for data capture and processing as enshrined in the Laws of the respective countries they operate”.
    The licensed partners include: Biosec Solutions Limited; Slogani Consults Limited; CHAMS Consortium Limited; Defcon Systems Limited/ OIS Services; National eAuthentication Limited/ OIS Services; Thebez Global Resources/ Cox & Kings; Dantata Universal Services/VFS Global; Venn Technology Limited; Kevonne Consults Limited/Iris ID Systems INC.; UGS Technologies Limited/ OrangeHook African Continental/ Carvus; File Solution Limited/ EYE-ID LLC and IRIS Smart Technologies Limited.