Author: Editorial Team
TEHRAN — A senior Iranian parliament official said on Thursday that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in its war with the United States and Israel. Hamidreza Hajibabaei, the deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, the first revenues from Iran’s new tolls on shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz have been deposited into the state’s central bank account, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. “We have control over this Strait,” Hajibabaei said, speaking at a public gathering in the western city of Kuhdasht.“If the United States continues on its current…
Like any other weekend afternoon, diners at a Dubai restaurant on Saturday, April 18, were browsing menus, enjoying the view and placing orders—until the emirate’s ruler himself, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, casually walked in. As Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, entered the place, guests soon noticed his presence and quickly raised their mobile phones to take selfies to mark the occasion. Guests and the eatery’s staff clapped to welcome the Dubai Ruler and thank him for this special visit. They stood up while Sheikh Mohammed, who was accompanied by a few…
The Saudi Water Authority (SWA) issued two decisions for violations of the Water Law against two establishments after completing inspection and verification procedures and confirming the violations, in accordance with the published rulings. Decision No. 2159 imposed a fine of SAR100,000 on Anhar Renad International Factory for illegally connecting to the water network in Yanbu, in addition to bearing the full cost of repairing the damage caused and compensating for lost benefits. Decision No. 3012 imposed a fine of SAR30,000 on Hassan Jaber Mohammed Al-Alawi Contracting Establishment for tampering with a sewer network manhole cover and pumping water of unknown…
Vodafone Business recently outlined plans to offer its small business customers advanced cybersecurity and agentic AI services. This offering will be accomplished via the company’s $1 billion agreement with Google Cloud signed in 2024. Flagging a rise in “increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyber threats” facing SMBs, Vodafone Business will roll out a managed detection and response (MDR) service enabled by Google Security Operations, aimed at identifying and mitigating cyber threats in real time. The service will debut in Germany, ahead of a wider European rollout later this year. In parallel, the operator unveiled the Vodafone Business AI Concierge, an agentic…
RIYADH — The General Directorate of Civil Defense has urged the public to exercise utmost caution amid forecast of continued thunderstorms expected across the Kingdom until Tuesday. The directorate called on the people to remain in safe locations, avoid areas prone to flash floods and valleys, and refrain from swimming in them. The directorate underlined the need to adhere to instructions disseminated through various media outlets and social media platforms. The capital city of Riyadh witnessed heavy rainfall on Thursday amidst cloudy skies and strong winds. The rain was accompanied by unstable weather conditions, including reduced horizontal visibility, the formation…
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has secured top global rankings in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025–2026 report, reflecting a highly competitive environment and reinforcing its position as a premier global hub for entrepreneurship. The Kingdom led all high-income economies in Entrepreneurial Finance, highlighting the efficiency of its financing tools for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, Saudi Arabia ranked third globally in the National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI), cementing its status as an elite destination for entrepreneurial investment and growth. Total early-stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) has seen rapid expansion, jumping from 12.1 percent in 2018 to 28.9 percent in 2025.…
After over a month of closure, Dubai’s Global Village is reopening its doors to the public, welcoming visitors again from today 5 pm onwards. Ticket prices start at Dh25 per person. The season was previously scheduled to end on May 10, though it remains unclear whether dates will be extended. In the meantime, here are five experiences visitors should start with: 1. Viral street food that’s taking over social media Food remains one of the biggest draws at Global Village, with several viral favourites making rounds this season. At Taco Loco, visitors can try authentic Mexican birria tacos, slow-cooked and…
On February 28, 2026, it wasn’t just the sound of explosions that shook the region. There was another sound — quieter on the surface, yet far more consequential for the world: the sound of aircraft engines shutting down, one after another, in a moment when the sky itself seemed to be pulled from beneath the maps of international aviation. With the coordinated strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, followed within hours by an Iranian retaliation involving missiles and drones, the fallout didn’t stop at the boundaries of military confrontation. It spread rapidly to the most…
A recent panel of experts concurred that AI agents are a key element in employing the technology accross various network operations, but emphasised concerns over trust and governance must be addressed before they can be used in closed-loop scenarios. Reza Rahnama, MD of mobile networks with BT Group, said it views its networks in their entirety and is using the approach to guide AI deployments. He explained this addresses complexities associated with “creating multiple tools” which do not necessarily possess all of the information required to run its network. Rahnama is clear AI agents are going to be a powerful…
RIYADH — Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and seven other Islamic countries condemned the repeated violations of the historical and legal status quo governing Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem by the Israeli occupation authorities. They expressed particular concern over the continued incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers under the protection of Israeli police, as well as the raising of the Israeli flag within its courtyards. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey reaffirmed that these provocative actions at…