Author: Editorial Team

MAKKAH — Hajj Security Forces arrested a Saudi citizen and an Egyptian resident for transporting foreigners without a Hajj permit. A citizen was arrested for transporting three residents, who did not have a Hajj permit, to Makkah. An Egyptian resident was also arrested for transporting a visa holder in violation of Hajj regulations and attempting to facilitate his entry into Makkah. All the arrested six people were referred to the competent authority for the imposition of prescribed penalties. The Ministry of Interior earlier warned that maximum fines of up to SR100,000 will be imposed on anyone transporting holders of any…

A quiet shift is taking place inside UAE classrooms, where the words used to describe women at home are being reconsidered, and in some cases, redefined. Educators are beginning to move away from the term “housewife” in Arabic language lessons, replacing it with phrases that better reflect women’s influence within the family. At the centre of this shift is the phrase Sit Al Bait, meaning “woman of the house”, which carries connotations of leadership, responsibility, and authority within the home. The distinction may seem subtle, but educators say it changes the meaning entirely — from a limited label to one…

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed 4,260 food baskets to needy families in several districts of Shabwa Governorate, Yemen, benefiting 29,820 individuals, as part of the second phase of the emergency food response project in Yemen. This is part of the Kingdom’s humanitarian and relief efforts, through KSrelief, to support the Yemeni people amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Source: Riyadh Daily

JEDDAH — Minister of Justice Walid Al-Samaani inspected the courts in the Jeddah governorate in the Makkah region, including the Enforcement Court, the Criminal Court, and the Commercial Court. The visit formed part of his ongoing monitoring of court operations and evaluation of judicial services. The minister met with several users, listened to their comments and inquiries, and instructed that they be addressed promptly to streamline procedures and improve the user experience. During his meeting with court presidents and staff, Al-Samaani expressed appreciation for the generous support the judicial system receives from the wise leadership. He stressed the importance of…

RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen in Riyadh on Wednesday. During the meeting, the ministers discussed joint efforts to maintain the security and safety of international waterways. They reviewed areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on regional developments. Berendsen reiterated the Dutch condemnation of Iran’s attacks on Saudi Arabia and several countries in the region. Source: Saudi Gazette

What does it take to keep going during uncertain times? Many business founders and CEOs are forced to make tough calls and re-examine leadership that is the need of the hour. Behind every redundancy decision is a calculation that goes far beyond numbers. As businesses navigate uncertainty, founders are being forced to take some of the most difficult decisions of their careers: deciding who stays and who goes. ‘You’re affecting people’s lives’ For Natasha Hatherall, founder and CEO of TishTash Group, these decisions are as personal as they are strategic. “There is no easy way to approach this,” Hatherall said.…

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed 746 food baskets to vulnerable families in Rif Dimashq, Syria, as part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people. This effort forms part of a broader series of relief and humanitarian initiatives carried out by the Kingdom, through KSrelief, to support those in need in Syria. Source: Riyadh Daily

Scott Wilcox, Senior Advisor and Founder, Sicuro Group. Scott Wilcox of Sicuro Group shares a practitioner’s view on how resilience and intelligence are redefining risk in the UAE. The UAE’s rise as a global hub for trade, energy, and digital infrastructure has been matched by a deliberate and highly integrated approach to risk management that prioritises coordination, speed, and real-time decision-making over fragmented or imported frameworks.  From cybersecurity and intelligence to crisis response and business continuity, the country has aligned its risk architecture to address the realities of operating in high-consequence environments. Risk is no longer treated as a compliance…

RIYADH — The Saudi construction cost index recorded an increase of two percent during the last month of March compared to the same month in 2025. This was driven mainly by a 1.9 percent increase in residential costs and a 2.2 percent increase in non-residential costs. The annual construction cost index for the residential sector rose by 1.9 percent last month, driven by a 4.5 percent increase in equipment and machinery rental costs, which in turn was influenced by a 6.1 percent rise in operating costs. Labor costs also increased by 2.7 percent and energy prices by 3 percent along…

JEDDAH — The Saudi Passport authorities have made it easy and quick for six eligible categories of people, in addition to expatriates, to apply for an entry permit to Makkah during the current Hajj season through the Absher Individuals platform. These categories include holders of the Premium Residency, investors, citizens from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, non-Saudi mothers of Saudi citizens, non-Saudi family members, and domestic workers. The service allows these categories of people to get issued an entry permit through completing a few simple steps on Absher. The security forces started on Dhul Qada 1, corresponding to April…