Author: Editorial Team
TRIPOLI — Hundreds of Libyans gathered outside the UN refugee agency headquarters in Tripoli on Thursday demanding irregular migrants and refugees should leave Libya. Protesters on Thursday called for the closure of the UNHCR headquarters in the city. They were seen holding signs reading: “Our love for our country is not racism” and “Libya is not the world’s garbage bin.” Demonstrators chanted “Libya belongs to Libyans” among other chants. The protesters accused the UN agency of seeking to settle irregular migrants in the North African country. Libya is a key departure point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe by…
During the post-Hajj season, Madinah witnesses a surge in visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque from around the world. These pilgrims are keen to complete their spiritual journey by visiting a number of Islamic and historical sites connected to the Prophet’s life and Islamic history. The Quba Mosque is among the most prominent destinations, considered the first mosque founded on piety. Thousands of worshippers flock to it daily to perform prayers and learn about its historical and religious significance. Al-Qiblatain Mosque also attracts considerable attention due to its historical importance, linked to the change of the Qibla (direction of prayer) from…
Did you miss our latest TahawulTech Friday Brief? Watch the full session and explore the key insights shared during the live discussion. In this edition, Bharat Raigangar, Global Head – AI & Cyber Security, PhoxHealth, joined Sandhya D’Mello, Technology Editor, CPI Media Group, and Daniel Shepherd, Deputy Editor, Technology Division, for an insightful discussion on the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Key topics included:• AI governance and risk management• Building cyber resilience in a rapidly changing threat environment• The role of threat intelligence and digital trust• Balancing compliance requirements with business realities Watch the LinkedIn Live recording now Stay informed with expert perspectives from the…
RAMALLAH — Israeli troopsshot dead an 18-year-old Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Fiday, the Palestinian health ministry said Friday. In the early hours of Friday, the health ministry said it had been informed of “the martyrdom of the young man Haitham Ezzedine Omar Hmeida, 18, by occupation gunfire in the village of Beitin,” north east of Ramallah. It added that the man’s body was being withheld. The report comes a day after Israeli strikes killed at least nine Palestinians in Gaza, a hospital said on Thursday, even as much of the world’s attention was focused on the fighting…
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) central kitchen continued distributing hot meals in the Gaza Strip as part of the Saudi campaign to provide relief for the Palestinian people in the Strip. The kitchen has distributed 24,500 hot meals to the most vulnerable groups in the central and southern Gaza Strip, benefiting 24,500 individuals. These efforts come within the framework of the humanitarian role carried out by the Kingdom through its humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and support affected families amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Source: Riyadh Daily
Georgia Levenson Keohane, CEO, SEDF. NEW YORK — The Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), the impact investing arm of Open Society Foundations, announced a $5 million commitment to the Working Capital Fund III(WCF III), an early-stage venture fund backing technologies that advance transparency, accountability, and equity across global supply chains. The commitment marks a reinvestment by SEDF, which backed WCF in a prior fund, and forms part of WCF III’s initial $31 million close, with a final target of $100 million. The investment also expands SEDF’s human rights and justice portfolio, a thematic area in which catalytic capital can play an…
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Kim Jong Un next week in a trip to North Korea, in his first visit in nearly seven years, according to official media in both countries. China is the largest trading partner and political ally of North Korea, which faces sweeping international sanctions as a result of its nuclear weapons program and alleged human rights violations. The visit comes weeks after Xi received US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. It is expected that Kim will seek more trade over the land border and more Chinese tourists to…
KUALA LUMPUR — A second Malaysian state this week dissolved its assembly and called for fresh elections, setting up a key test of public support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s governing coalition amid signs of internal tensions. The chief minister of Negeri Sembilan announced the dissolution late Thursday, according to state news agency Bernama, paving the way for polls to be held at the same time as those in the southern state of Johor, which disbanded its assembly on Monday. No date has been set yet for either vote. While the state polls will not directly impact Anwar’s majority in…
The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has called on establishments subject to withholding tax in the Kingdom to submit their May 2026 withholding tax forms by June 10, 2026. Submissions must be completed via the authority’s website at zatca.gov.sa to avoid a late payment penalty of 1% of the unpaid tax for every 30 days past the due date. The authority also invited business sector taxpayers seeking further information on withholding tax to contact its unified call center at 19993, available 24/7, or to reach out through X at @Zatca_Care, by email at info@zatca.gov.sa, or via live chat on…
Over the past decade, Middle East countries have sought to emerge as global innovation hubs, with governments across the region making unprecedented tech investments as part of wider economic diversification agendas. To cite just two examples: Saudi Arabia’s announcement of $14.9 billion in technology and AI investments at LEAP 2025 complemented a broader $100 billion AI initiative under Project Transcendence, and the UAE is home to the $15.2 billion Microsoft-backed AI and cloud build-out. The result is a large and expanding market. Digital transformation in the Middle East was valued at approximately $145 billion in 2024, with AI representing more than $40 billion of that total. It is projected to expand more than sixfold…