Follow the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic here
Saudi Arabia will allow fully immunised tourists to enter the country for the first time in 17 months, the country’s Ministry of Tourism said on Sunday.
Visitors are now allowed to enter the kingdom without quarantine if they have two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
Those immunised with the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be allowed to enter if they have also had a booster dose of any approved vaccine.
Entry from the 17 countries on the Saudi travel ban list, which includes the UAE, remains forbidden.
The kingdom’s Ministry of Interior warned Saudi citizens not to travel to any of the countries on the list.
“Anyone who does will be subject to legal accountability upon his return and be banned from travelling for three years,” a representative said.
Kingdom prepares to welcome Umrah pilgrims
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said more than 20,000 pilgrims would “be received from within and without the kingdom to perform Umrah in the upcoming days”.
Pilgrims must be adults, in good health and fully immunised against Covid-19. They must also comply with health protocol.
A total of 500 Umrah agencies and 6,000 foreign Umrah agents are set to receive pilgrims from abroad.
Covid-19 vaccination is also now mandatory to enter government premises and some private buildings in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said public, private and non-profit organisations would not allow unvaccinated employees or visitors to enter their establishments.
“Entry for people under 12 years old is allowed as they are among the groups excluded from vaccinations,” a government spokesman said.
Employers have been told to allow unvaccinated staff to work remotely or let them take leave until they have been immunised.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Commerce said the fine for establishments flouting the safety measures would start at 10,000 Saudi riyals ($2,666) and could reach 100,000 Saudi riyals.
In total, 3,400 establishments were penalised for breaching precautionary measures in July.
More than 27 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the kingdom at 587 vaccination centres.
Twelve deaths and 1,084 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the past 24 hours.
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
MO
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
