Tag: Saudi Arabia

  • FIFA World Cup 2022: Saudi Arabia defeats Argentina 2-1

    FIFA World Cup 2022: Saudi Arabia defeats Argentina 2-1

    Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina with two second-half goals to beat one of the pre-tournament favourites in their opening World Cup match on Tuesday, marking the first upset of the 2022 edition of the sport’s biggest event.

    The 35-year-old Messi converted a penalty in the 10th minute of his sixth and last attempt to win the one major title that has eluded him during a dominant first half in which he and Lautaro Martinez also had three goals disallowed for offside.

    However, at the start of the second half, Saudi Arabia, the tournament’s second-lowest-ranked squad after Ghana, threw caution to the wind and charged at Argentina’s defence in front of an enthused 88,012 spectators.

    Salem Al-Dawsari curled in a scorching rocket from the edge of the penalty box in the 53rd minute, leaving Argentina and Messi in the Group C opener looking completely shell-shocked. Saleh Al-Shehri sneaked in a low attempt in the 48th minute.

    After that, Saudi Arabia had lots of possession, but Argentina was unable to break them down. Saudi Arabia was playing in their sixth World Cup, but they had never won the opening match.

    The Lusail Stadium hosted the game in a remarkable atmosphere, with thousands of Saudis crossing the border to support their team joining Argentina’s customarily large and boisterous fan base.

    “Our team fulfils our dreams!” and “Where is Messi? We beat him!” the green-clad Saudis chanted over and over in the Lusail Stadium, on their feet and greeting every clearance from their defence with a deafening roar.

    Both teams still have Mexico and Poland to play, but Argentina needs to act quickly if Messi hopes to match Diego Maradona’s immortality in his native country by winning the World Cup.

    The outcome ended Argentina’s incredible 36-match winning streak and prevented them from breaking Italy’s previous mark of 37 games without a loss for an international team.

  • Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    The Biden administration has said that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident who wrote critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post.

    A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, “This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law. It has nothing to do with the merits of the case.”

    Moreover, the Justice Department of the country had “determined that defendant bin Salman, as the sitting head of a foreign government, enjoys head of state immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts as a result of that office.”

    After the news, Khashoggi’s ex-fiancée Hatice Cengiz tweeted: “Jamal died again today”.

    Earlier, lawyers for the prince asked in a petition requesting a federal district court in Washington to dismiss the case, citing other cases where the United States has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state

    In 2018, Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an operation that US intelligence believed was allegedly ordered by the crown prince who has repeatedly denied involvement in the past.

    When the incumbent US President Joe Biden took charge of the presidency, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince and instead focus on his engagements with King Salman.

  • Pakistan to receive $13 billion in financial assistance from China and Saudi Arabia

    Pakistan to receive $13 billion in financial assistance from China and Saudi Arabia

    Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister of Finance, has said that Pakistan’s two closest friends, China and Saudi Arabia, will contribute a multibillion-dollar financial package to assist Pakistan with its shaky economy.

    According to the Finance Minister, both countries will grant Pakistan a $13 billion package.

    According to The News, Dar went on to say that China intends to contribute $8.8 billion in assistance, including loan rollovers, during the current fiscal year, and that it will also roll over $4 billion in deposit returns.

    In addition, Ishaq Dar indicated that it will provide $3.3 billion in commercial loans and $1.45 billion in additional financing.

    Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is expected to contribute an extra $4.2 billion in aid, including $3 billion in new reserves and a delayed payment oil facility, according to the Finance Minister. He declared that the Kingdom would construct a petrochemical facility in Gwadar.

    Furthermore, the Minister stated that both countries have guaranteed Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif, of their support and will continue to do so till June 2023.

    Furthermore, China has promised that construction on CPEC’s key railway projects, Main Line 1 (ML-1) and Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), will begin shortly.

  • Video: Saudi Arabia celebrates Halloween in a ‘Scary Weekend’

    Video: Saudi Arabia celebrates Halloween in a ‘Scary Weekend’

    Halloween was celebrated in Saudi Arabia with crowds of people dressed up in spooky attire, attending a party in the country’s capital, Riyadh.

    As part of the continuing Riyadh Season, the “Scary Weekend” event was held on Thursday and Friday at Riyadh’s Boulevard.

    The Boulevard was transformed into a costume party with free admission for dressed-up guests as long as they donned frightful attire.

    The event was held as part of the ongoing Riyadh Season in the Saudi capital. The intention was to create an environment that was enjoyable, thrilling, and exciting as visitors learned the backstories of the various character costumes.

  • PM Shehbaz promises to mend relations with the US

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has promised that the federal government is trying to mend relations with the United States (US).

    Addressing the passing out parade of the Specialised Training Programme (STP) in Islamabad, the Premier said that in the last few years, Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries had suffered. However, he promised that he was making all-out efforts to mend ties.

    He said that he is going to China soon as the northern neighbor, “always stood with Pakistan”.

    The Prime Minister, who just concluded a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, said that that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud would soon be visiting Pakistan, adding that he has expressed willingness to support development projects in the country.

    “Earlier this year, a team from the Saudi Development Fund visited Pakistan. During a meeting with me, they complained about delays in projects in Pakistan caused by the previous government,” he recalled.

    Shehbaz Sharif said that during his meeting with Prince Salman he had apologised for these delays. “He [Prince Salman] said that the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are closely bound together in a relationship. We are like one family and I am ready to do everything. These were his words,” the Prime Minister recounted to the audience.

    Hence, he added, when the crown prince visits Pakistan, “I want all of you to welcome him warmly because he comes from a brotherly country.”

  • ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting at the Royal Palace of Riyadh.

    During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the bond between both Islamic countries, reports Radio Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz thanked the Saudi leadership for extending assistance to Pakistan during the recent devastating floods, particularly for establishing the air bridge between Riyadh and Islamabad to provide relief goods in flood-affected areas.

    Meanwhile, crown prince Salman termed the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia very important for the two countries as well as for the region and the world.

    Taking to Twitter, PM Shehbaz described the meeting as “excellent”. He said, “We agreed to upgrade and enhance bilateral ties and fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to new heights in line with the requirements of the changing world. I told the crown prince that people of Pakistan are eagerly looking forward to his visit,” he added.

    Later, the premier and his accompanying delegation performed Umrah at Makkah’s Grand Mosque, where he “prayed for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan as well as Muslim ummah.”

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia and highlighted the importance his government attaches to enabling the participation of Pakistani youth to become agents of change in the technology world.

    In his address with attendees at the sixth edition of the FII summit, Sharif called the conference a “remarkable” forum launched by his Saudi “friends.”

    “For the investment in solar and wind energy projects in Pakistan, I am standing before you, inviting you to please come forward and invest in these fields”, PM said on the occasion.

    PM Shehbaz landed in Riyadh on Monday where he was received by Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud at the airport. The premier is accompanied by several federal ministers. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and other officials are with him.

    The Saudi Crown Prince is likely to visit Pakistan on an official visit in November.

    The last time the crown prince visited Pakistan was in February 2019 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • Saudi Arabia to set up $12 billion refinery, petrochemical complex in Pakistan

    Saudi Arabia to set up $12 billion refinery, petrochemical complex in Pakistan

    The government has convinced Saudi Arabia to resume a significant project to build a cutting-edge deep conversion refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan.

    A high-ranking team from the kingdom led by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman will visit Pakistan in the final week of November, when a formal announcement is anticipated in this regard, according to a top official at the Energy Ministry.

    According to Geo, the Pakistani government reportedly made a tremendous effort to convince the kingdom to uphold the memoranda of understanding and invest in Pakistan. Riyadh and Washington are at odds over a reduction in the supply of oil on the world market, and Islamabad has thrown its support behind Riyadh in this dispute.

    Saudi Arabia signed MoUs in February 2019 during Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan for an investment of $21 billion in a number of economic sectors, including the $12 billion deep conversion refinery and petrochemical complex project.

    At this regard, the Saudi oil tycoon Aramco also carried out research, which concluded that building a refinery in Gwadar was not practical. However, the official claimed that it may be erected in Hub, Balochistan, or close to Karachi.

    Later, the insider claimed, when relations between Imran Khan’s administration and Saudi Arabia became tense, the kingdom’s top leaders essentially put $21 billion in MoUs on hold that had been inked in February 2019.

    According to the source, the Ministry of Petroleum is currently updating the draught for the refining policy in order to attract investment for the construction of new refineries.

    In addition to broadening the tax holiday’s application, the government is considering offering investors profitability at 14–15% instead of the 9% that was previously promised in the PTI administration’s plan for policy refinement.

  • Aiman-Muneeb, Feroze Khan celebrate Eid Milad-ul-Nabi in Madina, share precious moments

    Aiman-Muneeb, Feroze Khan celebrate Eid Milad-ul-Nabi in Madina, share precious moments

    Celebrity duo Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt celebrated the 12th Rabi ul Awal in Madinah with daughter Amal and Muneeb’s siblings. The Baandi duo shared some special pictures from the Holy City on Instagram.

    Aiman Khan jets off to Mecca to perform Umrah with husband Muneeb Butt and family, share pics from 'dream trip' - Showbiz Pakistan

    Aiman Khan And Muneeb Butt Spend 12th Rabi ul Awal In Madinah

    Aiman Khan And Muneeb Butt Spend 12th Rabi ul Awal In Madinah

    Other celebrities like Feroze Khan, Dua Malik and Noor Bukhari also t posted pictures from their trip to Makkah and Madina. They all were spotted there with families. The celebrities thanked Allah Almighty for giving them an opportunity to perform Umrah in Makkah.

    Feroze Khan Ex Wife Aliza Posts About Bearing Trials & Tests At Young Age | Reviewit.pk

    The celebrities performed mandatory rituals along with their families and celebrated the birth of Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) in the holy cities.

  • 63-year-old man marries 53 times in ‘search of peace’

    63-year-old man marries 53 times in ‘search of peace’

    A 63-year-old Saudi man has claimed that he tied the knot 53 times for ‘stability’ and ‘peace of mind’ but not ‘personal pleasure.’

    The man named Abu Abdullah, while talking to Saudi-owned television said that he is now married to just one woman and does not plan to remarry.

    “When I married for the first time, I did not plan to marry more than one woman because I felt comfortable and had children,” he said while recalling details of his first marriage.

    “But after a while, problems arose. I decided to marry again when I was 23 years old and informed my wife of my decision.”
    “I married 53 women over long periods. The first was when I was 20 years and she was six years older than me,” he said.
    According to him, his shortest spell of marriage was for one night. “Every man in the world wishes to have one woman and remain with her forever…. Stability is not to be found with a young woman, but with an old one,” he added.

    “Most of my marriages were to Saudi women.” Abu Abdullah said he had also married foreign women during his overseas business trips. “I used to stay for three to four months. So I married to protect myself from vice,” he said.

    He said that he tried to treat all his wives fairly.

  • PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    PM Shehbaz deposits gifts worth Rs270 million in Toshakhana

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has deposited all the gifts that he has received from foreign leaders worth Rs270 million permanently into the Toshakhana.

    According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, “The premier does not wish to retain any of the gift items presented to him during his visits to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, dated April 28 to April 30, 2022.”

    “The Prime Minister desires that as a policy, all precious gifts should be taken on charge by Toshakhana and consequently be permanently displayed at the PM House. The gifts would be displayed in secure display cabinets, equipped with alarm systems, under the responsibility of the Toshakhana.”

    The gifts included a pair of wristwatches (A. LANGE & SOHNE Datograph Fly back — No 242655 and Rolex — model No 326259TBR Sr No 85C423E3), pair of cufflinks (Chopard), one pen (Chopard), a ring (Chopard) and a rosary (Chopard)

    Furthermore, the PM Shehbaz has directed concerned authorities to make arrangements for displaying the gifts so that the general public can be given knowledge of fraternal ties with friendly countries.

    Formed in 1974, the Toshakhana is a government owned department under the control of Cabinet Division of Pakistan. Its main purpose is to secure gifts received by members of parliament, ministers, foreign secretaries, president and prime minister from foreign dignitaries.