RIYADH: A cross section of Saudis and expatriates said here Sunday that they are entering 2017 with hope of better opportunities rather than fear and despondency.

RIYADH: A plan to map out and implement a media strategy to fight terrorism was given the green light by a high-profile conference of the information ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Wednesday.

RIYADH: As part of a move to impose tighter restrictions on foreigners willing to marry Saudi women, the Saudi government has made it mandatory for foreign nationals to undergo drug testing before marriage.

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s newly designed currency will go into circulation on Dec. 26 in denominations of SR500, SR100, SR50, SR10 and SR5 with coins of different values including SR2 and SR1.

RIYADH: New Saudi banknotes and coins to commemorate the era of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman were officially launched here Tuesday night.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is among the top donor countries with total contributions to the World Bank and its programs for poor countries exceeding $2.2 billion.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Peru, a South American nation with a high human development index, are working on a comprehensive framework agreement to boost cooperation in all sectors following the opening of the Saudi Embassy in the Peruvian capital Lima last year.

A bridge between East and West for the last several centuries, Singapore is synonymous with both rich traditions and modernity – all of which make it a favored destination for many.

RIYADH: A top Saudi scientist has issued an alert about unstable weather conditions in the coming days, warning about moderate to heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and fluctuating temperatures that may drop to 0°C in some parts of the Kingdom.

RIYADH: Terrorists have hijacked Islam and Saudi Arabia will therefore spare no effort to combat terrorism, uproot extremism and drain terrorist and extremist groups of their resources, said Saudi Ambassador to India Saud Mohammed Al-Sati here on Sunday.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has made a payment of SR40 billion it owed to private companies, in less than two weeks after Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, announced a settlement of dues to the contractors.

RIYADH: Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Asheikh supports the idea of mandatory conscription that would see Saudi youths participate in military service.

RIYADH: Foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will this week hold a meeting to draw up the agenda for a summit to be attended by the heads of GCC countries early next month in Bahrain

Heads of state of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold their high-profile summit in Bahrain next month to address critical regional conditions that have prompted the Gulf nations to reposition themselves with an aim to boost their capabilities to ensure peace and security in the Middle East region.

RIYADH: A school-to-work curriculum that focuses on industrialization and manufacturing is giving students a view of several career options ranging from factory staff, like engineers and technicians, to industrialists and entrepreneurs.

RIYADH: The Houthi statement on Saturday that its missile was aimed at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah has drawn widespread condemnation from the diplomatic community.

RIYADH: Singapore's biggest ground handler at Changi Airport, SATS, is investing about SR108 million to build new air cargo facilities at King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) in Dammam. The move is part of an ambitious plan to expand SATS reach in the Asia Pacific and Middle East, said top Singapore officials while speaking to Arab News in Singapore recently.

RIYADH: A flurry of diplomatic activity will be witnessed by the Kingdom during the next few weeks, indicating the readiness of regional and international parties to re-engage with Riyadh in an attempt to resolve issues and challenges facing the Middle East.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Singapore have identified education and health as potential areas of cooperation. “Top Saudi officials will be traveling to Singapore, an island city-state in Southeast Asia, in the near future to explore possibilities to work closely in these sectors,” said Singapore Ambassador Lawrence Anderson, here Saturday.

RIYADH: Saudi businessmen in large numbers will participate in the high-profile international business summit to be held early next year in Gandhinagar, capital of the western Indian state of Gujarat.

RIYADH: The new job evaluation system, recently announced by the Ministry of Civil Services as part of a comprehensive reform plan, is effective from Muharram.

IYADH: Saudi Arabia and Turkey have pledged to boost anti-terror cooperation and work more closely to find solutions to the key regional issues that have tossed the whole Middle East region into turmoil.

RIYADH: A towering figure and accomplished statesman Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is a visionary, a great philanthropist, and above all an epitome of hope for the Kingdom and the whole Middle East region.

RIYADH: A Riyadh-based woman artist has painted a portrait of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and dedicated it on Thursday to members of the public on the occasion of the 86th National Day.

RIYADH: A cross-section of people, including human rights activists and academics, have welcomed on Tuesday the pronouncements made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif in his address at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York.