An aerial view of the holy Kaaba and the Grand Mosque compound during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 02 September 2017. Two accused Mossad agents are alleged to have plotted an attack during the holiday, according to a Saudi court. Mast Irham / EPA
An aerial view of the holy Kaaba and the Grand Mosque compound during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 02 September 2017. Two accused Mossad agents are alleged to have plotted an attack durShow more

Saudi Arabia begins trial of two accused Mossad spies over Hajj plot

The Jordanians are alleged to have planned an attack against the kingdom

The National

April 30, 2018

A Saudi Arabian court began the trial of two Jordanians accused of spying against the kingdom for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya said on Monday.

The charges under consideration by the Specialized Criminal Court include plotting a terrorist act during the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage four years ago and supporting Islamic State militants, Al Arabiya wrote on its website.

It did not provide further details about the case.

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and site of its holiest shrines, does not officially recognize Israel. It has maintained for years that normalizing relations hinges on an Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands captured in the 1967 Middle East war – territory Palestinians seek for a future state.

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Iran nuclear deal in cross-hairs as top US diplomat begins Mideast tour in Riyadh

Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons: Trump

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However, increased tensions between Riyadh and Tehran has fueled speculation that shared interests may push Saudi Arabia and Israel to work together against what they regard as a common Iranian threat.

On Monday, the office of Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu said that he would make a "significant development regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran". US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to both Saudi Arabia and Israel in recent days to discuss the Iran deal that many in the region have long criticised for handing Iran back lucrative sums of money in return for reining in its nuclear programme.

The US, Israel and Saudi Arabia all accuse Iran of sponsoring proxy groups across the Middle East in a bid to dominate the region.

In a sign of an apparent thaw between the two countries, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in April that Israelis were entitled to live peacefully on their own land.

Last month, Saudi Arabia opened its air space for the first time to a commercial flight to Israel, a move hailed by an Israeli official as historic following two years of efforts.

Mr Bin Salman recently traveled to the US to continue to warm ties with President Donald Trump. Israel has served as a close ally of the US but its positions differ from Riyadh on the Palestinian issue.

The Saudi government has called for the recognition of a Palestinian state build on the lands that Israel captured in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. That sovereign state would compose of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israel has long been suspected of involvement in several high-profile plots, mostly assassinations, in Arab and Middle Eastern nations. One such plot included the 2010 killing of the militant group’s commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel. It often denies involvement or refuses to comment on such operations.

The most recent assassination it was accused of directing was the drive-by shooting of a Palestinian scientist in Kuala Lumpur, which prompted what Malaysia's police chief called an "international" issue because the suspects appeared to be either European or Middle Eastern.

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
On Women's Day
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

While you're here
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.