The UAE is set to be home to what is claimed as the world’s first fully Islamic Shariah-compliant digital bank. Set up by Zurich Capital Funds Group and branded as RIZQ / BARAKA, the new lender will provide all banking services according to Islamic law.It will operate all digital banking services through mobile phones and…
The World Health organization (WHO) has declared Madinah Munawarrah as one of the heathiest cities in the world, according to a report appearing in The Arab News. The city got its new status after a team of WHO visited the holy city and gave its report based on global standards required for a city to…
JEDDAH: Winning the war of ideas is as important as military confrontation in overcoming violent extremism worldwide, the secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL), Mohammed Al-Issa, told a group of leading US defense analysts in a special address. Al-Issa, who is also chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars, was invited by the US…
Iran’s Foreign Ministry recently welcomed recent remarks by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on relations between Tehran and Riyadh. “Iran and Saudi Arabia, as two important countries in the region and the Muslim world, can enter a new chapter of interaction and cooperation to achieve regional peace, stability and development by adopting constructive and…
The World Happiness Report 2021, published recently by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranked 95 countries in its happiness index. The report evaluates government responses to the pandemic’s toll on health, the economy, and psychology, identifying links between trust in state institutions, how COVID-19 was addressed, and the happiness of societies. Parts of the…
US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden marked the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the US. “Jill and I send our warmest greetings and best wishes to Muslim communities in the United States and around the world. Ramadan Kareem,” said Biden in a statement. As many of our fellow…
The United Arab Emirates has named the next two astronauts in its space programme, including the country’s first female astronaut. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai who also serves as the country’s prime minister and vice president, named the two astronauts on Twitter. He identified Noura al-Matroushi as the UAE’s first…
The Muslim Institute has launched The Critical Muslim, a quarterly magazine of ideas and issues showcasing ground-breaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. The journal is jointly edited by renowned intellectual Ziauddin Sardar and Robin- Yassin Kassab. The first issue was launched in January 2012 with the cover story on the Arab Spring. The journal will publish issues in…
Thirty women were recruited as privates at the Passport Department’s offices at border crossings like King Fahd Causeway and Salwa border point in the east of the Saudi Kingdom. A recent study of Naif University for Security Sciences’ Studies and Research Center showed that Saudi women have been embarking on security work as volunteers. The study “Women Police in Arab Countries” indicated a real potential for an effective…
The 107-storey-tall Princess Tower in Dubai has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest residential building. Measuring 414 metres from base to tip, the tower comprises six basement floors, a ground floor and 100 above-ground residential levels. The tower occupies an area of 37,410 square feet and houses 763 luxury apartments. Dubai already has a Guinness Record in its name for the tallest building in the…
