Author: Gulf News Week

SAMA data reveals strong growth across retail and services, with food, recreation and apparel leading gains as digital payments expand nationwide. Riyadh, December [Date] — Point-of-sale spending in Saudi Arabia jumped by more than a fifth in the week ending November 29, reaching SR15.1 billion (approximately $4 billion), the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) reported. The double-digit increase in transaction value—up 20.4% week-on-week—was accompanied by a 9.1% rise in transaction volume, exceeding 240 million purchases. The data signals robust consumer activity and continued migration toward digital payment channels across the Kingdom. Spending growth was broad-based, with notable surges in several lifestyle…

Railways, ports and power facilities struck in multi-region attack; service disruptions and utility outages reported. Ukrainian infrastructure came under heavy fire overnight as Russian drones and missiles struck transport and energy targets across the country, officials reported Saturday. A significant railway hub in Fastiv, southwest of Kyiv, sustained direct hits which damaged the depot and multiple railcars, according to the state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. No casualties were reported at the site, but the damage forced the cancellation of suburban train services near the capital and in the Chernihiv region. The attack formed part of a broader offensive against utility and…

Foreign ministers slam Israel’s breach of the ceasefire, and its one-way exit plan which aims to ‘displace Palestinian people from their land’.Gaza mediators Egypt and Qatar, and six other Muslim-majority countries have raised the alarm over Israel’s stated plan for a one-way opening of the Rafah border crossing, which would allow Palestinians to leave their territory, but not to return, and block the entry of humanitarian aid.Their warning comes as Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated, with some 600 violations of the ceasefire in the last seven weeks, and reports that two people were killed in the latest round…

Palestinians express alarm following ‘intimidating’ call to family of imprisoned leader alleging new abuse in Israeli prison.Palestinian groups have expressed “grave concerns” about the safety of jailed political figure Marwan Barghouti after his son reported receiving a call about Israeli guards allegedly torturing the popular leader in an Israeli prison.Qassam Barghouti made the statement on Facebook on Friday, but later deleted the post, saying he was trying to obtain information about his father’s health from relevant agencies.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Four countries to boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s inclusionlist 2 of 4Gaza war amputees mark International…

Ottawa cites similar move by US as well as Syrian government’s efforts to advance stability in the country.Canada has removed Syria from its list of states that support “terrorism”, citing a similar move by the United States as well as efforts by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to “advance” the country’s stability.The announcement on Friday comes as Syria prepares to mark one year since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Five key takeaways from Trump’s National Security Strategylist 2 of 4Crowds gather in Hama, Syria, to celebrate one year of liberationlist 3…

Investments boost Egypt’s economy, but rural poverty highlights unequal benefits from economic recovery efforts.Egypt found itself back on the international front pages in the second half of this year. The country played host to the Sharm el-Sheikh conference in October when US President Donald Trump rallied global and regional powers alike behind his ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip. Shortly after, in November, Cairo invited world leaders to attend the spectacular opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum next to the pyramids.Amid these eye-catching events, other domestic developments have received less attention. Most notable were Egypt’s parliamentary elections, with the…

From Washington to Copenhagen and Pretoria, blaming migrants has become the easiest governing strategy of our time.“I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you, OK. Somebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country. Their country is no good for a reason …”This is what United States President Donald Trump had to say about Somali migrants on the first day of an immigration crackdown targeting their community. He insisted that Somali migrants have turned the US state of Minnesota, where some 2 percent of the population is…

Report by NGOs also finds healthcare system largely not functioning in Khartoum, months after city recaptured by army.Ninety-seven percent of households in Sudan’s capital are facing food shortages, and the healthcare system has largely collapsed across the city, according to an assessment that reveals the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe gripping the war-torn country.The report, released this week by the humanitarian organisations Medical Teams International and Norwegian Church Aid, found that three-quarters of families in Khartoum consume fewer than 1,800 calories daily.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Rubio says Trump to get involved in Sudan peace efforts as…

Ousted Syrian leader’s former spy chief and billionaire cousin scheme to destabilise Syria with armed violence.Former loyalists to deposed Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad are funnelling millions of dollars to tens of thousands of potential fighters in a bid to start uprisings against the country’s fledgling government, a Reuters investigation has found.The plot, uncovered through interviews with 48 people and financial documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency, comes as Syria marks one year since al-Assad’s fall and as the new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa gains international legitimacy.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Syria’s Hama full of ‘hope,…

Thousands have taken to the streets in the central city, celebrating a new Syria free of al-Assad’s reign.Thousands of people have poured into the streets of Syria’s central city of Hama to mark one year since forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad were expelled days before the longtime ruler’s ouster.The atmosphere in the city – long a stronghold of opposition to al-Assad – is one of “hope and belief” in Syria’s future, reported media’s Assed Baig from Hama’s al-Assi Square.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Aftermath of Homs killings may mark turning point for Syria’s governmentlist 2 of 3Syria…