Saudi Aramco says to offer shares worth over $10 billion on Saudi bourse

Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion. (Aramco)
Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion. (Aramco)
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Updated 30 May 2024
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Saudi Aramco says to offer shares worth over $10 billion on Saudi bourse

Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion. (Aramco)
  • It is the firm’s second listing after an initial public offering in December 2019 that raised $25.6 billion

RIYADH: Saudi Aramco said on Thursday it plans to sell 1.545 billion shares worth more than $10 billion, one of the biggest such offerings in recent years.
In a statement posted to the Saudi stock exchange, Aramco announced a “secondary public offering of 1.545 billion shares,” with an expected price range between 26.70 and 29 Saudi riyals ($7 to $7.70).
The sale on the local bourse, which represents approximately 0.64 percent of the company’s issued shares, will commence on Sunday, Aramco said.
It is the firm’s second listing after an initial public offering in December 2019 that raised $25.6 billion, the biggest flotation in history.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest crude oil exporter and, before the announcement on Thursday, the government owned about 82 percent of its shares.


Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for Hindu saint’s birth anniversary in Sindh

Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for Hindu saint’s birth anniversary in Sindh
Updated 3 min 25 sec ago
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Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for Hindu saint’s birth anniversary in Sindh

Pakistan issues 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for Hindu saint’s birth anniversary in Sindh
  • Shiv Avtari Sant Shadaram Sahib was born in 1708 in Lahore, which is now part of Pakistan
  • Pakistani charge d’affaires in India says his country is committed to facilitating devotees

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi announced on Friday the issuance of 94 visas to Indian pilgrims to attend the birth anniversary of a revered 18th-century Hindu spiritual leader in the southern province of Sindh.
Shiv Avtari Sant Shadaram Sahib was born in 1708 in Lahore, now part of Pakistan. Known for his spiritual teachings and emphasis on universal love, he is believed to be an incarnation of Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism, by his followers.
His most notable legacy is the founding of Shadani Darbar, a prominent Hindu temple and spiritual center located in Hayat Pitafi, situated in Ghotki District, which became a pilgrimage destination.
“@PakinIndia has issued 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for their visit to Pakistan to participate in the 316th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Shiv Avtari Stguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi, Sindh from 05-15 January 2025,” the high commission posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It mentioned that the Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich wished the pilgrims a “rewarding and fulfilling journey,” emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to preserving sacred religious sites and facilitating pilgrimages.
Religious tourism remains a key aspect of cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan, governed by the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. This agreement allows devotees from both countries to visit sacred sites, including Hindu temples in Pakistan and Islamic shrines in India. However, political tensions between the two nations have at times disrupted these exchanges, with instances where visas were denied to religious pilgrims.
In recent years, Pakistan has actively promoted religious tourism, welcoming Buddhist monks as well as Hindu and Sikh pilgrims from India and across the globe. The inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019, which allows visa-free travel for Indian Sikhs to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, is a significant milestone in these efforts.
Each year, a large number of Indian Sikhs also travel to Pakistan to pay homage at sacred sites, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Samadhi in Lahore, the last resting place of the founder of the Sikh Empire, and Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, revered for its connection to Guru Nanak.


Hamas wants Gaza ceasefire deal as soon as possible, senior official says

Hamas wants Gaza ceasefire deal as soon as possible, senior official says
Updated 18 min 10 sec ago
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Hamas wants Gaza ceasefire deal as soon as possible, senior official says

Hamas wants Gaza ceasefire deal as soon as possible, senior official says

CAIRO: Hamas said a new round of indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire resumed in Qatar’s Doha on Friday, stressing the group’s seriousness in seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said.

The new talks will focus on agreeing on a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, he added. 

More to follow...


Three Palestinians killed in standoff with security forces in West Bank

Three Palestinians killed in standoff with security forces in West Bank
Updated 03 January 2025
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Three Palestinians killed in standoff with security forces in West Bank

Three Palestinians killed in standoff with security forces in West Bank
  • Palestinian security forces and armed militant groups locked in weeks-long standoff in Jenin

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian man and his son were killed in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, local medical officials said on Friday, as a month-long standoff between Palestinian security forces and armed militant groups in the town continued.
Separately, a security forces officer died in what Palestinian Authority (PA) officials said was an accident, bringing to six the total number of the security forces to have died in the operation in Jenin which began on Dec. 5. There were no further details.
The PA denied that its forces killed the 44-year-old man and his son, who were shot as they stood on the roof of their house in the Jenin refugee camp, a crowded quarter that houses descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven out in the 1948 Middle East war. The man’s daughter was also wounded in the incident.
At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Jenin over the past month, one of them a member of the armed Jenin Brigades, which includes members of the armed wings of the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah factions.
Palestinian security forces moved into Jenin last month in an operation officials say is aimed at suppressing armed groups of “outlaws” who have built up a power base in the city and its adjacent refugee camp.
The operation has deepened splits among Palestinians in the West Bank, where the PA enjoys little popular support but where many fear being dragged into a Gaza-style conflict with Israel if the militant groups strengthen their hold.
Jenin, in the northern West Bank, has been a center of Palestinian militant groups for decades and armed factions have resisted repeated attempts to dislodge them by the Israeli military over the years.
The PA set up three decades ago under the Oslo interim peace accords, exercises limited sovereignty in parts of the West Bank and has claimed a role in administering Gaza once fighting in the enclave is concluded.
The PA is dominated by the Fatah faction of President Mahmoud Abbas and has long had a tense relationship with Hamas, with which it fought a brief civil war in Gaza in 2006 before Hamas drove it out of the enclave.


Students explore artificial intelligence in media

Students explore artificial intelligence in media
Updated 03 January 2025
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Students explore artificial intelligence in media

Students explore artificial intelligence in media
  • The forum, entitled “Employing Artificial Intelligence in the News Industry,” was held in collaboration with Microsoft

RIYADH: The Saudi Press Agency’s Academy for News Training recently held a forum for media students on the use of artificial intelligence.

The forum, entitled “Employing Artificial Intelligence in the News Industry,” was held in collaboration with Microsoft, the SPA reported.

The participants included 180 male and female students from five universities and was held at the academy’s headquarters in Riyadh.

The forum’s speakers explored the most prominent AI applications within the news industry and compared various programs and technologies. They also demonstrated their practical use for journalists.

During the forum, students engaged with the speakers on the best use of AI technology.

 


Hira winter season gets set to welcome visitors during mid-year school vacation

Hira winter season gets set to welcome visitors during mid-year school vacation
Updated 03 January 2025
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Hira winter season gets set to welcome visitors during mid-year school vacation

Hira winter season gets set to welcome visitors during mid-year school vacation
  • Experience runs until Jan. 10

MAKKAH: The Hira Cultural District in Makkah has launched its Hira Winter Activities to celebrate the mid-year school vacation, offering an enriching experience for visitors until Jan. 10.

The week-long winter season activities feature a range of events, including the Revelation Exhibition on the Holy Qur’an, and a heritage-inspired walk designed to promote Arabic literature, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Visitors can also partake in horse and camel-riding experiences that simulate ancient travel, reflecting an integral part of the Kingdom’s authentic culture.

The Winter Theater is presenting a variety of dramas and offers engaging entertainment games.

In addition, the Challenge Arena provides a variety of fun and exciting games, encouraging participation from those attending.

The Hira District also features a unique shopping experience, showcasing an array of handicrafts and traditional products.

The Hira District is regarded as a cultural monument and is located near to the renowned Cave of Hira and next to the famous landmark of Makkah, Jabal Al-Nour.

The cultural district, which covers an area of about 67,000 sq. meters, provides a uniquely enriching experience on a cultural, historic and entertaining journey to the worlds of the past.