JEDDAH: The Ministry of Interior has revealed that more than 32,000 illegal expatriates have left the country since the beginning of the government campaign “A Nation Without Illegal Expatriates” that was launched on March 29.
It said it has arrested 100,000 violators of the country’s residency laws since the launch of the campaign.
The drive entailed an amnesty period of 90 days, during which illegal expatriates can leave the country without being subjected to any penalties.
Deputy supervisor of the campaign in Riyadh Col. Safar bin Dlaim called on violators to make use of the grace period and leave before it ends.
“Those [violators] who do not leave will be required to pay all fines and fees and will be considered a wanted person in the system. The goal of the campaign is for every resident to be legal.”
Less than 50 days remain before the amnesty period expires.
The campaign – which is participated in by 19 government entities — has resulted in large numbers of expatriates showing up daily at 78 offices of the Passports Department – 16 offices in the Eastern Province, 12 in Makkah, 10 in Riyadh and 7 in Qasim. King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah has been particularly crowded with expats wanting to take advantage of the grace period.
The government announced that those who respond to the campaign will be exempted from being registered as “deported,” which will allow them to come back to the Kingdom legally.
The number of violators before the campaign was launched was estimated at one million, including more than 285,000 reported as “absent” by their employers.
The last similar campaign in the country took place more than four years ago and resulted in the deportation and the correction of residency status of more than five million illegal expatriates and labor law violators.
32,000 residency violators leave KSA, 100,000 arrested
32,000 residency violators leave KSA, 100,000 arrested
HRC adopts Saudi-submitted resolution to protect children in cyberspace
- Resolution mirrors the key pillars of the crown prince’s initiative, calling for enhanced global cooperation, the exchange of best practices and raising awareness
RIYADH: The Human Rights Council has unanimously adopted a resolution submitted by Saudi Arabia aimed at protecting children in cyberspace, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The resolution is rooted in the global initiative “Child Protection in Cyberspace” launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in October 2024.
Presented during the council’s 59th session, the draft resolution was introduced by the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva, Abdulmohsen bin Khothaila.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Kuwait, Algeria, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam, received unanimous approval, reflecting broad international support.
In his address to the council, the official highlighted the dual nature of the digital space in children’s lives, noting that while it offers valuable opportunities for learning and interaction, it also presents growing risks that demand coordinated international responses.
He emphasized the need for strengthened national frameworks and international cooperation to ensure safety for children online.
The resolution mirrors the key pillars of the crown prince’s initiative, calling for enhanced global cooperation, the exchange of best practices, raising awareness, and the development of skills necessary to foster a safe and empowering digital environment for children.
It further underscores the importance of providing tailored technical assistance to meet each country’s specific needs and priorities, thereby building sustainable national capabilities in digital child protection.
With its unanimous adoption, the resolution underscores the Kingdom’s ongoing leadership in international efforts to create a secure, inclusive cyberspace for children worldwide, SPA said.
It also affirms Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in shaping global policy on child protection and cybersecurity.
Macron urges new era of Anglo-French unity in address to UK parliament
- The french president visit to the UK is the first by an EU head of state since Brexit in 2020
- He insisted European countries will ‘never abandon Ukraine’ in its war with Russia while demanding an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza
WINDSOR: President Emmanuel Macron argued Tuesday that France and Britain must work together to defend the post-World War II “international order,” as he addressed parliament on the first day of his UK state visit.
The first such visit by an EU head of state since Brexit, Macron said in a wide-ranging speech that the two countries must renew their century-old alliance to face down an array of threats.
“As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, deeply committed to multilateralism, the United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference,” he told British lawmakers, speaking in English.
“Clearly, we have to work together... to protect the international order as we fought (for) it after the Second World War,” Macron added.
Touching on various thorny issues, from global conflicts to irregular cross-Channel migration, he insisted European countries will “never abandon Ukraine” in its war with Russia while demanding an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
Hours earlier, the French president and his wife Brigitte had received a warm, pomp-filled welcome from King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Windsor as the three-day visit got underway.
They had been greeted off the presidential plane at an air base northwest of London by heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales.
After a 41-gun salute sounded from Windsor’s Home Park and a royal carriage procession through the town, which was decked out in French Tricolores and British Union flags, the group entered its castle for lunch.
First visit since 2008
The first state visit by an EU head of state since the UK’s acrimonious 2020 departure from the European Union, it is also the first by a French president since Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.
Touching on Brexit in his speech in parliament, which follows in the footsteps of predecessors Charles de Gaulle and Francois Mitterrand, Macron said it was “deeply regrettable” but the result of its 2016 referendum was respected.
Macron will hold several meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer starting Wednesday.
After taking power in 2024, the British leader has been making good on his pledge to reset relations with European capitals following years of Brexit-fueled tensions.
Their discussions are expected to focus on aid to war-torn Ukraine and bolstering defense spending, as well as joint efforts to stop migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats — a potent political issue in Britain.
Starmer is under intense pressure to curb the cross-Channel arrivals, as Euroskeptic Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party uses the issue to fuel its rise.
London has for years pressed Paris to do more to halt the boats leaving from northern French beaches, welcoming footage last Friday showing French police stopping one such boat from departing.
In his parliamentary address Macron called it “a burden for our two countries,” stressing the need for better “cooperation” to “fix” it.
Later Tuesday, Britain’s Francophile king, who is believed to enjoy a warm rapport with Macron, will host a lavish banquet in his honor in the vast medieval St. George’s Hall.
Charles is set to laud the vital partnership between France and the UK amid a “multitude of complex threats.”
“As friends and as allies, we face them together,” he will say, according to Buckingham Palace.
Trade and business ties
The visit also aims to boost trade and business ties, with Paris and London announcing Tuesday that French energy giant EDF will have a 12.5-stake in new British nuclear power plant Sizewell C.
There is also a cultural dimension, with another announcement that France will loan the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum for 10 months from September 2026.
The loan of the embroidery depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England will be made in exchange for ancient “treasures” mainly from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo site, one of England’s most important archaeological sites.
Wednesday will see Macron have lunch with Starmer ahead of the two leaders on Thursday co-hosting the 37th Franco-British Summit, where they are set to discuss opportunities to strengthen defense ties.
Britain and France are spearheading talks among a 30-nation coalition on how to support a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, including potentially deploying peacekeeping forces.
The two leaders will dial in to a meeting of the coalition on Thursday “to discuss stepping up support for Ukraine and further increasing pressure on Russia,” Starmer’s office confirmed on Monday.
They will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to the French presidency.
Chinese air chief hails Pakistan’s ‘textbook’ response in recent India conflict — ISPR
- PLA Air Force chief praises ‘precision and discipline’ of PAF in face of Indian aggression
- High-level visit follows Indian claims Beijing gave Pakistan ‘live inputs’ during four-day war
ISLAMABAD: The Chinese air chief has praised Pakistan’s military response during its May conflict with India as a “textbook example” of modern warfare, the Pakistan army said on Tuesday, quoting remarks that come amid renewed Indian allegations of Chinese support to Islamabad during their latest conflict in May.
Lt. Gen. Wang Gang, chief of staff of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), made the comments during a high-level visit to Islamabad on Monday, where he met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and discussed regional security, airpower cooperation, and bilateral military ties.
“He praised the decisive and measured response delivered by PAF pilots under the resolute leadership of the Air Chief, describing it as a textbook example of precision, discipline and courage in the face of unprovoked aggression,” the Pakistani army said in an official statement, quoting Wang.
The Chinese general “paid rich tribute to the exemplary performance” of the PAF during the conflict with India, which took place from May 7 to 10 and involved drones, missiles, and artillery fire before a US-brokered ceasefire ended hostilities.
Wang’s remarks follow claims by Indian Army Deputy Chief Lt. Gen. Rahul Singh, who last week alleged China had provided Pakistan with “live inputs” about Indian military positions during the May fighting. Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has rejected the claim as “factually incorrect” and a “shoddy attempt” to explain India’s battlefield failures.
While Beijing has not officially responded to the Indian allegations, the Chinese delegation’s strong endorsement of PAF’s conduct has added diplomatic weight to its deepening military alignment with Islamabad.
“Lt. Gen. Wang Gang expressed deep appreciation for the high state of operational readiness and the cutting-edge capabilities of Pakistan Air Force,” the official statement said, adding that he was “particularly impressed by PAF’s seamless integration of Multi-Domain Operations, terming it a hallmark of modern air warfare.”
The visiting delegation was also given a detailed briefing on the PAF’s evolving force structure, modernization plans and strategic initiatives.
Air Chief Marshal Sidhu “reiterated that Pakistan and China enjoy historic and time-tested ties rooted in mutual trust, strategic convergence and shared aspirations for regional peace & stability,” the statement added.
Pakistan and China have long collaborated on airpower development, including co-producing the JF-17 fighter jet and holding joint training exercises. But their military alignment has grown closer in recent years, particularly amid rising tensions with India, with whom both have longstanding disputes. The latest visit reinforces that trajectory, military observers say.
“The meeting stands as a testament to the shared resolve of Pakistan and China to advance their time-tested strategic partnership through deepened cooperation and innovation-driven collaboration,” the Pakistani military said.
In an address this week, Munir said India had failed to achieve its stated military objectives in “Operation Sindoor,” New Delhi’s campaign during the May conflict.
Pakistan said it launched “Operation Bunyan Al Marsoos” in retaliation for Indian attacks on civilian and military sites. India claimed it had only targeted militant infrastructure.
Tensions between the neighbors had escalated into a brief war after an April 2025 militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed several tourists, an incident New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, which Islamabad denied.
Libya’s eastern-based government bars entry of EU migration commissioner, three ministers
- The ministers represent Italy, Greece and Malta, in addition to a commissioner from the European Union
- They were declared persona non grata and told to leave Libyan territory immediately
TRIPOLI: The European Union migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Malta and Greece were denied entry to the eastern part of divided Libya on Tuesday as they had disregarded “Libyan national sovereignty,” the Benghazi-based government said.
The delegation had arrived to attend a meeting with the parallel government of Osama Hamad, allied to military commander Khalifa Haftar who controls the east and large areas of southern Libya, shortly after a meeting with the rival, internationally recognized government that controls the west of Libya.
The delegation included EU Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, Greek Migration and Asylum minister Thanos Plevris, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri.
The Benghazi-based government said the visit was canceled upon the delegation’s arrival at Benghazi airport whereupon the ministers were declared persona non grata and told to leave Libyan territory immediately.
Members of the European delegation did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The Hamad government had said on Monday all foreign visitors and diplomatic missions should not come to Libya and move inside the country without its prior permission.
Earlier in the day, the EU delegation had met in Tripoli with the UN-recognized government of Abdulhamid Dbiebah to discuss the migration crisis before flying to Benghazi.
Libya has become a transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe across the Mediterranean since the fall in 2011 of dictator Muammar Qaddafi to a NATO-backed uprising. Factional conflict has split the country since 2014.
Dbeibah said during the meeting he had tasked his interior ministry with developing a national plan to tackle migration “based on practical cooperation with partners and reflecting a clear political will to build sustainable solutions.”
Pakistan prequalifies four investors for PIA, greenlights Roosevelt Hotel joint venture deal
- Pakistani state-owned enterprises lose over $2.87 billion annually, total government support pushes burden past $3.59 billion
- PIA has roughly accumulated over $2.5 billion losses, while Roosevelt remains one of Pakistan’s most politically sensitive assets
KARACHI: Pakistan has prequalified four investors for the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), while its Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) has approved the transaction structure for the denationalization of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York under a joint venture, the ministry of privatization said on Tuesday.
Pakistan has been seeking to sell a 51-100 percent stake in the struggling national airline to raise funds and reform cash-draining, state-owned enterprises as envisaged under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program. It would be the country’s first major privatization in nearly two decades.
Among the bidding groups, one is a consortium of major industrial firms Lucky Cement, Hub Power Holdings, Kohat Cement and Metro Ventures. Another is led by investment firm Arif Habib Corp. and includes fertilizer producer Fatima Fertilizer, private education operator The City School, and real estate firm Lake City Holdings. Additionally, Fauji Fertilizer Company, a military-backed conglomerate, and Pakistani airline Airblue, have been approved to bid for PIA.
“The prequalified parties will now proceed to the buy-side due diligence phase — a critical next step in the transparent and competitive privatization process of PIACL,” the privatization commission’s statement said.
PIA, once a respected carrier in Asia, has been propped up by taxpayers for decades due to political interference, corruption and inefficiencies. The airline’s privatization has repeatedly collapsed amid union resistance, legal hurdles and low investor appetite.
Pakistani state-owned enterprises post annual losses of more than Rs800 billion ($2.87 billion), and when subsidies, grants and other support are included, the burden swells beyond Rs1 trillion ($3.59 billion), Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told parliament while presenting the budget for fiscal year 2025–26 earlier this month.
PIA has been one of the government’s most costly liabilities, which has accumulated over $2.5 billion in losses in roughly a decade and been surviving on repeated bailouts that have weighed heavily on Pakistan’s strained budget.
Last month, five consortiums submitted expressions of interest for a 51–100 percent stake in PIA after the government restructured its balance sheet to make the deal more attractive. It also scrapped the sales tax on leased aircraft and is providing limited protection from legal and tax claims. Around 80 percent of the airline’s debt has been transferred to the state.
ROOSEVELT HOTEL
Separately, the CCOP approved the transaction structure for Roosevelt Hotel under a “Joint Venture model with multiple options.”
“This option is aimed at maximizing long-term value for the country, while ensuring flexibility, multiple exit opportunities, and minimizing future fiscal exposure,” the privatization commission said.
How much money the hotel ultimately brings in, and its overall valuation, depends on the type of transaction structure adopted, Privatization Commission Chairman Muhammad Ali told Arab News in an interview last month. If the government formed a joint venture with a private investor, sharing both the risks and future profits, the hotel could be worth four to five times more than its as-is valuation, he said at the time.
“So, depending on what sort of structure you have, how much risk you take, how much effort the government puts in, we can make a lot of money from this asset,” the privatization chief had said.
The Roosevelt, a 1,015-room historic hotel in Midtown Manhattan, has long been one of Pakistan’s most prominent but politically sensitive overseas assets. Acquired by Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited (PIAIL) in 1979, the hotel occupies a full city block on Madison Avenue and 45th Street. Over the past two decades, successive Pakistani governments have floated plans to sell, lease, or redevelop the property, but no proposal has advanced beyond early-stage planning.
Operations at the Roosevelt were suspended in 2020 following steep financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Pakistan entered a short-term lease with the City of New York to use the property as a temporary shelter for asylum seekers, generating more than $220 million in projected rental income. That agreement ended in 2024 and no new revenue stream has since been announced.
The Roosevelt Hotel is one of several state assets the government hopes will contribute to its target of raising Rs86 billion ($306 million) in privatization proceeds during the fiscal year starting July 1, alongside the sale of PIA and three electricity distribution companies.
