The Riyadh Municipality has advised the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the Saudi capital to move its premises to a commercial area.
According to a statement by the Philippine Embassy, POLO has been advised to transfer to a commercial area where it could serve more Filipinos, as it was previously located in Um Al-Hamam.
A source at POLO, which is an agency of the Philippine Embassy, said it will remain open on Monday, but would be closed once power has been cut to the office.
The source said that a resident of the area where the POLO headquarters is currently located had complained to the municipality about disruptions caused by the office in the area. “The resident complained about the numerous Filipino workers going to the POLO for assistance,” the source told Arab News.
Those in need of POLO services may call or send text messages to Labor Attache Resty SM Dela Fuente (055 169 9548), Assistant Labor Attache Domeng Salanga (055 293 52 60), Assistant Labor Attache Firma Bantilan (053 391 3218), or Welfare Officers Pepe Capa (053 293 5260), Bernie Toriano (053 803 6674), Orland Nadora (053 258 8903) and Ruth Daza (Female cases) 054 296 0485.
Previously, POLO was situated inside the Diplomatic Quarter.
POLO will move to new area to serve more Filipinos
POLO will move to new area to serve more Filipinos
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
