News - February 2009

February 22-February 28, 2009

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  28]~~~~~~~~~

King Abdullah Hails Move for Palestinian Unity Government [Feb 28]
"King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has congratulated Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions for agreeing to set up a unity government by the end of March. Abdullah also lauded the efforts made by Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and his country for clinching Palestinian reconciliation and sending a signal to the whole world that 'reason is necessary in addressing every enmity or disagreement.'.. ..King Abdullah said Egypt has played a historic role in reaching 'the correct and sound way' towards Palestinian reconciliation in the interests of Arab and Islamic nations.. ..'It is time that they (the Palestinians) say to the Arab and Islamic nations and the whole world that they are greater than the wound, far from disagreement and more able to reach reconciliation,' he said.." [more]

Former US Envoy to Kingdom Named to Top Intelligence Post [Feb 28]
"The appointment by the Obama administration of Charles 'Chas' Freeman as chairman of the National Intelligence Council on Thursday caused a real brouhaha in Washington. Freeman served as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War and has major expertise regarding China. His appointment brought praise from many but criticism from elements of the pro-Israeli community and pro-Israeli Congressmen. Pro-Israeli publications are attacking his appointment as something close to betrayal — Why? He’s been called everything from 'a Saudi puppet,' 'Chas of Arabia' to being 'linked to Saudi cash.' The 'link' goes back to 2007, when as president of the Washington-based Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) he accepted a $1 million donation from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal for the council. Not only is he is being attacked for being pro-Saudi, but also for his calls for a more balanced US foreign policy between Israel and the Arab world.." [more]

Arab Freedom of Expression Increasing: Saudi Author [Feb 28]
"Arab writers are enjoying greater freedom of expression, a Saudi female author said on Saturday, four years after a novel she wrote about the private lives of women caused controversy in her native Saudi Arabia.. ..'We are moving towards more freedom of speech in my country and in the Arab World. I look at the positive side and I see the huge difference,' Rajaa al-Sane told a panel discussion on censorship at the festival in Dubai. 'The Girls of Riyadh' stirred a controversy when Sane first published it in Beirut in 2005 because it delved into the lives of women in Riyadh's ultra-conservative society. The book 'was a huge step that led other authors in Saudi Arabia to further freedom of speech', she said, adding that 60 other novels tackling thorny issues have been published in Saudi Arabia since then. 'The Internet has a huge impact on freedom of speech in Saudi ... Censorship is something that we can avoid (through the Internet)' and 'by publishing abroad everyone in Saudi is eager for this new' freedom of expression.." [more]

Petrofac, Hyundai Get Saudi Gas Field Contracts-Aramco [Feb 28]
"Saudi Arabia's state firm Aramco said on Saturday it has awarded on-shore contracts for the Karan gas field to UK-based Petrofac Ltd (PFC.L) and South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd . Aramco did not give details on the value of the contracts. Karan will produce 1.5 billion cubic feet per day and is key to meeting a growing gas shortage in the kingdom." [more]

Three Quarters of Saudi Companies Plan Recruitment Freeze [Feb 28]
"Almost three out of four Saudi companies expect to freeze hiring new staff over the next two quarters because of a slowdown in the world's top oil exporter's economy, a SABB bank survey showed on Saturday. 'As the slowdown in the economy is unfolding we are not surprised with 74 percent of the respondents who expect over the next two quarters to institute a hiring freeze,' HSBC's Saudi affiliate said in a quarterly survey of 765 companies. 'It is evident that the labour market is no longer facing a dearth of skilled workforce,'.. ..Saudi Arabia has so far suffered less from the repercussions of the global financial crisis than some Gulf Arab countries such as the UAE and Kuwait. But since it has the largest population in the region, the kingdom faces a bigger challenge in meeting growing job demands from its native population.." [more]

Global Markets Weigh on Saudi Stocks [Feb 28]
"Saudi shares plummeted last week, responding to negative performance on global markets and falling crude prices. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) shed further 4.85 percent last week, closing at 4,542.11 points. TASI is currently 5.4 percent lower so far this year. “Successive plunges at Wall Street put downward pressure on Saudi blue chips, particularly the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), which fell dramatically as investors became weary over the conglomerate’s “performance on international markets under the current cloudy conditions of the world economy”, the Riyadh-based Bakheet Investment Group (BIG) said in its weekly report. SABIC shares closed 14.38 percent down last week at SR39.30 as over SR2 billion worth of shares changes hands, making it most active by value.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  27]~~~~~~~~~

Differences With Syria are Matter of Past: Saud [Feb 27]
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said differences with Syria are a matter of the past here yesterday. He made the statement at a joint press conference with his French counter part Bernard Kouchner here. Quoting Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's statement, Saud said, 'We have dug a deep pit and buried our differences and will not return to past disputes but will look forward for future.'.. ..Saud also affirmed that any Israeli government should, if it seeks peace, to interact with Palestinians as human beings, and not as a people to be humiliated and killed. 'If Israel wants real peace, it should coexist with Palestinians in peace. Or else, things would just worsen for all,'.." [more]

Thales Says Saudi Deal Open But Not At Any Price [Feb 27]
" French defence firm Thales (TCFP.PA) on Friday dismissed reports that it had lost a $1 billion bid to supply a border surveillance system to Saudi Arabia, but took a swipe at prices offered by rivals. France has been battling for years to land a wider border fence contract -- dubbed MIKSA after the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -- which is designed to shield the world's largest oil exporter. Recent reports have said European aerospace group EADS (EAD.PA) looks poised to win the first phase of the deal, which had once seemed a solid bet for Thales.. ..industry source close to the talks said Thales was out of the running and that EADS was the prime contender, while cautioning that a deal had often seemed close in the past without coming to fruition.." [more]

Lebanon Top Cleric Blasts Saudi Over Pilgrim Riot [Feb 27]
"Lebanon's top Shiite cleric is calling on Saudi Arabia to punish policemen who beat Shiite pilgrims during a scuffle last week at a revered Shiite cemetery in the Sunni kingdom. Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah says 'serious' clashes between the pilgrims and riot police at the cemetery in Medina threaten to inflame sectarian tensions. Shiite witnesses said religious police — who enforce Saudi's strict code of Sunni Islam — beat a group of Shiite pilgrims outside the cemetery. Saudi officials blamed the pilgrims for the disturbances. Friday's criticism by the influential Fadlallah is the first from outside Saudi Arabia since the incident. Tensions are already high between Saudi's Sunni majority and its tiny Shiite minority.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: Education Deters Militants From More Violence [Feb 27]
"Only one in ten terrorists return to the Al-Qaeda terror network after completing re-education programmes in prison, a senior Saudi Arabian official has claimed. General Mansur Bin Sultan al-Turki, spokesman for the interior ministry, discussed the rate with the Arab daily, al-Quds al-Arabi. He was interviewed after international concern about former Saudi detainees of the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba who have reportedly fled to neighbouring Yemen to rejoin Al-Qaeda terror cells there. Our re-education programme intends to give a new beginning to those who are stained by terror crimes in a way in which they can change their ideas and return to the straight and narrow, he said. 'You have to say that attending this programme is not based on decisions by the authorities to free these terrorists from prison. Our programme continues once the former prisoners have left prison, and been reintegrated in society'.." [more]

Saudi to Invite Bids for Mega Tourism Project [Feb 27]
"Saudi Arabia will invite bids from development companies later this year for a multi-billion riyal tourism project to be built on the west coast of the Kingdom. King Abdullah has given instructions to transform the Obhur Corniche into a cultural and tourist centre as the kingdom looks to expand on its appeal as a global leader for religious tourism, said a Arab News report. Spread over 140,000 sq m, the site will be developed into a permanent centre for religious festivities. It will also include a heritage village, an open stage and a site for fireworks, the paper reported. The project follows plans by the board of Elaf Group, a subsidiary of Saudi Economic and Development Company (SEDCO), to boost Saudi tourism revenue to SR73.3 billion ($19 billion) by 2010.." [more]

Unified Contract for Housemaids in Doubt [Feb 27]
"The Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah has thrown into doubt the validity of the unified contract only two days before it was scheduled to come into effect. The Consulate said the contract, which would govern the working conditions of Indonesian house workers in the Kingdom, could not be implemented as it does not stipulate any official body which workers can refer to should disputes arise with their Saudi employees. Some clauses are also said to conflict with the Indonesian Constitution which covers the protection of Indonesian nationals both abroad and at home.. ..Local recruitment agencies have already signed agreements with Indonesian agencies based on the contract. The number of Indonesian house workers in the Kingdom is said to be between 700,000 and 750,000, roughly 65 percent of the total.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  26]~~~~~~~~~

Abdullah to List Reform Strategy in Policy Speech [Feb 26]
"King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz will open the fifth four-year session of the Shura (consultative) Council on Saturday in which he will unveil salient features of the his government's domestic and foreign policies at a time when the situation in the region attains greater significance on the international arena.. ..Major highlight of the king's annual address, marking the beginning of the activities of the recently re-constituted Shura Council, will be his reform plans in the political, social and economic fields. It would serve as a guideline for the Kingdom's decision-makers on major policy matters both at the domestic and foreign fronts.." [more]

Shiites Protest After Violence in Madinah [Feb 26]
"Shiite Muslims held protests in eastern Saudi Arabia after an outbreak of violence between Shiite pilgrims and religious police in Madinah, a Shiite human rights activist said on Wednesday. Hundreds of people joined two protests late on Tuesday near the city of Qatif in Eastern Province, Ebrahim Mugaiteeb of the Human Rights First Society said. Mugaiteeb said anti-riot forces sought to break up the demonstrations but there were no initial reports of injuries or arrests.." [more]

SABIC Freezes Bonuses to Maximize Cash Flow [Feb 26]
"Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) will freeze all increments, promotions and bonuses for more than half of its 31,000-strong work force this year to maximize its cash flow in the light of the global financial crisis, Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC’s chief executive, said yesterday. This was the first public statement made by a top company that clearly shows the adverse impact of the global financial recession on Saudi companies in particular and on the Kingdom’s economic environment in general.. ..SABIC this week topped the loser’s list, down 9.7 percent to SR40.20, in Saudi shares market. It is expected to be hit hard again as a global economic slowdown will translate into lower demand for petrochemicals.." [more]

SAMA's Net Foreign Assets Fall to SR1.64 Trillion [Feb 26]
"The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency’s (SAMA’s) net foreign assets recorded the first monthly decline in December 2008 since August 2007. SAMA’s net foreign assets declined to SR1.64 trillion ($438 billion) at the end of December, from SR1.66 trillion in November. Despite the slight fall, Saudi Arabia’s foreign asset position remains formidable. At end of 2008, the net foreign assets of SAMA and Saudi commercial banks amounted to SR1.68 trillion ($448 billion), equivalent to 96 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) or 250 percent of imports of goods and services. Samba Financial Group said yesterday in its Economic Monitor for February that 2009 would be a year of weak economic activity, with private output stagnating at best.." [more]

Vangent Awarded $13.5 Million Royal Saudi Air Force Learning Modernization Contract [Feb 26]
"Vangent, Inc., a leading global provider of information management, strategic business process outsourcing, and human capital solutions, today announced that it has received a contract through the 350th Electronic Systems Group at Hanscom AFB, MA to modernize the Royal Saudi Air Force's (RSAF) learning infrastructure. The one-year contract has a total value of $13.5 million if all options are exercised. Under the comprehensive outsourcing contract, Vangent will modernize and expand the learning environment at the RSAF's School of Command, Control, and Communication (C3) to support rigorous performance standards and overall RSAF objectives.." [more]

Saudi Contract Still in Limbo [Feb 26]
"The Cal Poly deal to develop an engineering program with Jubail University College (JUC) in Saudi Arabia is far from being finalized, even though Cal Poly sent JUC a signed contract over six months ago. The controversial deal hit another snag in December when attorneys for the Saudi Royal Commission formally rejected the university's latest proposal and returned the contract unsigned with fundamentally different terms than the one signed by Cal Poly President Warren Baker in July. As the Mustang Daily reported on Oct. 30, the changes to the contract included procurement clauses, such as those used in hiring private contractors. These clauses dictate that certain amounts of work are to be done by set dates, and if not completed by deadline, funds will be deducted from the university's $5.9 million contract. Cal Poly administrators are currently renegotiating these new terms. 'Universities cannot operate under the terms of a procurement contract,' said Susan Opava, Dean of Research and Graduate Programs. 'We don't work like that, we can't do it. We work on a best efforts basis. We're an institution of higher learning - that's our mission.' 'These financial penalties we couldn't live with,' she added. 'We can't take any significant financial risk, and that's been part of the negotiation all along.'.." [more]

Saudi Growth to Shrink 1.8pc [Feb 26]
"Saudi Arabia's economy is set to contract 1.8 per cent this year on oil output cuts and weak non-oil growth, said Samba Financial Group, the latest bank to forecast a slowdown in the world's top oil exporter. Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the largest Arab economy would resume at 4.2pc this year, Samba said. The slowdown this year would be mainly spurred by a 14pc reduction in Saudi oil output this year as the Opec member attempts to support global prices, which have slumped more than $100 a barrel since peaking last July. 'Although we expect the non-oil sector to expand by around 2pc, this will be more than offset by the contraction in oil output,' Samba said. EFG-Hermes and Bank of America-Merrill Lynch also expect Saudi GDP to contract this year. Samba said private sector imports were weakening, with the value of new letters of credit opened in December collapsing by 23pc compared with November.." [more]

Training Women for Travel Trade [Feb 26]
"The call by Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary general of the General Commission of Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA), in November for local travel and tourism organizations to offer employment opportunities to both men and women has taken off with leading businesses in the field rising to the occasion. Amadeus Saudi Arabia, a technology and distribution solutions provider for travel and tourism industry, is one such company. Beginning 2007, the company decided to train women as travel agents with the primary aim of creating and increasing job opportunities in the local sector. 'We have seen a steady rise in the number of women joining the travel and tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. It is important that they receive proper training and support so they can contribute effectively to the growth of their companies,'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  25]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Crown Prince Healthy After Operation [Feb 25]
"Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz is 'in full health' after an operation for an undisclosed ailment, Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said.. ..Prince Sultan had traveled to the United States from Morocco, where he had been convalescing following earlier treatment for the ailment. 'The treatment received by his highness has been successful, thank God,' the royal court said on Tuesday.. ..Saudis have closely followed the news of his health problems and a six-week stay in Morocco, where he was visited by numerous senior Saudi officials and members of the royal family, as well as senior officials from other countries.." [more]

Kingdom Will Attend Cairo Meet on Gaza [Feb 25]
"Saudi Arabia will participate in an international conference to be held in Cairo on March 2 to mobilize fund for the reconstruction of Gaza. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal will lead the Saudi delegation, which will include Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf and Yousuf Al-Bassam, deputy chairman and managing director of Saudi Fund for Development.  “The Kingdom’s participation in the conference comes in line with its continuous support for the Palestinian cause,” an official source told the Saudi Press Agency. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has offered $1 billion for Gaza reconstruction. Meanwhile, the US government plans to offer some $900 million to help rebuild the Gaza strip following Israel’s December-January military incursion, the New York Times reported yesterday. The aid will be provided through United Nations and nongovernmental organizations, the Times reported, citing unnamed administration officials.." [more]

Saudi-Syria Ties Warming Up [Feb 25]
"Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moallem delivered a message from President Bashar Al-Assad to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, here Tuesday, which sources said was another sign that relations between the two countries were on the mend. The message was in response to one from the King delivered to Assad earlier this month by Intelligence chief Prince Meqrin Bin Abdul Aziz, calling for improved relations, sources said. The sources told Saudi Gazette that Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal is expected to visit Damascus 'very soon' to deliver a message from the King to Al-Assad.. ..Saudi-Syrian relations had soured after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, who was close to the Kingdom, over investigations into allegations of a conspiracy involving Syrian officials. Syria denies any role in the attack.  Relations were further strained last December and January during Israel’s offensive against Gaza, when Arab solidarity was tested over differences in support to the embattled Palestinians divided between Hamas, backed by Syria, and Fatah.." [more]

Shiites Protest in Saudi After Violence [Feb 25]
"Shiite Muslims held protests in eastern Saudi Arabia after an outbreak of violence between Shiite pilgrims and religious police in Medina, a Saudi human rights activist said on Wednesday. Hundreds of people joined two protests late on Tuesday near the city of Qatif in Eastern Province, Ibrahim Mugaiteeb of the Human Rights First Society told AFP. Mugaiteeb said anti-riot forces sought to break up the demonstrations but there were no initial reports of injuries or arrests. The protests followed an outbreak of violence between Shiite pilgrims and security forces in the Muslim holy city of Medina in western Saudi Arabia late Monday. The interior ministry said nine people were arrested in the violence near Al-Baqi cemetery adjacent to the Prophet Mohammed's mosque, which attracts millions of pilgrims every year.." [more]

Saudi Ships First Crude to China Fujian Refinery [Feb 25]
"Saudi Arabia has sent its first cargo of crude to an upgraded refinery in China's southeastern province of Fujian, the state oil firm Saudi Aramco said on Wednesday. The Fujian Refining and Petrochemical Co. Ltd is a $5 billion joint venture between Sinopec (0386.HK), Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and Saudi Aramco. Saudi Arabia overtook Angola to become the biggest oil supplier to China in 2008, accounting for a fifth of its supplies. China is the third-largest buyer of Saudi crude after the United States and Japan. A 900,000 barrel cargo of Arab Extra Light crude arrived at the Dalian terminal on Feb. 16 from Ras Tanura, the largest offshore oil facility in the kingdom, Aramco said in a statement. "The arrival of the Arabian crude oil to this terminal signifies Saudi Aramco's supply commitment as a shareholder, said Aramco's Ibrahim al-Buainain, director of Asia joint ventures.." [more]

GE Unit Wins $300m Saudi Arabian Deal [Feb 25]
"Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national carrier of Saudi Arabia, has signed an exclusive 10-year materials agreement with GE Aviation Services. The deal covers the airline’s entire fleet of 100 purchased and leased CFM56-5B engines powering its Airbus A320 fleet. Under the terms of the agreement, which is valued at approximately $300 million, Saudi Arabian Airlines will exclusively use genuine CFM parts in the maintenance and overhaul of this fleet, a statement said. Saudi Arabian formalised the agreement to purchase 22 aircraft recently and plans to lease an additional 28 CFM56-5B-powered A320 aircraft. The airline is scheduled to receive the first of these airplanes in the third quarter of 2009, with deliveries continuing through late 2012.." [more]

7,200 Women to be Given Education Ministry Jobs [Feb 25]
"The Ministry of Education plans to provide women 7,200 administrative jobs in Girls’ Education at the ministry headquarters and 41 education departments across the country, a ministry source said. Nearly 70 percent of administrative jobs in Girls’ Education are already held by women. The Cabinet on Monday approved measures to increase jobs for women. In the recent Cabinet reshuffle, Norah Al-Faiz was appointed as deputy minister for Girls’ Education. She is the first woman in Saudi Arabia to hold a ministerial post.." [more]

Saudi Leads Most Bourses Lower [Feb 25]
"Most Gulf Arab bourses fell on Tuesday, tracking sharp falls overnight in the United States, where stocks plummeted to a 12-year low, and weakness in Asian markets. Saudi Arabia led the decline, falling more than 4 percent, its largest one-day fall in more than five weeks. "The main theme today is the global sell-off. Our markets have reacted to that," said Shahid Hameed, head of asset management for the Gulf at Global Investment House in Kuwait.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  24]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Arrests Shi'ites After Clashes [Feb 24]
"Saudi authorities arrested at least nine Saudi Shi'ite pilgrims after clashes in the holy city of Medina, Shi'ite and security sources said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia sees itself as the bastion of mainstream Sunni Islam and is worried about the rising influence of non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran in the region. Jaafar al-Shaib, a leading figure among minority Saudi Shi'ites, said clashes occurred between Shi'ite pilgrims and morals police near a mosque that houses the tomb of Prophet Mohammad. 'Some 1,500 Shi'ite pilgrims gathered near the mosque for the commemoration of Prophet Mohammad's death,' he said. 'Stick-wielding members of the morals police backed up by plainclothes policemen sought to disperse them.' Morals police often prevent pilgrims venerating tombs, seen as idolatry under the strict Saudi version of Islam.." [more]

Saudi Crown Prince Operation Successful [Feb 24]
"Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz underwent a successful operation in New York for an undisclosed health problem, according to the royal court. The operation was carried out on Monday, the royal court said, just three days after Prince Sultan arrived in New York from Morocco, where he had been convalescing following earlier treatment for the ailment. 'The treatment received by his highness has been successful, thank God,' the court said in a statement carried by the state news agency SPA. It said the operation 'continues the medical tests and treatment' for the prince.. ..Saudis have closely followed the news of his health problem and his six-week stay afterwards in Agadir, Morocco to recuperate from the first stage of treatment.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Invest in S. African Farming [Feb 24]
"Saudi Arabia plans to invest in farming in South Africa as the two countries aim to improve food security, Business Day reported, citing Saudi Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Ibn Ahmed Zainal Alireza. The investment may include Saudi Arabia importing produce from South Africa, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said. Saudi Arabia will also show South African farmers a technique for growing more maize per hectare, Business Day said.." [more]

Shuaa Capital Publishes Saudi Vision 2009 [Feb 24]
"Shuaa Capital, the leading financial services institution in the GCC, has today published its Saudi Vision 2009. The report provides an in-depth market outlook for 2009 with a special focus on the banking, petrochemicals, and telecom sectors as well as stock briefs for 35 Saudi Arabian companies. In addition, the 100 page report also analyses Saudi markets throughout 2008.. ..We predict flat growth for the Kingdom in 2009, with real GDP growing at around 0.33%. This number is heavily skewed by the drop in hydrocarbon real GDP due to the decrease in the production levels of the hydrocarbon sector. The non-hydrocarbon sector will grow in 2009 by 3.9%, slightly slower than the 4.4% growth in 2008.." [more]

Cabinet Approves Measures to Increase Jobs for Women [Feb 24]
"The Cabinet on Monday approved several measures to increase employment of women in suitable fields in public sector. The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation has been tasked with increasing the absorptive capacity of technical and vocational training in areas that are suitable for women such as computer, office work and occupational activities at women’s detentions and care houses. Similarly, the authorities concerned shall expand educational health programs for women, intensify such programs and create e-employment that enables women to work from home. The Ministry of Education and other concerned authorities have been directed to adopt administrative and regulatory measures to ensure jobs for women.." [more]

Riyadh to Host Global Forum on Disability [Feb 24]
"An international conference on disability and rehabilitation will be held in Riyadh from March 22 to 26 under the aegis of Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, who is also the supreme chairman of the Sultan Charitable Foundation, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Prince Sultan ordered 230 free tickets for local and international delegates participating in the Third International Conference on Disability and Rehabilitation. The crown prince also designated the Saudi Arabian Airlines as the official carrier of the conference. The conference will focus on worldwide scientific research conducted in areas related to disability and rehabilitation that help improve the lives of the disabled.." [more]

26,500 Saudis Studying Abroad [Feb 24]
"According to a report released recently by the Ministry of Higher Education, as many as 26,500 Saudis are currently studying in 36 foreign universities. The report said the students include 21,793 men and 4,690 women. While 18,133 students are doing courses for bachelor’s degrees, mostly in majors related to economics and business administration, 7,370 students are enrolled in master’s degree programs and 493 in Ph.D. programs, Al-Madinah newspaper said quoting the ministry’s report. About one quarter of the total students abroad are doing courses in computer and communication engineering. There are also hundreds of students taking courses in medicine, dental sciences, pharmacology, transportation, aeronautical and automobile engineering, humanities, psychology, education, languages and translation. The report also showed that 16,036 of these students are on Saudi government scholarships while 10,447 of them are meeting their educational expenses on their own.." [more]

U.S. Report: Saudis Replacing Egypt as Regional Leader [Feb 24]
"A recent U.S. National Intelligence Council report suggests Egypt has lost its superior status among Arab states, and that leadership in the Middle East is passing to Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom's efforts to avoid it. The study, 'Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan: Policies on Regional Issues and Support for U.S. Goals in the Middle East,' is based on a workshop held last summer, but was released only in December, after U.S. President Barack Obama was elected and senior intelligence officials in his administration took office. The National Intelligence Council describes itself as a center for midterm and long-term strategic thinking within the U.S. intelligence community. It is subordinate to the Director of National Intelligence, and provides intelligence estimates to the president and senior decision makers on foreign policy issues.. ..According to news reports yet to be confirmed in Washington, Obama intends to appoint Chas W. Freeman Jr., a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to head the intelligence council. Some Israeli officials have expressed concern that Freeman's political views are not in line with those of Jerusalem.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  23]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Condemns Blast In Egypt [Feb 23]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has condemned the vicious blast, which targeted civilians in Al-Hussein neighbourhood in the center of Cairo on Sunday evening. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), an official source said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemned this criminal act which targeted innocent and peaceful people, wishing the injured a speedy recovery and wishing the Arab Republic of Egypt and its brotherly people permanent security and stability. The source pointed out that the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has been reassured about the health of the injured Saudis and has directed the Saudi embassy in Cairo to provide all necessary care and attention to them until their recovery.." [more]

Saudi Lifts Two Year Ban on Controversial Website [Feb 23]
"A two-year Saudi block against the London-based Elaph online daily has been lifted just a week after a radical shake-up of the government, it was reported on Monday. The lifting of the ban has not been officially announced by Saudi ministers, but the website’s technical department revealed a 40,000 hike in visitors from the Kingdom last Thursday - the first day the block was lifted. According to Saudi daily Arab News, a high government official ordered the Communications and Information Technology Commission to lift the block, which was implemented in 2006 after a ‘blasphemous” letter was published on the site.. ..The lifting of the ban was one of many steps taken toward increased openness in the Kingdom being initiated by King Abdullah showing the government fully understood the importance of free press in the country's development.." [more]

Sheikh Sees Dangers in Studies on Saudi Women [Feb 23]
"Fuwad Bin Abdul Karim Al-Abdul Karim, head of the Bahithaat Center for Women’s Studies, has described studies on Saudi women from foreign organizations as making demands that conflict with Islamic laws and attempting to impose foreign ways on the rest of the world. Al-Abdul Karim, speaking at the Sheikh Hassan Al-Qahtani Cultural Forum in the Eastern Province, said that 15 recently published reports from international organizations, all on Saudi women, laid out 82 demands many of which openly call for the removal of Shariah law and its replacement with man-made law. 'Unfortunately,' Al-Abdul Karim said, 'these reports made and still make a block of demands rejected by Islamic Shariah, such as calling for freedom of sexual relations as a woman’s basic right, and the use of the word ‘gender’ as a substitution for the term ‘sex’, nullifying the concept of male and female.'.. ..'The disappointing thing is,' he continued, 'that some of these demands find support among some of our own people, those who call themselves ‘human rights activists’.'.." [more]

Five Ministries Restructured [Feb 23]
"The Ministerial Committee for Administrative Organization has completed the restructuring of five ministries, said Abdul Rahman Al-Shaqawi, head of the preparatory panel under the committee. 'The committee is currently conducting studies on how to restructure the remaining ministries and government institutions,' said Al-Shaqawi, who is director of the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh. He said the committee would continue its work to modernize ministries, public bodies and
institutions, and further improve their performance in tune with modern developments. 'Ours is a continuous work and it does not stop at a specific point,'.. ..Privatization of state-run organizations such as Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saline Water Conversion Corporation, and the General Organization for Grain Silos and Flourmills is another important mission of the committee, which is headed by Crown Prince Sultan.." [more]

Alireza Off to South Africa on Four-Day Trade Mission [Feb 23]
"Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza yesterday left for South Africa leading a 20-member trade delegation, the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) announced here yesterday. During the four-day visit, the minister is scheduled to meet businessmen in Cape Town and chair two important meetings, the first being the third session of the Saudi African Businessmen Council and the second the GCC and African Union Businessmen meeting. A spokesman from the SCCCI said that the visit is aimed at promoting trade and investment between Saudi Arabia and South Africa and also between countries of the GCC and the African Union. The program has been organized by SCCCI in cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The spokesman said that the visit was arranged in deference to numerous requests of Saudi
businessmen who expressed their desire to open new business venture with South Africa and other countries in the region.." [more]

GCC Warns Iran Against Making Hostile Remarks [Feb 23]
"The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) yesterday called on Iran to refrain from hostile remarks against its Arab neighbors, while also proposing a joint fund for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The recent provocative statement from a prominent Iranian conservative and high-level adviser, Ali Akber Nateq Nouri, who called Bahrain Iran’s 14th province, and the situation in war-ravaged Gaza Strip, especially in the light of the election victory of right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu, were the focus of discussions among GCC foreign and finance ministers who met here yesterday. 'Statements made from time to time by Iranian officials infringe on the sovereignty and independence of the Gulf states, especially Bahrain, and represent a flagrant aggression on the Arab identity of Bahrain,' said the GCC statement. 'The GCC is looking forward to the Iranian government to condemn and prevent the repetition of such odd voices, which increase tension and do not help to restore security and stability in the region,'.." [more]

AL Team in Gaza to Document War Crimes [Feb 23]
"An Arab League delegation is in Gaza to document alleged Israeli war crimes committed during its three-week offensive in the territory. Yesterday’s delegation is made up of international legal and forensic experts. They will present their findings to the Arab League’s chief Amr Moussa. The Arab League, and its 22 member states, could then attempt to pursue war crimes charges in countries that allow such lawsuits to be presented. Critics accuse Israel of using disproportionate force and failing to protect civilians during its three-week offensive, which ended on Jan. 18. Israel launched its assault to halt years of Gaza militant rocket fire toward southern Israel. Representatives of Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement welcomed the delegation at the Rafah border crossing.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Report Q1 2009 [Feb 23]
"The latest Saudi Arabia Oil & Gas Report from BMI forecasts that the country will account for 21.16% of Middle Eastern (ME) regional oil demand by 2013, while providing a dominant 40.84% of supply. Regional oil use of 8.24mn barrels per day (b/d) in 2001 rose to 10.61mn b/d in 2007. It should average 10.86mn b/d in 2008 and then rise to around 12.10mn b/d by 2013. Regional oil production was 22.87mn b/d in 2001, and in 2007 averaged 25.24mn b/d. It is set to rise to 29.87mn b/d by 2013. In terms of natural gas, the region in 2007 consumed 370bn cubic metres (bcm), with demand of 574bcm targeted for 2013, which represents 55% growth. Production of 363bcm in 2007 should reach 618bcm in 2013 (+70%), which implies net exports rising to 44bcm by the end of the period. Saudi Arabia in 2007 consumed 20.50% of the region’s gas, with its market share forecast at 18.11% by 2013. It contributed 20.91% to 2007 regional gas production and, by 2013, will account for 16.80% of supply.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  22]~~~~~~~~~

Urgent GCC Meet Today [Feb 22]
"The Gulf Cooperation Council will hold an emergency meeting in Riyadh today to discuss Mideast peace efforts after Benjamin Netanyahu was asked to form Israel’s next government, GCC officials said. A GCC source said the foreign ministers will also discuss Iranian officials’ recent claims of Bahrain as a province of Iran, so as to evolve a joint Gulf strategy to ensure Bahrain’s sovereignty and integrity. GCC finance ministers, meanwhile, will discuss preparations for the March 2 international conference for Gaza reconstruction, to be hosted by Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh.." [more]

Saudi Power Below Par Despite Wealth, Islamic Role [Feb 22]
"Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and cradle of Islam, but does not always punch its weight in the Middle East, where Islamist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah enjoy more popular appeal than any Arab government. Any Saudi aspirations to exert decisive leadership in a fractured Arab world, or even to match the influence of non-Arab powers like Iran, Turkey and Israel, for now remain just that. 'The Saudi challenge is to develop a vision to fill the vacuum in the region, to have an active, principled foreign policy and to play a bigger role,' said Awadh al-Badi, a scholar at the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies. 'Now we are a status quo country that usually only reacts to things, although there have been some initiatives like King Abdullah's recent call for Arab reconciliation and unity.' Saudi Arabia's boldest move of the decade -- a sweeping Arab peace plan that it sponsored in 2002 and relaunched in 2007 -- was rebuffed by Israel and all but ignored by the United States. That experience bruised and embittered the Saudis.." [more]

Saudi Arabia’s Move to Cut Oil Production Will Affect Gas Sector [Feb 22]
"Saudi Arabia’s decision to reduce its oil production to its lowest level in many years will stifle its gas production this year and the problem could worsen in the long term, a key Saudi investment company said yesterday. Since a large part of its natural gas is associated with oil, reduction in the Gulf Kingdom’s crude output in line with an Opec agreement to trim supplies to prop up sagging prices will depress smother gas extraction at a time when the country’s energy demand is growing fast, Jadwa said in a study. The problem has already forced Saudi Arabia to sign contracts for the import of gas oil and other alternative fuels to keep its gas-fed facilities running although they are costlier than natural gas, the company said. “Cuts in Saudi Arabia’s oil production designed to stimulate oil prices have reached a level at which gas supply (the bulk of which is produced as a by-product of oil production) is close to falling below demand.." [more]

A Legislative Lifeline for Saudi’s Poor [Feb 22]
"In this week's printed issue of Arabian Business Jonathan Reckford, CEO of the housing charity Habitat for Humanity, voices his concern that the global economic downturn could spell disaster for millions of low income families across the world. 'A basic, simple and decent place to live is the foundation for a decent life for a family,' he says. 'I think our biggest concern will be to make sure the support for the poor doesn't dry up in tough times.' With this in mind, it's good to see Saudi Arabia taking steps to mitigate the fallout - and not solely in the form of cash handouts or bricks-and-mortar donations, but though the enacting of invaluable legislation. Finance minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf told reporters last week that the Kingdom's first mortgage law is expected to be implemented this year, and that its provisions will "protect all players" involved, as well as cover eviction procedures in case of payment defaults. Al-Assaf's admission that the law has "taken us much longer than we had hoped at the beginning" may be a remarkable display of understatement.." [more]

Shoura, EP Set Out Vision to Boost Ties [Feb 22]
"The Shoura Council and the European Parliament (EP) have set out a broad vision for bilateral relationship, especially in political and parliamentary affairs, to help boost links between the Kingdom and the 27-nation bloc. Growing bilateral ties will promote better understanding, help find solutions to common problems and contribute to restoring peace in the Middle East, said Rody Kratsa, vice president of the European Parliament, following talks with high-ranking Saudi officials yesterday. Kratsa said her visit was primarily intended to forge closer ties with the council, and review bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern. The EP vice president also held talks with Shoura Vice Chairman Abdulrahman A. Al-Barrak and discussed ways of enhancing cooperation further. Kratsa’s trip to the Kingdom is important in view of the EP’s resolution a few days ago calling for increased humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, end to the blockade, and immediate and sustainable reopening of crossing points between Israel and Gaza.." [more]

Five Held After Trouble Near Mosque [Feb 22]
"Saudi police arrested five people who were involved in skirmishes with security forces on the premises of Jannat Al Baqi, the famous graveyard in Madinah, located close to the Prophet's Mosque, on Friday evening. The security authorities had to use force to disperse the crowd, who exchanged abuse with them. An investigation into the incident is under way according to security forces.. ..Meanwhile, a Saudi website cited some eye witnesses as saying the trouble started when a group believed to be members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (the religious police), spotted a group of Shiite women filming Jannat Al Baqi from behind the wall. "While trying to prevent the women from doing so, the security men provoked the crowd by ..[using abusive language].." [more]

Saudi Inflation Eases to 7.9pc [Feb 22]
"Annual inflation in Saudi Arabia fell to 7.9 percent in January from 9 percent in December, official data showed. The Saudi cost of living index rose to 120.5 points on January 31 compared with 111.7 points on the same day a year earlier, the kingdom's Central Department of Statistics said on its website. Rents rose 20.3 percent while food and beverage costs climbed 8 percent, the data showed.." [more]

Boy Scouts of Saudi Arabia Delegation Plans to Visit Pensacola [Feb 22]
"A delegation of 10 Saudi Arabian participants with the International Visitor Leadership Program will arrive Wednesday in Pensacola to observe youth-development programs. They are leaders with the Boy Scouts of Saudi Arabia. The delegation will attend the Boy Scout Troop 10 Court of Honor, visit Catholic High School, and take part in a roundtable discussion with Chain Reaction volunteers. The visit was arranged by the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that promotes Northwest Florida.." [more]

February 15-February 21, 2009

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  21]~~~~~~~~~

Sultan in New York for Medical Treatment [Feb 21]
"Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, arrived here Thursday evening from Morocco for follow-up medical tests and treatment. Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, and Prince Khalid Bin Sultan, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation, were among Saudi princes and high ranking officials who welcomed Prince Sultan at John F. Kennedy Airport. Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh, was among several senior princes and officials who traveled with Prince Sultan from Agadir Airport in Morocco, where they were seen off by Moroccan Prince Rashid Bin Al-Hassan II, other members of the royal family and senior government officials.." [more]

Foreign Buys of Saudi Shares Unharmed by Crisis: HSBC [Feb 21]
"Foreign investment in Saudi-listed firms is gathering momentum despite the global financial crisis, the Saudi investment banking affiliate of HSBC (HSBA.L) said on Saturday. Saudi Arabia in August allowed non-resident foreign investors to sign swap agreements with Saudi intermediaries, permitting indirect ownership of shares, in one of the boldest steps to date taken by the kingdom toward opening up its exchange, the largest Arab bourse, to foreign capital. The stock market, Tadawul, had previously given foreigners access to stocks only through select funds. 'The pace of foreign investment in Saudi-quoted companies has been picking up noticeably over the period, despite various challenges and difficulties facing financial markets all over the world', Osama Shaker, HSBC Saudi Arabia Managing Director, said in a statement. HSBC Saudi Arabia has purchased some 4 billion riyals' ($1.07 billion) worth of shares on behalf of foreign clients since the swap deals were allowed, the statement said.." [more]

Photo Blackmail in Saudi Arabia [Feb 21]
"This type of blackmail is getting some attention in the Arab media. Al Arabiya, a Arabic-language cable news network based in Dubai, carried a report earlier this month. In a December, Arab News reported on the growing official concern about incidents in which photographs have been used to threaten women with embarrassment or worse in the ultraconservative kingdom. In many cases, the photos are innocent cellphone photos that would hardly raise an eyebrow in Western nations but are seen in Saudi Arabia as scandalous if the woman isn't wearing an abaya or hijab to protect her modesty. It may be a stranger or an unacknowledged ex-boyfriend who threatens to post the pictures, but the blame in many cases also falls on the women. In some cases, the photos may be obtained during an illicit meeting, since "dating" is not acceptable behavior. In other cases, women report that the photos are stolen when a computer or cellphone is left at a repair shop. Relations with the opposite gender prior to marriage are something frowned upon in the Kingdom. Exchanging photographs or love letters with a boyfriend might cause immense problems to a woman if her family, fiancé or husband were to find out. As a result, some men take advantage and blackmail women into giving them cash or forcing them to have sex. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah previously called for the setting up of a committee comprising several governmental bodies to come up with solutions to the problem.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Executes Two Policemen for Rape [Feb 21]
"Saudi Arabia has executed two policemen after they were convicted of raping an expatriate woman, the state news agency SPA reported late on Friday. The two Saudi policemen were executed on Friday in the capital Riyadh, SPA said quoting the Interior Ministry.. ..Saudi Arabia says it is implementing Islamic sharia law to the letter and that sharia ensures full rights for Muslims and non-Muslims, who must abide by the laws of the desert country. Friday's executions bring to at least nine the total number of people executed this year, six of whom were Saudi nationals, according to a Reuters tally based on announcements by the Interior Ministry.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Sees 66 Marriages End Every Day [Feb 21]
"There has been a surge in divorces in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with an average number of 66 cases reported on a daily basis. The number of registered divorce cases in a year shot up to 24,428, according to the latest report released by the Ministry of Justice.. ..Referring to the rising number of divorces in the kingdom, Sa'ad Al Wohaibi, head of the Consultancy Centre for Legal Courses, said that the major cause for this negative tendency is the failure on the part of one or both of the couples in strictly adhering into the teachings of Quran and the tradition of prophet (peace be upon him).. ..Al Wohaibi drew attention to a tendency on the part of some husbands of employed women. "Such husbands are trying to levy some sort of 'tax' from their women for allowing them to work on the pretext that they have the authority to stop them from going out for work," he said while noting that this tendency is spreading widely as more and more Saudi women enter the employment market.." [more]

Dengue Fear in Jeddah [Feb 21]
"Residents of Jeddah are becoming increasingly concerned over the failure of authorities to stop the spread of Dengue Fever, with over 200 new cases reported every month in the city. Official records show that the first case of Dengue Fever in Jeddah was reported in 1994, with numbers oscillating in subsequent years until 2004, when 343 cases emerged, followed by an all-time high in 2006 which registered 1308 cases. Of them 972 were males and 572 were females, with a death toll of six. That prompted Jeddah Mayoralty and the ministries of Health and Agriculture to set about eradicating mosquitoes which carry the virus and transmit the disease, and the following year, 2007, saw a significant drop to 243 cases. In its 2008 report, however, the Ministry of Health failed to provide the precise number of reported cases, instead stating that the number of weekly reported cases amounted to 40.." [more]

Writers, Academics Demand More from Shoura Council [Feb 21]
"Writers, academics and members of the literary world have spoken forthrightly of what they see as the failure of the Shoura Council to address the true concerns of the public. Issues of vital importance, they say, have been ignored at the expense of problems of minor interest, and they call for greater focus on issues that have a direct bearing on the public, among them unemployment, Saudization, education, drinking water, sanitary infrastructure and human rights. The Shoura (Consultative) Council is a legislative body that advises the King on issues important to Saudi Arabia.. ..Now, in the light of the recent reforms made to various government bodies by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, members of the literary and academic worlds have assessed what they see as the successes and failures of the Shoura Council.." [more]

Panic Trading Wipes Out Part of Saudi Stock Market’s Gains [Feb 21]
"Panic trading in the Saudi stock market prevailed over the past two trading days, wiping out part of the market’s gains that reached 9 percent over the past three weeks and pushed the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) toward the 5,000-point level. TASI shed 1.5 percent last week, closing at 4,773.78 points. The Saudi benchmark is currently 0.6 percent lower than the year’s start. 'The panic, which started at the insurance and agricultural sectors, extended to blue-chips like Petro Rabigh (Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co.),' the Riyadh-based Bakheet Investment Group (BIG) said in its weekly report.  'Moreover, investors are still worry about the reported uncertainty engulfing the distribution channels of the recent US economic stimulus plan involving $787 billion,' it added.."  [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  20]~~~~~~~~~

Umrah to Bring in SR14.8b This Year [Feb 20]
"People coming to the Kingdom to perform the Umrah this year are expected to inject some SR14.8 billion into the local economy, according to the Haj and Umrah Committee. Saad Bin Jameel Al-Qurashi, Deputy Chairman of the committee, has said that more than SR14.8 billion will be brought into the Kingdom’s coffers, calculated on the basis that each Umrah performer spends more than SR4,000. With the Umrah season already under way and continuing until the middle of the month of Shawal (September), over 39 Saudi Umrah companies have started marketing their Umrah programs abroad, targeting the four million people expected to perform Umrah this year. Companies have begun their Umrah programs in Makkah and Madina and also through 2000 foreign agencies in more than 150 Arab and Islamic countries to reach an estimated 3.7 million Umrah performers.. ..An official source at the Ministry of Haj has said, meanwhile, the ministry had drawn up a program to eliminate illegal overstayers. The source noted that the overstay rate from the last Umrah season was around 0.5 percent and is expected to reach zero this year.." [more]

Project Nation's Development Strides, Khoja Tells Officials [Feb 20]
"Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja yesterday inspected the ministry’s facilities in Makkah province, including the television and radio stations in Jeddah, and urged officials to double their efforts by making use of technological developments in the media industry. 'We have to project the remarkable development achieved by the Kingdom in various sectors under the wise leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah,'.. ..Khoja, a seasoned diplomat who served as Saudi ambassador to Turkey, Russia, Morocco and Lebanon, requested senior Saudi media persons to give their opinions on how to develop the Kingdom’s mass media, including radio and television. He has stated that he would work to reach the Kingdom’s voice of peace all over the world and highlight its stand of moderation, tolerance and flexibility.." [more]

King Abdullah Holds Talks With Jordan Monarch [Feb 20]
"King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, discussed regional and international issues with Jordan’s King Abdullah II here, Thursday night. At a meeting held on the outskirts of Riyadh, the two leaders also discussed aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them. The meeting was attended by Prince Mit’eb Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Muqren Bin Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence; Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed, Minister of Education; Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah, advisor to the King. On the Jordanian side, the meeting was attended by Prince Faisal.." [more]

Making Passport Mandatory for Haj Opposed [Feb 20]
"After growing resentment among members of minority over the decision of Saudi Arab government of making it mandatory for Haj pilgrims to have an international passports, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, minister of state for home and local member of parliament has written a letter to E Ahmed, minister of state for external affairs to look into the case. Earlier, anybody wishing to undertake Haj could go to Arabia on local passport. Every year, thousands of pilgrims from India go to Saudi Arabia for performing Haj and other religious ceremonies. In letter he has written that this particular decision of Saudi government has created problems for Haj yatris as the procedure for getting international passport is quite cumbersome.." [more]

Contractors Urging Saudi Government Not to Resume Steel Exports [Feb 20]
"According to a report in the Saudi daily Al Riyadh, some owners of Saudi contracting companies are exerting pressures on the Trade Ministry not to resume the export of steel, cement and other building materials. Steel and cement companies believe, however that the Saudi market might soon witness over supply of building materials and a 30% surplus which is expected to reach 50% by the end of the year. The ban was imposed in the second quarter of 2008.. ..He said the Saudi steel industry is in urgent need for state support to be able to continue, adding that the sector is suffering losses.." [more]

Kingdom Web Use Growing 36% Annually [Feb 20]
"Industry reports state that in 2007 over 5 million new users came online which IT companies are looking to capitalize on. Netgear is looking to cater to the new users by providing stronger and more reliable network products like wireless routers.  In addition to gaming and media-related activities, online shopping also represents a large percentage of PC usage in the Kingdom, with 48 percent of Saudi users classified as internet users having spent $3.28 billion in online purchases in 2007,” said Ahmad Zeidan, Channel Sales Manager, Netgear Middle East.. ..'More and more consumers have turned to the Internet as their primary source of information, entertainment and communications - engendering a dramatic increase in data, voice, gaming and multimedia content that is being downloaded, transferred, played, viewed and stored on home networks and shared across multiple PCs, networked devices and TVs throughout the home.." [more]

KSA Denies Nationals Arrested in Yemen [Feb 20]
"A spokesman for the Saudi Interior ministry has denied reports that seven Saudi terrorism suspects were arrested in Yemen who received trainings in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Major General Mansour al-Turkey said Yemeni officials had told him the reports were untrue. Al-Turkey affirmed Saudi Arabia will not allow astray people to use its lands for terrorist training camps . He urged other wanted suspects on the list the Saudi Interior ministry made public last month to surrender as their colleague Muhammad Ateeq al-Aufi did when he handed himself in to Yemeni security forces in Shabwa province a week ago.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Drop 4% on Profit Taking [Feb 20]
"The Saudi stock market shed 4 per cent as a result of profit taking and investor panic. In the past three weeks the TASI rose 9 per cent, approaching the 5000 point barrier after the correction started in the small-cap stocks, particularly in the insurance and agriculture sectors. TASI closed at 4,773.78 on Wednesday, down 1.5 per cent from last week. TASI is now 0.6 per cent lower since the start of the year. The panic had extended to the petrochemical sector, particularly the blue-chips like Petro Rabigh that dipped 10 per cent after soaring 48 per cent since January 20. Despite the decline, many small-cap stocks are continuing to hit high prices driven by speculation.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  19]~~~~~~~~~

Tiptoeing Towards Reform [Feb 19]
"Reform minded Saudis cheered when Abdullah became king four years ago. The avuncular Custodian of the Holy Places, as Saudi monarchs title themselves, had a reputation for probity, tolerance and humility that augured change for the better. Yet few of his tentative reforms have stuck. Initiatives to modernise state schools and courts have stalled in the face of entrenched religious conservatives. But in a move of rare boldness for the stately kingdom, on February 14th the 86-year-old king decreed sweeping changes in government. His reshuffle affected top posts in education, the courts, the armed forces, the central bank, the health and information ministries, the religious police and the state-appointed religious hierarchy, as well as the royally-appointed, 150-man proto-parliament, the Shura Council. It was not the scale of the turnover that raised eyebrows; most senior ministers retained their posts. More striking was the injection of reformist blood into the ossified school and court systems.." [more]

Imam Forbids Alcohol to be Used as Fuel Substitute [Feb 19]
"A Saudi imam has issued a fatwa or religious edict, banning the use of alcohol as a fuel substitute for petrol. 'I warn Saudi students that live abroad not to use alcohol as a cheap substitute for petrol, because the prophet has cursed not only who drinks it but also those who use it for other purposes,' said the Saudi imam Mohammed al-Najimi, quoted by Saudi daily, Shams.  'The prophet has cursed whoever uses alcohol, not only for drinking but also other purposes.' Al-Najimi, who is also a member of the Saudi Islamic jurists, said that using alcohol falls within the 'jurisdiction' of what Islam's prophet Mohammed said.  'For this reason, I warn Saudis who live abroad and who use alcohol instead of petrol that this case is related and falls within the parameters of what the prophet said.'.." [more]

Winds of Change in Favor of Islamic Banking [Feb 19]
"In the first statement made by Dr. Mohamed Al-Jasser, the new Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency [SAMA], he spoke about long-term financing projects in Saudi Arabia, saying that in the past the burden of this type of financing fell upon governmental funds, and not commercial banks. Dr. Al Jasser revealed that there is a good opportunity for Saudi Arabia to secure long-term financing via other alternatives that have yet to be explored, such as through the issuance of bonds and Sukuk [Islamic bonds]. This is an area that we have not extensively explored, even though it is a broad and substantial area of financing, especially with regards to large projects that do not receive full funding from banks. Bonds and Sukuk are an important means to lending, as well as being a suitable structure for savings; cooperation and coordination will take place between SAMA, the Supreme Economic Council, the Capital Market Authority, and the Saudi Chambers of Commerce in order to set into motion the development of this promising market. Dr. Al-Jasser's statement caught my attention, especially when he said that Sukuk are an alternative financial tool that will secure long-term financing of eligible projects.." [more]

Long Expected Changes to Education in the Kingdom Finally Materialise [Feb 19]
"It was shortly after 9/11 attacks, when the Saudi society came under the Western microscope. Since then, calls started to pour on the Kingdom to introduce changes in many aspects of daily life, including school curriculum, and to be more open with the rest of the world. The changes were needed to repair the image of the oil-rich kingdom abroad, distorted by the fact that the majority of the attackers were Saudis. Some westerners and Saudis blamed the terrorism on the "narrow-minded" education system which they said had failed to keep up with other field advancements in Saudi society.. ..'Nobody denies that 9/11 has changed everything,' eminent Saudi writer Fatin Bundagji said. 'An internal awakening was recorded. The country was shocked that 15 out of 19 attackers were from its sons.' Millions of Saudis were also 'victims' and now it is the time to 'fix' things, she said. Making changes to the school curriculum is a starting point for building future generations, analysts believe.." [more]

KSA Condemns Iran’s Hostile Statements Against Bahrain [Feb 19]
"Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the continuous hostile and irresponsible statements made by a number of Iranian officials against Bahrain by way of falsifying the established historical realities, the Saudi Press Agency quoted a statement issued by an official source here Wednesday. 'The Kingdom believes that such irresponsible comments are only an attempt to defy historical and geographic facts, and are a brazen breach of the sovereignty of a member of the GCC, Arab League and the United Nations,' the statement said. The source said: 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia categorically rejects such statements and expresses its deep regret over such views, stressing that such remarks create obstacles in the way of good intentions aiming to build good-neighborly relations between the GCC states and Iran based on friendliness and mutual respect as well as initiatives to achieve security and stability in the region and avert a rift between Muslims.'.." [more]

Doctorate for Arab News Editor in Chief [Feb 19]
"The Wisdom International School for Higher Education Studies (WISHES) in Mindanao awarded an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa), to Khaled Almaeena, editor in chief of Arab News, on Monday. The award was in recognition of Almaeena’s outstanding accomplishments in the media and his exemplary humanitarian activities, particularly for the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. WISHES President Omar M. Mababaya awarded Almaeena the doctoral degree. Also on Monday, the Regional Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Norma M. Sharief, awarded Almaeena a certificate of appreciation for his accomplishments in business administration at an international symposium held in Manila.. ..Almaeena also presented a paper on the role of Saudi Arabia in promoting peace through dialogue between religions, particularly emphasizing the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.." [more]

US Team Briefed on Women’s Role in Chamber [Feb 19]
" A 16-member delegation of US congressional staff members currently visiting the Kingdom was briefed on the participation of women in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday. Lama Sulaiman, a woman member of the board of directors of JCCI, explained to the visiting delegation about the JCCI’s Khadijah Bint Khuwailid Center, which helps Saudi women with their businesses.. ..The delegation, which is the first from the US to visit Saudi Arabia after the administration change, was also interested to learn how elections were conducted in the JCCI. The chamber members explained its election process to them. The delegation is also scheduled to visit the Shoura Council, the Saudi Human Rights Commission and several other organizations.." [more]

Iranian Delegation Seeks Direct Trade With Kingdom [Feb 19]
"An Iranian trade delegation is currently visiting the Kingdom seeking deals with Saudi businessmen. The visit comes at a time when indirect trade through intermediaries reached more than three times the direct trade exchange, which is valued at $1 billion. Abbas Baqari, Iranian trade attaché in Riyadh, said the volume of Iranian exports to Saudi Arabia through third parties in Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE exceeded $3 billion. These exports, he said, included fruits, foodstuff, confectionaries, nuts and livestock. 'A large quantity of carpets, for which Iran is well known, is exported to the Kingdom through other countries. The deals for high quality carpets required by rich Saudis are won by non-Iranian businessmen,' he pointed out. Baqri said he feared the growth of indirect trade would affect competitiveness of products and reduce profit margin of traders in both countries. The 36-member delegation including Iranian businesswomen offers a variety of products and services to their Saudi counterparts.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  18]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia's Consultative Council Chairman Invited to Tehran’s Gaza Conference [Feb 18]
"Iran’s ambassador to Riyadh, Mohammad Hosseini, invited Saudi Arabia's Consultative Council Chairman, Salih Bin Abdullah Bin Hamid to participate in Islamic countries parliaments’ conference on Gaza to be held next month in Tehran. Meeting in Riyadh, the two officials also conferred key topics of the two countries mutual relations and political developments in the region. Strengthening bilateral ties in different domains including the inter-parliamentary cooperation as well as Gaza conflict were also discussed during the meeting.." [more]

Saudis to Invest $ 266m in Ethiopia and Sudan [Feb 18]
"A group of five Saudi Arabia business men have planned to invest 1 billion Saudi riyals(some $ 266.6 million) in agricultural projects in Sudan and Ethiopia within the coming few years, Pan Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat reports. The investment plans got a major boost when the kingdom and Ethiopia signed an agreement to continue and expand cooperation in different sectors especially in the field of agriculture with the aim of providing food security for Saudi nationals. 'The agreement signed by agriculture minister Fahd Balghunaim and Ethiopian minister of finance and economic development Sufian Ahmed will further strengthen bilateral trade and investment links,' said Abdullah Al-Obaid, minister of agriculture. The accord was signed on the side lines of the Saudi-Ethiopian joint ministerial committee meeting which was held recently.." [more]

China and Saudi Hit Trade Target Ahead of Time [Feb 18]
"China Customs statistics show that in 2008 China and Saudi Arabia's bilateral trade reached 41.8 billion USD. That means the two countries realized the trade goal two years ahead of schedule. During President Hu Jintao's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2006 China and Saudi Arabia, China's biggest trading partner in western Asia and Africa, decided to increase their bilateral trade to 40 billion USD by 2010. The trade in 2008 has an increase of 64.7 percent over 2007. China's export was 10.8 billion USD, an increase of 39 percent; import from Saudi Arabia totaled 31 billion USD, an increase of 76.6 percent. Saudi Arabia has been China's largest trading partner in western Asia and Africa for years. According to the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office of the Embassy of China in Soudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia is China's biggest oil supplier. China's oil imports from Saudi Arabia totaled 36 million tons in 2008, a year-on-year increase of 38 percent, accounting for 20% of China's total oil imports.." [more]

Banks Safe, Says New Governor of SAMA [Feb 18]
"The new governor for the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Mohammed Al-Jasser said the global financial crisis will not affect the “liquidity or ability” for local banks to achieve profits. Al-Jasser said in an interview with CNBC Arabiya the the local banking sector would be more stable and unaffected because the investments and transactions are internal and do not focus heavily on external factors. He said '115 percent of local Saudi bank deposit funds are used within the Kingdom.' The governor added that government spending and the 2009 budget allocations will keep the economy stable to continue national projects.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Reopens Market to Canadian Beef [Feb 18]
" Saudi Arabia has agreed to end a ban on Canadian beef imposed in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, opening its market to a limited number of products, Canada's agriculture minister said Tuesday. Prior to the ban, Saudi Arabia was Canada's sixth-largest beef market with exports estimated at nearly $6 million a year. The country will now allow Canadian boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age to enter the country. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a statement. Ottawa continues to negotiate for full access to the Saudi Arabian market.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  17]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia: Change We Can Believe In? [Feb 17]
"On Saturday in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah announced several new appointments to his government, his first major cabinet reshuffle since ascending to the throne in 2005. The changes included the appointment of Noura al-Fayez as Deputy Minister of Girls’ Education, the first woman ever to sit in the Saudi cabinet. (Read a report by Nic Robertson of CNN on the changes; Crossroads Arabia has a comprehensive list of the changes. can be found here.) Responses across the blogosphere have been generally positive. At the Corner, Nina Shea said that 'Saudi Arabia has just had its own St. Valentine’s Day Massacre — a bloodless one that brings hope of much-needed reform.'.. ..Somewhere along the line, the King calculated that a tipping point (sorry) had been reached and that a little shove by him would push them out of center stage. I think the least of the factors would have been the Obama election, though it might have played some role. Saudi Arabia has been mostly immune to US (or other Western) criticism as it knows that the US cannot do anything truly drastic against it. The consequences of drastic action would rebound on the US nearly as severely as they’d affect the KSA.." [more]

Al Qaeda Figure Surrenders to Saudi Authorities-TV [Feb 17]
"A former detainee in the U.S. military prison camp in Guantanamo who became an al Qaeda commander has turned himself in to the Saudi authorities, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Tuesday. Mohammed al-Awfi, who had been released from a Saudi centre for those returning from Guantanamo, appeared on an al Qaeda video last month to say he had joined al Qaeda's regional wing in Yemen as a commander. The television station said Awfi, on a wanted list of 85 al Qaeda-inspired Islamist militants overseas issued by Saudi Arabia this month, had contacted the Saudi authorities three days ago before surrendering in neighbouring Yemen. A Yemeni security official told Reuters in Sanaa that Awfi was handed over to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, after he turned himself in. Yemen has said it arrested dozens of suspects in a manhunt for al Qaeda-linked militants in recent weeks. The Saudi interior ministry's spokesman for security affairs could not be immediately reached for comment.." [more]

Saudi Women Full of Praise for Recent Reform Measures [Feb 17]
"Saudi women on Tuesday praised the reform measures undertaken by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz this week, including the appointment of a female deputy education minister for the first time in the Kingdom. In what is considered to be the largest government reshuffle in the Kingdom since King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz took charge in August 2005, 180 men and 1 woman were appointed in senior government posts, including 81 new members in the Consultative Assembly (Majlis Al Shura), 4 ministers and heads of the Supreme Judiciary Council, and the Senior Scholars Commission, as well as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (religious police).. ..Dr Hatoon Jawad Al Fassi, professor of History of Women at King Saud University, feels society is undergoing major changes and the government ought to keep pace with the changes.." [more]

Saudi Female Graduates Hunt for Jobs in Neighbouring Countries [Feb 17]
"Many Saudi female graduates are being forced to look for jobs in neighbouring countries as there are not enough opportunities for them in the Kingdom, said Dr Salwa Al Khateeb, a King Saud University professor. She said the number of unemployed female Saudi graduates has been increasing every year because of a lack of opportunities for them. This explains, she said, the trend of seeking jobs in neighbouring countries. Several women graduates have now taken up teaching assignments in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, she said. Official statistics, she said, show that 176,000 Saudi women graduates are unemployed which represents an unemployment rate of 26 percent.." [more]

Saudi Education Passing Through a Historic Phase [Feb 17]
"Saudi Arabia’s education is going through an important phase in its history as a result of the reforms introduced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, to improve the country’s educational standard matching with its position in the comity of nations, the new education minister said. Speaking to top officials at the ministry, Prince Faisal bin Abdullah said no compromise and negligence would be tolerated in the education sector. 'We need more efforts in strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position by building brains and investing in humans,'.. ..Speaking about educational reforms, he said King Abdullah has allocated SR9 billion for a new general education development project, which is named after the king. 'This project is being supported by Saudi and foreign experts,' he added.." [more]

KFSH Researchers to Present Papers at US Forum [Feb 17]
"The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has accepted 17 abstracts from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh for presentation at its 100th annual meeting to be held in Denver, Colorado, for five days from April 18. 'Acceptance of such a large number of abstracts from a single institution reflects the high level of scientific output in our research center,' Dr. Qasim Al-Qasabi, chief executive officer of KFSH&RC, said yesterday. Besides integration and cooperation between research and clinical aspects for the success of any medical research, the center is enriched with highly qualified scientists.. ..'This is the first time the American Association for Cancer Research has accepted this number of abstracts from abroad,' Al-Kuraya said, adding that in 2006 only one abstract was accepted by the AACR from KFSH&RC. The number increased to five in 2007, 13 in 2008 and 17 in 2009.." [more]

Al-Assaf Expects Mortgage Law in 2009 [Feb 17]
"Saudi Arabia’s first mortgage law is expected to be implemented this year and its provisions will protect all parties involved, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said yesterday. 'It should be in 2009, definitely,' Al-Assaf told Reuters in an interview. 'I agree that it has taken us much longer than we had hoped at the beginning'. A draft law, which has been in the works for almost a decade, was approved last year by the advisory Shoura Council and is now being examined by the council of ministers, Al-Assaf said. 'If there are no major changes then it should be approved with no further delays. But if there are major changes from that which was approved by the Shoura, then it has to go back to the Shoura Council again,' Al-Assaf said. 'Hopefully any changes and adjustments will be minimal and not major,' he added.." [more]

Saudi Arabian Airlines Carried 17.7m Passengers Last Year [Feb 17]
"Saudi Arabia's national carrier flew about 17.7 million passengers on its domestic and international flights last year, said Khalid Al Molhem, director-general of the airline. 'These included 9.9 million domestic passengers and 7.8 million international passengers. Saudi Arabian Airlines operated a total of 139,640 flights on both the sectors during the period, an increase of 1,543 flights compared with the same period in the previous year,' he said. In his address to senior executives, Molhem said the airline operated 88,033 domestic flights in addition to 17,124 additional and special flights on various sectors.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  16]~~~~~~~~~

Govt Shake-up Hailed as a Bold Step [Feb 16]
"Saudis on Sunday cheered King Abdullah’s sweeping government shake-up as a bold step forward, a day after he named the country’s first-ever woman minister. 'Bold reform' Hayat newspaper said in its headline. 'Everything is fantastic. This is what we have been waiting for,' said Ibrahim Mugaiteeb, leader of the Human Rights First Society.. ..'It has taken the King three years to carefully plan this giant leap towards reform, but the development of the judiciary and education are still the biggest challenge ahead,' said Al-Watan Arabic newspaper. 'A deep look into the government’s shake-up reveals that the Royal Orders have come to fulfill the aspirations and ambitions of the Saudi people, the paper added. Women’s groups have demanded more rights and the breaking down of barriers that limit their career opportunities; the public has clamored for movies to be shown in cinemas, banned for 30 years; rights groups have criticized judges for extreme and inconsistent judgments.. ..But the symbolism of the King’s changes is bound to have an impact. The most symbolic was the naming of veteran educator Norah Al-Fayez as Deputy Education Minister for Girls’ Education Affairs – the most senior job ever granted to a woman in the Kingdom.." [more]

Changes in Key Agencies to Boost Reform: Experts [Feb 16]
" Legal professionals and religious personalities yesterday welcomed new appointments and changes made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to important establishments, such as in the Supreme Judicial Council, the Council of Senior Scholars and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. 'The new officials are known for their moderation and balanced views on legal and religious issues and will undoubtedly be able to modernize the establishments in which they will be working,' said Sami Sabbah, a faculty member at the College of Shariah of the Umm Al-Qura University.  'The government’s move is in line with the current international developments particularly in areas relating to law and religion,'.."  [more]

Saudi Vessel Helps Thwarts Hijack of Turkish Ship Off Gulf of Aden [Feb 16]
"A Saudi navy frigate on Monday provided protection for a Turkish cargo ship after receiving a distress call from the ship early this morning as three small boats attempted to hijack it in the international waters near the Gulf of Aden.. ..The pirates fled the area following the arrival of the frigate, Al-Riyadh, which then escorted the Turkish merchant ship Yasa Seyhan out of the danger zone, the agency said on its website. Piracy is rife and well organized in the area where Somalia’s northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal. More than 130 ships were attacked in the area in 2008 alone.." [more]

Credit Suisse Raises Saudi Mobily's Price Target [Feb 16]
"Credit Suisse raised its price target on Etihad Etisalat Co 7020.SE (Mobily) to 50 riyals from 37 riyals, after the wireless telecommunications service provider posted strong fourth-quarter results. The company, Saudi Arabia's second-largest mobile phone operator, beat analysts' fourth-quarter earnings forecasts, helped by higher revenues from its voice and data services.  The results are a testament to Mobily's strongly-executing management and the strength of its brand and distribution platform, the analyst said in a note to clients.."  [more]

Hail Agriculture Plans to Invest $45 Million in Sudan Farming [Feb 16]
"Hail Agriculture Development Co., a farming company in northeast Saudi Arabia, plans to invest 170 million riyals ($45 million) as the food producer seeks to increase production of wheat and corn. The company received preliminary approval for 100 million riyals in financing from the Saudi Development Fund for its Sudan project, the Hail, Saudi Arabia-based company said in a statement on the Saudi bourse Web site today.." [more]

The Economic Impact of Rapid Population Growth in Saudi Arabia [Feb 16]
"The demographics of Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing but its impact on the economy, urban planning, transport, housing and employment could be mixed if the wrong or even partial solutions are implemented. The conclusion of a recent report by private transport company that the Kingdom's population density has increased by more than 120 percent during the six years from 2002 to 2008 and has surpassed its rate of population growth, which is among the highest in the world, by fivefold, should be a reality check for the Saudi government, municipalities, agencies and the private sector.." [more]

Talk of Tight Financing Exaggerated [Feb 16]
"Saudi Arabia’s new central bank governor said market talk of tight financing for projects was 'probably a little exaggerated' and the Saudi economy and financial sector are 'now going through a phase of stability that is subject of envy.' 'This shows the success of the monetary policy,' Muhammad Al-Jasser told Al Arabiya television. The biggest challenge lying ahead for the new governor is to 'continue on this course and preserve this obvious stability,' he said. Liquidity in the Saudi banking sector is adequate and borrowing cost is now reasonable after the central bank slashed interest rates by more than half since October, he said.. .. 'We have not noticed any deficiencies or delay in providing the necessary financing for useful projects,'.." [more]

Islamabad Wants to Set Up Trade Mission in Dammam [Feb 16]
"Islamabad has proposed to set up a trade mission in Dammam, while the Riyadh-based embassy now has a full-fledged commercial section headed by a senior officer, said Pakistan’s Ambassador Shahid Karimullah here on Saturday. Speaking at a farewell function organized by the Pakistan Investors’ Forum (PIF) in his honor, the ambassador urged foreign and domestic entrepreneurs to invest in Pakistan. The event also marked the release of PIF Business Directory. Referring to the Pakistan International School Riyadh (PISR), Karimullah said, 'PISR has become the first embassy-run school out of several dozens foreign schools in the capital city to own a building in its name. PISR owns the land as well as the building in which the PISR Girls Section will be moving first.' Speaking at the event, PIF member Tariq M. Soomro said, 'The PIF, set up some four years ago, has emerged as a major business networking platform that will go a long way in boosting business relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan.'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  15]~~~~~~~~~

Religious Hard-Liners Take a Hit in King's Reshuffle [Feb 15]
"King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has fired a number of religious hard-liners from top posts in Saudi Arabia and appointed the country's first-ever woman minister. The chief of the religious police, the head of the top Islamic clerics' body and the head of the highest tribunal have all been replaced. "His Majesty has announced last year that he wanted to reform the judiciary system and his decision was resisted," points out Ibrahim Mugaiteeb of the Human Rights First Society, who dubs the reshuffle 'a small earthquake' but hopes that more reforms will follow.." [more]

New Woman Minister Cracks Saudi Glass Ceiling [Feb 15]
"Norah al-Fayez, the first woman ever named to a ministerial post in Saudi Arabia, has put a crack in the thick glass ceiling that the country's strict version of Islam sets against her gender. The veteran administrator was named to the new post of deputy education minister for women's education as part of a sweeping shakeup of the government announced Saturday by the country's reform-minded absolute monarch King Abdullah. 'This is a successful step. We've always suffered from having a man occupy the position' overseeing women's education, the English-language Arab News newspaper quoted her as saying. 'A woman knows what problems and challenges her peers face. It's a change for the better,' she said. Leading Saudi women's rights activist and academic Hatoon al-Fassi said that she was very happy about Fayez's appointment although this step was not enough. 'One woman is not enough, what will one woman do alone in a crowd of men,' Fassi told AFP. 'Her decisions will not be effective or tangible, but it is a step in the right direction.'.." [more]

Changes Aim to Inject New Blood Into Administration [Feb 15]
"Tipped to be the largest ever shake up in the administrative and judicial sectors made by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, four ministers and heads of the powerful religious police and judicial bodies were dismissed on Saturday.. ..Commenting on the king's reshuffle, Dr Naif Al Shamri, professor of political science at King Saud University, told Gulf News that these changes were aimed at injecting new blood into Saudi government to enable it to meet the requirements in the nation building and its march forward to become more prosperous. He also noted that the Senior Scholars Commission, which had hitherto been represented only by those representing Hanbali school of thought, has been revamped to accommodate all Sunni schools of thought.." [more]

Development of Judiciary Top Priority [Feb 15]
"Muhammad Bin Abul Karim Al-Issa, the new Minister of Justice, has described the greatest challenges and concerns facing him in his new office as the development of the judiciary and its facilities, and the implementation of a modern system for which the state has allocated seven billion riyals. Al-Issa, speaking Saturday to Okaz, said he was fully aware of the difficulties faced by the public and their demands to have their cases resolved, as well as a shortage of official judges in some of the more remote regions. He promised to accord top priorities to all these issues.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Lags Behind Gulf States [Feb 15]
" Saudi Arabia passed its Universal Periodic Review on February 6. Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, a Saudi representative of the US-based NGO Human Rights First, was invited to Geneva by the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) but was not allowed to come. His passport was confiscated in Riyadh. The NGO has never received a license to operate from the Saudi government. Reached by telephone, the former journalist (who no longer has the right to write for national newspapers) related his hopes and disappointments.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Seen Upholding Dollar Peg Policy [Feb 15]
"Saudi Arabia's new central bank governor is set to keep the oil exporter's dollar-pegged monetary policy intact amid a harsh global economic crisis, analysts said on Sunday. The world's top oil exporter named Mohammad Al Jasser governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) on Saturday.. ..Jasser, who holds a PhD in economics and represented the kingdom at the International Monetary Fund, will likely uphold strategies such as a near 23-year policy of linking the riyal to the USdollar and investing in low-risk foreign assets. 'I don't think you will see a sea change in current monetary policy,' said John Sfakianakis, chief economist at SABB bank, HSBC's Saudi affiliate. 'He is a believer at the moment that the peg serves a very important purpose and it is to its advantage.." [more]

Saudi Firm Wins $360m Finance [Feb 15]
"Saudi International Petrochemicals Company (Sipchem) said yesterday it secured 1.35 billion riyal ($360 million) in financing from the state-owned Public Investment Fund for an acetyl complex. Sipchem has already obtained a loan of 1.12bn riyals from the government-owned Industrial Development Fund and a commercial financing of 1.43bn riyals for the complex, it said. The plant is 95 per cent complete and will start production by mid-this year, it added. Sipchem raised 2bn riyals in February last year by selling stocks to its shareholders to help finance the acetyl project and other future expansion plans. Sipchem started developing the complex in 2005. The project targets annual production capacities of 340,000 tonnes of carbon monoxide, 400,000 tonnes of acetic acid and 330,000 tonnes of vinyl acetate.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Make Hefty Gains [Feb 15]
"The Saudi stock market made a strong start to the week with a gain of 1.99 percent yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) surged 96.55 points to close at 4,944.18 after rising 1.11 percent last week. The petrochemical, industrial investment and agriculture & food industries sectors made big gains yesterday.. ..The stock market turnover was over SR5.16 billion yesterday. The Jeddah-based Financial Transaction House (FTH) said in its daily market report yesterday that liquidity came below the 5-day simple moving average. As of now, we are about 10 points away from clearing the next trend line resistance before clearing another resistance at a previous peak at 4,975.." [more]

February 8-February 14, 2009

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  14]~~~~~~~~~

Major Reshuffle in Saudi Arabia [Feb 14]
"King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has sacked two powerful religious officials in a wide ranging shake-up of the cabinet and other government posts. One of the dismissed men was the head of the controversial religious police force. The other was the country's most senior judge. The king also appointed the country's first-ever female minister and replaced the head of the central bank. Correspondents say such government reshuffles are rare in Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah, who came to power in 2005, has for a long time had the reputation of a reformer - and the latest appointments have the makings of one of the biggest shake-ups in Saudi public life for many years.. ..The shake-up also affected the feared religious police organisation, known as the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Sheikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith has lost his job as head of the commssion, which enforces Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.. ..our correspondent says the religious police have been widely criticised recently over allegations of brutality - the kind of comments that could never have been made publicly a few years ago.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Replaces Head of Central Bank [Feb 14]
"Saudi Arabia named Muhammad al-Jasser as its new central-bank governor on Saturday in a government reshuffle that saw the appointment of the first woman to a cabinet-level position in the kingdom. Mr. al-Jasser replaces Hamad Al Sayyari, the longest serving central banker in the Gulf, to head the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, an authority that controls monetary policy in the kingdom and oversees its vast foreign assets estimated to be worth in excess of $500 billion.. ..King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia's ruler, has decided to introduce new leadership at SAMA as the kingdom prepares to adjust to the twin challenges of lower oil prices and the global economic crisis. Mr. al-Jasser attended San Diego State University, according to a profile on the CEO World magazine Web site. Prior to joining SAMA in 1995 as deputy governor, Mr. al-Jasser held a number of positions in the Saudi Ministry of Finance and the IMF, according to the Web site. He didn't return calls Saturday seeking comment. Investors on the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange, or Tadawul, were optimistic about the change in management at the top of SAMA.." [more]

Saudi Woman Becomes Deputy Minister [Feb 14]
"Saudi Arabia has named a woman as deputy minister for education - the most senior role ever held by a female in the kingdom.  Norah al-Faiz, currently an official at the Saudi Institute for Public Administration, was named as the deputy minister responsible for women's education as part of a reshuffle of the cabinet, military and judiciary on Saturday.. ..The reshuffle, King Abdullah's first since he took power following the the death of his half-brother in 2005, also saw new education, justice and information ministers appointed. 'This is a turning point. It is the biggest change that happened in this country in 20 years,' Mohammad al-Zulfa, a member of Saudi Arabia's Shura council, told the AFP news agency. 'It is a new start for King Abdullah. People are expecting changes,' he said. 'These are new faces who can bring change.'.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Retains Top Spot on DS100 List [Feb 14]
"Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco), the world’s top oil producer, retained its top spot in the Dinar Standard’s 5th annual ranking of the top 100 businesses in the 57-member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) recording an estimated 8 percent rise in its revenues from the year before. The 2008 DS100 list, which was released yesterday, had 54 publicly traded firms from 13 countries compared to the previous year’s 57 firms from 13 countries. With $1.21 trillion in total revenues, the 2008 DS100 list recorded a respectable 12.3 percent growth in revenue over the previous year. This is down from the 14.5 percent growth seen during the previous year’s ranking. The 21 integrated oil and gas companies on the list continued their dominance representing 64 percent of the total DS100 company revenues.." [more]

Woman Claims Sexual Harassment at UN Saudi Mission [Feb 14]
"A Jordanian woman has filed a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia's mission to the United Nations, claiming an official repeatedly exposed her to "egregious" and "perverted" sexual harassment that included groping, punching and trying to kiss her. In the suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, Gulnar Hijazi accused the mission's Charge d'affairs Abdul latif Sallam of making sexual advances on a weekly basis shortly after she started working there in 2006.. ..When she complained, Hijazi says she was subjected to further "degrading treatment." Hijazi said she was treated differently than her Saudi colleagues because she's Jordanian. A message left with the mission wasn't immediately returned Friday night.." [more]

Investors Monitor US Stimulus Plan [Feb 14]
"The Saudi stock market remained volatile last week, led by the petrochemical, banking and telecom sectors. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) gained 1.11 percent last week, closing at 4,847.62 points. The Riyadh-based Bakheet Investment Group (BIG) expected the attention of investors to focus in the coming week on the performance of US and other global stocks and their reaction to the US stimulus plan. “In case the reactions turn out to be negative, the impact will put down pressure on oil prices and consequently on the Saudi stock market,” the BIG weekly report said. The stock market turnover increased to SR33.4 billion last week compared to SR25.7 billion in the previous week.." [more]

Population Density in Cities Jump by 120% [Feb 14]
"The population density in major Saudi cities has increased by more than 120 percent during the six years from 2002 to 2008, according to a recent study conducted by a private transport company. The study said the Kingdom’s population density has surpassed its rate of population growth — which is among the highest in the world — by fivefold. The yearlong study said Jeddah topped the Kingdom’s cities in population density, which is increasing annually by 20-28 percent. The population density in Makkah saw an annual increase of 20-25 percent followed by Riyadh with an increase of 18-20 percent. The study’s supervisor Dr. Ali Hassan Nagoor, chairman of the Land Transport Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said a delay in finding a solution has aggravated the problem.." [more]

KFSH Ties Up With US Body for ADHD Treatment [Feb 14]
"The ADHD Support Group at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH/RC) is seeking a tie-up with the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) to raise the standard of healthcare services and early diagnosis of persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Dr. David Taylor, President AAP, and its Executive Director, John Forbes were in Riyadh Thursday to discuss the possibilities of cooperation with the ADHD Support Group. According to an official source, the ADHD Support Group is seeking cooperation with AAP, which has over 60,000 physicians helping its members in America and around the world. Besides, the US-based AAP is known for its top quality programs that include enhanced healthcare services for children, such as, the advanced diagnosis system and treatment for ADHD.. ..'There is a lack of (specialists) doctors in Saudi Arabia that is hampering the proper diagnosis and treatment of cases with ADHD,' she said, adding that as a result, the Kingdom was disadvantaged in losing the talent of many children.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  13]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Women Graduates Leave Kingdom for GCC Jobs [Feb 13]
"Many Saudi female graduates are being forced to look for jobs in neighboring countries as there are not enough opportunities for them in the Kingdom, Dr. Salwa Al-Khateeb, a King Saud University professor, said here Wednesday. She said the number of unemployed female Saudi graduates has been increasing every year because of a lack of opportunities for them. This explains, she said, the trend of seeking jobs in neighboring countries. Several women graduates have now taken up teaching assignments in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, she said. Official statistics, she said, show that 176,000 Saudi women graduates are unemployed which represents an unemployment rate of 26 percent. 'Only 500,000 out of five million Saudi women have jobs. This shows that the total workforce of Saudi women in the Kingdom is only 10 percent which is the lowest in the world,'.." [more]

Saudi Liberals Score More Points Without Fight [Feb 13]
"The conservatives, represented by the "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice," were dealt a heavy blow by the Princess Amira Al-Taweel, the second wife of billionaire Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, who is the incarnation of the modernist and pro-Western current. The beautiful princess thumbed, perhaps unintentionally, her nose at the conservative current. She had her bare face photographed by the daily Al-Watan, the voice of the liberal current: An extremely rare fact for a Saudi Princess whose husband is the nephew of the Saudi King.. ..So far, the interview of Princess Amira has prompted only one critical but abstruse reaction since it was very shy and did not have any explicit reference to the newspaper let alone the wife of billionaire prince.." [more]

60% Saudis Don’t Have Own Houses [Feb 13]
"From 45 to 60 percent of Saudis are unable to own houses and heads of nearly 35,000 Saudi families earn less than SR2,000 a month, according to Mufleh Al-Qahtani, president of the National Society of Human Rights. Al-Qahtani made the remarks while speaking to reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Establishment for Education and Training (SEET). The agreement is aimed at providing education and training to members of needy families. Al-Qahtani said NSHR had received complaints from many people about businesses denying them jobs despite having the necessary qualifications. 'When we investigated the reasons behind this, we found that the standard of training they received was poor while their educational qualifications were insufficient,' he said.." [more]

Red Rose Price Index Shows Valentine’s Spike [Feb 13]
"The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice intensified its vigilance over flower, chocolate and gift shops to confiscate items related to Valentine’s Day, a perennial crackdown on a holiday perceived by many to be both Western and immoral. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, head of the commission’s branch in Makkah province, said the agency has instructions to eliminate any activities aimed at celebrating this event or sell products related to it. 'This is based on the teachings of Shariah. God ordained Muslims to celebrate their own festivals in place of un-Islamic ones,' he said. 'So Muslims are not allowed to celebrate any festivals other than Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.'.." [more]

Oil Will Take Two Years to Reach $75 a Barrel: OPEC Official [Feb 13]
"A governor on the board of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday said it will take at least two years for crude prices to recover to between $70 and $75 a barrel. The official’s gloomy forecast came as oil slipped below $34 a barrel as worries over the health of the global economy and forecasts for a hefty fall in energy demand weighed on sentiment.. ..'We need at least another two years to make the price of oil 70 to 75 dollars,' Al-Amiri told AFP in an interview. “Growth in China was supposed to be nine percent, now they have reduced that to four percent. America and all of Europe is in recession, especially Britain. The picture is gloomy the system is collapsing,' he said. Al-Amiri said it is 'for the ministers at OPEC to decide' on March 15 if production should be cut, but it is his personal view that prices will probably rise in the latter half of 2009.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  12]~~~~~~~~~

King Gets Cable From US President [Feb 12]
"King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on Wednesday received a reply cable of thanks from US President Barack Obama in response to the King’s letter of congratulations on Obama assuming the office of presidency. In his cable, President Obama extended his thanks to the King saying, 'I thank you for congratulating me on my being elected the president of the United States of America. I’m grateful for your letter and I’m sure we will work together in a spirit of peace and friendship to build a safer world during the next four years. I am looking forward to working with you to achieve this and to boost the good relations between our two countries.'.." [more]

Jeddah Forum Eyes Big Names [Feb 12]
"The Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) has got the go-ahead to invite 25 international speakers, including heads of states and prime ministers. JEF is now checking on the availability of the speakers for the annual event, which was to be held on Feb.15-18 but was postponed for the first time in its 10-year history because the organizers did not get the clearance to hold the event on schedule. Included in a speakers’ list approved by Abdullah Zainal Ali Reza, Minister of Commerce and Industry and sent on Feb. 4 to Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Emir of Makkah, and the Chairman of the Saudi Council of Chamber of Commerce, are the following: Former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Charles of Britain, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Irish President Mary McAleese, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev.." [more]

GE Lands $1 Billion Saudi Turbine Order [Feb 12]
"General Electric Co (GE.N) signed a contract to supply nearly $1 billion worth of gas-fired electric turbines to the Saudi Electricity Co 5110.SE. The turbines will add about 2,000 megawatts of power to that nation's electric grid. The deal, announced on Wednesday, follows a $3 billion December accord to supply gas turbines to Iraq. GE's Energy Infrastructure business is currently its best-performing unit, with Chief Financial Officer Keith Sherin on Tuesday telling investors the company feels "pretty good" about the division's 'tremendous order backlog.'.." [more]

Saudi Tackles Sexual Harassment in the Workplace [Feb 12]
"Saudi Arabia is considering legislating laws aimed at tackling sexual harassment particularly in the work place, the punishment for which could be up to three years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Saudi Riyals [SR]. A specialized subcommittee within the Shura Council is engaged in issuing laws to curtail the phenomena of sexual harassment in the work place in light of draft laws that have already been prepared and are being studied by the Shura Council.. ..The draft law proposed that mechanisms to combat sexual harassment must be independent and not part of the labour law, as it is easier to issue a new law rather than amend an existing one. The law emphasized that the stronger the perpetrator is in comparison to the victim, the stronger the punishment will be.." [more]

Saudi Fund Grants US$20 Million to Niger for Kandadji Dam [Feb 12]
"The Board of Directors of the Saudi Development Fund (FSD) has granted US$20 million to the Niger government towards the funding of the Kandadji dam project, a communiqué from the Saudi Arabia embassy in Niamey said on Tuesday. According to the communiqué, the money is to support Niger's development efforts. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in May 2008 released US$50 million for the financing of the first phase of construction works of the dam. The total cost of the dam is estimated at US$ 236 million.. ..Once completed, the dam will help store nearly 1.6 billion cubic metres of water to irrigate and till some 222,000 hectares of land on the banks of the river for the production of some 320,000 tons for food. The first phase comprises a programme aimed at 'regenerating the ecosystem and developing the Niger valley'.." [more]

Al-Naimi Expects Volatility in Oil Market [Feb 12]
" Low oil prices are as unjustified and unsustainable as record-high prices were last summer, and the extreme volatility in the market may curb global investment in new projects to meet future demand, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said on Tuesday.. ..Oil’s roller coaster ride from nearly $150 a barrel last July to below $40 a barrel this week 'represents a significant impediment to ensuring adequate and timely investment flows into the energy sector,' Al-Naimi said. 'If today’s low prices continue long enough, they will sow the seeds for future price spikes and volatility.' Saudi Arabia, a leading member of OPEC, has agreed to cut some 4.2 million barrels per day of production since September to combat the slump in prices. OPEC will meet again March 15 to review its output policy. Al-Naimi painted a dire global economic picture as the worst economic downturn since World War II has shrunken global oil demand for the first time in 25 years.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  11]~~~~~~~~~

Global Alert Issued for 85 Terror Suspects [Feb 11]
"Interpol has issued a rare global security alert for 85 suspected al Qaeda-linked terrorists wanted by Saudi Arabia. The 'orange alert,' issued on Tuesday, comes after Saudi Arabia asked for Interpol's help last week in apprehending the 83 Saudis and two Yemenis. Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said the alert is unprecedented. 'Never before has Interpol been asked to alert the world about so many dangerous fugitives at one time,' Noble said in a news release. He also pointed out that the alert comes ahead of the 16th anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing in New York.. ..By asking for Interpol's help, Saudi Arabia is sending a clear message that it thinks the men are dangerous.." [more]

Saudi Minister Calls Low Oil Prices Unsustainable [Feb 11]
"Saudi Arabia’s oil minister told a packed dinner audience tonight that he has no doubt speculative investors pushed the price of oil into triple digits last year with 'bullish market psychology.' Now that the market’s 'group-think' has done a 180-degree turn, overly pessimistic views are keeping oil prices depressed.. ..'From a fundamental viewpoint, prices will be just as unsustainable at these low levels as they were at the stratospherically high levels experienced last year,' he said in prepared text released as the speech began. The volatility of energy markets in recent years has often obscured market signals, leaving some unsure when to conserve energy, when to invest. Without price stability, al-Naimi warned, 'achieving global economic recovery will be significantly more difficult.' Saudi Arabia has a goal of keeping spare production capacity at 1.5 million to 2 million barrels of oil per day to help stabilize prices, al-Naimi said. That cushion is expected to swell to 4.5 million by mid-year when the 1.2 billion barrel-a-day project in Khurais comes online. The Saudi energy minister’s comments captured a common theme at the conference, that energy markets are in limbo.." [more]

Saudis to Review Canadian's Death Sentence [Feb 11]
"Saudi authorities have ordered a review of the beheading sentence issued last March against a 23-year-old Canadian, but the life of Mohamed Kohail is not out of danger, Amnesty International cautioned yesterday. Saudi Arabia's Supreme Judicial Council has ordered the Jidda General Court, a lower body, to take another look at the sentence of death by decapitation that it issued almost a year ago against the Montreal-area man. Liberal MP Dan McTeague confirmed the Saudi decision. However, 'It's only a cautious move in the right direction,' said the Liberal consular affairs critic. 'We still have a long way to go.'.. ..The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was 'encouraged.' But spokeswoman Lisa Monette added, 'it would not be appropriate to speculate on the outcome of a case before the courts.'.." [more]

China to Build Mecca Rail System [Feb 11]
"China has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia to build a new railway system linking the main sites of the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the Hajj. The new railway will connect the city of Mecca with the pilgrim destinations of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Saudi Arabia also plans to build a high-speed rail link to take pilgrims from Mecca to Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, in 30 minutes. The journey time by road can take anywhere between four and five hours. Millions of Islamic faithful descend on Mecca during the annual mass pilgrimage.. ..The contract, worth almost $1.8bn (£1.24bn), was awarded to the China Railway Company and a French firm. The project was announced during a three-day visit by the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, to Saudi Arabia. China is becoming a key contractor on infrastructure projects in the oil-rich kingdom.." [more]

Japanese Experts to Train Prospective Saudi Businesswomen [Feb 11]
"Japanese women experts in business administration will train young Saudi women how to start small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) at a two-day seminar starting here March 9. Four Japanese women will conduct the seminar, sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), said an official source of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a Japanese government body in Riyadh for technical cooperation between the two countries. The training of young Saudi women for running small and medium-size businesses is the latest effort in technical cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan, the official said.. ..Since the government of Saudi Arabia is keen to promote business among Saudi women, the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) intervened to make the program a big success.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Continues to Focus on ‘Look East’ Policy [Feb 11]
"More than 70 Chinese companies are doing business in the Kingdom, of which 62 are construction firms employing close to 16,000 Chinese people. One Chinese construction company won a SR2.2 billion contract, the largest for a Chinese company in the Kingdom, to help expand facilities at King Khalid University. Another venture hinged on intangible factors is the proposed Sino-Saudi Jazan aluminum plant, which is jointly owned by Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd.(Chalco). A Chinese contractor also won a contract in 2007 to build a container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port at a cost of SR860 million, and the same firm was selected along with a local company to build the industrial port at Ras Al-Zour. Chinese cement companies are heavily involved in upgrading and expansion work for Saudi cement companies. And, last but not least, a Saudi-Chinese consortium recently won the SR6.7 billion civil works contract for the Makkah-Madinah high-speed railway on behalf of the Saudi Railroad Organization. Data on FDI (foreign direct investments) from either country is not very clear.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  10]~~~~~~~~~

President Hu Arrives in Riyadh for State Visit [Feb 10]
"Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for a state visit to deepen the strategic friendly relations between China and Saudi Arabia. During the visit, his second to Saudi Arabia as head of state, Hu is expected to have talks with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz on ways to push the China-Saudi Arabia strategic friendly relations to a higher level.. ..Chinese diplomats said that during his stay in Riyadh, President Hu will meet with Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah, to discuss cooperation between China and GCC member countries. Hu will also visit a cement production project constructed by Chinese companies in Riyadh, the diplomats said.." [more]

US Consulate Starts Partial Visa Services [Feb 10]
"The US Consulate in Jeddah announced yesterday that it would resume 'partial nonimmigrant visa services.' 'The Consulate General will be able to process a maximum of 300 applications per month, which represents about 10 percent of the traditional caseload in Jeddah,' said a consulate statement. US officials will be available four days per month to conduct interviews for King Abdullah Scholarship Program recipients, exchange visitors on government-sponsored international programs, diplomats and Saudi government officials traveling on official business and employees of and representatives to international organizations. The interviews will take place on Sundays and Mondays. The reinstatement of full service is contingent on the opening of the new consulate building in Jeddah, expected to be completed in the first half of next year.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Hold Asia Oil Supply Steady [Feb 10]
"Saudi Arabia will maintain steady oil supplies to major Asian buyers in March, industry insiders said Monday, suggesting that it is waiting to see if recent export cuts are enough to shore up prices. After successively cutting shipments to Asian refineries in December, January and February, the state oil company Saudi Aramco notified its major customers in Asia over the weekend that supplies in March would be largely unchanged from the month before, said people at six refineries in Japan and South Korea. That news came as a mild surprise to many traders in Asia, who were bracing for a fourth reduction as Saudi Arabia leads efforts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to put a floor under oil prices. U.S. crude for March delivery did not react to the announcement, trading at just above $40 on Monday, little changed over the past week.." [more]

China: A Powerful New Trading Partner — Part 1 [Feb 10]
"Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and China were first established in 1990. Yet, without substantial trade or the growth of the Chinese economy, ties between the Kingdom and China would have been far less visible. In many ways, links between the two have grown so dramatically because of each country’s strengths. China is an exporter of goods and Saudi Arabia is a significant importer, while China’s growth and thirst for oil imports has been largely supplied by Saudi Arabia. China is second largest source of imports to the Kingdom (2007 data) and is ranked fifth as a destination for Saudi exports. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is China’s biggest trading partner in the West Asia and North Africa region. Both countries’ exports and, as a result, overall trade rankings have dramatically improved over the decade.." [more]

Saudi Mile-High Tower Latest Skyscraper to Stall [Feb 10]
"Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower in Jeddah has become the latest of the world's tallest skyscraper projects to be put on hold. MEED reports that work on the world's tallest tower, which at one point had been expected to be one mile in height, has been shelved because of the global economic crisis. This follows similar moratoriums on Dubai's 1km Nakheel Tower, the 415m Chicago Spire, and Moscow's 612m Rossia Tower. The decision to delay the Kingdom Tower comes after its developer Kingdom Holding reported a loss of £5.6bn in the fourth quarter of 2008, because of the downturn in local and international equity markets. Bechtel was project manager for the tower development and is in the process of ending its involvement with the project.." [more]

New $453m Saudi Terminal on Track to Open in October [Feb 10]
"Container handling capacity at Jeddah Islamic Port will increase by 1.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) with the opening of a new container terminal this year, said a senior executive at the port. Construction of the $453 million (Dh1.66 billion) Red Sea Gateway Terminal is scheduled for completion this year, with operations set to commence on October 1. The new terminal is expected to ease the problem of congestion at Jeddah Islamic Port by adding 1.5 million TEUs to the existing 3.3 million TEUs, an increase of about 45 per cent. 'All infrastructural work at the terminal is going on as scheduled and we anticipate no delays. We will commence our operations in October as planned,' Lye Seng Tang, Chief Operating Officer, Red Sea Gateway Terminal, told Emirates Business. He said the port will initially have a staff of 200, adding that the number would be increased gradually.." [more]

Create Right Work Atmosphere for Saudi Youths [Feb 10]
"A labor official has come out strongly in support of Saudi youths and said the major reason behind their unemployment is the presence of about seven million foreign workers in the Kingdom. “Some people brand Saudi youths as lazy and reckless. In fact these are false and baseless accusations because productivity is governed by the work atmosphere. If we ensure an appropriate atmosphere for them they will fully devote themselves to their jobs,” Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Salihi, Director of the Labor Office in Qassim, said.. ..He said Saudis leaving their jobs must have a good reason, such as, long working hours and lack of incentives. “Most of the nationals in the private sector are not paid the housing and transportation allowances that foreign workers receive, he said.." [more]

Saudi Aramco, Sinopec to Sign Accord [Feb 10]
"Chinese President Hu Jintao, who begins a high-profile three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia today, will witness the signing of a major energy accord between Saudi Aramco and China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec), Asia’s biggest oil processor.  The agreement calls for cooperation in crude supply and the refinery sector that will give a significant role to Sinopec to provide engineering services to two refineries in the Kingdom without having any stake in the plants. 'Besides energy cooperation, President Jintao’s visit aims to boost Saudi-Chinese links in all sectors, while it will also give a new fillip to GCC-Chinese ties,' said Y. Yuan, a spokesman of the Chinese Embassy, here yesterday.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  9]~~~~~~~~~

China-Saudi Strategic Friendship Deepens With Frequent High-Level Visits [Feb 9]
"Chinese President Hu Jintao will set foot on Saudi Arabia Tuesday, highlighting the importance China attaches to the strategic friendly relations between the two nations. Hu's three-day state visit, at the invitation of King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, is his second one to the Arab state since April 2006. The visit is aimed at furthering China's friendship and cooperation with the country and strengthening its cooperation with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC),Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. Since 1990, the two countries have witnessed rapid development in exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, cultural, educational, religious and other aspects. In recent years, their political mutual trust and exchanges of high-level visits have also been on a rise.. ..The two countries hold similar views on major international and regional issues and have maintained coordination and cooperation in these aspects, Yang said. In respect of economic ties, Saudi Arabia has been China's largest trade partner in West Asia for eight years. Statistics from China Customs showed bilateral trade volume in 2008 exceeded 41.8 billion U.S. dollars.." [more]

Saudi Princess Says She's Ready to Drive [Feb 9]
"The wife of one of Saudi Arabia's most high profile and richest men said she's ready to get behind the wheel if women are ever permitted to drive, highlighting again a contentious issue authorities in this conservative desert kingdom prefer to play down. Princess Amira al-Taweel, who is one global tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's wives, told the Saudi daily Al-Watan that she already drives when she travels abroad.. ..This kingdom is the only country in the world to ban women — Saudi and foreign — from driving. The prohibition forces families to hire live-in drivers, and those who cannot afford the $300-$400 a month for a driver must rely on male relatives to drive them to work, school, shopping or the doctor. But change will be difficult in this ultraconservative society, where many believe that women at the wheel create situations for sinful temptation.."  [more]

Tighter Financing Delaying Saudi Projects [Feb 9]
"Tighter bank financing is delaying Saudi government projects crucial to the growth of the economy, according to a Riyadh industry official. Saudi banks have been slow in financing companies which the government contracted for projects already budgeted, Said Fahad al Hammadi, head of the contractors committee of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, told AFP late Sunday. 'The banks are being strict in providing finance for projects, especially infrastructure projects,' he said. 'This tighter financing began in the last few months against the backdrop of the global financial crisis.' Hammadi also said banks have pushed up interest rates for contractor financing to around 12 percent despite the sharp slide in rates in Saudi Arabia and around the world.." [more]

Govt Team to Prepare Plan to Phase Out Expats [Feb 9]
"The Ministry of Civil Service has proposed forming a working team comprising the Ministry of Finance and government departments having a high concentration of expat workers to prepare a replacement plan according to a specific timetable to be referred to the Civil Service Council. The decision of the Council will be binding on the government departments and the ministries of civil service and finance. This came in the light of official reports issued by the Civil Service Ministry that there were 147,750 vacant posts in 2008 in various government departments, forming 15.11 percent of the approved jobs with an increase of 55,403 jobs compared to the vacancies in 2007. Meanwhile, jobs occupied by non-Saudis in the government sector reached 68,990 out of a total of 829,000.." [more]

SR7.5bn Women’s Campus for KSU [Feb 9]
"King Abdullah yesterday launched eight new educational and welfare projects worth more than SR14 billion at King Saud University (KSU), including a 7.5-billion-riyal campus for women, a SR1.8-billion medical city and a SR1.2-billion housing project. King Abdullah toured an exhibition of the models of the new projects yesterday. The other projects are: a SR1.15-billion KSU endowment project, a SR1.1 billion men’s college buildings, the National Center for Diabetes Research (SR150 million), Riyadh Techno Valley (SR89 million) and an administrative block (SR150 million).." [more]

We Have Been Proved Right: Al-Jasser [Feb 9]
"The prudent and cautious regulatory stewardship of the Saudi financial and banking sector over the last few years has been vindicated as Saudi-based financial institutions have been much less affected by the fallout of the credit crunch and the impact of the global financial turmoil. While some banks in neighboring Bahrain, Kuwait and Dubai have reported exposure to the US subprime CDOs (collateralized debt obligations); or to overexposure to the real estate market or even commodity receivables such as reverse Murabaha, resulting in some of the cases to more than $3 billion of write-offs, Saudi banks are weathering the storm and in fact are looking forward to 2009 and 2010 with much greater optimism than there Western and international counterparts.. ..Some four years ago in 2005, SAMA, concerned by the wanton speculation on the local Saudi share market, was already reining in local banks and warned their senior executives that the banks should not to finance excessive speculation in the capital markets. Perhaps it was a bit too late to preempt the “irrational exuberance” in the Saudi stock market (the Tadawul Stock Exchange) which led to a 30 percent market correction in March 2007 which was effectively a wake-up call for both ordinary Saudis and institutional investors.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  8]~~~~~~~~~

First Saudi Woman Diplomat Takes Charge [Feb 8]
"Ministry of Higher Education has delegated Dr. Fatimah Abdullah Al-Saleem, a Saudi academician, to work as a first woman in the cultural attaché in the Saudi Embassy in Canada. Dr. Al-Saleem has joined the embassy after getting a royal approval on her appointment. She said her appointment is a proof that Saudi women are second to none in taking up sensitive responsibilities for the country. Before her assignment here, she had taught at King Saud University (KSU) for 28 years. She has a bachelor’s degree with honors in sociology and a master’s degree from the same university. She got her Ph.D from the American University in Washington D.C.." [more]

JEF Receives Ministry Approval [Feb 8]
"The Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) will be held in April this year after the minister of commerce and industry, Abdullah Zainal Alireza, gave his approval to the event after organizers postponed it last month. An informed source at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) confirmed that it had received the minister’s approval for holding the forum in two months, but did not give an exact date for the three-day event. Al-Madinah Arabic daily said the minister had also approved a list of international speakers, including politicians and economists. The approval will facilitate the issuance of visas for foreign delegates attending the event, the paper said. Sami Bahrawi, a member of the JCCI’s board of directors who is in charge of the forum, said on Wednesday that the forum could be held in April. He said he would remain head of the JEF’s organizing team along with other members.." [more]

Middle East States Face $448bn Loss in Oil Revenue [Feb 8]
"Middle Eastern oil exporting nations are expected to lose $US300 billion ($448 billion) in revenue because of lower crude prices and production cuts, IMF says. Economic growth for the 12 crude producers was expected to slow to 3.6percent this year from 5.6percent in 2008.. ..Oil prices have fallen almost 75 per cent from their high last July as the global economy sinks into recession, straining budgets of crude exporters. Most are expected to tap into their oil savings to maintain spending and avoid recession. Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Arab world, said it would post a 65 billion riyal ($25 billion) deficit this year.." [more]

Saudi May Allow Export of Steel [Feb 8]
"Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce and Industry is conducting studies to see if it can allow local companies to export construction steel again, Abha-based Al Watan reported yesterday. It has become possible to open the door for companies to export construction steel again and the ban, introduced some weeks ago, was temporary, the paper cited Khaled Al Suleiman, Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs at the ministry. The ministry encourages exports when the domestic market is saturated and current studies show that there is an oversupply, Suleiman said according to the daily.,," [more]

Saudi Shares Rise to a 3-Week High [Feb 8]
"Saudi Arabian shares rose to a three-week high after a rally in US stocks boosted investor confidence in the Kingdom.  Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the world’s biggest chemicals maker by market value, climbed for a third day, while Al-Rajhi Bank rose to its highest in more than three weeks. Arab National Bank increased after announcing a dividend. 'Gains in the US are helping inventors regain some confidence,' Ahmed Alghamdi, a sales trader at National Commercial Bank, told Bloomberg in a telephone interview from Jeddah. 'The liquidity crisis is international, not domestic, and most company profit declines are already priced in,' he was quoted as saying. The Tadawul All Share Index climbed 2.8 percent to 4,928.65, gaining for a third day. The index rose to its highest level since Jan. 14. The measure has risen 2.6 percent this year.." [more]

Men Who Plotted to Bring Back Terror [Feb 8]
"One of the men on the Kingdom’s new most-wanted list is married to Osama Bin Laden’s daughter while another was involved in a plot to kill the US ambassador in Yemen. A third smuggled militants into Iraq from Syria. Documents profiling the 85 men — 83 Saudis and two Yemenis — on the new most- wanted list reveal that many of them either took part in planning for possible attacks targeting oil, security and other installations in the Kingdom or provided Al-Qaeda members with weapons, safe haven, false documents and money. The documents shed light on the extent of Saudi participation in the shadowy extremist networks struggling to rebuild themselves in the Arabian Peninsula after a series of anti-terror crackdowns in past years. All the men on the list are hiding abroad, many in neighboring Yemen.." [more]

CPC, Gutmann to Set Up Aluminum Plant [Feb 8]
"The Jeddah-based Construction Products Holding Co. (CPC) has joined forces with Herman Gutmann Werke AG of Germany to set up SR350 million aluminum extrusion and composite panel facility in Saudi Arabia. Mu’taz Sawwaf, chief executive officer of CPC, and Theodoros Tzortzis, chairman of the board of Herman Gutmann, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) here yesterday to implement a joint investment in Jeddah by setting up of a state-of-the-art aluminum extrusion facility, as well as for a modern aluminum composite panel production line. 'The capital investment will be SR350 million and it will carry at an initial stage an annual production capacity of about 22,000 tons of extruded aluminum, including anodizing and powder coating facilities, as well as an output of some 1.5 million square meters of aluminum composite panel,'.." [more]

Revive The Saudi Peace Plan [Feb 7]
"..In March 2002, the Arab world, led by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, offered what is now known as the Arab Peace Initiative. This proposal envisaged Israel's withdrawal to its pre-1967 borders, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of Palestinian refugees, in exchange for the normalization of Arab-Israeli relations in the context of comprehensive peace. Yet it was ignored by both the previous U.S. administration and by Israel. This caused a certain amount of skepticism, even cynicism, among Arabs, who saw the dream of peace disappear like a mirage.. ..Now that the guns have fallen silent, we need to recognize that this crisis is different from those that have gone before, and its consequences could be catastrophic not only for the parties directly involved but for the world at large.." [more]

February 1- February 7 , 2009

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  7]~~~~~~~~~

Ensure Militant’s Funding Curbed, Hasina to Urge Saudis [Feb 7]
"Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is to visit Saudi Arabia later this month, her first foreign trip since assuming office, and is expected to urge Jeddah to ensure curbs on funding of militant outfits active in her country.'She is expected to request the Saudi government to take special measures so that no militant outfit in Bangladesh gets funds from any Saudi organisation or individual,' said Commerce Minister Faruk Khan. The Daily Star Saturday said that Hasina will also seek cooperation 'to root out militancy from Bangladesh'. Hasina is likely to visit Saudi Arabia in the third week of this month to perform Umrah. 'During the trip, she is also likely to explain the issue of trying war criminals,' a senior minister told the newspaper on condition of anonymity. Top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party with strong connections with the Saudi authorities, are accused of leading gangs that killed hundreds of unarmed civilians during the 1971 freedom movement.," [more]

Saudi Investor Still Interested in Shimoni Land [Feb 7]
"The Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who expressed interest to build a five-star hotel ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2007 at the 15-acre land where Shimoni Demonstration Primary School and Shimoni Teachers College stood is hell-bent on retaining his land. Through his local lawyers, Katende & Sempebwa Advocates, the prince has refuted local media reports that he has lost interest in the land, let alone developing it. The prime land was handed over to the Saudi Prince under the Public-Private Partnership Sector Initiative to put up a five-star hotel in preparation for CHOGM 2007 that took place in Kampala.. ..The government in return for the land received US$2 million to transfer the schools to their new homes in Wakiso district just outside Kampala City. The government is yet to construct the homes for the two institutions using the US$2 million.." [more]

Consortium Wins Mecca Rail Project [Feb 7]
"A Saudi-French-Chinese consortium has bagged the 1.8 billion dollar civil works contract for the Mecca-Medina high speed railway, a project official said on Saturday. The Al-Rajhi construction group together with France's Alstom and China Railway Engineering won the 6.8 billion riyal (1.8 billion dollar) contract, an official of the Saudi Railways Organisation told AFP, declining to be named. The civil works contract is the first stage of a six billion dollar plan to build a 444 kilometre (275 mile) high-speed railroad linking the two Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina through the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.." [more]

Riyadh Pressured on Death Penalty [Feb 7]
"Western countries Friday called on Saudi Arabia to halt floggings and amputations, allow religious freedom and abolish a system of male guardianship sharply limiting women's rights. Britain, Canada, Switzerland and Israel challenged Riyadh on its high number of executions. Saudi Arabia executes murderers, rapists and drug traffickers, usually by public beheading, and judges sometimes give the death sentence to armed robbers and those convicted of "sorcery" or desecrating the Quran. A Saudi delegation defended its record at the United Nations Human Rights Council, saying the country was cracking down on domestic violence by men who abused their roles as guardians and beat their wives and children.." [more]

King to Launch KSU Projects Worth SR14b [Feb 7]
"King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is scheduled to patronize on Sunday the launching ceremony and laying the foundation stone of new construction and strategic projects at King Saud University (KSU). Most important among these projects are university city for female students at SR7.5 billion, completion of the medical city at SR1.8 billion, teaching staff housing complex at SR2.1 billion, faculty buildings at men’s campus at SR1.1 billion, the National Center for Diabetes Research at SR150 million, the administration building for SR150 million, phase one of KSU endowments for SR1.15 billion, and Riyadh Technology Valley including electronics education center at SR89 million. The total cost of the projects is SR14 billion.." [more]

Royal Decree OKs Terms of Pardon in Murder Cases [Feb 7]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has, through a royal decree, approved recommendations regulating the terms of pardon for prisoners on death row for murder, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The recommendations were given by a committee set up to study the issue of the kin of murdered people demanding huge amounts of blood money (diyah) from the relatives of the murderers, even if they are poor. The committee also recommended the setting up of reconciliation committees in all provinces to facilitate negotiation between the kin of murderers and their victims in qisas (blood for blood) cases. The royal decree banned the setting up of charity tents or billboards to collect donations for the payment of blood money. Those involved are also not allowed to raise funds through the media.. ..Accepting blood money is an Islamic way of saving a convicted murderer from execution provided the victim’s relatives agree.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  6]~~~~~~~~~

Middle East Oil Demand to Stay Robust [Feb 6]
"Oil demand growth in the Middle East will slow but stay robust in 2009 as governments in the world's top exporting region boost spending to cushion the impact of the global economic slowdown. The deteriorating world economy was expected to burn less oil for the second consecutive year in 2009. But while demand contracts elsewhere, the International Energy Agency IEA.L expects cheap fuel to lead to Middle East consumption rising by around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) or nearly 3 percent. 'Demand for transportation fuels in Saudi Arabia and Iran will continue to give support in the region because the fuel is still heavily subsidised in these countries,'.."  [more]

Saudi Arabia Urged to Halt Floggings, Give Women Rights [Feb 6]
"Western countries called on Saudi Arabia on Friday to halt floggings and amputations, allow religious freedom and abolish a system of male guardianship sharply limiting women's rights. Britain, Canada, Switzerland and Israel challenged Riyadh on issues including its high number of executions. Saudi Arabia executes murderers, rapists and drug traffickers, usually by public beheading, and judges sometimes give the death sentence to armed robbers and those convicted of "sorcery" or desecrating the Koran. A Saudi delegation defended its record at the United Nations Human Rights Council.. ..The 47 member-state Council began regular reviews of all U.N. members last June in a bid to avoid charges of selectivity.." [more]

Ministry of Interior Rejects Easing Saudi Foreign Marriages [Feb 6]
"The Ministry of Interior has rejected a request by the Shoura Council for easing rules governing Saudis who marry non-Saudi women. While refusing the request, the ministry exempted elderly and disabled people from the rules in appreciation of their circumstances. Dr. Talal Bakri, Head of the Social Committee at the Shoura Council, said the Council based its request on the fact that some Saudis who do not get permission from the ministry circumvent the law by traveling abroad to marry foreign women. He pointed out that studies have shown that these marriages do not last long and end in divorce, adding that 'In all cases the victims are the children who by birth are Saudis. Most of these children end up becoming street boys.' Owing to this, he said the Council had requested the ministry to reconsider these rules.." [more]

Door Open for Saudi Businessmen [Feb 6]
"Turkish President Abdullah Gul said yesterday that the growing Saudi-Turkish relations would pave the way for establishing a strong economic partnership between businessmen of the two countries in areas such as education, industry, tourism, real estate and construction. Addressing businessmen at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the Turkish president said he wanted to see the volume of two-way trade increased from $5.5 billion to $10 billion. 'Strengthening of relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey would have positive effect on reinforcing peace and stability in the world,'.. ..'Turkey is not the old Turkey. We have changed our investment and trade regulations, providing Turkish and foreign investors equal rights,' the president said and praised Saudis investing in Turkey. 'My door is open for Saudi businessman and investors and I am ready to solve all their problems,'.." [more]

Arabsat Signs New Deals Worth $590m [Feb 6]
"The Riyadh-based Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) yesterday signed contracts for manufacturing and launching of two new satellites at a total cost of $590 million. The contracts were signed with French EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space for manufacturing and with Arianespace for launching the two new communications satellites 5C and Badr 7. 'The satellites, with the designed life expectancy of 15 years, will be ready for launching in 2011 and 2012,' said Khalid A. Balkheyour, Arabsat president and chief executive officer, after signing the agreements at Riyadh’s Four Seasons Hotel.. ..Founded by the Arab League, the Riyadh-based Arabsat has emerged as one of the world’s top satellite operators and by far the leading satellite services provider in the Arab world.." [more]

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Records 1,344 Tourism Events in 2008 [Feb 6]
"In 2008, SCTA's electronic tourism calendar listed 1,344 tourism events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The posted events varied between national and international events such as conferences, symposia, tourism festivals, exhibitions, ceremonies, cultural activities, sports, etc. While MICE and tourism festivals topped the list, the largest number of events was recorded in the Saudi Capital, Riyadh.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  5]~~~~~~~~~

Yemen on High Alert Amid Fears of al Qaeda Attack [Feb 5]
" Over the last several weeks a growing number of al Qaeda operatives have entered Yemen from Saudi Arabia and have established a renewed network that potentially threatens U.S. and Saudi targets in the region, both U.S. and Yemeni officials have told CNN.. ..The United States continues to worry about attacks against the U.S. embassy or other U.S. business interests in Yemen the official said. But there are also growing concerns that a renewed al Qaeda network in Yemen could plan attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure or the massive cargo shipping operations that run through the immediate region -- potentially disrupting an already shaky world economy. The official said there is a flow of intelligence information in recent weeks backing up that assessment. 'There are clear indications al Qaeda is placing emphasis on Yemen as a place to conduct operations and train operatives.'.." [more]

Somalia: Saudi Arabia To Mediate Somali Leaders [Feb 5]
"Sources close to the Saudi government said on Thursday that the Saudi government is committed to mediating a peace deal between the newly elected Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and his former ally Sheikh Dahir Aweys who is now the chairman of the Asmara based Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS). A spokesman for the government said they plan to invite both parties to Saudi Arabia for talks and would present them with a cease-fire roadmap and a well-structured alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for the country.." [more]

Hu to Seek More Oil Supply [Feb 5]
"Chinese President Hu Jintao will arrive here on Feb. 10 on a two-day official visit to the Kingdom, Yong Hong Lin, Chinese Ambassador told a press conference at his residence, Wednesday. President Hu will hold talks with King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, on bilateral relations between the two countries focusing on political and economic issues including trade, energy cooperation, education, cultural relations and Haj.. ..During the talks with King Abdullah on energy cooperation China will seek to increase the supply of oil from Saudi Arabia. According to an official source for quite sometime the two sides are working on a mechanism to guarantee the increased supply of oil to China. Currently, China imports around 26 million tons (100 million barrel/year) of oil from Saudi Arabia.." [more]

Kingdom, Turkey Decide to Restore Historic Hejaz Railway [Feb 5]
"Saudi Arabia and Turkey have reaffirmed their desire to restore and rebuild the historic Hejaz Railway that linked Damascus with the holy city of Madinah by a narrow-gauge rail line. The Hejaz rail line was used by pilgrims traveling from Istanbul to the Prophet’s Mosque via the Syrian capital. 'The plan envisages restoration and modernization of the railway line by the Turkish government within its territory, while it calls on Syria and Jordan to rebuild the tracks on their sides,' said Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim during a high-profile business meeting addressed by Turkish President Abdullah Gul here yesterday. The plan, the first since the Six-Day War interrupted a similar project in 1967, would extend the reach of the railway to its original but never completed southernmost destination: Makkah. World War I put an end to the rail line shortly after its completion in 1913.."  [more]

Deviants Disappearing From Kingdom: Experts [Feb 5]
"Terror experts in the Kingdom are claiming that terror-suspects have fled Saudi Arabia as they no longer find it congenial for the growth of extremist ideologies. 'The deviant ideology is disappearing from the country and its advocates have no choice but to leave the country as indicated by the details recently published by the Ministry of Interior,' Maj. Gen. Yahya Al-Zayedi, a Saudi security expert, told Al-Madinah newspaper.. ..The general also urged parents not to allow their children to travel for jihad as some people are exploiting the young under the guise of jihad. Brig. Muhammad Al-Mulaihim, another security expert, also warned parents in the Kingdom that some people with evil agendas are influencing Saudi youths and exploiting them for their own agendas.." [more]

Oil Falls as Economic Woes Override OPEC Moves [Feb 5]
"Oil futures fell below $40 a barrel Thursday, as grim manufacturing and jobs data rekindled concerns over slowing energy demand and overshadowed expectations that OPEC might cut its production further. Meanwhile, natural gas rose after the Energy Information Administration reported U.S. inventories fell by 195 billion cubic feet in the week ended Jan. 30. Crude oil for March delivery fell 64 cents, or 1.6%, to $39.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the contract hit an intraday low of $39.46. Oil slipped "in the aftermath of very weak U.S. factory data," said analysts at Action Economics.. ..The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls about a third of the world's oil production, agreed at a December meeting to reduce production by a record amount of 2.2 million barrels a day starting from Jan. 1, adding to previous cuts of 2 million. Overall, the reduction is equal to about 5% of the world's oil production.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb  4]~~~~~~~~~

11 Ex-Gitmo Prisoners on Saudi Wanted List [Feb 4]
"Eleven Saudis released from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are on a list of 85 wanted terrorism suspects made public by the Saudi Interior Ministry, officials said. Saudi officials said the 11 former Guantanamo Bay detainees underwent a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists and are thought to have fled the country, joining terrorist groups elsewhere, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reported Wednesday. The 11 former detainees include two already identified as members of a Yemeni terrorist group. The 85-name list made public Tuesday is the largest list Saudi officials have released yet, the Times said. All but two of the wanted suspects are Saudis. Officials also appealed for the men to turn themselves into authorities.. ..Unclear was whether any of the 11 former Guantanamo Bay detainees participated in terrorist attacks.." [more]

EADS Favoured to Win Saudi Contract [Feb 4]
"European aerospace group EADS is favoured to win a contract worth 1.0-1.5 billion euros to provide Saudi Arabia with radar system to monitor national borders, the financial newspaper Les Echos reported on Wednesday. "The Kingdon's interior ministry is reportedly now negotiating with the European group alone," the paper said, without citing its sources. The contract would be worth between 1.3 billion and 1.9 billion dollars. Another French group, Thales, and Raytheon of the United States, are no longer in the running for the deal, according to the paper.. ..The system to be provided would include radars and cameras to detect any intrusion across Saudi borders by land, air or sea.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Wins Award for Clean Fuel Technology [Feb 4]
"Saudi Aramco has been awarded the National Oil Companies (NOC) Forum Environmental Stewardship Award for its groundbreaking research on Electron Beam Flue Gas Treatment (EBFGT) technology. Then-president and CEO Abdallah S. Jum‘ah and Hesham A. Musaiid, manager of Environmental Protection, received the award at a ceremony in association with the 2008 NOC conference. It was the second time in a row that Saudi Aramco won the award, first established at the Fourth NOC Forum in 2006.. ..The EBFGT technology provides an innovative solution to high-sulfur liquid-petroleum fuels. It benefits all NOCs by enhancing the acceptability and marketability of such fuels.." [more]

Oil Output Cuts Continue [Feb 4]
"OPEC cut oil production 3.5 percent in January, led by Saudi Arabia, whose output dropped to a six-year low as producers tried to avoid a supply glut and bolster prices. According to Presstv, production from the 12-member group, responsible for more than 40 percent of global oil supply, averaged 28.565 million barrels a day last month, down 1.05 million from December. Output in December was revised 180,000 barrels a day lower. Producers with output quotas, all members except Iraq, pumped 26.2 million barrels a day, 1.355 million more than their target of 24.845 million barrels a day. Indonesia left the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at the end of 2008.." [more]

Gul Eyes Stronger Saudi Ties [Feb 4]
"Unity among Palestinian leaders and boosting ties between the Kingdom and Turkey figured prominently in talks here yesterday between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Turkish President Abdullah Gul. On arrival at Riyadh airbase, Gul and his 150-member delegation was received by the king. 'The talks between the king and the Turkish president focused on the whole range of bilateral, regional and international issues, including Palestine, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan,'.. ..Gul also said that the Kingdom and Turkey, as regional leaders, are pursuing constructive foreign policies to establish peace in the Middle East. 'The active approach of King Abdullah and his visit to Ankara and Istanbul in 2006 heralded the beginning of a new era in relations between the two countries.' After the talks, the leaders witnessed the signing of two major agreements: one on cooperation in the field of maritime transport and another in the field of youth and sports.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb 3]~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Publishes Global Most Wanted List [Feb 3]
"Saudi Arabia has published a list of 85 suspected militants wanted around the world who it said had been drawn to "deviant" ideologies -- a reference to the Al-Qaeda terror network. The list, published by the official news agency SPA late on Monday, includes 83 Saudis and two Yemenis and calls for the suspects to turn themselves in to the authorities. It was released by the interior ministry following news in January that at least nine men the Saudi government had put through a militant rehabilitation process, including several ex-inmates of the US prison at Guantanamo, had been rearrested.. ..Saudi Arabia said then that it plans to put in the dock almost 1,000 defendants in the first trials of Al-Qaeda suspects.." [more]

Saudi Cuts Karan Gas Field Costs, Faces Delay [Feb 3]
"Top oil exporter Saudi Aramco has saved at least 20 percent on the costs of developing the Karan gas field after asking companies competing for the contract to resubmit bids, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday. The cost of the project has fallen by at least $1 billion from previous estimates that pegged it as high as $5 billion, Saudi daily al-Watan reported without citing a source. Aramco asked companies to resubmit bids to reflect the fall in the prices for steel and raw materials since last summer. The start up of output could be delayed to 2012 from 2011, the newspaper added. Aramco has yet to name a winner for the project, Watan reported. Aramco was unable to offer any immediate comment on Tuesday.." [more]

Aramco to Self-Finance 50 Percent of New Refinery [Feb 3]
"An oil executive says state-run Saudi Arabian Oil Co. will self-finance 50 percent of a roughly $8 billion joint-venture refinery with France's Total SA. Salem Shaheen, chief executive of SATROP, the joint-venture company that will build and operate the refinery, told Al-Ektisadiyah newspaper Tuesday that Saudi Aramco will self-fund half the costs while the remainder will be covered through marketing of the plant's production. The refinery in Jubail has a projected capacity of 400,000 barrels per day of crude. It is to begin operations by the end of 2012.." [more]

Saudi Prince Calls for Cutting Expatriate Work Force [Feb 3]
" Gulf and Arab countries, where foreigners mostly from South Asia make up half the work force, should give preference to own citizens over expatriates, a prominent member of the Saudi Royal family has said. 'We should build our national economies to benefit our own people and not the millions of foreign workers,' Prince Turki al-Faisal Bin Abdullah said.. ..Foreign unskilled and skilled workers mainly from South East Asia and South Asia make up an average of 50 per cent of the work force in the Gulf region. They go as high as 92 per cent in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman to 60 per cent in Saudi Arabia. Turki warned that allowing foreign workers could threaten the demographic makeup of the region. 'If this influx continues, we may become minorities in our country.'.." [more]

Deal Signed to Develop New Saudi Industrial City [Feb 3]
"Oil Fields Processing Company, a joint venture between an investment firm owned by the Dubai government and a Saudi Arabia company, has signed an agreement to develop an industrial city in Saudi specialising in energy services. Under the deal, the company will plan, develop, construct and manage Energy Service City, the first phase of which involves the building of 120 factories, expected to attract more than SR5bn ($1.3bn) in investment, Saudi Industrial Property Authority (MODON), which is overseeing the development, announced on Tuesday. Spanning an area one and a half million square metres within Dammam Second Industrial City, the development will support the energy services industry sector in the kingdom, particularly in oil and gas.." [more]

Philippine Leader in Saudi for Labour Talks [Feb 3]
"Philippine President Gloria Arroyo is holding talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that are expected to focus on the supply of labour to the oil-rich kingdom. Filipino community leaders in Saudi Arabia have also urged Arroyo to make a plea to the government to grant clemency to several Filipinos facing the death penalty, the English-language Arab News said. As many as one million Filipinos work in the Arab world's largest economy, especially as nurses, drivers, mechanics and shop attendants.  Arroyo, who arrived late on Monday, is expected to meet Saudi government officials in Riyadh, a Philippine diplomat said without elaborating.. ..The Philippines is currently discussing a broad agreement with Saudi Arabia on the supply of workers to the kingdom, according to media reports.." [more]

Kingdom Asks Palestinians to be Realistic [Feb 3]
"Saudi Arabia yesterday urged the Palestinians to adopt a new and realistic concept of resistance that would realize their unity, strengthen their legitimate organizations, protect their lives and properties and ensure their legitimate rights.. ..The Cabinet told Palestinian factions that there was no option except their unity. It also gave a new direction to Arab and Islamic communities, saying they should follow the way of economic, social and cultural development, stick to the highest Islamic goals and be ready to have dialogue with other cultures and peoples. The Kingdom called for joint legal, political and economic endeavors to confront the policies of Israel and its supporters. The Cabinet statement came a day after the visit of US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to Riyadh who came in search of finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.." [more]

InfraCo, Azmel Sign SR180 Million Deal [Feb 3]
"Arabian Mining Company’s (Maaden’s) huge phosphate mining and processing project in the northeast of the Kingdom took a step closer to becoming a physical reality with the signing of a SR180 million deal between InfraCo, the infrastructure subsidiary of Maaden, and Azmel Establishment here yesterday. The contract, for the manufacture and construction of about 500 residential units at Ras Al Zour puts the project’s feet firmly on the ground in the area. The agreement was the first phase of an integrated residential village development project. The contract was signed on behalf of InfraCo by Khalid S. Al-Mudaifer, vice president, Phosphate SBU, new business development & marketing and Chairman of InfraCo Abdulrahman bin Fahd AlJaber on behalf of Azmel.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb 2]~~~~~~~~~

Find a Just Solution to Mideast Conflict, Abdullah Tells Mitchell [Feb 2]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday held talks with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell and called for intensive international efforts to find a just solution to the protracted Palestinian-Israeli conflict. King Abdullah and Mitchell discussed “new developments in the Palestinian issue and the Middle East peace process and stressed the importance of intensifying global efforts to reach a just and comprehensive solution,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Saudi Arabia insisted that any Middle East solution should ensure the establishment of an independent state for the Palestinians where they can live, the agency said. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal attended the talks at the king’s palace in Riyadh.." [more]

Saudis Hope Turks Will Help Stem Shi'ite Influence [Feb 2]
" Turkish President Abdullah Gul can expect a warm welcome when he starts an official visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with the stated goal of boosting business ties with the world's largest oil exporter. Saudi Arabia hopes the visit will bring it closer to forming a strategic alliance with the NATO member state to counter the growing influence of Iran in the region, diplomats say.  Bilateral ties have improved dramatically since Gul's AK Party and King Abdullah came to power in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Saudi Arabia's ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim rulers were for decades wary of the avowedly secular Turkish state -- having helped to evict the Ottomans from the Arabian peninsula in the early years of the 20th century. But the Saudi economy has more recently provided work for thousands of Turks, including Gul himself, whose daughter was born in the Saudi city of Jeddah.." [more]

Kingdom to Pursue Economic Reforms to Woo Investment [Feb 2]
"Despite the global financial crisis, Saudi Arabia remains adamant in pursuing economic as well as structural reforms that promote privatization, and develop a business-friendly environment which will attract foreign and private investment. The Kingdom will face some challenges this year, largely due to the fall in crude oil prices and cut in its oil production in line with the decision of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In addition, tighter and more expensive borrowing may lead to an overall slowdown in economic growth in 2009, the Jeddah-based Financial Transaction House (FTH) said in its latest Economic Insight: Saudi Arabia 2009 report. 'The Kingdom’s 2008 revenues have been at record levels, with a hefty surplus. Thanks to the high oil prices seen earlier last year, peaking at $147 a barrel, the average oil price for 2008 was about $95 a barrel. This will allow the government to maintain expansionary spending, instilling investor confidence, and planning to maintain work on all current and planned projects'.." [more]

Saudi Buys 3 mln bbls Fuel From Japanese Trader [Feb 2]
"Saudi Aramco has agreed to buy about 3 million barrels of gas oil from Japanese trader Itochu, as rapidly rising demand for transport and power force the top oil exporter to import, traders said on Monday. The traders said state-run Aramco will import the gas oil, which includes diesel, from the Itochu Corp unit from March through December to the Red Sea region, where it is short on diesel. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has bought gas oil on the spot market for at least two years. Aramco has avoided long-term supply deals as the Kingdom strives for fuel self sufficiency. Demand has been fuelled by heavy investment in economic development financed by record crude export revenues. It also may have been further fuelled by the need to burn oil products in some power stations instead of gas as the kingdom cuts oil output. Saudi is pumping oil at its lowest level in more than six years as it cuts production in line with a deal with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Most Saudi gas is a by-product of oil output, so volumes fluctuate with oil output.." [more]

Indonesia to Resume Sending Workers to Saudi Arabia [Feb 2]
"Saudi Arabia's National Recruitment Committee and concerned Indonesian agencies have agreed to resume recruitment of housemaids and workers from the largest Muslim country to Saudi Arabia. The bilateral agreement was reached on Friday at the end of negotiations that lasted 14 days in Jakarta between the two sides. The agreement will come into force on March 1. Indonesia will send workers to the Kingdom after providing the much sought after employment training and an intensive awareness program. The new agreement was made possible following an initiative taken by the Federation of Manpower Agencies in Indonesia. The federation recently sent a letter to the Saudi National Recruitment Committee expressing its willingness to hold a joint meeting to discuss some of the provisions of the agreement that is binding to all the countries who have its citizens working in the Kingdom.." [more]

Poetry Contests in Saudi Arabia Anger Grand Mufti [Feb 2]
"Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Alu Al Sheikh has come out heavily against the practice of poetry contests and reality shows hosted by several satellite television channels. "These contests were tantamount to the practices of the Pre-Islamic Period (Jahiliyyah) that harbor feelings of hatred in the minds of people." he said.. ..All these are Jahiliyyah (practices) that incite feelings of hatred. They will also generate feelings of envy in the minds of children toward their elders. Such practices would also cause to trigger envy and hatred among different tribes. Therefore, it is good for us to keep away from such practices," he said.There has been a mushrooming of satellite channels over the past three years - these host poetry contests in which amateur poets compete to win grand prizes.." [more]

5,000 Foreign Doctors to be Recruited [Feb 2]
"The Ministry of Health is to recruit 5,000 doctors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Middle Eastern countries to staff dozens of new and renovated hospitals in the Kingdom. 'There is a demand for these health personnel in our 43 new and renovated hospitals in the Kingdom,' said Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghlani, spokesman for the Ministry of Health. Al-Mirghlani said the Ministry of Health’s recruitment plan is geared to serve the health needs of the Kingdom’s increasing population. He added that general physicians, consultants, specialists and surgeons are required at hospitals across the Kingdom’s 20 health regions.." [more]

Precluding a Future Stock Market Bubble Via Rigid Policy Intervention [Feb 2]
"The Saudi stock market has undergone a severe crash moving from a bullish period in February 2006 when the index reached almost 22,000 points and the bubble was formed to a bear market afterward plunging the index to almost 4,200 points in November 2008. Casual market investors and observers will blame “irrational exuberance” as the main factor behind the collapse. An empirical analysis revealed many instigating factors behind the bubble. These factors commonly could have been prevented or mitigated had it not been for the lack of appropriate legislation and action by the government authorities. The lack of such intervention by the regulatory bodies, coupled with overvaluations and irrational behavior of investors made such a collapse inevitable.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Feb 1 ]~~~~~~~~~

Saud, Mitchell Discuss Mideast Peace Process [Feb 1]
"Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister, and George Mitchell, US Mideast envoy, on Saturday discussed 'the importance of moving the peace process forward' to achieve an independent, contiguous and viable Palestinian state. Mitchell flew in to the Saudi capital late Saturday on the final leg of a regional tour aimed at reviving peace efforts. Mitchell was also expected to meet King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and a key force behind the Arab peace initiative to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The US envoy has also visited Egypt, Jordan and Israel and held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The 75-year-old former senator who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland in 1998 was appointed Mideast envoy just two days after Barack Obama was sworn in president on Jan. 20.." [more]

King Appeals for Palestinian Unity [Feb 1]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday urged Palestinian groups to settle their differences. 'The competition between them is a big mistake. It will do them more harm than that done by Zionism,' the king said while talking to Shoura members. 'I appeal to them again to stand united in order to strengthen their cause. They should reject their selfishness in the service of their religion and nation, Palestine.' The king’s statement came as US Middle East envoy George Mitchell arrived here for talks with Saudi leaders on the situation in Palestine.." [more]

Saudi Central Bank to Boost Bank Deposits if Needed [Feb 1]
"The Saudi central bank will boost its deposits at banks if the need for such support arises to offset the impact of the global credit crunch on access to foreign financing, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al Assaf said. 'There is a parallel effort in increasing the deposits with local banks to enable them to also lend to development projects in the kingdom', Assaf told Al Arabiya television.  'The problem is with foreign borrowings, there is a challenge, the problem is not with the kingdom's economy, but with international financial institutions,' Assaf said. Earlier this week, the state-controlled Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced measures to increase its financing support for projects in the world's largest oil exporter amid the global liquidity crunch. PIF's measures follow steps taken by the central bank to unlock more liquidity in a country where the fortunes of the private sector depend heavily on government spending, itself subject to oil price fluctuations.." [more]

Saudi Gov't Offers More Funding to Non-Oil Exporters [Feb 1]
"A plan to boost non-oil exports in Saudi Arabia has been expanded to offer more companies involved in the industry extra funding, it was reported on Sunday. The Saudi Exports Development Centre announced that funding for the scheme, which encourages other exporting industries, had been boosted from 2 billion riyals ($ 0.5 billion) to 15 billion riyals ($3.9 billion) this year, according to Saudi daily the Saudi Gazette. As a result more companies involved in non-oil exports were being invited to apply for the cash incentives, said Eid Abdul Rahman Al Qahtani, executive director of the centre.." [more]

60% Jobs for Saudis Cut in Private Sector [Feb 1]
"Businesses have decided to cut 60 percent of the jobs earmarked for Saudis this year due to the impact of the global economic meltdown, according to the National Program for Joint Training, which is opposed to the idea. The Program will take the matter to the Minister of Labor for action in this regard, said Mansour Al-Mebarik, Director of the Eastern Province chapter of the National Program for Joint Training. Al-Mebarik said several companies have informed the Program about their plans to cut jobs allotted to Saudis. But the arguments put forward by business owners were not convincing, he said, vowing to get them to increase job opportunities for Saudis instead. The Program has invited Saudis to submit their job applications to the 18th Employment Fair beginning Feb. 15. But the fair may be postponed due to the limited number of available jobs.." [more]

JCCI, JEF Chairmen Ousted [Feb 1]
"The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) was plunged into turmoil Saturday after its chaiman Saleh Bin Ali Al-Turki lost his job. Sami Bahrawi, the chairman of the Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF), a JCCI affiliate, was also relieved of his post. Al-Turki also lost his chairmanship of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisi was delegated to the post. Al-Turki and Bahrawi were removed because they had 'exceeded the regulations' in organizing last year’s Jeddah Economic Forum, a JCCI source said. JCCI’s board members were meeting in an emergency session late in the night to discuss the crisis. Board members declined to comment on the developments, saying only that matters would be clarified after the meeting.. ..Signs of simmering turmoil in the chamber had surfaced a couple of weeks ago when a press conference was called to announce the cancellation of this year’s JEF after it was not granted the license to organize the event.." [more]

Polio Vaccination Campaign in Jeddah Targets 215,000 Children [Feb 1]
"Prince Misha’l Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Jeddah, on Saturday launched the first stage of the national vaccination campaign against poliomyelitis. The campaign will target about 215,000 children across the Kingdom. The second stage of the campaign will start on Feb. 28 and will last five days, according to Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah.  About 1,500 employees are involved in the campaign targeting children below the age of five.. ..The campaign will cover all children from all nationalities, without regard as to whether they have a residency permit (Iqama) or not.." [more]

Swedish Scholarships for Saudi Students Announced [Feb 1]
"The Swedish Embassy in Riyadh has launched the first scholarship program for Saudi engineering students to study in Sweden.  Jan Thesleff, Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told a press conference here last week that the scholarship program for Saudi engineering students will open a new era in bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Swedish. The scholarship program was launched in collaboration with ABB Saudi Arabia. Thesleff said Hashem Jaber, and Badr Bin Salama, electrical engineering students, were named as winners of this year’s scholarship program, fully sponsored by ABB Saudi Arabia.  Mahmoud Shaban, CEO, ABB Saudi Arabia, Zaid Al-Rumaihi, ABB’s HR Manager, and a representative from the Ministry of Higher Education were also present. A total of 1,600 engineering students applied for the scholarship program. Of that number seven were short-listed for the scholarship program but five opted to be employed at ABB Saudi Arabia.." [more]

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