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Saudis on High Terror Alert Before Hajj [Dec 1]
"Saudi Arabia's announcement of its largest anti-terror sweep ever was timed ahead of the Muslim Hajj as a warning to those who might be plotting attacks during the pilgrimage, a security official said Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the arrests of more than 200 al-Qaida-linked militants was 'a warning' to those who seek to abuse the December event to 'disturb' the pilgrims and to 'damage the image of a forgiving Islam.' The kingdom said Wednesday it had arrested 208 suspected terrorists in six cells.. ..The announcement came less than three weeks before the Hajj, when more than 2 million Muslim pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia each year.." [more]

Saudi Unsure if Oil Output is to be Raised [Dec 1]
"World oil consumption is set to rise over winter, but it is unclear if OPEC needs to raise output to meet the demand, top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia’s oil minister said on Saturday. Asked whether he expected demand to increase during the winter period, Ali Al Naimi said: 'That is what it normally does, every winter the fourth quarter is always higher than the third quarter.'.. ..But Naimi said he did not know if this means OPEC ministers will agree to raise output when they meet in the UAE on Wednesday. He said, 'That we don't know yet, we have to look at the information.'.." [more]

Saudi Shares Rally in November [Dec 1]
"Saudi shares made strong gains in November on the back of abundant liquidity, as stock markets in other energy-rich Gulf states eased on profit-taking and speculation. The Saudi Tadawul All-Shares Index, which surged 10% in October, rose by 9.8% in November, to close the month on 9,464.40 points.. ..Traders attributed the recovery in the Saudi bourse, the largest in the Arab world, to abundant liquidity.. ..Kuwaiti economist Ali al-Nimesh said trading in the Saudi and other Gulf markets was mostly speculative with the aim of compensating last year’s huge losses.." [more]

National Security Meet Starts Today [Dec 1]
"Crown Prince Sultan will open a conference on technological developments in national security efforts. The four-day conference, titled “Information Technology and National Security,” is being organized by the Presidency of General Intelligence, which is headed by Prince Muqrin. In a statement issued on the eve of the conference, Prince Muqrin said this event would be a historical first in the annals of the Saudi intelligence since the event coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Presidency of General Intelligence. A number of experts, researchers, academics and persons concerned with information technology and national security from across the world are slated to participate in the conference.." [more]

No Torture of Detainees – Prince Naif [Dec 1]
"Minister of Interior Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz refuted allegations that arrested terrorist suspects are tortured to extract confessions from them. He said this ministry, on the contrary, uses modern scientific methods of interrogation to reach facts. Prince Naif made the statements over the telephone in response to questions posed by Saudi Gazette/Okaz in the wake of last Wednesday's announcement of 208 suspects arrested in a month-long security sweep across the country.. ..Torture is prohibited under Saudi law and international human rights law. In October 1997, Saudi Arabia became a state party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the convention's provisions became part of Saudi domestic legislation.." [more]

GCC to Focus on Security, Energy and Foreign Labour [Nov 30]
"Gulf security, energy policies and foreign labour will top the agenda of the talks among the six Gulf leaders at the Summit opening here on Sunday, analysts said. The two-day meeting that will take place on December 3 and 4 will be preceded by ministerial consultations on Sunday that will put the final touches to the programme of the discussions. King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who boycotted a GCC summit in Qatar in 2002 due a row between the two countries over Al Jazeera's controversial news coverage of Saudi affairs, is now expected to take part in the summit.." [more]

Oil Falls Below $90, Opec Meeting Back in Focus [Nov 30]
"Oil fell to a one-month low below $90 a barrel on Friday as attention returned to next week's Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) meeting. US crude fell $1.11 to $89.90 a barrel by 1026 GMT, off lows of $89.52, a level not seen since October 31. Brent crude was $1.26 down at $88.96 a barrel. 'Now that we have broken $90, the momentum is starting to go to the downside. Technically, $90 is a really key support level,' said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix. 'There is room for the downside now. This is more of a structural correction,' he added.." [more]

German Women Lawmakers Write to Saudi King Over Rape Victim [Nov 30]
"Thirty-five German women lawmakers published an open letter to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Friday to protest at the sentencing of a Saudi gang rape victim to six months in jail and 200 lashes. 'We call on King Abdullah to intervene to ensure that the verdict is withdrawn,' the cross-party group of lawmakers said in a statement. German Research Minister Annette Schavan of the conservative Christian Democratic Union was among the signatories.." [more]

Arab Monetary Fund Urges Gulf to Drop Pegs [Nov 30]
"The Arab Monetary Fund has called on Gulf Arab states to drop their pegs to the tumbling U.S. dollar, saying revaluations would not solve the problem of soaring inflation, a Dubai newspaper reported on Friday. Hassem Al-Mannai, chairman of the Arab Monetary Fund, had advised Gulf countries to switch to a managed float or peg their currencies to a basket, including the euro, sterling and yen, Emarat al-Youm reported. The newspaper gave no direct quotation for this. The fund, sponsored by 22 Arab states, is based in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.." [more]

216,000 Birds Culled After New Flu Outbreak [Nov 30]
"Saudi Arabia on Thursday moved to destroy 216,000 birds following the discovery of a new outbreak of bird flu, taking the total number of birds culled to nearly four million. 'All necessary measures were taken to cull all birds' in the farm in the Al Kharj region, 80km south of Riyadh, the Saudi Agriculture Ministry said .. ..The ministry said 14 outbreaks of bird flu have been detected since November 12, including the latest among 216,000 birds.." [more]

Fourth Saudi Underground Storage Open [Nov 30]
"Saudi Arabia has opened its fourth underground oil-storage terminal to enable the kingdom to deliver oil products in emergency situations. The facility, inaugurated on November 26, is in the west of the country in Medina, close to the Yanbu refinery on the Red Sea. It is part of the Saudi Strategic Storage Programme.. ..The underground caves can store gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, Saudi Aramco said, without disclosing the size of the facility.." [more]

Kingdom Seeks French Role in 3 Growth Sectors [Nov 30]
"Amr Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), has said they are focusing on a marketing strategy based on three strategic sectors: energy, transportation and knowledge-based industries (KBIs) and invited France to participate in them. In an interview on the occasion of the French Technology Exhibition 2007 which concluded recently, the SAGIA Governor said “ we have identified $300 billions worth of investment opportunities, and in transportation and KBIs $100 billions are awaiting investment opportunities in each of those sectors. So we are speaking about a total investment of around $500 billions until 2020.." [more]

Olmert Warns of End of Israel [Nov 29]
"Olmert has said failure to negotiate a two-state solution with the Palestinians would spell the end of the State of Israel. He warned of a 'South African-style struggle' which Israel would lose if a Palestinian state was not established. Mr Olmert was returning from the Annapolis conference in the US where he and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas pledged to launch formal peace talks.. ..'If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights, then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished,'.. ..According to the agreement, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders will meet every other week and teams of negotiators led by a joint steering committee will meet on 12 December.." [more]

Saudi Oil Plants Targeted in Missile Plot [Nov 29]
"Saudi Arabian security forces have arrested about 200 suspected terrorists who were said to be plotting to disrupt the kingdom's oil industry. Saudi authorities said there had been 'pre-emptive' raids on members of extremist cells countrywide. About half of those seized were said to have fought in Iraq. Officials said there were plans to attack oil industry targets and preparations were being made to smuggle missiles into the country.. ..The most serious threat appeared to involve plans to import eight rockets. It was said to have been led by an expert in such attacks who had slipped into the country. Eighteen people were arrested in connection with this alleged plot. Another 22 were part of a group that plotted to assassinate clerics and security forces.." [more]

Saudis Played Key Role Behind the Scenes [Nov 29]
"Much of the spotlight at and credit for Annapolis has gone, quite rightly, to George W. Bush. The first U.S. president to promise a Palestinian state, he has adopted a high-risk strategy.. ..But there has been another remarkable development, mostly behind the scenes. It's the pivotal role being played by Saudi Arabia. The summit simply would not have taken place in the credible manner it did without the Saudis. King Abdullah helped convince Bush that Palestine is one of the main sources of Muslim radicalism, and the best way to wage war on terrorism is to make peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He also had heavy input into the Annapolis agenda. And he delivered a united Arab front, including Syria. He even got the backing of Israel's Ehud Olmert, principally because of their mutual fear of Iran, a concern shared by Bush.." [more]

Charges Dropped in Case Against Saudi Religious Police [Nov 29]
"A Saudi court has dropped charges against two members of the religious police who had been charged with the death of a man in their custody, local press reported Thursday. Al-Watan newspaper reported that the judge presiding over the case said Wednesday that there was not sufficient evidence against the two religious police members to convict them. The two religious police members were accused of killing Salman al-Aridi after arresting him in May because he allegedly had consumed alcohol.. ..Wednesday's decision was the second in recent months in connection with the powerful force, long resented for intimidating people as it enforces Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islam. In the first case, a Saudi court dropped charges against three members of the religious police and a regular police officer in connection with the death of a man, also in custody, shortly after his arrest in June.." [more]

Saudis See Potential for Influence in Sharif [Nov 29]
"Saudi Arabia blindsided the Bush administration in rapidly returning former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan Sunday -- a reflection of how regional powers are subtly jockeying for influence in Pakistan as its leadership looks shaky. Saudi Arabia's actions 'surprised' the White House and State Department, said a U.S. official, as Washington hadn't expected Mr. Sharif's return ahead of National Assembly elections scheduled for Jan. 8 in Pakistan. The move came just days after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf flew to Riyadh to plead with Saudi officials -- including King Abdullah -- not to allow Mr. Sharif's return.. ..U.S. and Pakistani officials said they viewed Saudi Arabia's action as a clear sign that the Middle East power is beginning to position itself for political influence inside Pakistan at a time when Mr. Musharraf's power is ebbing and there are real threats to his continued role in power.." [more]

Saudi Suffering Huge Shortage of Engineers [Nov 29]
"Saudi Arabia is suffering a massive shortage of qualified engineers needed to execute the numerous mega projects the government has planned for the kingdom, the head of a leading university has warned. Abdullah Al-Othman, rector of the Riyadh-based King Saud University (KSU), said on Wednesday the Saudi market is in need for 240,000 engineers but that there are only 110,000 currently employed in the kingdom, of which Saudis make up only 20%.. ..KSU has wrapped up agreements with several world class universities, including the universities in Michigan, California, and Singapore, to upgrade its engineering courses, but wider measures need to be taken if the kingdom is to solve the problem.." [more]

Naimi Sees Mismatch in Oil Prices [Nov 29]
"The world oil market is well supplied and fundamentals do not support high prices, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday as OPEC announced a massive investment package over the next five years to boost production. 'There is no relationship between the fundamentals today and the price of oil. There is a mismatch,'.. ..Asked whether Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, will push for an increase in crude production at OPEC’s meeting next Wednesday, he said the group needed to see data first. 'You are trying to get a premature answer. We need to meet first, we need to look at the data and then decide accordingly,' he said.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Recover After Falling Over 2% [Nov 29]
"The Saudi Stock market recovered yesterday after making its sharpest one-day fall in 11 weeks on Tuesday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) increased 96.53 points to close at 9,464.40. The index plunged over 2 percent on Tuesday. The market was in a positive mood as shares of only nine companies were down while shares of 77 companies increased. The stock market turnover was at SR7.79 billion.." [more]

Saudis Back New Peace Drive, Shun Israel Call for Ties [Nov 28]
"Saudi Arabia backed Tuesday's launch here of a new Middle East peace drive, but shunned Israel's call for the Arab world to normalize ties with it even before a deal with the Palestinians. 'We have come to support the launching of serious and continuing talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis that will address all the core and final status issues,' Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said in a statement to the peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland.. ..Saudi Arabia, a principal patron of the Palestinians and an influential voice in the Muslim world, demanded Israel take concrete step towards ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and making peace.. ..After reluctantly yielding to US pressure to attend the conference, the Saudis offered a cold shoulder to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's call for the Arab world to normalize ties with the Jewish state even before a peace deal is clinched. 'Normalization happens after there is peace,'.." [more]

Saud Distances Government From Rape Ruling [Nov 28]
"A senior Saudi official has sought to distance his government from a court's decision to sentence a woman who was gang-raped to 200 lashes. 'Unfortunately, these things happen. Bad judgments occur in legal systems,' Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal told reporters while in Washington to attend a Middle East peace conference in Maryland. The case has drawn international attention and stirred criticism from human rights groups and US officials.. ..Faisal said the judgement was being used to vilify the Saudi government even though it was not responsible because the courts are independent.." [more]

Saudi Riyal Hits 21-Year High [Nov 28]
"The Saudi Arabian riyal hit a 21-year high and the Qatar riyal a five-year high after a Dubai-based magazine said the United Arab Emirates could allow the dirham to appreciate 3 to 5 percent as early as Sunday. Bids on the dollar-pegged Saudi riyal were as high as 3.6900 per dollar, the strongest since 1986, and bids on the Qatar riyal hit 3.6250 per dollar, the highest since November 2002.." [more]

Saudi Unlikely to Depeg From Dollar [Nov 28]
"Two events next month could trigger more pressure on the Saudi riyal: The postpone of the planned introduction of a GCC single currency and the US Fed cut of the interest rates by another 25 basis points; however, ending the Saudi Riyal peg to the dollar is unlikely, said a leading economist at a major Saudi investment firm. Brad Bourland, chief economist and researcher at Jadwa Investment, said that the costs of altering the peg greatly outweigh the benefits for the moment particularly as imported inflation is an insignificant part of the current inflation story in Saudi Arabia.." [more]

Chinese Firms Win $443mn Saudi Port Deal [Nov 28]
"Two Chinese companies have won contracts to construct the massive third terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP), Saudi Arabia’s oldest and largest port. Saudi Trade and Export Development Company (Tusdeer) signed a deal on Monday with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the ‘Red Sea Gate’ terminal over 22 months, beginning in January 2008. The new terminal will be built based on designs made by the British engineering consultancy Halcrow and is scheduled to begin operating fully in the fourth quarter of 2009. Designed to handle 1.5 million containers annually, it will increase the port’s overall capacity by 45%.." [more]

Saudi Based Developer Dar Al Arkan in $8.1bn IPO [Nov 28]
"Saudi based property developer Dar Al Arkan will float in December in an initial public offering thought to be worth $8.1 billion. A spokesman for the IPO lead company said the shares would be offered at 56 Saudi Riyals each and open only to Saudi investors. The offer, which will see 59.45 million shares (11.01 per cent of the company) sold, begins on Saturday, December 1.." [more]

HRC: Kingdom to Change Sponsorship Law Soon [Nov 28]
"Saudi authorities are currently looking into ways of changing the Kingdom’s sponsorship law, which would see private companies being given sponsorship rights in place of individual citizens, said Saudi Arabia’s governmental Human Rights Commission (HRC).. ..Al-Sudairi said he supports the change in law, which would bring an end to the existence of sponsors. 'I support it. I think it would be better and easier for laborers and for the country,' he said. The top HRC official said that the Ministry of Labor, in an attempt to create awareness among foreign workers of their responsibilities, duties and labor rights, has already begun issuing pamphlets to foreign workers arriving in the Kingdom.." [more]

Overseas Investments of Arabs Reach $1.7 Trillion [Nov 28]
"The Arab region’s overseas investments reached $1.7 trillion and the sovereign wealth funds are set to rise to $20 trillion by 2020, an expert told energy sector meeting yesterday.. ..'The sustainable returns on investments of sovereign funds will essentially enhance the GDP which will directly usher in a new era of prosperity and development. These assets can be used to mobilize more resources which can help to reduce the poverty in any economy.'.." [more]

We’ve the Same Dreams as Women Everywhere [Nov 28]
"Women driving, the hijab, education, Islam and other cultural and religious matters were part of an animated discussion between a group of 25 American educators and Saudi women yesterday at Effat College. 'We want the world to know that we’re not terrorists,” said Maha Juffali, director and supervising trustee of Help Center, a philanthropic non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of children with mental disabilities. “Women are the same everywhere. We have the same dreams and aspirations for the future.' Saudi Aramco hosted the group of teachers, specialists and directors from various educational institutions in the US.. ..they stated their interest in knowing more about Saudi Arabia to uncover the reality behind many misconceptions and learn about women’s role in Saudi society.." [more]

Saudis Hold Key Role in Today's Gathering on Mideast [Nov 27]
"..the Bush administration that is courting Abdullah's support for an international initiative, to be launched today in Annapolis, Md., that US officials hope will reopen the chances for a comprehensive peace. The United States badly needs the help of Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies to bolster the weak, fledgling government in Iraq and to counter the rising threat of Iran, a Shi'ite Muslim neighbor that US officials believe is trying to build a nuclear weapon. Many analysts see the new regional context as the real reason behind the Bush administration's change of heart about involving itself in the struggle to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.." [more]

Oil Falls More Than $3 on Increased Saudi Arabian Production [Nov 27]
"Crude oil fell more than $3 a barrel in New York after Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, said the country has increased production to the highest this year. Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is pumping 9 million barrels a day, al-Naimi said in Singapore today. Prices also fell on speculation that slower economic growth in the U.S. and Europe will cut fuel consumption.." [more]

Saudi FM Says Rape Victim Sentence Under Review [Nov 27]
"Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the kingdom's judiciary was reviewing a sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes handed down to a gang rape victim, official media said on Tuesday. 'There is currently a review process being carried out into the ruling by the judicial system,' the SPA news agency quoted Prince Saud al-Faisal as telling reporters from the US-hosted Middle East peace conference. The sentence against the 19-year-old girl in the ultra-conservative Muslim state has attracted widespread international condemnation, including from human rights groups and the White House.." [more]

Iran Raps Saudi Over Annapolis [Nov 27]
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chided Saudi Arabia for taking part in a US-hosted Middle East peace meeting, after Arab participation in the event left Tehran isolated, media reported yesterday. Ahmadinejad bluntly told Saudi King Abdullah in a telephone conversation that he wished the kingdom was not attending the conference alongside Israeli and Palestinian leaders starting today in Annapolis outside Washington.. ..'Arab countries should be watchful in the face of the plots and deception of the Zionist enemy,' he added. Iran -- which has made non-recognition of Israel one of its main ideological themes -- has been left isolated by the attendance at the meeting of its chief regional ally Syria as well as Saudi Arabia.." [more]

SembMarine to Set Up Shipyard in Saudi Arabia [Nov 27]
"SembCorp Marine has set up a joint venture to start a shipyard in Saudi Arabia. This will be its first investment in the Middle East. SembMarine will invest US$6.6 million for a 60 percent stake in the venture to build, own and operate a floating dock for shipbuilding and ship repair. The remaining stake will be held by its Saudi Arabian partner.. ..It will be fully operational by 2009. Besides Singapore, SembMarine has yards in Indonesia, China, Brazil, the US and India.." [more]

Saudi Authorities Finalise Haj Plans [Nov 27]
"Various authorities in Saudi Arabia began their final round of meetings to put finishing touches to this year's plans for the Haj season. This year the pilgrimage season will end on December 23.. ..More than 60,000 security men would take part in maintaining security this year, Major General Mansour Al Turki, Saudi interior ministry security spokesman, told Gulf News. He said the Saudi government is concerned about the security and safety of the pilgrims, and wants to ensure that they perform their ritual in peace and return to their respective countries safely.." [more]

UK Schools Seek Saudi Students [Nov 27]
"A group representing 42 UK universities is touring Gulf Cooperation Council countries to promote UK higher education. EDUKEX 2007 began its tour of the region on Nov. 17 in Abu Dhabi before moving on to Dubai and is currently in Saudi Arabia. EDUKEX 2007 will take place in Jeddah for three days beginning at 4 p.m. today on the British Council premises in the Farsi Center. 'The exhibition is being held in Saudi Arabia for the second time,' said William Patey, British ambassador to the Kingdom. 'In the UK there are already around 10,000 students from the region studying at British universities, and we are hoping as a result of this exhibition to encourage more students to join our institutes. The attendance is noticeable.'.." [more]

More Bird Flu Cases at Saudi Poultry Farm [Nov 27]
"More cases of a deadly strain of bird flu have been found at a poultry farm in Saudi Arabia just weeks before the Muslims flock to Mecca for the annual haj pilgrimage, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday. A statement published on the official Saudi Press Agency said all birds at the farm at Al Kharj, 150 km south of Riyadh, were culled on Thursday after the H5N1 strain was found there. It gave no more details.." [more]

Arab Stand Unchanged [Nov 26]
"The Arab League’s participation in the upcoming US- hosted Middle East peace conference does not signal a change in the Arab position nor does it mean that normalisation with Israel is unconditional, League chief Amr Moussa said yesterday. Speaking to the press at Cairo’s international airport before departing for the US at the head of a League delegation, Moussa said there would be no normalisation of relations with Israel 'unless it’s in the context of comprehensive peace.'.. ..Arab leaders agreed in March to relaunch the 2002 Arab initiative, designed by Saudi Arabia, which promises normalisation with Israel and Arab recognition of the Jewish state in return for a full Israeli pullout from the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem, and a withdrawal from the Golan Heights in Syria and some territories in southern Lebanon.." [more]

Iran Rebukes Saudi Arabia Over Mideast Conference [Nov 26]
"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has chided Saudi Arabia for taking part in a US-hosted Middle East peace meeting, after Arab participation in the event left Tehran isolated, media reported on Monday. Ahmadinejad bluntly told Saudi King Abdullah in a telephone conversation that he wished the kingdom was not attending the conference alongside Israeli and Palestinian leaders starting on Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland. 'I wish the name of Saudi Arabia was not among those attending the Annapolis conference,' Ahmadinejad told the king late Sunday, according to state news agency IRNA. 'Arab countries should be watchful in the face of the plots and deception of the Zionist enemy,' he added.." [more]

Saudi Rape Victim Having Affair [Nov 26]
"Saudi justice officials say a woman who was sentenced to prison and flogging after she was gang-raped has now confessed to an extramarital affair.. ..The justice ministry statement rejected 'foreign interference' in the case. It insisted the ruling was legal and that the woman had 'confessed to doing what God has forbidden'. The statement carried by the official press agency late on Saturday said the sentence would be carried out in accordance with Saudi law.. ..Several governments and human rights groups have condemned her sentence and urged it to be lifted. Canada described it as 'barbaric'. The US, a major Saudi ally, declined to condemn to sentence, but did call it 'astonishing'.." [more]

Huckabee: America Enslaved to Saudi Oil [Nov 26]
"Consumers are financing both sides in the war on terror because of the actions of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said Sunday. The former Arkansas governor made the comments following what he suggested was a muted response by the Bush administration to a Saudi court's sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes for a woman who was gang raped. 'The United States has been far too involved in sort of looking the other way, not only at the atrocities of human rights and violation of women,' Huckabee said on CNN's 'Late Edition.' 'Every time we put our credit card in the gas pump, we're paying so that the Saudis get rich — filthy, obscenely rich, and that money then ends up going to funding madrassas,' schools 'that train the terrorists,' said Huckabee. 'America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi oil. It's absurd. It's embarrassing.'.." [more]

China's Chalco to Pay 1.2 bln usd for 40 Percect of Saudi Aluminum Smelter [Nov 26]
"China's top aluminum producer, will spend 1.2 bln usd to take a 40 pct stake in an aluminum smelter joint venture in Saudi Arabia with Malaysia's MMC Corp and Saudi Binladin Group, China's Ministry of Commerce said. The venture will export some products to China.. ..Construction of the plant, located in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, is slated to start next year, the ministry said. The smelter will be built in three phases.." [more]

1,500 Extremists Released by Saudi [Nov 26]
"Saudi Arabia has released 1,500 reformed extremists who had been detained on charges of embracing and spreading takfeer, an ideology branding other Muslims as apostates in order to legitimise violence against them. The 1,500 were among 3,200 militants with whom a government-appointed 'counselling committee' met around 5,000 times as part of their rehabilitation.. ..'After several graded sessions with the committee, and having been convinced of their misguided vision, they renounced their erroneous ideologies, including the concept of driving out all infidels from the Arabian Peninsula,'.. ..The paper did not clarify if the remaining 1,700 militants had refused to renounce the ideology of takfeer.." [more]

Suicide Cases on the Rise Among Expats [Nov 26]
"Suicide cases in Saudi Arabia are on the increase. The Health Ministry reported recently that at least 266 people, including expatriates, took their own lives in 2006. During the same period, 295 were murdered.. ..Expatriates accounted for 77 percent of suicides last year with Indians (203) taking 43 percent, followed by Bangladeshis (155), Pakistanis (141), Yemenis (102) and Egyptians (97). 'Of the total deaths last year, 957 or 50.1 percent were not natural and suicides represented 27 percent of such deaths,' the report said, adding that the reasons for 93 deaths were not known. The ministry pointed out that 79 percent of people (212) who committed suicide were men.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Keep Upward Momentum [Nov 26]
"The Saudi stock market continued to rise on the second day of trading this week. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed 16.54 points higher at 9,649.93. The index is higher by 21.64 percent so far this week after falling over 52 percent last year. As the stocks showed upward trend, analyst Fahd Al-Salman said the total value of stocks that were transacted on Saturday was very high. 'This again reflects the strength of the Saudi stock market and its determination to make further gains,' he said and added that he expected a considerable rise in the Saudi stock index in the coming days.." [more]

Abdullah Calls for Understanding Among Faiths [Nov 25]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday called upon the followers of different faiths to uphold their shared values to promote world peace and understanding. 'If different communities and cultures would turn to their great principles (taught by their religions) then they would find many things that bring them closer, keep them away from conflicts and improve their human qualities,' the king said. King Abdullah made this comment while receiving Chief Executive of World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab and Middle East Director Sherif El-Diwany. He also stressed that corporate as well as individual activities should be based on moral values that create perfect human beings.." [more]

King Abdullah II Heads to Saudi Arabia [Nov 25]
"His Majesty King Abdullah II headed to Saudi Arabia on a few-hour visit to meet with the Saudi Monarch King Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz. The two leaders will discuss the current exerted efforts to achieve a unified Arab stand before the Annapolis peace meeting which will be held next Tuesday. The two leaders will also discuss bilateral cooperation and means of further enhancing them in the various fields. The visit comes within the framework of the King's coordination with the Arab leaders ahead of Annapolis peace meeting.." [more]

Aramco Splashes $1.49bn to Revamp Distribution [Nov 25]
"Oil giant Saudi Aramco said on Saturday it has signed 5.6 billion Saudi riyals ($1.49 billion) worth of contracts with local fuel transportation companies to enhance its distribution network in Saudi Arabia. The 10-year contracts for fuel transportation will cover the delivery of Saudi Aramco refined fuel to and from 37 distribution centres across the kingdom, including the company’s distribution centres at all major Saudi airports.. ..Saudi Aramco has a complete monopoly over fuel distributions in the Kingdom as it owns and operates the kingdom’s nationwide petroleum product distribution network. Saudi Aramco’s executive manager for distribution Ahmad Al-Seidi said in a statement that his company aims to provide more opportunities for local transportation companies with the new contracts.." [more]

GCC States Urged to Sue Tobacco Companies [Nov 25]
"A senior Gulf Cooperation Council health official has urged the member states to follow the example of Saudi Arabia in suing tobacco companies. Dr Tawfiq Khoja, Director General of the executive bureau of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Council of Health Ministers underlined that the GCC health ministers reject the twisted practices followed by tobacco companies to market and promote their products such as the holding of exhibitions and taking part in sports competitions.. ..In March the Saudi Health Ministry announced that the high court in Riyadh accepted reviewing of a lawsuit filed by the ministry against representatives of 14 tobacco-producing companies in the kingdom. The ministry is demanding 10 billion riyals (about Dh9.9 billion) in compensation, saying that the ministry has spent a billion riyals in treating smoking-related diseases.." [more]

10 Percent of 5.6 Million Tourists in Dubai are Saudis [Nov 25]
"As high as 10 per cent of the total number of 5, 600, 000 tourists who visited Dubai last year were Saudis, the Tourism and Marketing Department in Dubai has estimated. The number of Saudi tourists who visited Dubai last year was 600, 000, said the executive manager for operations at Dubai Shopping Festival, Ibrahim Salih in Riyadh on Saturday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. He lauded the strong relations that link peoples of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.." [more]

Alfaisal Academy Forges Alliance With Canadian Institute to Train Teachers [Nov 25]
"Alfaisal International Academy here has signed a strategic alliance with GlobalVillage of Canada to train Saudi and non-Saudi teachers for handling English language and science courses in government and international schools as well as for private tutoring. The new measure by the academy, a member of the Arabian Education and Training Group (AETG), comes on the backdrop of some major initiatives launched by the Kingdom that would see Alfaisal University up and running in Riyadh by next year and King Abdullah University for Science and Technology in 2009. The thrust of the educational reforms is also on bringing about a qualitative change in the teaching methods and paying greater attention to English language in the school curriculum.." [more]

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