Apr 27 - May 3, 2008

~~~~~~~~ [ May 2] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Crown Prince Leaves Geneva After Medical Tests [May 2]
"Crown Prince Sultan of Saudi Arabia has left Switzerland after undergoing medical tests, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday. The crown prince, who is in his early 80s, left Geneva on Thursday after arriving on Sunday with a large retinue for 'regular medical tests'.. ..Prince Sultan had an intestinal cyst removed in Saudi Arabia in 2005 and diplomats say he is in weaker health than King Abdullah.." [more]

Oil Price May Go Up to $250, Warn Experts [May 2]
"Crude prices continue to baffle analysts and pundits. With the $100-era a well established fact in our daily life, there is now a growing chatter within the energy fraternity that $200 a barrel may not be a far fetched idea altogether. Is another global oil shock now gathering pace? With limited additional supplies, alternative fuel still some decades away and demand far from collapsing, Deutsche Bank is pointing to a 'huge risk' that oil prices would continue to rise in the near to mid-term.. ..Pointing to the reasons behind the analysis, Sieminski underlines, 'Oil supply growth in non-OPEC countries is struggling at a time when OPEC has been cautious with its production policies.' In order to analyze the situation further, we need to look at historical facts too.." [more]

Oil-rich Gulf States Will Need Nuclear Power Soon [May 2]
"Persian Gulf states will need to build nuclear plants to meet local power needs as the oil- and gas-producing region becomes a major energy consumer, consultant PFC Energy Inc. said yesterday. 'Nuclear will have to become some part of the energy mix in the future for the region,' Raja Kiwan, an analyst at PFC, said in a telephone interview from Bahrain. 'After the United Arab Emirates, I would guess that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia would most likely be the next to go nuclear.' Power consumption in the Gulf is growing as much as 14 per cent a year.." [more]

Petron Set to Decide on Aramco Sale [May 2]
"The board of Philippine National Oil Co. will announce its decision on the sale of Aramco Overseas Ltd. shares in Petron Corp. to the Ashmore Group on May 8. A source privy to the talks said the PNOC board had discussed the company�s options, including the possible buyback of the 40- percent stake owned by Saudi Aramco in the country�s biggest oil refiner. PNOC has a preemptive right on the shares of Saudi Aramco. 'They have weighed all the options and will be ready to reveal the decision by May 8,'.. ..Saudi Aramco earlier said it had entered into an agreement with the United Kingdom-based fund manager to sell its 40-percent stake in Petron for $550 million. PNOC reserves the right to match or 
assign if the Saudi Arabia-based oil company decides to sell its shares.." [more]

Saudi Women: Untapped Economic Powerhouse [May 2]
"The economic status of women around the world needs immediate attention of the authorities concerned with national development. It is said that even though women make up half of the world�s population they are burdened to perform nearly two-thirds of its work hours; receive only one-tenth of its income; and own only one hundredth of its property.. .. in spite of the heavy investment most Arab nations have made in women�s education, working women in the region make up only 32 percent of the region�s total work force � and within these unemployment statistics, highly educated women are 
known to be the most unemployed.." [more]

Sharief Might Get Saudi Ambassadors Position [May 2]
"..Sharief�s bruised ego might receive a soothing balm after the Karnataka elections � in the form of ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia. Congress sources on Thursday said the senior leader, who had to be placated by AICC president Sonia Gandhi last Sunday after he threatened to quit the party in protest against his grandson being denied a ticket to fight elections, had shown interest in such an assignment. In fact, sources said, Mr Sharief might have already been appointed the ambassador to Saudi, but for an extension given recently to incumbent M O H Farook, the former Pondicherry chief 
minister, who has been in the position since 2004.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ May 1] ~~~~~~~~~

Abdullah Calls for New Global Food Order [May 1]
" Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday called for a new global trade order to ensure food security and achieve sustained agricultural development. In a keynote speech, delivered on his behalf by Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghunaim, to the general assembly of Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, King Abdullah said the whole world is concerned with the new wave of price hike and inflation. He added that new global developments have increased the price of food and agricultural products by 47 to 85 percent.. ..King Abdullah blamed world food shortage on biofuel production. 'The shift by some major food producing countries to biofuel crops has led to a decline in the cultivation of food crops,'.." [more]

Gulf States May End Dollar Pegs [May 1]
" Gulf states are considering dropping their pegs to the dollar after the U.S. currency's decline stoked inflation across the region, Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa al- Shimali said. ``Yes, there are some'' Gulf Cooperation Council states considering dropping their pegs to the dollar, which has fallen 13 percent against the euro in the last 12 months.. ..The U.A.E., Bahrain and Qatar lowered their benchmark interest rates today by a quarter point, matching a cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve a day earlier. The move is needed to maintain the dollar pegs. Saudi Arabia is on its weekend while Oman moves its interest rates in line with the London Inter Bank Offered Rate.." [more]

Japan Mega Banks Target Mideast Oil Money [May 1]
"Japanese mega banks are boosting their efforts to attract Middle East oil money, which is in abundant supply thanks to soaring crude oil prices. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., a core unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. , established a representative office in the Qatari capital of Doha in April. Mizuho Corporate Bank, the wholesale banking unit of Mizuho Financial Group Inc., plans to set up an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.. ..Mizuho Corporate Bank plans to establish an office in Saudi Arabia as early as the end of this year after the bank receives approval from Saudi authorities. Saudi Arabia is considering setting up a sovereign wealth fund worth 6 billion dollars.." [more]

Ministry of Education Hit by Soaring Prices [May 1]
"The rising cost of building materials has slowed down part of the construction boom of public schools in the Kingdom, said Prince Khaled Bin Abdullah Bin Muqrin Al-Mushari, Deputy Minister of Education for Girls� Education during an inspection tour of construction projects in Riyadh. 'The ministry has withdrawn some projects from contractors for their inability to honor their contracts amid rising prices of building materials,'.. ..The Ministry of Education is constructing 1,200 schools across the nation worth SR6b and only 18 projects have been withdrawn from contractors, said Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Ahmad, Deputy Minister of Education for Buildings and Equipments.." [more]

Kingdom Needs $200b Investment in Water, Power Projects in 15 Years [May 1]
"Saudi Arabia will need to invest over $200 billion into its desalination and power generation programs in the next 15 years amid high demand of the growing population and the construction of mega projects. Equally important though is the need to ensure environmental and economic sustainability at all phases of development programs. Against this backdrop, the Fourth Saudi Water and Power Forum will be held on Nov. 1-4, 2008 at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel.. ..The forum will highlight the investment opportunities, sustainable development (environmental & economic), innovation and emerging technologies in the Kingdom. At a time of huge investment in the utilities sector, SWPF 2008 strategic forum will provide unique perspectives on the best investment strategies, the key uncertainties and most appropriate risk mitigation tools for water and power projects in the Kingdom.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 30] ~~~~~~~~~

AP Opens Bureau in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [Apr 30]
"The Associated Press has opened a multimedia news bureau in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and appointed veteran Mideast correspondent Donna Abu-Nasr as bureau chief. The announcement was made Tuesday by John Daniszewski, managing editor for international news.. ..The bureau was created by reallocating resources within the AP, Daniszewski added, noting that the Middle East remains a highly volatile area and the effects of rising oil prices and tensions in the Persian Gulf motivated the strategic move. 'Having an ongoing presence in such a vital country will increase the AP's ability to have 
far-reaching and in-depth coverage of the important and booming Gulf as it becomes even more key to world stability,'.." [more]

Palestinians Losing Hope For Peace D eal - Rice [Apr 30]
"US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told an American Jewish group that young Palestinians are losing hope for a peace agreement with Israel. Her comments came during a sobering speech on Tuesday evening to the American Jewish Committee at their 102nd annual meeting in Washington. Rice is set to leave early on Thursday for more Middle East peace talks with Arab and Israeli leaders.. ..She called on Israel to make "difficult decisions" to provide the Palestinians with the dignity of statehood.." [more]

$25M of Saudi Money Aids Cornell Nano Work [Apr 30]
"A $25 million grant, spread over five years, will enable Cornell University to create a center focused on nanotechnology research with a sustainability aim. The funding will come from the Saudi Arabia-based King Abdullah University of Science and Technology's Global Research Partnership. The award was announced Tuesday along with three others going to other universities. Cornell researchers Lynden Archer and Emanuel Giannelis are the principal investigators for the developing center, which will be called Cornell University's KAUST Center for Research and Education.. ..The center will study nanomaterials for the enhancement of oil recovery, carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, water desalination, and photovoltaics and solid state lighting. The center will begin work on June 1.." [more]

Media Deliberately Trying to Malign Us, Says Commission Chief [Apr 30]
"Western media is deliberately trying to malign the commission for unknown reasons, said the national head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in a wide ranging interview with Arab News. 'Or else, why should a respectable institution be denigrated because a few of its officials committed some judgmental errors?' said Ibrahim Al-Ghaith, the commission president. Speaking about criticism that the commission goes beyond its jurisdiction and trespasses into people�s private lives, Al-Ghaith said such generalizations were unfair. 'Interior Minister Prince Naif recently said that the commission is a governmental department and is prone to making mistakes like other departments,' he said.." [more]

Penn State Offers Tailored Learning for Company in Saudi Arabia [Apr 30]
"Saudi Aramco, the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia, wanted to educate its employees in the foundations of supply chain and recognized Penn State's expertise in that area � specifically, the Smeal College of Business' Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems. That department offers a graduate certificate online via Penn State World Campus. While Aramco wanted to learn more about Penn State's online learning environment, the company was more comfortable with traditional face-to-face learning for its employees. The solution: Amy Stever, Penn State Outreach client development manager, approached Peter Forster, World Campus associate director, and Gary Gittings, Penn State instructor of supply chain and information systems, to develop a model to alleviate the company's concerns. Because the company was new to Penn State and online learning, Forster and Gittings collaborated to customize the online curriculum to include an initial week of on-site, face-to-face learning, in order to first establish trust with Penn State. The 12-credit certificate program began in August 2007; the first cohort of 26 students will complete the certificate this August.." [more]

Saudi Index Crosses 10,000 on Banks [Apr 30]
" Banks helped the stock market in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf�s largest, close above 10,000 yesterday on attractive valuations. Five out of seven Gulf bourses closed in the black. The Saudi market surged 1.8% to 10089.52 at close, led by banks. It last closed above 10,000 in early March. SABB climbed 7% to 114 riyals and Samba Financial Group rose 6.3% to 101 riyals. Lenders are attracting attention as their profitability is showing signs of recovery after recording a 13% decline in 2007, said a National Commercial Bank weekly report on Sunday. Banks also led gains on Monday. 'Banks are reacting positively to news that the US Federal Reserve will likely cut interest rates Wednesday and the Saudi central bank is expected to follow'.." [more]

SABIC to Sell $1.3b Islamic Bonds [Apr 30]
"Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the biggest chemicals maker by market value, is in the process of selling about $1.3 billion of Islamic bonds in Saudi riyals. The company has scheduled meetings with investors starting on May 3, with an aim of completing the borrowing by May 14, Chief Financial Officer Mutlaq Al-Morished said in an interview as reported by BIME on Tuesday. HSBC Holdings and a venture between Calyon and Banque Saudi Fransi are arranging the issue. SABIC is selling bonds for 'general corporate use,� Al-Morished said. 'The Saudi market has good liquidity so it should go well� even as a global credit crisis freezes global debt markets, he said.." [more]

Saudi, Swedish Students Exchange Cultures [Apr 30]
"The Jeddah General Directorate for Education on Tuesday hosted a delegation of Swedish students that is scheduled to participate in a joint educational program between the two Kingdoms. Under the name 'Spiritus Mundi,' (Spirit of the World), the same name of the Swedish nongovernmental organization behind the visit, the four-day visit aims to exchange ideas of artistic work among selected students of the two countries.. ..Some of the students told the Saudi Gazette of their impressions about the country when they first arrived. 'To be honest, we were surprised,' said a Swedish journalist accompanying the delegation. 'Never before had we this opportunity to see Saudi Arabia up close.' 'Before, all what has been said about your country in the media was about terrorists and terrorism but now, we see friendly people and a civilized community.'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 29] ~~~~~~~~~

Bush to Mideast, No Joint Talks Planned [Apr 29]
"US President George W. Bush will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt May 13-18 but has no plans for a joint peace summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the White House said Monday. Bush, who seeks a Middle East peace deal by year's end, will meet in Israel with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, said spokeswoman Dana Perino. The US president, who has been pushing Israel and the Palestinians to agree on the outlines of a future Palestinian state, will then travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah.. ..In Saudi Arabia, Bush will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the formal establishment of US-Saudi relations, said Perino. The visit also will focus on cooperation with US Mideast allies and 'will reaffirm efforts toward peace and prosperity and our close work with regional allies to combat terrorism and promote freedom.'.." [more]

Abbas to Visit Saudi Arabia Over Mideast Peace Talks [Apr 29]
"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Saudi Arabia Wednesday to hold talks with King Abdullah over his recent visits to Russia and the United States, sources at Abbas' office said on Tuesday. Last week, Abbas discussed with U.S. President George W. Bush Washington's efforts to push forward the Mideast peace negotiations renewed between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) following a U.S.-hosted conference at Annapolis in November. As the peace process still marks time, Abbas seeks to "crystallize a united Arab stance between the PNA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan after the U.S. administration retreated from building pressure on the Israeli government to make progress," the sources said. Abbas' tour is also aimed at signaling Arab warnings to the U.S. administration that 'the region will plunge into a circle of violence and the extremists will be boosted if the U.S. failed to pressurize Israel in ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.'.." [more]

Saud Denies Rift in Relations With Syria [Apr 29]
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said yesterday that the Kingdom and Syria were in direct contact with each other and denied that relations had come to a halt. 'Relations have not been cut. They are still ongoing and communication between us continues,' Prince Saud told reporters yesterday, while addressing a joint press conference with visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who arrived in the Kingdom on Sunday at the head of an official delegation. Prince Saud expressed surprise at Iranian suggestions that it was ready to mediate between the Kingdom and Syria. 'I do not think there is any need for a mediator between Saudi Arabia and Syria. We are surprised by offers of outside mediation between us,' he said.." [more]

US Firm to Design EP Research Park [Apr 29]
"The Kingdom has awarded a multi-million-riyal contract to a US architectural firm to prepare the design of a project encompassing about 40 world-class research and development companies. Dhahran Techno Valley (DTV), an undertaking by the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), awarded the contract to HOK Planning Group, an international firm that specializes in planning, design and delivery solutions for buildings and communities. The project, to be located within KFUPM�s campus, is envisioned to become a hub of research and development in the Middle East.." [more]

Saudi First Sovereign Wealth Fund Nears Approval [Apr 29]
"Saudi Arabia is about to approve the launch of its first sovereign wealth fund with initial capital of 20 billion riyals ($5.3 billion), the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The fund, which will be set up by the state-controlled Public Investment Fund (PIF), will act as "a portfolio investor focusing on maximizing long-term rates of return", the newspaper said, quoting the PIF's secretary general, Mansour al-Maiman. Maiman, who said Riyadh is in the final stages of approval, said new fund could raise its capital or increase the size of assets under management as needed.. ..Saudi Arabia is considering setting up a $6 billion sovereign wealth fund to invest the country's surplus oil wealth.." [more]

Saudi Officials Deny Yemen Reports of Burning Migrants [Apr 29]
" Saudi Arabia yesterday denied Yemeni press reports that its policemen had burned 18 Yemenis in Khamis Mushayt, a town in the Kingdom�s southern Asir region. 'There is no truth at all to these reports,' said Col. Abdullah Al-Qarni, spokesman of the Asir police. He said the 18 undocumented foreign nationals had suffered burns of varying degrees as a result of a massive fire in a garbage dump. 'Civil Defense firefighters rushed to the site and put out the fire while the injured were taken to hospital,' he said. According to a statement issued by the Civil Defense Department, the undocumented foreign nationals, who were later identified as Yemenis, were in the rubbish dump at the time sifting through garbage.." [more]

Saudi Takes Steps to Curb Price Rises [Apr 29]
"Saudi Arabia's cabinet has approved short- and long-term measures to protect the inflation-hit economy from food price rises. 'The cabinet approved a number of short- and long-term steps ... to protect the market from price fluctuations and preserve living standards in the kingdom,' a statement on the official news agency SPA said.. ..Inflation in the largest Arab economy almost doubled in the six months to March, when it hit 9.6 percent, its highest since at least the 1970s, official data showed on Sunday. Earlier this month Saudi Arabia slashed import levies on food such as frozen poultry, dairy goods and vegetable oils to 5 percent from about 20 percent.." [more]

KSA, Norway to Cooperate to Stabilize Oil Market [Apr 29]
"Energy and regional issues were the focus of Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere�s visit to the Kingdom. �We held a comprehensive long session today which focused on bilateral relations and means to reinforce them in many domains,� said Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, during a joint press conference with Stoere. 'We are as different as two countries can get� in culture, history and even climate, but we have one thing in common and that is we have both developed our energy fields,' said Stoere. Prince Saud said the Kingdom was looking forward to signing a free trade agreement in its final form between the GCC and countries of the European Free Trade Federation.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 28] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Says Beheadings of Syrians Not Political [Apr 28]
"Saudi Justice Minister Abdullah al-Sheikh on Monday said there was nothing political behind recent beheadings of Syrians in the ultra-conservative kingdom, amid strained ties between the two countries. 'We do not execute anyone for political reasons,' Al-Sheikh told reporters.. ..Earlier this month Saudi Arabia executed three Syrians convicted of drug trafficking, triggering protests in Damascus where one human rights activist claimed that 300 Syrians were jailed in Saudi Arabia with 75 on death row. 'Executions carried out in Saudi Arabia are not a matter of opinion. They are decided by Saudi courts which implement sharia (Islamic law) without distinction,'.." [more]

Too Many Guardians Hindering Society�s Progress: Al-Gosaibi [Apr 28]
"Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi yesterday criticized people who reject the idea of Arab and Saudi women working as maids in Saudi households.. ..Saudis sponsor over 1.5 million foreign maids, the majority from southeast Asia. Even though the issue of needy Saudi women working in Saudi households was brought to the ministry�s attention in the past, conservative elements in society rejected the idea. 'I see that any job, whatever it may be, is an agreement between an employer and the employee. It is a matter of accepting and refusing. If there is a woman whose circumstances force her to work in a kitchen for a few hours and she accepts the payment, then I cannot come and say, �How could Saudi women take such jobs?� Our mothers and grandmothers used to do such jobs. And they still do in the Bedouin culture,'.." [more]

Australian University Urged to Return Saudi Cash [Apr 28]
"Australian Muslim leaders have urged a university in the eastern state of Queensland to return a $100,000 grant from the Saudi Arabian embassy. Griffith University has been criticised by Muslims and academics after it was revealed the grant was part of an overall donation of more than a million dollars the university had hoped to secure from Saudi Arabia. The Australian newspaper says the university also offered to keep elements of the funding deal secret. Australia's most senior female Muslim leader, Aziza Abdel-Halim, has urged Griffith to give the money back. She claims the Saudi government has funded other projects in Australia with a view to imposing a hardline ideology on recipients.." [more]

Number of Saudi Fighters in Iraq Exaggerated [Apr 28]
"Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz has said reports about the actual number of Saudis fighting in Iraq were exaggerated. He also denied reports that these fighters are reaching Iraq directly from the kingdom.. ..'We challenge anyone to prove that Saudis are leaving for Iraq via its international borders directly. But the reality is that there were a number of Saudis leaving for other neighbouring countries. Then they were being lured to fight in the war-torn country,' he said.." [more]

Saudi Ministry Buys Helicopters to Boost Security [Apr 28]
"Saudi Interior Minster Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz said the ministry has signed a contract for the purchase of 30 helicopters. 'The new helicopters will work in all fields of security at the Ministry of Interior. The copters began arriving in the Kingdom now,'.. ..Regarding the use of technologies at Saudi borders to curb infiltration and smuggling, the minister said: 'We are on our way to use the best technologies at the borders.'.. " [more]

Saudi Inflation Nears 10% in March [Apr 28]
"Inflation in Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, accelerated to almost 10 per cent in March, its highest since at least the oil boom of the 1970s, on soaring rents and food prices. The rental index of the largest Arab economy, which pegs its currency to the ailing dollar, soared 15.8 per cent, while food and beverage costs rose 14.2 per cent, the state-controlled Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday, without citing anyone. The rental index includes fuel and water costs.The overall cost of living index accelerated for a tenth straight month, rising 9.6 per cent to 114.2 points in the year to March 31, compared with 104.2 points.." [more]

King Abdullah Receives Afewerki [Apr 28]
" King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, received Eritrea�s President Isaias Afworkiat his Palace in Riyadh Sunday. At the outset of the audience, the Monarch welcomed the president, wishing him and the accompanying delegation a good stay in the Kingdom.. ..The two leaders discussed the events at the regional arena, the prospects of cooperation between the two countries and the ways of their enhancement in all areas. On the Saudi side, the audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister and Nasser Al-Risheidan, Saudi Ambassador to Eritrea.." [more]

World Class Media Institute Launched [Apr 28]
"Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman formally inaugurated the world-class Prince Ahmed bin Salman Applied Media Institute, the first media training facility of its kind in the Arab world, here last night. The institute, which has received major funding from Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG), will open a new era in Saudi mass communication with its diverse international courses in print and broadcast media.. ..'The institute has been established in response to calls from the media sector for qualified and specialized professional human resources at the vanguard of rapidly developing Arab journalism'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 27] ~~~~~~~~~

Be Patient, We�ll Deliver, King Tells Saudi Women [Apr 27]
" 'Be patient and we will deliver,' was King Abdullah�s message to Saudi women during his meeting with female participants of the Seventh National Dialogue Forum. During the reception at the Yammah Palace, some female participants requested the implementation of a four-year-old Council of Ministers� order on the establishment of a Higher Commission on Women�s Affairs.. ..After every National Dialogue forum, the King receives the participants at his palace. The opportunity to meet and talk to the King was overwhelming for many of the female participants.. ..'The fact that he is meeting us is a message to the world that he is the greatest supporter of Saudi women.'.." [more]

Reformist Saudi Blogger Freed and Very Happy [Apr 27]
"A Saudi blogger and reform advocate, whose detention without charge four months ago sparked criticism from Washington, told AFP on Sunday he was 'very happy' to be free and was 'fairly' treated in custody. But Fouad al-Farhan, who was released on Saturday from a prison in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said he would not comment on the details of his case for the time being.. ..According to earlier reports, Farhan wrote to friends two weeks before his arrest saying he expected to be detained for his writings about a group of reformists arrested in February 2007 for alleged links to terror funding. Prior to his arrest, Farhan had also criticised a number of influential Saudi figures as well as religious extremism in the oil-rich Muslim kingdom. In an article entitled: 'No to terrorism, yes to dialogue in Saudi Arabia,' and posted on December 3, Farhan wrote that Al-Qaeda had not been eliminated despite the calm prevailing in the kingdom.." [more]

Dialogue Will Promote Peace: Abdullah [Apr 27]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday welcomed the different viewpoints and ideas of Saudis, but insisted that they should be based on the Islamic faith and morality. Addressing a reception at his Riyadh palace for participants of the national dialogue in Buraidah last week, the king emphasized that dialogue would promote peace and humanity.. ..King Abdullah emphasized the need for Muslims taking part in interfaith dialogue to be confident. 'We have to exercise our historic right with the confidence of a strong believer by participating in every dialogue that serves our Islamic faith, and the principles of peace and humanity.'.." [more]

GE Healthcare Strengthens Saudi Presence With New El Seif Joint Venture [Apr 27]
"GE Healthcare, the US$17 billion healthcare business of General Electric Company (GE), today announced the formation of a new joint venture GE El Seif Healthcare Arabia. The new company will drive the sale of GE Healthcare's products in Saudi Arabia, and has 51:49 per cent ownership by GE and El Seif Development, respectively. GE Healthcare has been established in Saudi Arabia for more than 25 years.. ..This new joint venture, GE El Seif Healthcare Arabia, is aligned with GE Healthcare's vision for the future of healthcare - 'Early Health'; it is about moving healthcare delivery to pre-symptomatic and earlier disease detection.." [more]

Leading Saudi, UK Law Firms Join Hands [Apr 27]
"Herbert Smith, a London-based law firm with over 1,200 lawyers in branches world-wide, has established a formal and exclusive association in Saudi Arabia with the Al Ghazzawi Professional Association (GPA), one of the Kingdom's largest and leading law firms. The move is part of the British firm's plan to establish a strong regional profile, particularly given the rapid development of the Saudi economy.. .."Given the tremendous expansion of the Saudi economy and the welcome influx of foreign companies into the country, we thought it important to link up our local expertise with the international capability of a firm like Herbert Smith," said Belal Al-Ghazzawi, managing partner of GPA.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Plans to Boost Drilling Activity [Apr 27]
"Saudi Aramco is preparing a plan to boost drilling activity by a third and increase investments by 40 per cent, the London-based Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) reported, citing sources close to the state firm. A final version of Aramco's plan, which runs from 2009 to 2013, is expected to be approved by the company's board and the Oil Ministry by mid-May.. ..Aramco will bolster the number of wells drilled around the kingdom to 248, compared with an initial target of 187 and investment on projects will be increased to $13.7 billion from $10.7 billion under the draft plan. The increase in drilling activity will be aimed at sustaining the kingdom's production target of 12.5 million barrels a day, which it expects to reach by the end of 2009." [more]

Sabic May Spend $5bn in Iraq as Competition For Gas Heats Up [Apr 27]
"Saudi Basic Industries Corp, the world�s largest petrochemical firm by market value, may invest $5bn in war-torn Iraq as competition for energy at home forces it to search for cheap gas in riskier Mideast locations. The Riyadh-based company, known as Sabic, is in talks with Iraq�s government 'to build a new factory to produce polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride,' Faris Taha Abdul Hameed, Iraq�s chemical industry director, told Zawya Dow Jones on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai this week. Sabic joins companies like Royal Dutch Shell, Dow Chemical Co and Total as the latest to flirt with a major investment in Iraq amid ongoing political uncertainty and violence in the country. For their part Sabic officials are quick to pour cold water on the Iraq project talks. 'This has been twisted politically,' .." [more]

Saudi Security Burn Yemenis at Border [Apr 27]
"The security authorities in Hodeida province have begun investigating the incident in which several Yemeni people were burnt by the Saudi police while trying crossing into the Saudi lands. Some of these people, who were seriously injured, were sent to hospitals in Sana'a and others are receiving treatment in Hodeida's hospitals. Meanwhile, the Yemeni authorities are considering contacting with the Saudi Authorities to find facts about the incident.. ..Many Yemenis usually try to cross the borders with Yemen's neighbor Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to escape bad economic conditions and seeking livelihoods in the rich-oil country.." [more]

Apr 20 - Apr 26, 2008

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 26] ~~~~~~~~~

Oil Prices Jump More Than $2 on US-Iran Tensions [Apr 26]
"Oil prices jumped more than $2 to above $118 a barrel yesterday on supply disruptions in Nigeria and the North Sea and fresh tensions between the US and Iran.. ..Tensions between Washington and the Opec nation last year helped send oil to then-record highs. Crude prices have surged more than five-fold since 2002 as supplies struggle to keep pace with rising demand in emerging economies, such as China.." [more]

Saudi Chambers Council Holds Talks With Sudanese Delegation [Apr 26]
"The Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry held talks here today with the visiting delegation of The Sudanese Businessmen & Employers Federation (SBEF) on ways of enhancing commercial and investment relations between Saudi Arabia and Sudan.. ..The Sudanese side invited the Saudi investors to participate in the promising investment in Sudan through SBEF which is a gateway to investors looking forward to projects and investment opportunities in Sudan. 'In addition, SBEF familiarizes investors with regulations, procedures and economic systems in Sudan'.." [more]

Saudi Blogger Freed After 4 Months Jail [Apr 26]
" Saudi blogger detained without charge for more than four months after expressing pro-reform opinions has been released, a colleague said on Saturday. Fouad Farhan was detained in early December after running an online campaign over 10 men arrested since February 2007 on suspicion of financing militant groups, but whose supporters say they are being punished for pro-democracy activity.. ..Saudi authorities blocked Farhan's website (www.alfarhan.org) earlier this month. An Interior Ministry spokesman said he would not confirm Farhan's release. The ministry had declined to say on what charges he was arrested, but said it was not security related.." [more]

Queen Rania to Speak at Seminar [Apr 26]
" Queen Rania of Jordan will deliver the keynote address at the formal opening of the two-day 6th annual Learning and Technology Symposium at the Jeddah Hilton tonight.. ..The event is taking place at a time when the Kingdom�s e-learning industry is projected to reach $125 million in 2008. It is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 33 percent over the next five years, according to a recent study. The growth is being driven by the Ministry of Education�s initiatives for the integration of information and communication technology and the education sectors, including pilot e-classrooms in five secondary schools in Riyadh.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 25] ~~~~~~~~~

Senators Want Oil Linked to Arms Deal [Apr 25]
"A group of senators pressed President Bush on Thursday to halt billions of dollars in sophisticated arms sales to Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf oil producers unless they agree to pump more petroleum, reflecting growing frustration in Congress over soaring energy costs.. ..The senators said if Saudi Arabia does not increase production, they would seek a resolution that would block the arms deals. But such a move would be difficult to achieve since it would require 60 votes to pass the Senate, must also pass the House and then would be subject to an almost certain veto by the president. In their 
letter to Bush, the five senators � four Democrats and one of the chamber's two independents � said that Saudi Arabia has reduced oil production from about 9.5 million barrels a day in 2005 to 8.7 million barrels a day last year, well below its stated capacity of 11 million barrels a day.." [more]

Poly: Saudi Deal Will Follow Laws [Apr 25]
"Cal Poly officials said Thursday that their deal to develop a university engineering program in Saudi Arabia expressly forbids that nation�s officials from discriminating against women and minority faculty. They also said at a student forum that no specific time-line has been set for when Cal Poly and the Saudi Arabian government could ink a deal. Details of the agreement between the Saudi government and Cal Poly are still being worked out.. ..Thursday�s event was the second forum aimed at addressing questions and concerns about a proposed $5.9 million partnership in which Cal Poly faculty would help design four engineering departments at Jubail University over five years. Some students and faculty have expressed concerns over the possibility that female, Jew-ish and gay professors would be discriminated against in Saudi Arabia because of that nation�s poor human rights record. Inequalities currently exist there, they note, and some wondered how they could be avoided.." [more]

Child Labour Has Spread Throughout Saudi Cities [Apr 25]
"Child labour is a serious social problem facing Saudi Arabia where nearly 1.54 per cent of the child population works, says a recent study. The study, the first of its kind in the kingdom, commissioned by the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology and conducted by Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Naji, showed that the Eastern Province tops the list in child labour at 2.3 per cent followed by Makkah, Madinah, Asir and Riyadh. Common prominent social characteristics among working children include the low professional and educational standards of their parents, large family size and inadequate support for children by their families and low levels of achievement in schools.." [more]

Saudi Women Can Be Employed According to Sharia Rules [Apr 25]
"The issue of women's employment figured highly in both the days of the two-day Seventh National Dialogue Forum, which concluded on Wednesday in Buraidah City. Minister of Labour Dr Gazi Al Gosaibi was the focus of attention among the key figures addressing the forum on the concluding day.. ..'There are some people who want to have a debate on the issue again and again with the motive of either imposing restrictions on employing women or expanding the scope of the Sharia regulations in this respect,' he said. Dr Al Gosaibi said the amendment of a clause in the Labour Law is nothing to do with mixing of women with men at work places. 'On the other hand, it is aimed at broadening the supremacy of values of Islamic Sharia.'.. ..Dr Al Gosaibi said no Islamic religious strictures prevent women from working.." [more]

SRMG Plans Strategic Expansion in Media Sector [Apr 25]
"The Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) has said that it was in the process of executing a number of strategic projects that aim at providing support to its affiliates and seek to enhance the Group�s leading position in the fields of media, publishing, management and marketing of the knowledge content at regional and global levels.. .. 'the challenges faced by traditional print media should not be undermined, especially that the majority of the Arab readers are the young category that tends to the nontraditional means of accessing information. However, there are big opportunities for developing digital media industry, and generating new revenues through sales of e-ads and digital content. This will certainly contribute to the growth of media and the development of the means of editing and producing'.." [more]

Kingdom to Spend $20b on Health Sector by 2016 [Apr 25]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to spend $20 billion on the health and medical sector by 2016, according to statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH), with the demand for better medical products and services and the rapid rise in population driving the industry�s unprecedented growth. 'As the Saudi government undertakes drastic reforms in the health care system, the market catering to medical equipment can be expected to witness exponential growth, thus presenting tremendous opportunities for global and regional suppliers,'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 24] ~~~~~~~~~

UK Fraud Office Wins Right to Appeal in Saudi Case [Apr 24]
"Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) won the right on Thursday to appeal against a London High Court ruling which sharply criticised the halting of a corruption investigation into a Saudi arms deal. In the April 10 ruling, two judges had said the SFO had capitulated to threats from the Saudi royal family over arms deals with Europe's biggest defence company.. ..On Thursday, the two judges, Lord Justice Alan Moses and Justice Jeremy Sullivan, formally quashed the decision of the SFO to drop an investigation. At the same time they gave the SFO the go-ahead to appeal to the House of Lords, Britain's highest court, against their ruling.." [more]

Insecurity Blocks Saudi Embassy in Iraq [Apr 24]
" The Iraqi capital isn't secure enough yet for an embassy, Saudi Arabia said Wednesday, insisting its diplomatic absence there doesn't reflect a lack of support for the country. Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal's comments following months of urging by both Iraq and the United States for the kingdom to establish an embassy. His statement was an apparent retreat from September comments that his country would open a Baghdad embassy soon. 'There aren't any reservations at all regarding contact with the Iraqi government by Arab countries,' Saud told reporters. 'The real reason why there's no 
embassy in Baghdad is not for political but for security reasons,'.." [more]

Islam Does Not Forbid Women From Working [Apr 24]
"A senior Saudi scholar is in the forefront of those who made a fervent appeal to the Saudi public and private sectors to create more job opportunities for qualified young Saudi women. Shaikh Abdul Mohsen Al Obaikan, a member of the Shura Council and adviser to the Ministry of Justice, ruled that Sharia does not prevent women from working as long as they do not mix with unrelated men. 'We cannot see any religious scriptures that forbid women from being engaged in duty together with men at work places. Islam permits women to mix with men even while performing Tawaf and Sa'ai. Similar is the case with shopping at markets,'.." [more]

Saudi Inflation Could Top 10% This Year [Apr 24]
"Inflation in dollar-pegged Saudi Arabia could cross 10 per cent this year, the country's central bank governor said, the highest since at least the 1970s when Gulf econ-omies boomed on soaring oil prices. Still, consumer price rises in the world's largest oil exporter could then ease in the second half as anti-inflationary government measures take hold and lower global demand for commodities feeds into prices.. ..Inflation in the largest Arab economy almost doubled in the six months to February to at least a 27-year high of 8.7 per cent, as rents surged 18 per cent and food prices jumped 13 percent.." [more]

Saudization Now or Never � Gosaibi [Apr 24]
" If recruitment of foreign workers were put on hold for six months, not a single Saudi would remain jobless. That was Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi�s answer to the avalanche of questions he had to face on the second day of the 7th National Dialogue in Buraidah on Wednesday. In a speech at the beginning of one of the dialogue�s sessions, the straight-talking Gosaibi said that his ministry had to succumb to the demands of a large swathe of the society which opposed his ministry�s policy of minimizing foreign recruitment, mainly because of the Kingdom�s economic boom. 'Last year, 1.7 
million work visas were issued,' said Gosaibi, 'which was the highest number in the history of the Kingdom'.. ..the real problem the ministry has to deal with is that it tries to get someone who doesn�t want to work hired by someone who doesn�t want to hire them.. ..The Ministry of Planning, he said, had estimated that the qualifications of 80 percent of Saudi job seekers are below high school levels.." [more]

S. African Trade Mission Boosts Ties With Kingdom [Apr 24]
"A 30-member business delegation from the South African province of Western Cape led by its Premier Ebrahim Rasool is in the Kingdom to strengthen economic ties. 'We want to diversify our economic ties beyond petrochemicals,'.. ..The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. After Mbeki�s visit, a number of delegations from South Africa visited the Kingdom to explore business and investment potentials. The volume of trade between the two countries stood at SR11.5 billion last year. It has shown an increase of 13 percent. Saudi Arabia exports mainly petrochemical products to South Africa and imports mainly mining and agro products, thus the balance of trade is tilted toward Kingdom.." [more]

Victims� Relatives Demand Death for Vice Cops Accused in Madinah Chase [Apr 24]
"Relatives of four people who died in an accident last month after two members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice chased their car said they would demand execution of the culprits who caused the accident, according to Al-Madinah daily. Authorities are questioning the two commission members and a policeman, who was also involved in the pursuit that led to the death of two men, a woman and the woman�s daughter.. ..The husband of the woman who died in the incident said he would also demand the execution of the culprits. He said his 17-year-old daughter had a mental collapse after learning of the deaths of her mother and sister.." [more]

Editorial: Clinton�s Threat to Iran [Apr 24]
"If there were any doubt that if she made it to the Oval Office, Hillary Clinton�s term would be George Bush Mark III, the lady made it plain on the eve of Tuesday�s Pennsylvania primary. Her campaign had already run TV advertisements featuring pictures of Osama Bin Laden and asking voters who they would really trust as their commander-in-chief, Clinton or Obama. Then Monday night, Clinton drove home her 'toughness' by threatening to �obliterate� Iran if it launched an attack on Israel. Given the kind of foreign policy advisers she has (the same as those who paved the way for Iraq war), she may not wait for Iran to �attack� Israel. It can be a pre-emptive 'obliteration.' This is the foreign politics of the madhouse.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 23] ~~~~~~~~~

Abbas to Ask Bush to Jump Start Mideast Peace Talks [Apr 23]
"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will call for urgent international action to jump start Middle East peace talks when he meets US leader George W. Bush this week, a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki said Israel and Palestine last year agreed to try to reach a peace deal in 2008 and international pressure is needed if both sides are to meet objectives on the way to that goal. Abbas will ask Bush for the United States, and other members of the Middle East "quartet" of negotiators, to pressure Israel to meet commitments to freeze Jewish 
settlement activity in the West Bank and ease checkpoints that limit Palestinian mobility.." [more]

Prospect of Iran Nukes Frightens Saudi Royals to Their Core [Apr 23]
"A U.S. report projects a concerted effort by Saudi Arabia to match Iran's nuclear weapons program. The report, submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took note of a U.S. assessment that Teheran's nuclear program frightens the Saudi royal family 'to their core.' 'The future Middle East landscape may include a number of nuclear armed or nuclear weapons-capable states vying for influence in a notoriously unstable region,' the report, released in early April 2008, said. The report, ordered by ranking Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, was authored by staff member Bradley Bowman, Middle East Newsline reported. The assessment on Saudi nuclear plans was based on discussions with senior U.S. diplomats in Riyad. Saudi Arabia would be followed by other Middle East states bent on producing or acquiring nuclear weapons.." [more]

Saudi Arabia�s eLearning Industry to Touch US$125 Million in 2008 [Apr 23]
"The Saudi Arabian eLearning industry is projected to reach USD 125 million in 2008 and is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 33 per cent over the next five years, according to a recent study conducted by Madar Research. The growth is being driven by the Saudi Ministry of Education�s initiatives for the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the education sectors, including pilot eClassrooms in five secondary schools in Riyadh. In line with its aims to increase awareness on the benefits of eLearning technologies, Edutech Middle East, a leading provider of technology-enabled learning solutions, has partnered with Saudi-based Effat College to organise �The 6th Annual Learning Technology Symposium� at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel from April 26 � 27, 2008.." [more]

Marriott Announces Five New Saudi Hotels [Apr 23]
"Marriott has announced a significant expansion in its presence in the Middle East. The company has announced five new properties in Saudi Arabia.. ..The Saudi properties are a 250-room Marriott and a 50-unit Marriott Executive Apartments in Damman, a 250-room Ritz-Carlton hotel with 100 Ritz-Carlton Residences in Riyadh, and a 220 room Courtyard hotel in Jubail. The properties will open by 2011.. .. "The Middle East is not only a rapidly expanding centre of commerce, but also a thriving tourist destination. The region is a lynchpin in our company's long-term vision to expand global distribution.." [more]

National Dialogue Debates Women�s Employment in Islam [Apr 23]
"The definition of Islamic rules concerning women�s employment was the center of debate during the Seventh National Dialogue that opened in Buraidah on Tuesday. Participants discussed Islamic regulations on employing women, whether they need to be defined or left to individual interpretation. Some participants said there was a need to clearly define Islamic regulations on employing women, while others said that the labor market should be fully open to women.'We need to have clearly stated regulations for companies to follow,' said Huda Al-Jeiresy, Chairwoman of the National Committee for Women at the Saudi Council for the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 'There are regulations now, but they contradict each other.." [more]

Samba Tops List of Most Active IPO Managers in Middle East [Apr 23]
" Samba Capital topped the list of most active IPO managers in the region with its 76 percent share of total offerings in Saudi Arabia, said Eissa M. Al-Eissa, chairman of the company�s board of directors. 'A review of the total offerings in the Kingdom since 2004 reveals Samba Capital as the manager of over SR137 billion with more than 38 million subscribers,' Al-Eissa said. The IPOs were oversubscribed by an average of 10 times.. ..'We have managed the largest IPOs in the Saudi market in terms of stock volume and number of subscribers,' the Samba chief said. 'We have been eager to accomplish the process at the highest standards of transparency and flexibility and in line with the vision embraced by Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to make the offering a chance for citizens to develop their investments and contribute to major business institutions.'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 22] ~~~~~~~~~

Britain's Serious Fraud Office Says it Plans to Appeal Ruling on Saudi Arms Deal [Apr 22]
"Britain's Serious Fraud Office said Tuesday that it plans to appeal a High Court ruling that the agency acted unlawfully when it ended a corruption inquiry into a lucrative arms deal between Saudi Arabia and BAE Systems PLC. The fraud agency said it wanted to seek a 'definitive ruling' in the House of Lords, Britain's highest court of appeal, on the judiciary's 
ability to intervene in such a case. The SFO's move to appeal is a blow for the Campaign Against Arms Trade and social lobby group Corner House, which successfully brought the High Court judicial review over the decision and had called on the SFO to immediately reopen the inquiry. An appeal to the House of Lords could drag on for several months.." [more]

Crude Tops $119; Saudi Arabia Pledges $90 Billion to Lift Supply [Apr 22]
"As oil prices hit a fresh record Tuesday, the Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali al-Naimi called for more investment to increase world oil production capacity. The minister said his country, the world's top oil exporter, was 'working hard' to ensure the crude market is adequately supplied. 'Limited capacity along the entire supply chain is the real source of current global supply tightness and represents the greatest threat to ensure adequate energy to fuel future economic growth,' Naimi said in a speech at the International Energy Forum in Rome.." [more]

Saudi Terror Suspect Admits to Plotting Strike [Apr 22]
" Saudi engineer turned terror suspect has admitted to his involvement in a planned attack on the Chinese city of Shanghai. The suspect was one among those arrested following the failed terror attack on Abqaiq oil processing plant in the Kingdom's Eastern province, the largest oil facility in the world.. ..'The terror suspect, who worked as an engineer in the petroleum sector, told me that the aim of the planned Shanghai attack was to lure Americans into Saudi Arabia in order to kill them.'.. ..The February 24, 2006, attempt on Abqaiq, which left two security guards dead, was later claimed by Al Qaida.." [more]

France, Saudi Arabia to Cooperate in CO2 Capture Technology [Apr 22]
"France said Tuesday it plans to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in solar energy and in technology for 'capturing' and storing carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, preventing them from being released into the atmosphere. The two countries would set up a joint top-level technical group in Paris by July, French Energy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo told reporters on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum here. It would be a research group investigating solar technology on a large-scale and so-called CCS, carbon capture and storage technology, Borloo said after a bilateral meeting with Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi.." [more]

Oil's Big Issue is Investment, Not Reserves-Naimi [Apr 22]
"The world has enough oil to fuel future economic growth, but the energy industry is facing a big challenge to ensure investment is enough to meet future demand, Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Tuesday.. ..Limited fuel supply capacity, and not a lack of oil reserves, was the greatest threat to future energy supplies, Naimi said. A lack of spare crude output capacity and tight refining capacity have helped fuel a six-year rally in oil prices to a record of over $118 a barrel on Tuesday.. ..Shortages of labour, equipment and materials were raising costs and delaying new projects that would boost capacity, Naimi said.." [more]

Saudi Call to Resist Foreign Influence [Apr 22]
" Saudi Arabia yesterday urged feuding factions in Lebanon to pledge allegiance to their own country and resist foreign influence, in an apparent reference to Iran. 'The kingdom... calls upon all the Lebanese to work to form one Lebanese front that would owe allegiance to no one except Lebanon,' the government said in a statement after its weekly meeting 
chaired by King Abdullah. Such a united front 'would have the ability to overcome... new hegemonic attempts that the country is facing,'.. ..Saudi Arabia appeared to be referring to Iran which � along with Syria � backs the Hezbollah-led opposition in Lebanon, which has been without a president since November. Saudi Arabia and several other Arab states 
back the ruling majority, which also enjoys Western support.." [more]

7th Dialogue Forum Opens Today [Apr 22]
"Difficulties in obtaining labor visas, the call for a minimum wage, regulated working hours, the problem of unemployment, women�s working conditions and the need for updated labor regulations are among the several topics that will be addressed at the Seventh National Dialogue Meeting which opens in Qassim Tuesday. The main theme of this year�s forum is the promotion of dialogue between society and employment related establishments, ministries and other government agencies.. ..The forum seeks to address the main problems faced by businessmen and businesswomen as well as employees and job seekers.." [more]

Americans Amaze Saudi Literati [Apr 22]
"A cultural evening hosting an American cultural delegation organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information was held at the Jeddah Literary Club in Al-Shati district on Sunday. The delegation consisted of poets, authors, novelists and writers who came to Jeddah as a part of their Middle East Reading and Lecture Tour.. ..Doctors and professors of Arabic and English literature from many universities around the Kingdom, such as King Saud University and Umm Al-Qura University, attended the evening. They commended the visit of the first American cultural delegation in decades, saying it�s better to have this sort of delegation in the Kingdom than political ones. Both academics and members of the 
delegation hoped it would be the beginning of a better understanding between the two cultures.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 21] ~~~~~~~~~

Abdallah, Carter Discuss Mideast Peace Moves [Apr 21]
"King Abdallah of Jordan met with former US President Jimmy Carter yesterday and stressed the need for making 'tangible progress' in the ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The king underscored the importance of achieving tangible progress in the peace talks and also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, according to a royal court statement. He also stressed the significance of Israel giving up its policy of blockade and expansion of settlements, the statement added. Abdallah expressed 'appreciation for Carter�s active role and contributions toward the establishment of peace in the region, ending the Arab-Israeli conflict and boosting world peace.'.." [more]

Saudi Arabia, India to Ease Visa Regulations [Apr 21]
"Saudi Arabia and India have agreed to simplify visa regulations for businessmen and entrepreneurs by granting long-duration multiple-entry permits and set up a Saudi-India investment fund. Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee held a two-hour-long meeting with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al-Faisal in Riyadh yesterday and the two leaders agreed on a number of issues, including liberalisation of business visa regulations, setting up Saudi-India Fund and the enforcement of Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Treaty.. ..The two sides underscored the importance of private sectors from both countries playing a key role by establishing a number of joint ventures, enhanced trade and investment activities.." [more]

Asciano Wins $7b Saudi Project [Apr 21]
"Transport infrastructure group Asciano expects to generate a 'very attractive'' capital return on a $7 billion rail infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia it will develop with a consortium of partners. Asciano, the ports and rail owner spun-out of Toll Holdings, and its seven Saudi Arabian partners who make up the Tarabot consortium have been selected as the preferred bidder to deliver the project. The Saudi Landbridge project will connect the Saudi city of Riyadh with the major port cities of Jeddah and Dammam with the construction of more than 1000 kilometres of rail track.. ..The group expects to reach financial close on the project within 12 months, with building to begin shortly afterwards.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Spend USD 20 Billion on the Health and Medical Sector by 2016 [Apr 21]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expected to spend USD 20 billion on the health and medical sector by 2016, according to statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH), with the demand for better medical products and services and the rapid rise in population driving the industry's unprecedented growth.. ..'As the Saudi Government undertakes drastic reforms in the health care system, the market catering to medical equipment can be expected to witness exponential growth, thus presenting tremendous opportunities for global and regional suppliers,'.." [more]

Syrians Hold Sit-in in Damascus to Protest Beheadings of Two Countrymen in Saudi Arabia [Apr 21]
"Scores of angry Syrians have staged a sit-in in a Damascus park to protest last week's beheadings in Saudi Arabia of two of their countrymen convicted of drug smuggling. Nearly 200 Syrians attended the demonstration, calling on Riyadh to hand over other Syrian prisoners. Monday's protest reflects the cold relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia, mainly over Lebanon where Damascus backs the Hezbollah-led opposition and Saudi is a major supporter of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government.." [more]

Over 60 Percent of Saudi Women are Jobless [Apr 21]
"Unemployment among Saudi women rose to an alarming rate of 60.6 per cent, according to a new report of the Ministry of Economy and Planning. 'The number of unemployed Saudis is put at 4.45 million. Of these women make up 60.6 percent,' the report said.. ..'The workforce in Saudi Arabia accounted for 8.2 million last year, of which Saudi men constituted 40.9 per cent while women�s percentage was only 8.1. As for expatriates, men make up 43 per cent while the remaining 7.3 per cent are women,' the report said. The female labour participation rate was extremely low in the kingdom as there will be little growth in government hiring, and the private sector is overwhelmingly dominated by foreign workforce. Saudi women comprise 55 per cent of graduates but make up only 5 per cent of the workforce in the Kingdom.." [more]

Saudi Aid for Lebanon Starts [Apr 21]
"With directives from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, and with supervision from Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and General Supervisor of the Saudi National Campaign for the Aid of the Lebanese people, the Zakat Fund of the Akkar region in northern Lebanon has begun distributing financial aid to some 1,800 Lebanese families. The fund is also heading out olive oil cans to some 1,400 families, as well as orphans, widows and the elderly.." [more]

Value of Saudi Investment Projects Reaches SR3.2 Trillion [Apr 21]
"Backed by sustained high oil prices and a growing need to diversify the economy, Saudi Arabia is embarking on a massive spending program focused predominantly on infrastructure projects across the country. According to the Dubai-based Shuaa Capital, the value of announced investment projects so far is SR3.2 trillion ($862 billion), with the civil sector taking the lion�s share at 39 percent of the total number of projects. The power industry came in second at 19 percent, followed by the oil and petrochemical industries with 15 and 13 percent respectively. The Saudi Arabian General 
Investment Authority (SAGIA) has taken the lead role in translating the strategic directives.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 20] ~~~~~~~~~

King Abdullah Welcomes Carter [Apr 20]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks with former US President Jimmy Carter at Al-Yamamah Palace here yesterday. They discussed matters of mutual concern, the Saudi Press Agency said. The talks were attended by a number of senior officials including Prince Muqrin, director of intelligence, Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah, Prince Mansour ibn Nasser, Prince Bandar ibn Salman ibn Muhammad, Abdul Mohsen Al-Tuwaijeri, advisers to the king, and Dr. Nizar Obaid Madani, state minister for foreign affairs. Carter arrived earlier in the day and was received at the airport by Madani, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Marik, deputy chief of protocol at the Foreign Ministry, and other officials.." [more]

Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia's Male Guardianship Policies Harm Women [Apr 20]
"The Saudi government should abide by its international obligations and dismantle discriminatory policies against women, including male guardianship of women, a report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch said. The 50-page report, which will be released Monday, draws on more than 100 interviews with Saudi women to document the effects of these policies on their rights. 'The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women,' said Farida Deif, women's rights researcher for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch. 'Saudi women won't make any progress until the government ends the abuses that stem from these misguided policies.'.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Refutes Iranian Allegation About Murder of Hezbollah Commander [Apr 20]
" Saudi Arabia strongly refuted allegations made by some Iranian newspapers that Riyadh is behind the killing of top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in Lebanon. Denying reports, Interior Minister Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz said: 'It is ridiculous'. Prince Naif also clarified that his recent meeting with US Ambassador to Iraq was focused on the condition of Saudi detainees and their coming back home.." [more]

Saudi Arabia's Biggest IPO 74 pct Oversubscribed [Apr 20]
"Investors offered 18.3 billion riyals ($4.87 billion) or 74 percent more than Saudi Arabia's Alinma Bank was seeking in the country's biggest initial public offering, the bank and its IPO arranger said on Sunday. Alinma sold 1.05 billion shares at 10 riyals each, raising 10.5 billion riyals in the IPO that ended on Wednesday, the bank and Samba Financial Group 1090.SE said in a statement. The sale is equivalent to 70 percent of the bank's share capital. 'The number of subscribers stood at 8,853,000, with the total value of shares purchased reaching 18,273 million riyals, or 174 percent of the value of the total share offering,'.." [more]

Saudi Mega Cities Take Off [Apr 20]
"Work is under way at the first of Saudi Arabia's six new economic cities. The projects at Madina, Hail, Tabuk, Jizan, Ras Az Zour and Rabigh, are designed to accelerate major regional development. They represent the launch of new industries and businesses comprising the most ambitious long-term investments the kingdom has ever undertaken. As well as stimulating a huge expansion of the kingdom's growing non-oil economy they will ease the growing pressures on Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, where most urban expansion has taken place since the first oil boom in the 1970s.. ..An essential feature of the new economic cities is that their developments are in the main private sector led albeit with the close encouragement of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) as a facilitator.." [more]

Oil Beyond Control [Apr 20]
"Oil at $117 a barrel has left energy producers and consumers in rare agreement there is little they can do for now to prevent prices rising higher still. Oil hit the latest in a series of records on Friday after a rebel attack in Nigeria added to supply concerns and offset the impact of a US-led economic slowdown, which has begun to eat into energy demand. 'There is a possibility of (oil prices) going still higher,'.. ..'Today, there is no reason to jump up and down and say �we will supply more crude� � because that request from consuming countries is probably politically-driven rather than a fundamental requirement,' Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in an interview.." [more]

Saudi Delegation to Explore Business Avenues in Bosnia [Apr 20]
"A delegation of Saudi businessmen will visit Bosnia in early May to explore the prospects of establishing business and trade relations between the two countries. The delegation, organized by Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, will also travel to Turkey.. ..'This is the first trip organized by a Saudi chamber to Bosnia and will be an exploratory one because most of the delegates have not visited Bosnia before,' Al-Sulaiman, said. 'I hope the businessmen will succeed in promoting trade and investment with that country.' The delegation is expected to meet Bosnian President Dr. Haris Silajdzic, who visited Saudi Arabia for the Jeddah Economic Forum in February this year.." [more]

Dialogue Center Conveys Nation�s Pulse to King [Apr 20]
"Conveying the pulse of the Saudi street to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is one of the main purposes of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, Faisal ibn Muammar, secretary-general of the center, said here yesterday. 'King Abdullah has given us a great responsibility and the national duty of conveying to the leadership the pulse of the street, as well as bringing different points of views closer,' Muammar said.. ..'The idea of establishing a national center for dialogue, which has been supported by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, is the biggest project of its kind in the Islamic world,' Muammar said. 'These meetings have proved that no matter how extreme an idea may be it can be dealt with through meaningful dialogue in the context of national unity, which is the basis for the nation,' he said. 'National unity is the lifeguard for the nation when ideologies and people�s interest are mixed.'.." [more]

Apr 13 - Apr 19, 2008

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 19] ~~~~~~~~~

No Need for Further Saudi Capacity Boost Yet-Naimi [Apr 19]
"Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has no plans to embark on further capacity expansion as long-term oil demand forecasts fall and alternative fuel supplies rise, the Saudi oil minister told industry newsletter Petroleum Argus. The holder of the world's largest oil reserves sees no need to go beyond its 2009 capacity target of 12.5 million barrels per day "at least up to 2020," Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said. Long-term future energy demand forecasts have fallen sharply, he said in the interview given to the weekly on April 11, casting doubt on the need for more Saudi oil.." [more]

Islamic Banking in East Asia Faces Challenges [Apr 19]
"Despite being relatively young as a global industry with the first modern Islamic banks only emerging in the 1970s, Islamic banking nonetheless has not only taken root in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries but also in certain Asian countries � primarily in Malaysia. Though Islamic banking in East Asia is slowly developing, however, it needs more action by regulators to establish legal and regulatory frameworks if it is to emerge as a significant segment across the region, said Moody�s Investors Service in its recent report entitled 'Islamic Banking in East Asia - Growing but not without Challenges.' Its growing importance is also evidenced by the segment�s relatively high market penetration in Brunei and rapid asset growth in Indonesia.." [more]

Kingdom, Neighbors Study Railway Revival [Apr 19]
"The Transportation Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria agreed in Amman on Thursday to have a joint study conducted throughout the next three weeks on the possibility of reviving the Hejaz Railway, which stretches across the three countries. The Supreme Commission of the Hejaz Railway concluded its meeting in Amman on Thursday as the meeting�s record was signed. Saudi Minister of Transportation Dr. Jubara Al-Suraisri signed the agreement representing the Kingdom, as Jordanian and Syrian Ministers of Transportation, Engineer Ala�a Al-Batayneh and Ya�areb Badr signed for their countries.." [more]

Prepare for N-Emergency, Group Urges [Apr 19]
"The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) has called for the establishing of a committee of experts to map out future strategies on how to deal with nuclear emergencies and radiation leaks in the region. 'It has become a must, as a regional organization to protect this region from different kinds of threats, to collectively prepare an action plan for radiation emergency so that the region would be able to overcome any radiation incident or leakage,' said ROPME, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, in a recently released report. Referring to the need to monitor the problem, the report said, 'It is very vital because we have some nuclear warships and submarines transiting in our shores every now and then.' The problem is further exasperated by the proximity of Israeli nuclear facilities at Daymona. A leak there would affect other countries in the region.." [more]

Investors Look for Results of Blue Chips [Apr 19]
" Saudi shares extended gains last week giving the impression that the downward trend that lasted for several weeks could be over. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) went up by 1.35 percent, bringing the total gains in two weeks to 4.9 percent. TASI, which closed last week at 9,630.37 points from 9,501.72 points previous week, is currently 12.8 percent lower than the year�s start. 'Investors are still waiting cautiously for the first quarter corporate results, particularly of blue chips in the petrochemical industries and the telecommunication and IT sectors to reallocate their portfolios,'.." [more]

Saudi Arabian Churches: Vatican Pipe Dream? [Apr 19]
"Much has been made of reports that the Vatican is holding talks with Saudi Arabia on building churches in the Gulf monarchy, the birthplace of Islam and stronghold of the conservative Wahhabi school of thought. But it�s hard to imagine imminent breakthroughs, given broad-based scholarly opposition anchored in prophetic traditions and centuries of jurisprudence and commentary. The IslamOnline (IOL) Web site posted an Arabic article polling prominent clerics on the issue, and offers some insight into the magnitude of clerical opposition such a prospect would generate. The sheikhs rejected the idea as violating a basic Islamic commandment. Crucially, IOL�s correspondent said a source close to a Saudi government-appointed religious body said that the issue would be raised with a view to issuing a fatwa, or religious edict, reiterating the existing prohibition.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 18] ~~~~~~~~~

UK Confident That U.S. Will Grant Export Licenses for Saudi Eurofighter Deal [Apr 18]
"The UK government said it believes a debate in the U.S. over the licensing of technology necessary for Britain to sell Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia will not scupper a 20 billion pound deal. The State Department must approve the transfer of U.S. technology on the fighter before Britain can export 72 jets to Saudi Arabia as part of the Al-Salam deal.. ..U.S. officials are reportedly concerned that UK defence company BAE Systems Plc. which is the main contractor on the deal, is also under investigation by US authorities over alleged bribes to Saudi Arabia in the previous Al-Yamamah arms deal.." [more]

Saudi Banks' First-Quarter Reports Reflect Mixed Outcome [Apr 18]
"Saudi stock market remained stable though cautious during the week ended on Wednesday as a continuation of the previous weekend as if it is monitoring the performance results of major financial companies and banks for the first quarter of 2008. Most of the Saudi banks announced their first quarter report, which reflects mixed outcome of their performance during the first three months of the year. After some years of strong returns, the growth in net income for the Saudi banking sector is slowing.." [more]

Saudis Urged Not to Travel to Lebanon [Apr 18]
"Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd, Emir of the Eastern Province, has urged Saudis not to travel to Lebanon this summer.His directive, which was sent out through the Asharqia Chambers of the Eastern Province, came due to the unstable security situation in that country. In his directive, Prince Mohammed said Saudis should not consider Lebanon for their summer holidays itinerary, due to unrest and security problems there.. ..Saudis, known to have always been fond of Lebanon, seem to be heeding Prince Mohammed�s advice.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Put $119b Into Energy Infrastructure [Apr 18]
"Saudi Arabia is expected to invest $119 billion in energy infrastructure projects from 2007 to 2009, according to latest studies, with investments in the refining sector being expected to grow at a staggering 2189 per cent in the same period compared with figures from 2004 to 2006. As burgeoning energy requirements continue to mirror the current pace of economic development across the region, national oil companies, including those with upstream, midstream and downstream operations in the Middle East, are facing challenges such as ageing infrastructure and equipment, lack of efficiency in refinery processes and shortage of skilled manpower.." [more]

Companies Seek Permission to Hire Foreign Lawyers [Apr 18]
"A number of Saudi companies are asking the Ministry of Justice to allow foreign lawyers to represent their cases in Saudi courts. The companies have been prompted by a recent decision by the Ministry of Justice that only licensed lawyers would be allowed to take up the legal profession. Currently only Saudis are issued lawyer�s licenses.. ..The liberalization of the economy and the surge in foreign direct investment in recent times spurred the local demand for quality corporate legal services in the country. The number of Saudi lawyers currently available is insufficient to handle the volume of cases, some company executives say. And Saudi lawyers charge exorbitant fees with no competition or other alternatives for litigants.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Becomes First in Gulf to Follow Free-Float Methodology [Apr 18]
"Saudi Arabia becomes the first GCC market to follow a free-float methodology in its indices and moves closer to adopting global best practices in the capital markets. This information was contained in a report released yesterday by NCB Capital, the investment arm of the National Commercial Bank. The report discusses how the adoption of the free float methodology will see a significant change in the rankings of the top 10 companies and reduce market concentration of the top 5 companies to 35.5 per cent (from 48.5 per cent earlier).." [more]

Saudi Embassy Warns Students Against Donating Money to Australian Groups [Apr 18]
" The Kingdom�s embassy in Australia has banned Saudis studying in the country from giving donations to any organization without the prior permission from the Foreign Ministry through the embassy or consulates. This was announced by Hassan Nazir, the Saudi ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, during a meeting with Saudi students in Perth, in western Australia. 'Any student who makes even a petty donation to an Islamic organization, the activities of which the Australian government watches with suspicion, would be subjected to police interrogations and other embarrassing situations,'.. ..Nazir said any one who wished to make donations should consult the embassy first.." [more]

Oil Scene: Energy Forum Meets Amid Exceptional Circumstances [Apr 18]
"With the 11th International Energy Forum set to get underway in Rome on Sunday, these are indeed very interesting as well as hectic times at the International Energy Forum Secretariat in Riyadh. With crude prices hovering around $115 a barrel and virtually every one underlining the need and importance of dialogue between energy producers and consumers, the 11th International Energy Forum, bringing together energy ministers from close to 70 countries, is thus set to take place in extremely exceptional circumstances.. ..It seems despite progress and some convergence, the producers and consumers are still poles apart on some key issues and it is here that role of IEFS needs to be strengthened further. The upcoming 11th ministerial at Rome would thus be looked at closely. IEFS Secretary General Noe van Hulst and his team have an ominous task in hand.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 17] ~~~~~~~~~

Abbas: Middle East Peace Talks to be Held in Moscow in June [Apr 17]
"Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that a Middle East peace conference will be held in Moscow in June. In a lecture at a Moscow university Abbas expressed 'great hopes' for the conference and said it will lay the groundwork for an overall peace process in the region. Abbas is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of his three-day visit on Friday. Israel has not welcomed the idea of a Moscow conference, proposed by Russia immediately after the Annapolis talks in November.." [more]

Mukherjee's Visit to Boost Indo-Saudi Ties [Apr 17]
"External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will pay a long-pending visit to Saudi Arabia from Saturday to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership and take the ties between the two countries to new heights. During the two-day tour, which has been postponed several times due to various reasons, Mukherjee will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues, including trade and energy security, with top leaders of the oil-rich Kingdom. 'This is going to be the first high-level Indian visit to the Kingdom after King Abdullah's state visit to India in 2006,'.. ..Mukherjee's visit is likely to set the stage for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Saudi Arabia later this year.." [more]

Combat Brain Drain to Rebuild Strong Arab World [Apr 17]
"The troubles in the region "are created by others" and the Arabs are not to be blamed for them, Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz has said. 'The Arabs are capable of returning [to] their lofty position and sovereignty to each of their countries through relying on Allah, the Almighty, coupled with determination of their men and making better use of their intellectual capabilities,'.. ..urged the Arab university heads and their representatives to give priority for intellectual security in the curricula of their higher education institutes through establishing special scientific chairs for promoting research in this vital sector. He called for greater efforts to combat brain drain to build a strong Arab world. Prince Nayef also underlined the need to enable younger Arab generations to achieve excellence in science and information technology.." [more]

Saudi-Jordan Summit Stresses Need to Elect Lebanon President [Apr 17]
"King Abdullah II of Jordan and Saudi monarch Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz stressed the need to elect a President for Lebanon in accordance with the Arab League plan. After talks in Riyadh on Wednesday, both rulers called on the various Lebanese groups and forces to 'overcome divisions and work toward electing a consensus President in line with the Arab League initiative.' The talks focused on developments in the Arab region and bilateral relations between Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The summit also touched on the situation in Lebanon and efforts to achieve a breakthrough in the political crisis.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Turns Attention to Global Marketing Coordination [Apr 17]
"Hydrocarbon demand is rising the world over, and that includes the Middle East. At one of the premier gatherings of oil and gas industry experts in the Middle East, Saudi Aramco Vice President of Marketing, Supply and Joint Venture Coordination Adil A Al-Tubayyeb discussed the imperative of transforming Middle Eastern markets to meet that demand.At the outset of the 16th Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference, held on 6-8 April in Doha, Al-Tubayyeb delivered his keynote address titled 'Transformations in the Middle Eastern Energy Markets'.. ..Turning the region into a centre for marketing petroleum products, he said, will require the development of infrastructure and  the establishment of region-specific price indicators independent of the price indicators that serve global markets far from the region.." [more]

Kingdom to Run UN�s Tourism Plan in Mideast [Apr 17]
"The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has invited Saudi Arabia to run its Capacity Building Program initiative, which will ensure effective implementation of tourism information systems across the region. According to Antonio Massue, chief of statistics for the economic impact of tourism at UNWTO, the Kingdom will represent the Middle East in the running of this project, which has excreted a tangible progress in its tourism statistics and informational system. Based on the initiative, the Kingdom will function as an intermediate to transit UNWTO expertise to other Middle Eastern countries. On the other hand, UNWTO will provide Officials and experts advice in the fields of tourism statistics for the tourism and leisure industries in the Kingdom.." [more]

Concerns Over Funding of Islamic Studies [Apr 17]
"A closed meeting called by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) about Islamic studies will take place today amid fears that Saudi and Muslim organisations exert too much influence over UK universities as a result of donations that dwarf government funding. Private donations, mostly to Islamic study centres, are much greater than government funding for Islamic studies and academics are said to be nervous of the threat to their academic freedom.. ..Prof Anthony Glees, director of Brunel University's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, claims that eight universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have accepted more than �233.5m from Saudi and Muslim sources since 1995, with much of the money going to Islamic study centres.. ..He alleges the government's plan to counter extremism would in fact create a Muslim apartheid in the UK, with Muslims being taught to think of themselves as Muslim first, British second.." [more]

Al-Ghaith Urges Media to be Objective [Apr 17]
"The media campaigns against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice over a few death cases have created a state of tension between the Commission and the public, said Chief of the Commission Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith during his routine inspection visit to the Commission office in the Eastern Province, Wednesday. Sheikh Al-Ghaith asked journalists to be objective and accurate before pinning the blame on the Commission and running stories, criticizing them for showing only the negative side of their work and ignoring the bright side to protect society from vice.. ..Hasty publication of incidents in which the Commission is involved may not do good to the case as the Commission always tries to keep low profile on moral violations, he said.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 16] ~~~~~~~~~

King Meets Crocker, Petraeus [Apr 16]
�Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday received US Ambassador to Baghdad Ryan Crocker and top US commander in Iraq Gen. David Petraeus and discussed the situation in the war-torn country. Crocker and Petraeus also held talks with Interior Minister Prince Naif and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal on regional and international developments..� [more]

Saudi Arabia Now Centre of Gravity of World Investment [Apr 16]
�Saudi Arabia has become the world�s centre of gravity for capital investment with over $117 billion in petroleum and petrochemicals investments planned over the next two years, according to new research. In a report titled �The Saudi Arabian Paradox - Opportunities and Challenges in the KSA Energy Infrastructure Market�, Industrial Info Resources (IIR) of Sugar Land, Texas, in joint sponsorship with Contax Dubai, a leading Middle East consultancy agency, discusses important business strategies for pursuing opportunities in this dynamic environment.. .. �Investment in refining and petrochemical projects in the Middle East is 20 to 30 times greater than the investment in the US, making the Middle East the world�s centre of gravity for this type of investment,�..� [more]

Saudi Agencies Endorse New Draft Law on Trafficking [Apr 16]
� As many as seven Saudi government agencies have signed a final draft law to combat human trafficking in order to present it to the Council of Ministers for approval. The move comes at a time when the Saudi Human Rights Commission plans to make a statement in response to the US State Department report, which ranks Saudi Arabia third among other Arab countries where human trafficking is present.. .. This initiative was taken to curb human trafficking, including exploitation of workers for sex and taking possession of their passports and residence permits in order to force them to work under any circumstances..� [more]

Commentary: Puncturing Mideast Myths [Apr 16]
�To paraphrase Winston Churchill on the Battle of Britain: Never in the field of Middle Eastern reporting was so much owed by so many to so few. In fact, to one man.  Martin Sieff's �Politically Incorrect Guide to the Middle East�  is a superb compendium that should be required reading for anyone reporting on what diplomats prefer to call the Near East. Whether Middle or Near, it's where political correctness can kill.. .. Among the gems in Sieff's "Politically Incorrect Guide":. .. Contrary to most reporting on Saudi Arabia, the kingdom has proven far more successful than any other country in crushing al-Qaida domestically over the past five years. At least five operational heads of the al-Qaida underground in a row have been killed and the terrorist organization repeatedly decapitated..� [more]

Intel Launches Wimax, Classmate PC Projects in Saudi Arabia [Apr 16]
�Citing Saudi government-industry partnership (or private public partnership) as successful model in "advancing education, technology innovation and economic development in the Arab World", Intel Corporation Chairman Craig Barrett, kicked off his fourth visit to the Gulf region pledging technical support for building a high-speed wireless network in the country using a long-range wireless technology known as WiMAX. According to Intel source, Barrett also dedicated a pilot project for e-learning at a Saudi Arabian public school, which is becoming a top priority in many educational systems throughout the world..� [more]

KFH Planning Entry Into the Saudi Market [Apr 16]
�Kuwait Finance House, the Gulf's second-largest Islamic lender by market value, said yesterday it planned to enter Saudi Arabia as part of an expansion abroad. �KFH aims to enter the Saudi market... as all countries of the GCC are a natural extension to the Kuwaiti market,� general manager Mohammad Al Omar said. Kuwait's biggest bank by market value has applied for a license to set up a Saudi bank with a capital of 500 million Saudi riyals ($133.5m)..� [more]

European Commissioner Rules Out Blasphemy Law [Apr 16]
�European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who finished a two-day visit to Riyadh yesterday, said that the EU would not develop new laws against blasphemy.. .. �There are two principles involved in this matter: freedom of press and freedom of religion. Every individual has a right to express what he thinks is correct. Similarly, the other individual, who is not in agreement, can rebut in the same way,� she said. Ferrero-Waldner said that the Dutch government was quick to stress that the opinion made in the �stupid film� is not that of the government or its people. �It is an individual opinion. We practice freedom of religion. You have to understand that Muslims have freedom to practice their religion in our country,�..� [more]

Arab Literature Steals Show at London Book Fair [Apr 16]
� Arabic writers were thrust into the spotlight at the London Book Fair this week, as the British capital's annual festival showcased the literary talents of the Arab World. In its 37th edition the publishing professionals' fair invited 22 countries and territories where Arabic is the official language to present their own particular forms of literature. Organisers at the fair, which drew to a close Wednesday, insisted that the fact that the Paris Book Fair honored Israeli writers last month was purely a coincidence. �The real purpose is to sell the rights for the Arab authors in English or other languages,�.. .. having to translate books remains a major barrier holding back greater literary exchanges between the West and the Arab world. A 2003 report from the United Nations Development Program estimated that just 50 Arabic-language books a year were translated into another language..� [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 15] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Asks Kuwait to Change Refinery Site [Apr 15]
"Saudi Arabia asked Kuwait to change the site of a planned $15 billion oil refinery in the countries' shared border area, newspaper Al-Watan reported, citing people it didn't identify. The nations agreed to look for a new location within the Al-Zour area about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) from the original site, the Kuwaiti newspaper said, adding that the two countries may also seek a site in another region. Saudi Arabia, which has for years contracted Chevron Corp. to operate oil fields in its part of the shared area, is seeking to change the refinery's location because the U.S. company needs land for a storage 
facility and for a possible future project.." [more]

Israel Rattled by Saudi Jets Deal [Apr 15]
"Israel has voiced concerns over the likely US sale of stealth-enabled fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, but is planning to boost its own forces with new technology not available to the gulf kingdom, it was reported on Monday. The country is currently finalizing a shopping list for a number of military platforms currently not available outside the US, in a bid to retain its edge in the region, defense officials told the Jerusalem Post, following recent meetings in Washington. Israeli officials met with Pentagon staff in June to object to a proposed US sale of advanced weaponry to Saudi, however its concerns have since increased following reports that the kingdom was also to ask for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets currently under development by Lockheed Martin.." [more]

Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Slams Biofuels [Apr 15]
"Saudi Arabia's oil minister on Thursday slammed biofuels, saying they did not protect the environmental help supply security, but added solar power had to be considered one of the best clean energy sources. 'Let's be realistic, ethanol and biofuels will not contribute to the protection of the global environment by reducing (carbon dioxide) emissions, they will not increase energy security, nor will they reduce dependency on fossil fuels to any appreciable degree,' Ali al-Naimi told an oil conference. 'Biofuels are not the solution,'.." [more]

King Orders Construction of New OIC Headquarters [Apr 15]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz has ordered that the full cost of the building of the new headquarters for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Jeddah to be funded by the Kingdom. The Kingdom donated the construction cost of the 26-story building, estimated at $100 million, in addition to the price of the land on which it would be built, which measures some 40,000 square meters.. ..'The King�s role in the service of Islam and Muslims,� he said, 'is best seen in his defense of Islam and Muslims all over the world and his efforts in clearing the atmosphere and mending rifts among Islamic countries and his support to them morally and financially.'.." [more]

2nd Saudi Vehicle Attacked in Athens [Apr 15]
"Police in Greece say a vehicle belonging to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Athens has been damaged by an infamous anarchist organization. The pre-dawn attack which took place in northeastern Athens is the second time a Saudi Embassy vehicle is targeted in two days. There have been no injuries or arrests. Anti-State Justice, an anarchist group which rejects any sort of compulsory government, has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack.." [more]

Jazeera Airways Eyes Growth in Saudi Arabia [Apr 15]
"Kuwait and Dubai based Jazeera Airways, the only international airline in the Middle East that is neither owned nor subsidized by any government, unveiled today that Saudi Arabia will be among its top three growth markets in the next five years. Jazeera Airways Chairman and CEO Marwan Boodai said; 'Our ambition not only complements, but stems from the Kingdom�s master plan for increasing the annual number of visitors to Saudi Arabia from 17 million in 2007 to 45.3 million in 2020, and we believe Jazeera Airways can be one of the integral partners of this plan.' 'The work of the Saudi Commission for Tourism is very encouraging and shows a determination to meet those targets. Today we see Saudi Arabia mobilizing to stimulate the planned growth as it leads the way from airport facelifts, infrastructure developments, and cultural festivals, to the recent decision to issue multiple-entry business visas'.." [more]

A Drive Toward the Goal Of Greater Freedom [Apr 15]
"The Jeddah United women's basketball team trickled onto the court, each player wrapped in a black abaya and head scarf. Within minutes, the women had shed their cloaks and were in uniform -- white pants and jerseys with their names in red -- practicing lay-ups, passes and foul shots until they were wet with sweat. The team, made up mostly of Saudi students and housewives, is preparing for a local tournament this month. But what the women would really love to do, many said, is compete internationally and represent their country abroad, something Saudi Arabia does not permit.. ..Powerful religious clerics also ban sports for girls in public schools, deeming it un-Islamic, and recently canceled two rare all-women's events, a soccer match and a marathon. Gyms for women were closed in the early 1990s and have been allowed to reopen, but only when affiliated with hospitals. Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries competing in the Olympics without a female delegation.." [more]

OPEC Releases Monthly Report, States It's Pumping Enough [Apr 15]
"OPEC claimed it is pumping enough oil to meet demand, the group said in a monthly report on Tuesday, and added that the U.S. slowdown could lead to weaker-than-expected consumption in the second quarter. 'The fundamental picture in the second quarter of 2008 appears to be in line with the typical seasonal pattern for this time of year,' the report stated. It added, 'Current OPEC production at more than 32 million barrels per day (bpd) will be sufficient to both meet demand growth and contribute to further stock builds.' The oil cartel anticipates that world demand for oil will decline by 1.4 million bpd to 85.7 million bpd in the second quarter.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 14] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudis Will Stand Firm Against Terrorists: King Abdullah [Apr 14]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday denounced the deviant ideology that promotes terrorism and said Saudis would stand firm against terrorists. King Abdullah made these remarks while opening the 41st conference of the Federation of Arab Universities at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. 'Crimes begin from sick and deviant minds, especially terrorism. While confronting terrorists, we should also deal with this murderous ideology that transforms deceived youth into tools of killing and destruction,' the king said.." [more]

Reform Policies, Assaf Tells Oil-Consuming Countries [Apr 14]
"Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf yesterday blamed the increase in oil prices on regional political crises, limited refining facilities and big rise in non-commercial contracts. Addressing an IMF meeting here, the Saudi minister urged oil-consuming countries to soften their regulations that hike prices of petroleum and its products. He reiterated Saudi Arabia�s efforts to stabilize world oil market by ensuring adequate supply.. ..Al-Assaf also spoke about international economic developments. He expected the economic recession that has hit many developed countries, including the US, would continue through 2008. He, however, believed that combined efforts of these countries could lessen the recession�s negative effects.." [more]

US Eases Foreign Investment, But Arab Firms Still Resist [Apr 14]
"The United States has eased foreign investment curbs to send the right signal of a welcoming market to the Middle Eastern investors who came out with no major investment deals in the United States in 2007, said David Bohigian, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Market Access and Compliance during a roundtable discussion here on Sunday. Only one percent of the $160b Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the US came from the Middle East, he said. His statements came during his second trip to the Kingdom to strengthen US-Saudi business ties through 'Invest in America' program to inject more liquidity into the US sluggish economy to contribute to its long-term growth.." [more]

Saudi Diplomatic Car Destroyed in Arson Attack [Apr 14]
"A car belonging to the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Greece was destroyed in an arson attack early Monday, police said. Small cooking gas canisters exploded underneath the parked vehicle in a northern suburb of the capital. No one was injured. An anarchist group calling itself Cells of Subversion claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to a private television station.." [more]

New Society Being Formed to Protect Rights of Saudi Women [Apr 14]
"A group of Saudi academics and Shaikhs are trying to launch a society to protect the rights of women. The new society, which is under registration process at the Ministry of Interior, will be a major boost in efforts to empower Saudi women.. ..The society, which will be headquartered in Riyadh, will have branches in various regions of the country. 'It will start functioning under the framework of the Saudi legal and Shariah systems,'.. ..'The society will present women's complaints to the Shura Council and to the Ministry of Interior," he said. The basic goal of the society is to empower women '.." [more]

Saudi to Invite Bids for Jizan Refinery in May [Apr 14]
"Saudi Arabia plans to proceed with a project for a new oil refinery at Jizan and will invite bids to build and operate the plant in May, the oil ministry said on Monday. Spiraling costs have cast doubt over the viability of new oil refineries worldwide. Industry observers were skeptical over the Jizan refinery going ahead as it is a long distance from crude production. The project is part of government plans to give an economic boost to the impoverished region of Jizan in the far south, on the Red Sea coast. The government plans an 'economic city' there.. ..The oil ministry said last year that 8 Saudi and 43 foreign companies had been pre-qualified to take part in the Jizan tender. Aramco is listed as one of the prequalified companies.." [more]

Saudi-Canadian Trade Seen at Greater Heights [Apr 14]
"Bilateral trade between the Kingdom and Canada could reach greater heights with the establishment of the first permanent Canadian trade representation in the Gulf, said Eric Siegel, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Export Development Canada (EDC).. ..He said the number of Canadian companies active here has been growing at an average 10 percent each year. 'Our exports here are higher than those to Brazil, India or Russia, and our projections are for continuing faster growth here than in those other countries.' With an estimated $2 trillion in infrastructure projects in the Kingdom, he hoped that many Canadian companies would participate in the Kingdom's development projects.." [more]

Mobily Share Sale Under Scrutiny in Saudi Arabia [Apr 14]
"The Saudi Shura Council is examining a complaint against Mobily, Etihad and etisalat for violating regulations during the recent sale by the founding shareholders of a 20 per cent stake in Mobily to local and foreign investors. According to Saud Al Shamri, a member of the Shura, the council will take up the issue with the Saudi Telecommunications and Information Technology Commission (STITC), which is the authority to issue licences for telecom services.. .. Abdul Aziz Al Sughair, chairman of Mobily's board of directors, asserted that the stake sale was strictly legal. 'Mobily has not committed any violations as it is entitled to sell part of the stake of its founders either through the capital market or to some selected investors. The sale has been done with the knowledge of the Capital Market Authority,'.."  [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 13] ~~~~~~~~~

Palestine-Israel Leaders Set to Meet in Occupied Jerusalem [Apr 13]
"A Palestinian negotiator says the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president plan to meet in Occupied Jerusalem on Sunday. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Sunday evening in Occupied Jerusalem. Olmert spokesman Mark Regev could not immediately confirm the report. Abbas and Olmert met just a week ago, and there was no official word on why they would meet again.." [more]

Saudi King Says Keeping Some Oil Finds For Future [Apr 13]
"Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said he had ordered some new oil discoveries left untapped to preserve oil wealth in the world's top exporter for future generations, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. 'I keep no secret from you that when there were some new finds, I told them, 'no, leave it in the ground, with grace from god, our children need it',' King Abdullah said in remarks made late on Saturday, SPA said.. ..The kingdom has spent billions on building over 2 million bpd of spare crude capacity and is the only country in the world able to bring online large volumes of crude supply quickly to deal with unexpected supply shortages.." [more]

Oil Revenue to Help Boost Gov�t Spending [Apr 13]
"Amid the prevailing record-high oil prices, Saudi Arabia commands a pivotal position in the international economy being the world�s largest oil producer and the only one with significant spare capacity, Samba�s report on the Saudi economy published this month said. The report titled, 'The Saudi Economy: Recent Performance and Prospects for 2008-09,' noted that the surge in the Kingdom�s oil revenue will support further brisk growth in government spending � around 15 percent both this year and next. 'Much of this will be directed towards basic infrastructure, but spending on salaries and other 
benefits, as well as subsidies, will also be raised in a bid to offset the social costs of rising inflation,' it said.." [more]

Saudi Inflation Risks Topping 10% in March [Apr 13]
"Annual inflation in Saudi Arabia could hit a double-digit figure in March after money supply rose over 26% the previous month, the chief economist of HSBC's local subsidiary SABB said on Saturday. Annual inflation in Saudi Arabia reached 8.7% in February, its highest level in 27 years.. ..'They have chosen to fiscally support the economy because this is a top-down economy, the government needs to motivate the private sector to create jobs amid a surge in inflation and the challenge of unemployment,' he added. 'The rise in February's money supply suggests inflation can hit a double-digit figure in March or the month after, which has not happened since the 1970s,' he added.." [more]

Saudi Non-Oil Trade Reaches 104.46b Riyals [Apr 13]
"Saudi Arabia's non-oil trade grew 22 per cent to 104.46 billion Saudi riyals last year compared to 85.52 billion riyals in 2006, according to government statistics. The export volume rose 12 per cent to 39,693 tonnes last year, compared to 35,286 tonnes in 2006, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday. The major exported commodities by the kingdom last year were petrochemicals, plastics, base and manufactured metals and re-export commodities. The largest recipients of Saudi exports included the UAE, China, Kuwait and Qatar.." [more]

New Water Company Taps French Expertise, Set to Launch Project [Apr 13]
" The Kingdom will sign a SR240-million partnership agreement with a French company for a water and sewage project in Riyadh, said Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hussayen. The six-year agreement is to be signed between the National Water Company (NWC) and Veolia Water, a partner of the Paris wastewater treatment authority, SIAAP. 'With this project, the newly formed NWC will commence its activities from Riyadh, the largest consumer of water in the Kingdom,' Al-Hussayen said. He said that the NWC has taken over groundwater resources, sewage network and sewage treatment plants in the region, and that it will move to Jeddah, then to Madinah, Dammam and Makkah in two months. 'These five cities account for 65 percent of water consumption in the country,'.." [more]

BSIJ Celebrates 30 Years in Jeddah [Apr 13]
"Ahead in world rankings in academic excellence, 1,500 pupils and dual international accreditation, the British School in Jeddah (BSIJ) is not resting on its laurels while celebrating its 30th year of existence. New management plans to more fully integrate the primary and secondary curricula and undergo a rigorous mid-cycle examination by the accrediting bodies keep the staff busy. 'The big change coming is combining primary and middle school under one management structure to get an even better continuity of education right through from primary to IB,' Bruce Gamwell, the school�s director, said. 
Two years in the planning, the structure is in place and will be incepted in September this year.." [more]

MediaPro Clinches Major Deal in Saudi Arabia [Apr 13]
"MediaPro Group's engineering department, Unitecnic, has been contracted to implement the first phase of a network of TV studios for Saudi Research Publishing Company (SRPC), the print media arm of Saudi Research Marketing Group (SRMG). Besides working as a news production facility, the studios will provide satellite uplink, stand up, play out, non-linear editing, transcoding services and complementary new media production capacity to SRMG Group as well as other broadcasters. 'The first phase of the network will cover Riyadh and London while the second phase will aim to provide 
similar facilities in Beirut, Dubai, Jeddah, Cairo and other parts of the Middle East'.." [more]

Apr 6 - Apr 12, 2008

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 12] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Interfaith Summit Faces Challenges [Apr 12]
"A group of visiting Japanese scholars was making a routine courtesy call recently on King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz when the monarch raised a subject that, as he put it, had 'obsessed me since two years ago.' Distressed by what he described as disintegrating family ties, a rise in atheism and 'an imbalance of reason, ethics and humanity,' the king announced plans for a new interfaith dialogue in which 'believers of the three main religions -- the Torah, Bible and Koran -- will be of priority.'.. ..The dialogue proposal -- the location, format and agenda are still unknown -- is popular among Saudis who support the king's reformist agenda of slowly introducing political and social changes. 'It's unprecedented . . . [for] Saudi leaders to call for dialogue between the three religions,' said Khalil Al Khalil, a member of the quasi-parliamentary Shura Council. Hard-line religious figures who might not be happy with Abdullah's plans are mute so far, and there have been only mildly worded warnings floated to the king.." [more]

Bush to Send Top Diplomats to Arab Capitals [Apr 12]
" The US will send several senior diplomats to Arab states to encourage them to increase their support for Iraq and reopen their embassies in Baghdad. President George W. Bush commanded Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the country�s ambassador to Baghdad, to stop over in Saudi Arabia on their way back to Iraq to persuade Riyadh to render overall support for Iraq, The New York Times reported yesterday. The president also said Thursday that he had ordered senior American diplomats in the Middle East to meet with leaders in Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to urge them to reopen their embassies in Baghdad.." [more]

Top EU Official's Visit Aims to Boost Gulf Ties [Apr 12]
"Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy, will visit Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar this week as part of a three-day tour in the Gulf to explore the scope of further engagement with the region, diplomatic sources told Gulf News. 'During her meetings, the commissioner will discuss areas of common interest such as the relations between EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the situation in the broader region and how to support mutual understanding, and closer cooperation in areas such as education, environment and research,' the sources said. Strengthening energy cooperation between the EU and Gulf countries will also be high on the agenda.." [more]

King Abdullah Receives Senegalese President [Apr 12]
"The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received at his ranch in Janadriyah on Friday Senegalese President Abdullah Wad and his accompanying delegation. During the audience, the King welcomed the Senegalese President, wishing him and the accompanying delegation a pleasant stay.. ..the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques held a luncheon in honor of the Senegalese President and the accompanying delegation.." [more]

Saudi Money Supply Surges 26% [Apr 12]
"Annual money supply growth in Saudi Arabia accelerated to 26.2% in February even as the kingdom tightened lending curbs to control spiralling inflation, central bank data showed on Saturday. M3, the broadest measure of money circulating in the Saudi economy, grew to 827.35 billion riyals ($220.6 billion) at the end of February compared with 655.83 billion riyals a year earlier.. ..Annual inflation in Saudi Arabia reached 8.7% in February, its highest level in 27 years. The kingdom has raised bank reserve requirements three times since November, forcing banks to keep more money in their vaults as the US Federal Reserve repeatedly slashed interest rates since September.." [more]

Bangladesh Okays $3 bln Saudi Arabia Oil Investment [Apr 12]
"Bangladesh has approved to go ahead with a $3 billion investment by Saudi Arabia to set up an oil refinery with a capacity to produce 300,000 barrels of oil products a day, a senior official said on Saturday.. ..The plant will be set up with foreign investment and will import more than 5 million tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia. The refinery's production capacity will be more than three times that of the state-run Bangladesh Eastern Refinery Limited (BERL), the only refinery in the country, Cosmopolitan Oil Refinery Management Chairman Dewan Sultan Ahmed told Reuters. BERL, at the port city of Chittagong with 1.5 million tonnes capacity, supplies refined oil to three state-owned oil firms for distribution across the country. Bangladesh imports 3.8 million tonnes of fuel a year.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 11] ~~~~~~~~~

Calls to Reopen UK Inquiry Into BAE-Saudi Arms Deal [Apr 11]
"Opposition lawmakers and anti-arms campaigners stepped up calls on Friday for Britain's anti-fraud agency to reopen a corruption inquiry into a lucrative arms deal between Saudi Arabia and BAE Systems PLC, after a court ruled that dropping the probe was illegal. The High Court ruled Thursday that the Serious Fraud Office's 2006 decision to halt the inquiry represented an 'abject surrender' to pressure from a foreign government, but did not immediately order the investigation to be reopened. The SFO has said it is considering 'the way forward,' amid negotiations with the two anti-arms groups that sought and won the court decision. If the two sides cannot agree on the next step, the High Court will 
hear further submissions from them � but not from the government, the Saudis or BAE � in about two weeks. It could at that point order the SFO to reopen the investigation. However, the agency can also seek to appeal the current judgment to the House of Lords, Britain's highest court of appeal.." [more]

Saudi Adds Significant New Production [Apr 11]
"Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that they will start adding 500,000 bpd to its total capacity when the Khursaniyah field comes on stream this month. Abdulaziz al-Judaimi, vice president of new business development at Saudi Aramco said.. ..This may be true or it may be just propaganda in an effort to talk down oil prices. The Khursaniyah field has been said to be coming online for nearly two years now and it never starts. Delays of this magnitude are common but some feel there were serious shortfalls in the capacity being developed and many more wells had to be drilled to produce anything close to what was promised.. ..Saudi is pouring $90 billion of its oil sales back into new development and refining capacity over a 5-year period in an effort to boost capacity to 12 million barrels per day by  2010.." [more]

Saudi Film Industry Gets Into Focus [Apr 11]
"..In an unprecedented response from people associated with Saudi film industry, still in its nascent stage, scores of people working in the cinema sector, met with a delegation from Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority (Tecom), which visited the kingdom recently. It was confirmed that several Saudi filmmakers will take part in the first ever Gulf Film Festival (GFF) with at least a dozen entries.. ..The Dubai festival, which will be held from April 13 to 18, aims to develop the local and regional film industry by creating new avenues for filmmakers to screen their projects. GFF, a non-profit cultural event to be organised by Tecom, is holding competition for feature films, short films, documentary films and students' work.." [more]

Cracks in Saudi, Egyptian Ties With Syria [Apr 11]
"Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in an implicit criticism of Syria, said on Wednesday better relations with Damascus depended on an end to the political crisis in Lebanon. 'We call things by their names, in that Saudi-Egyptian relations with sister Syria do not appear to be at their best,' said Egyptian presidential spokesman Sulaiman Awad.. ..'Egypt and Saudi Arabia know who has a duty to do what so that a real rapprochement can take place. Improving the situation comes about by deeds, not words, not by expressions of good intentions.' Egypt and Saudi Arabia have taken the side of the Lebanese government in the dispute, which reflects the regional conflict between the United States and its Lebanese government allies from one side, and Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon on the other.." [more]

Oil Prices Fall After Saudi Reassurance [Apr 11]
"Oil prices fell from near record highs yesterday after Saudi oil minister Ali Al Naimi said markets were well supplied, shrugging off falls in US crude and fuel stocks and bullish Chinese econ-omic data. US crude was down 67 cents to $110.20 a barrel by 1409 GMT, having earlier risen to within one cent of the $112.21 record hit in the previous session.. ..Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al Naimi told reporters in Paris the market was still well supplied and record prices were not due to any lack of oil. 'I am not going to pull back. I'm not going to dump crude on the market,' Naimi said when asked whether Saudi Arabia might change its output. Despite pleas by consuming nations for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting 
Countries (Opec) to raise oil production to help cap rising oil prices, its members insist the markets remain well supplied.." [more]

National Study Puts Saudi Child Labor at 1.54% [Apr 11]
"A study in Saudi Arabia has concluded that child labor in the Kingdom amounts to 1.54 percent of the child population.. ..Salient social characteristics in common among employed children included the low professional and educational standards of the parents, the large size of the family, inadequate support for children by their families and low levels of achievement in schools.. ..The survey of streets, schools and workplaces revealed that children are mostly employed in the business area, followed by agriculture. Naji wrote in his conclusions that Saudi Arabia enacted a number of legislations on child labor, including that the minimum employment age is 13 in all areas, with the exception of family businesses and domestic labor, as well as animal herding and raising or in agricultural projects that do not manufacture their own products.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 10] ~~~~~~~~~

British Court Condemns End to Saudi Arms Probe [Apr 10]
"A corruption investigation into arms deals with Saudi Arabia should not have been halted, a London court said on Thursday in a ruling that sharply criticized the British and Saudi governments. Two judges said the director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had capitulated to threats from the Saudi royal family over arms deals with Europe's biggest defense company, BAE Systems Plc. 'No one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of our justice,' one of the judges, Lord Justice Moses, told the High Court in London, calling the decision a failure of government. 'The law is powerless to resist the specific and, as it turns out, successful attempt by a foreign government to pervert the course of justice in the United Kingdom,'.. ..Saudi envoys in London had no immediate comment.." [more]

Saudi and Egypt Leaders Vow to Help Lebanon [Apr 10]
"Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and Eygptian President Hosni Mubarak have pledged joint efforts to settle Lebanon�s political crisis. The two leaders met in Egypt�s Sharm El Shaikh on Wednesday, where they discussed the situation in Palestinian territories, Iraq, Darfur and Somalia. 'The major Arab disagreements are connected to the situation in Lebanon,' Mubarak�s spokesman Suleiman Awwad told reporters before the meeting on Wednesday.." [more]

Saudi Terror Suspect: Military Trials a Sham [Apr 10]
"A Saudi captive called the war court here a sham at his hearing Wednesday, fired his Pentagon defense lawyer and was sent back to his prison camp cell with a promise from his military judge that his terror trial would go on without him. ''History will record these trials as a scandal,'' said Ahmed Darbi, the brother-in-law of a member of the suicide squad that struck the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. ``I advise you as a judge and all the people here to not continue this play, this sham.'' Darbi, 33, is charged as an al Qaeda conspirator and with providing material support for terror -- not in the 911 attacks, but on an unsuccessful plot to bomb vessels off the coast of Yemen.. ..he repeatedly refused to participate in his upcoming military trial and refused his Pentagon's paid defense attorney, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bryan Broyles. He asked for a Saudi lawyer.." [more]

Saudi Oil Minister Predicts Fossil Fuels to Serve Global Energy Needs for at Least 50 Years [Apr 10]
"Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali Naimi said Thursday he expects fossil fuels will supply the bulk of global energy needs for at least the next 50 years. To meet future demand, the No. 1 producer, and by far the most influential member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is boosting production, he told delegates at the International Oil Summit in Paris. 'Moving from our current sources of energy, primarily fossil fuels, to a dominant new source will require at least half a century and perhaps more given the various challenges associated with such a broad based convergence, he said.  'Fossil fuels can be and should be made environmentally friendly sources of energy, particularly as they will continue to meet the lion's share of energy needs for the foreseeable future'.. ..Ethanol and other biofuels do not meet environmental and energy security goals, he said.." [more]

US to Double Visas for Saudi Students [Apr 10]
"US Ambassador Ford Fraker said in Sakaka that his country aims to double the number of student visas issued to Saudis. 'Currently there are 15,000 Saudi students in the US,' he said during an event on Sunday with local business leaders to an audience at the Al-Jouf Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 'We aim to increase their numbers to 30,000 over the next five years.' Fraker said Saudi Arabia should bolster its English-language programs because it is generally required for Saudis seeking to pursue higher studies in the US. Fraker also stressed the need for popularizing English teaching programs because it would overcome the language barriers for Saudi students seeking to study in the US easier.." [more]

Al-Tuwairqi to Invest $1 Billion in Yemen [Apr 10]
"Saudi Arabia�s Al-Tuwairqi group confirmed on Tuesday it planned to invest $1 billion in Yemen to build steel and power plants. Chairman Hilal Al-Tuwairqi said on the sidelines of a steel conference the Yemen steel plant would have a capacity of 5 million tons of liquid steel. 'In addition to that, we will build a rolling mill which will produce 1 million tonnes of rebar annually,' he said. The investment would include installation of a power plant as Yemen lacked the necessary infrastructure.. ..Al-Tuwairqi said he expected the plants to be operational by 2011.." [more]

Schism � Saudi Blogger's Answer to Wilders Film [Apr 10]
"A Saudi blogger has made a six-minute video entitled "Schism" by portraying texts from Christian sources out of context, similar to the way Dutch MP Geert Wilders made his recently-released anti-Qur'an film entitled 'Fitna.' In his film, Raid Al-Saeed, 33, shows verses of the Bible that call for war and illustrated them with clips of extremist Christian groups that preach violence. 'I made it in less than 24 hours. In 'Schism,' I have used the same methodology that Wilders has used and that involves taking texts out of context,' he told Arab News, adding that he made the film to prove that it is incorrect to 
judge Islam by watching 'Fitna.' .. ..'It is easy to take part of any holy book out of context and make it sound like an inhumane book. This is what Geert Wilders did to gather supporters for his hateful ideology'.." [more]

Conference to Zoom in on Higher Education [Apr 10]
"Under the patronage of King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Nayef Arab University for Security and Science (NAUSS) will host the 41st regular session of the Federation of Arab Universities in Riyadh on Sunday. "The King's patronage of this important session, to be attended by the heads of more than 160 Arab universities, is the embodiment of the attention and care given by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the reaffirmation of the Kingdom's leading role in supporting joint Arab action on all ... levels," said Dr Abdul Aziz Saqr Al Ghamdi, president of NAUSS.. ..The conference will study the creation of balanced, quantitative and qualitative changes in university education, in addition to the development of systems of graduate studies and research work at Arab universities. The importance of the conference is to discuss ways to develop higher education.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 9] ~~~~~~~~~

Naif Calls for Study on Providing Citizenship to Undocumented Saudis [Apr 9]
"Interior Minister Prince Naif has urged officials of his ministry and the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to conduct a study on providing citizenship to undocumented Saudis. He made this announcement during a meeting with Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar, president of NSHR, at his office in Riyadh recently. Saudi Arabia applies strict rules in granting citizenship to other nationals. However, a number of applicants, who were competent and specialized in scientific subjects, was given Saudi citizenship last year. The Interior Ministry�s Agency for Civil Affairs in Riyadh began accepting citizenship applications on May 23, 2005. Priority was given to applicants holding doctorates in medicine, engineering and other sciences.. ..Many of the Kingdom�s seven million expatriate workers, including a lare number of Arabs and Asians, applied for citizenship after the Cabinet approved the newly amended Naturalization Law. The new move to provide citizenship to undocumented Saudis will help a large number of people in the Kingdom and put an end to their long suffering.." [more]

Many Apprehended in Anti-Terror Campaign Were on Drugs [Apr 9]
"A large number of militants apprehended in the kingdom's anti-terror campaign were on drugs, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz said. In comments made late Tuesday, the prince said the ministry has seized tons of drugs and millions of tranquilizer pills in operations in which more than 400 members of the kingdom's narcotics squads have been killed. He did not state the period over which the deaths occurred. 'Many of those who have been arrested in terror-related (incidents) were drug users,' said Nayef. He did not elaborate. Nayef's comments could not be independently verified, and he did not explain whether the militants were current users or had been drug users before joining militant groups.." [more]

South Africa: Saudi-Arabia Brings Hope to Emerging Farmers [Apr 9]
"Emerging farmers from the historically disadvantaged communities of Limpopo are to benefit from trade relations between the province and Saudi Arabia, says Premier Sello Moloto. A task team from Saudi Arabia is currently in the province to explore areas of trade and investment, following Mr Moloto's trade mission to the country in March.. ..Saudi Arabia imports no less than 90 percent of its agricultural products from other countries including South Africa and particularly Limpopo. Mr Moloto said his trade Mission had been a success and that the provincial government would ensure that follow-ups are made for people of the province to benefit form these forms of interaction with the international community.." [more]

Saudi SABIC Eyes Iron Ore Acquisitions [Apr 9]
"Saudi Basic Industries Corp 2010.SE (SABIC) is considering investments in iron ore mines overseas to reduce the impact of rising prices on its steel production unit, a magazine reported on Wednesday. Demand for steel in Saudi Arabia has been outpacing supply, and competitors of Hadeed, the steel producer that SABIC controls, have been raising prices, SABIC Chief Executive Officer Mohamed al-Mady said on Tuesday. SABIC, the Gulf's largest steel maker, is looking at possible investments in iron ore mining, London-based MEED said, citing a source close to the company.." [more]

Saudi Arabia, Ukraine to Sign Deals [Apr 9]
"A series of agreements will be signed today between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine during the Third Saudi-Ukraine Intergovernmental Meeting which began here yesterday. Minister of Transport Dr. Jabarah Al-Seraisry headed the Saudi team, while the Ukrainian team was headed by the First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov.. .. he said that his country was interested in participating in the mega developments that are taking place in the Kingdom. He said his country was keen on transferring its technological expertise to the Kingdom. Todchuk said that Ukraine will stress the importance of having a Saudi embassy in Kiev which would strengthen bilateral relations. Ukraine embassy was established in the Kingdom in 1996 and ever since the Saudi mission in Moscow has been accredited to Ukraine.." [more]

Dell Seeks to Develop IT Infrastructure in Kingdom�s Economic Cities [Apr 9]
"Dell Inc., the global IT giant that generated revenues worth $61 billion last year, has expressed a strong interest to develop IT infrastructure in the Kingdom�s six mega economic cities. 'Certainly we are interested in the infrastructure, mega data centers and large green data centers of the economic cities,' said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Inc., at a round-table discussion on Monday night. He said that during his meeting with senior officials from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the two sides discussed how Dell Inc. could work with SAGIA to develop the cities� 
industrial base.. ..The chairman of the American IT company did not say whether a future agreement would be signed with SAGIA. However, he told the press to 'stay tuned.'.." [more]

How to Succeed at Education Reform: The Case for Saudi Arabia and the Greater GCC Region [Apr 9]
"Booz Allen Hamilton's Middle East Think Tank - research into education in the GCC has found that education reform is a necessary step for ensuring the future economic growth and development of the region. Strategizing for education, the research found, has been a central policy in the GCC over the past four decades with a series of development plans in which education plays an integral part. Expenditure on education is comparable to the most advanced economies, although return on education investment is still relatively limited.. ..A summary of the research findings for successful education reform follows below:.." [more]

Gulf Stocks Give Investors Taste of Future [Apr 9]
"..The next quarter century belongs to the Middle East. The Gulf states restrict foreign stock ownership. So far, it has been a game primarily for hedge funds and private equity. But the Middle East is opening up to homegrown investors as well as international capital. Last September, T. Rowe Price launched the Africa & Middle East Fund -- the first chance for average U.S. investors to take a shot at markets they never heard of before but, eventually, will make a splash. Your targets are the economies of six Arab states -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (the U.A.E. consists of seven city-states of which the best known are Abu Dhabi and Dubai). They're gathered into a loose confederation known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC just negotiated a free-trade agreement with Singapore, their first with a country outside the Middle East. Last December, they announced plans for a GCC common market. If you think of the Gulf states as mostly camels, oil, sand and war, Google 'Dubai image'' or 'Abu Dhabi image'.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 8] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Keen to Protect Human Rights, Says Minister  [Apr 8]
"Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz reaffirmed that Saudi Arabia is keen to protect human rights at any cost. 'Human rights are well-guarded in the Kingdom strictly in line with the guidelines set by the Quran and the Prophet's tradition [Sunnah].. ..Prince Naif made the remarks during his meeting with Dr Bandar Bin Mohammad Hojar, Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights, and members of the society at his office. They exchanged cordial talks and discussed issues pertaining to the society.." [more]

Saudi Cbank Confirms Tighter Bank Lending Curbs [Apr 8]
"Saudi Arabia's central bank confirmed on Tuesday it had raised bank reserve requirements to 12 per cent from 10 per cent beginning from the first week of April. Traders said on Monday the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) had tightened bank lending curbs for the third time since November to help stem money supply growth as inflation in the largest Arab economy surges.. ..Inflation in the largest Arab economy surged to a 27-year peak of 8.7 per cent in February.." [more]

Opec Doing Its Best To Stabilise Prices [Apr 8]
"Opec is doing all it can to stabilise oil prices that are being led higher by speculation and political events in producing and consuming nations, Qatar�s minister of state for energy and industry affairs said. Opec is doing its best to contribute to stability,� HE Mohamed Saleh al-Sada told reporters today in Doha, where he was attending an oil and gas conference. �Speculation and geopolitics are causing high prices.� The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is trying to act responsively, he said, without commenting specifically on the group�s production targets.. ..Opec holds its next formal, 
policy-setting conference in September. Many of its ministers are scheduled to attend an informal meeting during a conference in Rome on April 20-22..." [more]

Grievances Court Plans Web Portal to Expedite Judicial Proceedings [Apr 8]
"The Court of Grievances announced it would launch a web portal in an attempt to expedite communications between the court and the public. Muhammad Al-Amin, secretary to the president of the Court of Grievances, signed in Riyadh two contracts for the implementation of the system and the establishment of a portal along with its operation and maintenance.. ..Similar systems have been implemented in the United States, Malaysia and Singapore. The system would enable the appeals court judges to examine pending cases and interact with the parties involved in the case even if they are 
not physically present in the court, according to Majid Al-Adwan, director of the computer department at the court. The move is part of the government�s plan to develop the legal system in the country to cope with the increasing number of cases.." [more]

Craig Barrett Visits Saudi Technology Projects [Apr 8]
"Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel was in Saudi Arabia yesterday, as part of a tour as the Middle East for his role on the United Nations panel on technology and as part of the Intel World Ahead Initiative. Barrett witnessed the signing of another WiMAX project for the region, which will build on Intel's existing MOU with the Knowledge Economic City (KEC). The new deal will see Saudi telecom incumbent STC provide a WiMAX network for the KEC project in Medina. Intel will provide technical support and expertise for the WiMAX network, which is due to be finished by 2011.. ..'Our joint commitment to technological innovation shows that much can be accomplished when private industry and government 
work in tandem to achieve a common vision. Investments in education are important to the future, in the Arab world and around the globe,' said Barrett.." [more]

Saudi-Egyptian Trade Hikes to $ 2883.9m [Apr 8]
"An Egyptian Economic Study has disclosed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most important commercial partners of Egypt. The study noted that the volume of the Egyptian trade with the Kingdom amounted in 2007 to $ 2883.9 million, while the Saudi investments in Egypt ranked the second at the Arab level.. ..According to the study, the volume of the Egyptian trade with the Kingdom amounted last year to $2883.9 million, while the Saudi investments in Egypt amounted last year to $204 million. The Saudi investments ranked the second in Egypt after the investments of the United Arab Emirates. The study pointed out that the remittances being sent by the Egyptian 
workforce in the Kingdom constitute an important income source as they surpassed $860 million in 2007.." [more]

Basmati Exports to Saudi Arabia Set to Rise [Apr 8]
"India�s exports of basmati rice to Saudi Arabia are set to rise substantially this year following the kingdom�s decision to cut import duty on the commodity. Saudi Arabia is the largest importer of Indian basmati rice.. ..The Indian embassy in Riyadh has circulated Saudi government�s decision to all leading chambers of commerce and export promotion councils. India-Saudi bilateral trade is currently estimated at over $5.5 billion.." [more]

BMG Saudi Index Rebounds [Apr 8]
"The BMG Saudi Index reversed its performance again this week, in its third trading session, to land in positive territory, moving up by 1.3 percent to 532.9 points. The market turnover, however, maintained its negative performance, declining by 19.8 percent to a total of SR2.5 billion ($660 million) versus SR3.1 billion ($822 million), traded in Sunday�s session. All the sectors followed the Index�s uptrend, with the exception of the Telecommunications and the Banking sectors, which went down by 0.8 percent and 0.3 percent respectively.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 7] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi King: We Will Recognize Kosovo [Apr 7]
"King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has promised his country will recognize Kosovo. The King confirmed his stance during a meeting that he held with Albania's parliament speaker, Jozefina Topalli in Riad. Saudi Arabia's number one expressed his support for the cause of Albanians and congratulated the newest country of Europe. Jozefina Topalli gave special thanks to the King for his promise to recognize the Republic of Kosovo, stressing that such a move by the most powerful country of the Arab world would have a great influence on the Islamic Conference, which consists of around 56 countries.." [more]

Human Rights Protected in Kingdom: Naif [Apr 7]
"Interior Minister Prince Naif said yesterday that human rights are protected in the Kingdom thanks to the implementation of Shariah. "Different executive and supervisory government agencies implement regulations that take care of the rights of the accused at the time of arrest, investigation, trial and execution of punishment," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the minister saying. Prince Naif made this statement while receiving the president and members of the National Society for Human Rights at his office in Riyadh. During the meeting the two sides discussed issues relating to Saudi society.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: New System to Support Investment in Tourist Sites [Apr 7]
"The Supreme Authority for Tourism in Saudi Arabia announced last week the adoption of a new system that will encourage the founding of companies for the planning and development of tourist sites and for the establishing, managing and licensing of museums. It also aims to produce a register for Saudi antiquities and to prepare them for display. The authority revealed that the Saudi ministries of interiors and foreign affairs as well as other affiliated authorities will participate in organizing the issuing of tourist visas. The new system that was approved by the Saudi Cabinet recently and that will be brought into effect 90 days after it is published in the official journal stated that the authority will work towards preserving archaeological sites that fall under the category of private properties in order to maintain, renovate and develop them. Furthermore, it included the proposal to expropriate ownership of these sites and buildings in accordance with the system of expropriation for the sake of public interest and this includes buildings and land within the vicinity of these sites so as to protect them and make the most of them.." [more]

Alwaleed Gives SR58.4m for Cambridge Chair on Islam [Apr 7]
"Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, chairman of the Kingdom�s Holding Company, has donated �8 million (SR58.4 million) to the University of Cambridge to fund a center in his name for the study of Islam. The donation has been recommended by the university�s general board and is expected to be announced formally in June this year. 'The donation given by Prince Alwaleed is excellent news for us and demonstrates again the prince�s generosity,' said British Ambassador William Patey. 'It is an important step forward to set up a center for Islamic studies on the campus of a world-renowned university as part of a broader initiative to promote interfaith understanding'.." [more]

Saudi Films Set to Captivate Audiences at Gulf Film Festival [Apr 7]
"A diverse range of films from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are all set to captivate film enthusiasts, lifting the lid of misconceptions about the Saudi society at the inaugural edition of the Gulf Film Festival. Several shorts from the Kingdom in the recent past have generated considerable interest amongst cinema goers across the globe correcting the stereotypes and educating society on existing wrong practices.. ..The two features from KSA linger around darkness and intrigue. Considered the first horror film and only the third full length feature from Saudi Arabia, Abdulla Abo Talib's mythically-inspired 'The Forgotten Village' tells the story of ethereal and supernatural phenomena that two groups of people are subjected to in a sleepy village.." [more]

Taqa to Invest $4.5 Billion in Saudi Arabia, North America [Apr 7]
"Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC, the United Arab Emirates-based investor known as Taqa, plans to invest at least $4.5 billion in power stations in North America and Saudi Arabia, Chief Executive Officer Peter Barker-Homek said. The company will buy a 2,000-megawatt electricity plant in North America for $2 billion, Barker-Homek told reporters in the Qatari capital of Doha today. Taqa is also planning a $5 billion joint venture with Saudi Arabia's Zamil Group to build power stations in that country's 'economic cities,' Barker-Homek said. The plants would provide as much as 5,000 megawatts and run on fuel oil and natural gas, he said.." [more]

Expat Workers Blamed for Saudi Job Shortage [Apr 7]
"These findings come from the second major Saudi poll conducted by YouGovSiraj, the global leader in online polling. 458 Saudi men and women responded to an online survey in March 2008, concerning social issues in The Kingdom. The study examines Saudi attitudes towards employment and availability of jobs. Overwhelmingly, nearly 9 in 10 (86%) believe Saudi youth have difficulty in finding work. 66% of Saudis who feel this strongly believe this difficulty is due to the prevalence of expatriates and foreign workers in the country.. ..A significant minority attribute blame to themselves: 23% of Saudis strongly believe job shortages are due to excessive 'fussiness' among graduates in choosing jobs.." [more]

Greek Mission Visits JCCI, Studies Investment [Apr 7]
"A Greek business delegation discussed prospects for investment and partnerships at a meeting at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday. JCCI Secretary General Mustafa A.K. Sabri said the Kingdom, with its ongoing economic boom and plan to establish six new economic cities, offered possibilities to international players to contribute their expertise. 'There is immense scope for bilateral cooperation and collaboration in many of the Kingdom�s investment and business projects,' he said.. ..Foreign direct investment has also more than doubled since 2004 as a constantly growing economy such as Greece�s offers attractive opportunities. Both countries have concluded agreements on investment protection, as well as on avoidance of double taxation.." [more]

Kingdom to Observe World Health Day [Apr 7]
"Saudi Arabia will join the rest of the world Monday in observing the World Health Day. This year�s day will be under the aptly selected motto 'Protection of Health from Climate Change.' Dr. Tawfeek Ahmad Khoja, Director General of the Executive Bureau of the GCC�s Council of Health Ministers, said the world is experiencing some drastic climate changes. He added that these changes have definite impacts on the health of humans, as well as their environment. Khoja said that these changes are manifested in unprecedented heat waves, sometimes in unlikely places, and the oscillation of weather between extreme cold and extreme heat in other places. He added that these weather irregularities result in increases in microbial pollution, changes in the patterns of transmission of infections, 
and shifts in socioeconomic and demographic conditions.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 6] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Arabia Wants Tourism to Be Biggest Employer [Apr 6]
" Saudi Arabia wants tourism companies and hotels to become the largest employer of the kingdom's citizens, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing the secretary- general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism. Saudi nationals will hold 80 percent of all tourism-related jobs in three years and 4,000 nationals will be trained for employment in the hotel and travel sector, the Riyadh-based press agency reported, citing Prince Sultan ibn Salman.." [more]

GCC Demand to Curtail Oil Exports [Apr 6]
"Spiralling energy demand in the Gulf states, coupled with a gas-supply crunch, might lead to oil exports from the region falling during the summer, according to energy economists. A Lehman Brothers report puts the possible Gulf export shortfall due to high domestic demand at up to one million barrels per day (bpd). According to Edward Morse, Lehman's chief energy economist, the world markets faced a shortfall of about one million barrels per day last July and August, and it could be repeated this year.. ..While many expansion projects are being pursued across the region, the fear is that export capacity might not grow enough in the coming six months, leading to an increasingly tight market.." [more]

Canadian sentenced in Saudi Arabia [Apr 6]
" A 17-year-old Canadian boy has been sentenced to a year in prison and 200 lashes in Saudi Arabia for his involvement in the murder of a Syrian classmate. Sultan Kohail, 17, and his brother Mohammed, 23, were arrested last January after a school yard brawl resulted in the death of a fellow student. Mohammed was convicted of murdering Syrian Munther Al Haraki and has already been handed a death sentence, along with a third man, a Jordanian national.. ..Canada has said it will seek clemency for Mohammed.." [more]

The Largest IPO Seen in the Saudi Market [Apr 6]
"Tomorrow Monday the 7th of April marks the first day of alinma bank IPO covering 70% of its capital; the largest IPO announced for Saudi citizens in the Saudi market. One billion and fifty million shares have been announced for IPO at a total price of ten billions and five hundred million Saudi Riyals. The price has been set at SR ten (10) per share without issuance fees.. ..the announcement of 70% of the bank's shares for IPO reflects the aspirations of the supreme leadership in broadening the contribution base of the citizens. He anticipated that the IPO would witness unprecedented demand as particularly banks form the highest promising sector in the Kingdom. Choosing SAMBA CAPITAL as the IPO manager, he said, has been based on its experience in managing IPOs in the Saudi stock market which meets the Bank's aspirations to choose the best for its IPO subscribers.." [more]

Emaar EC, DP World to Build Saudi Port [Apr 6]
"A spokesperson for Emaar Economic City (Emaar EC) said that the company has entered an agreement with the Dubai-based DP World Limited for the development and operation of the port at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Saudi Arabia, Khaleej Times reported. He further added that the port will be financed completely by the private sector, would become one of the world's ten largest ports with a capacity to handle twenty million 20-foot containers a year. The multi-purpose cargo terminal is set to be operational by the end of 2010 and a separate terminal capable of handling 1.6 million TEU, or 20-foot equivalent container units, will operate by mid-2011.." [more]

Umm Faisal Case Postponed Yet Again [Apr 6]
"The first ever case to be filed by a Saudi woman against the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was postponed once again yesterday at the request of the woman�s lawyer. Abdul Rahman Al-Lahem, the lawyer representing the woman known as Umm Faisal, said he requested the postponement, as he was feeling unwell. The case has now been scheduled to be heard on May 4. Umm Faisal is claiming �psychological, physical and material damage� after being arrested with her daughter by members of the commission while waiting for their car outside a Riyadh shopping mall in 2004. The two women, who were accused of not conforming to norms of decency.." [more]

Mar 30 - Apr 5, 2008

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 5] ~~~~~~~~~

In Saudi Arabia, UN Humanitarian Chief Begins Tour of Persian Gulf Region [Apr 5]
"The top United Nations relief official today began a six-day, four-country visit to the Persian Gulf region by holding talks with senior officials in Saudi Arabia on how to improve partnerships between the world body and Gulf States on humanitarian issues. John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Abdul Aziz Arrukban, the Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy, met this morning with Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society (SRCS). Mr. Holmes and Prince Faisal agreed on the need for improved coordination between the UN and the SRCS.." [more]

A Better Understanding of Muslims Would Serve US [Apr 5]
"Winning hearts and minds � the Bush administration, foreign-policy wonks, even the US military agree that this is the key to any victory over global terrorism. Yet our public diplomacy program has made little progress toward improving America�s image. Few seem to recognize that American ignorance of Islam and Muslims has been the fatal flaw. How much do Americans know about the views and beliefs of Muslims? According to polls, not much. Perhaps not surprising, the majority of Americans (66 percent) admit to having at least some prejudice against Muslims; 1 in 5 say they have �a great deal� of prejudice. Almost half do not believe American Muslims are �loyal� to this country, and 1 in 4 do not want a Muslim as a neighbor. Why should such anti-Muslim bias concern us? First, it undermines the war on terrorism.." [more]

Marrying Foreigners Is a Burden on Some Citizens [Apr 5]
"The phenomenon of Saudis preferring to marry foreigners is quite widespread in the Kingdom, which is known for its traditional conservative culture. Arab News met a number of people whose marriages to foreigners had broken down due to various reasons. But despite this and the host of challenges that come with such marriages, there are many citizens who still consider marriage to a foreigner as a better alternative than remaining single. Saudi men say high dowries drive them to marry foreigners. They also add that Saudi women are greedy, annoying and bad-tempered, and that woman from foreign countries, in comparison, are loving, tolerant and pamper their husbands. In response, the Saudi women say foreign men are respectful and supportive of women working. They also add that Saudi men cannot provide them with what they want and that marriages to Saudi men often end up in divorce.." [more]

Investors Cautious Ahead of Corporate Results [Apr 5]
"Saudi shares were in a consolidating phase last week as traders awaited clues to the performance of listed firms during the first quarter of the year and the application of the market�s new frame and indexes due to start this week. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) shed 0.54 percent last week to close at 9,367.52 points, down 50.80 points from the previous week. The TASI is currently 16.2 percent lower than the year�s start.. ..The stock market turnover dropped sharply to SR27 billion last week compared to SR38 billion in the previous week.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 4] ~~~~~~~~~

Saud to Address US-Arab Economic Forum [Apr 4]
" Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal will address the 3rd annual US-Arab Economic Forum, which is scheduled in Washington DC on May 7-9. Prince Saud said at the USAEF in 2003, 'It is our hope that the turmoil our region has undergone in the past few years will be replaced by stability, prosperity, and peace. For this to happen, we must focus on finding solutions to the region�s problems and improving the lives of its inhabitants. The United States can play a constructive role by providing leadership, talent and resources.. ..The forum, hosted by the American Middle East Economic Affairs Committee (AMEEAC) in cooperation with the League of Arab States, strives to enhance bilateral relations between the United States and Middle East. By bringing together top business, government, academic and cultural leaders, the forum acts as a catalyst for change and facilitates economic collaboration, cultural dialogue and innovation.." [more]

There's No Room For Fundamentalism in Islam [Apr 4]
"Highlighting Islam's moderation and tolerance, Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Alu Al Shaikh, reiterated that there is no room for fundamentalism and extremism in the divine religion. He also underlined the need to combat all deviant groups and their ideologies that inflict severe damage on the image of Islam as a tolerant religion.. ..He called upon youths to strictly abide by these principles, especially the moderation advocated by the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in all his deeds and sayings. Referring to the Prince Sultan Chair for Contemporary Islamic Studies, the Mufti said: "We hope this chair will encourage scholarly research based on moderation, without excess or carelessness.." [more]

Saudi Returns Remains of Iraqi Soldiers [Apr 4]
"The remains of 62 Iraqi soldiers killed in the 1991 Gulf War were repatriated from Saudi Arabia, ending years of "painful uncertainty" about their fate, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The humanitarian agency reported in a statement that the body of a seven month old Iraqi baby girl who died in a refugee camp at the time was also returned under a bilateral deal that had been negotiated over a long period. The 63 bodies, exhumed in northern Saudi Arabia near Iraqi borders, were transported through Kuwait and handed to Iraqi authorities.. ..It is to be noted that another 77 bodies are buried at the unnamed site still await exhumation and identification by forensic experts.." [more]

Mobily Floats 20 Percent Equity in Saudi Arabia [Apr 4]
"Etihad Etisalat, the second mobile service provider in Saudi Arabia, announced the completion of listing 20 per cent equity of founders in the Saudi Capital Market. 'The process of selling 100 million shares by founding shareholders in line with the percentage of stake held by each in the company has met with a resounding success,' the company sources said. This was in line with the royal decree issued for the formation of the company to launch the second mobile phone company in Saudi Arabia, ending the monopoly of Saudi Telecom. The royal decree envisages floating of 20 per cent equity for subscription by the public in the third year after formation of the company.." [more]

China Refinery Set to Process Saudi Oil [Apr 4]
"PetroChina�s Dalian refinery, one of China�s largest by capacity, has added a major diesel unit as part of a wider expansion program, and expects to process its first Saudi crude oil in September, industry officials said. The firm completed last week a 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) hydrotreating facility for diesel and kerosene, one of six major secondary units to fully match its primary crude processing capacity of 400,000 bpd, they said... ..Once the hydrocracker is on line, Dalian will start processing Saudi crude under a one-year supply contract with Saudi Aramco for Arab light cargoes. The Saudi oil deal is part of a broader pact the world�s top oil producer reached with the second-largest oil consumer early this year, said a second official. He did not give a volume for the contract. China has agreed to boost crude imports from Saudi Arabia by nearly 40 percent this year, or about one-tenth of China�s total oil consumption.." [more]

Saudis Plan to Invest in Rice Production Overseas [Apr 4]
"Saudi businessmen plan to invest in rice production in foreign countries to secure a steady supply of the commodity to the Kingdom, the secretary general of the Asharqia Chamber in the Eastern Province said Wednesday. Adnan A. Al-Naeim, Secretary General of Asharqia Chamber, said the recent move by India to ban the export of rice to importing countries like Saudi Arabia 'clearly indicates that we are under the mercy and dictates of rice producing countries.' Rice producing countries like India, Egypt, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam have either banned or slashed their export quotas or increased their prices, thereby jacking up series of price hikes in importing countries. 'The Kingdom is not a rice producing country; we are always under the control of exporters who dictate the price. The best option we have is to become rice producers ourselves by investing in agriculture in countries that still have vast land for rice production'.." [more]

Capitalism Has Failed to Address Major Issues [Apr 4]
"A three-day international conference on Islamic economics ended yesterday urging Islamic banks to address problems such as poverty and unemployment in Muslim countries. The conference, hosted by King Abdulaziz University (KAU), adopted a number of important recommendations to promote Islamic economics in the world. Nearly 1,000 delegates from across the globe, including several pioneers in Islamic economics, attended the forum.. ..the KAU conference came at a time when capitalism had failed to address major international economic issues including poverty, inflation and unemployment. 'We should present Islamic economics to the world as the best solution to its problems in a convincing manner,' he said. The conference urged universities and research centers in Muslim countries to prioritize Islamic economics and encourage research in the field. It also called on Islamic banks and financial institutions to fund such research projects, especially on topics relating to boosting economic development and fighting poverty and unemployment.." [more]

Oil Scene: A Drab Debate Becomes Interesting [Apr 4]
"Being at the top is not easy. Somehow Saudi Arabia, the world�s largest crude producer, has been dragged into the debate about Canadian oilsand and if it is clean enough to be used or not. In an interesting tussle, a virtually unnoticed clause was added almost at the least moment to a US energy bill that bars the government, in particular the Department of Defense, from using Alberta crude because it is deemed unconventional and too dirty.. ..Strategic resource analyst Paul Michael Wihbey recalling the November OPEC summit, said it was then that for the first time Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi �took a swipe at the oilsands.� He claimed the minister then said �Canada is one of the world�s costliest oil producers and requires high prices to remain viable.� Al-Naimi had suggested the Saudi product was a better value for investors, claiming, it costs $40 to $60 a barrel to produce the oilsands crude from the massive reserves.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 3] ~~~~~~~~~

No Paper, No Peace � Abbas [Apr 3]
"Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday he would withhold any assessment of the peace process with Israel until the two sides start putting a draft accord on paper. 'I can�t speak of progress as long as we have not started to edit a draft. When we start drafting we will feel we have started to make progress,' he told reporters in Cairo after meeting Egypt�s President Hosni Mubarak. So far, Abbas said, the two sides aiming for a peace deal by the end of 2008 as targeted by Washington have only had 'exchanges of ideas, a dialogue ... in depth.'.." [more]

Saudi Arabia is Interested in Ending Lebanon Crises [Apr 3]
"Democratic Gathering MP Elie Aoun said 'contrary Hezbollah claims, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is at equal distance from all the parties in Lebanon' , pointing out that Saudi Arabia is interested in helping Lebanon to stand on its feet and end its current crisis.. ..Aoun ( pictured) said 'Saudi Arabia is seeking to solve the crises of Lebanon and this is what distinguishes it from other countries ', in reference to Syria's efforts to maintain the crises in Lebanon, by its support for the Hezbollah-led opposition only. He added : 'While Saudi Arabia is trying its best to have an election in Lebanon for the president of the republic , which it sees as the key to ending the crises, other parties including the Syrian regime and its allies in Lebanon are putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to achieve specific gains at the expense of the interests of Lebanon'.." [more]

Saudis, Turks May Develop Nuclear Weapons [Apr 3]
"According to a report submitted to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Saudi Arabia most likely would develop nuclear weapons if Iran acquires them. The report has been prepared by a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee after interviewing hundreds of individuals in Washington and the Middle East. The report says Turkey will come under pressure to follow suit if Iraq builds nuclear weapons in the next decade. The report says that while Turkey and Iran do not see themselves as adversaries, Turkey believes the current power balance between them is the primary reason for a peaceful relationship.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Plans Islamic Forum Against Extremism [Apr 3]
"Saudi Arabia plans to hold a conference of senior Muslim clerics from around the world this year to promote moderation in Islam and fight extremism, a newspaper reported on its Web site on Thursday. It was not clear if the event is linked to a call by King Abdullah last week for dialogue of Muslims, Jews and Christians. Such a meeting will be a milestone for the kingdom where a hardline school of Sunni Islam holds sway and has influenced al Qaeda and its Saudi-born leader Osama bin Laden. Liberal reformers in Saudi Arabia are engaged in a battle with religious hardliners over the direction of the country, a key U.S. ally and the world's biggest oil exporter. Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat said the plans to organise a conference of Islamic scholars would be pursued in April and May with an eye to holding the event later this year.." [more]

Labor Law Precludes Mingling Restrictions � Prince Khalid [Apr 3]
"Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah, reiterated that the Ministry of Labor is the only authority responsible for the application of rules governing women�s employment in businesses. Prince Khalid�s directives came in a memo to all public agencies in the Makkah region, including the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.. ..The letter refers to the new labor law, which cancels a previous bylaw that disallowed women mingling with men in the workplace. This bylaw has been superseded by a general bylaw within the new labor law that is applicable to both women and men. Prince Khalid�s circular came in response to a request for clarification sent to the Governorate by the executive director of Khadeja Bint Khuwailid Center at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, about women�s participation in national development and obstacles facing women.." [more]

Religious Police Held After Fatal Car Chase [Apr 3]
"Two members of Saudi Arabia�s religious police have been held for questioning over their suspected involvement in the deaths of two men and two women in a car chase near the holy city of Madinah, a newspaper reported yesterday. They were arrested by Madinah police, along with a member of the regular police who was said to be in their patrol when it was involved in the chase on Monday.. ..Arab News quoted witnesses as saying that members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, or religious police, pursued the car in which the four victims were driving before it overturned 20km outside Madinah. 'Commission officials were chasing the car in which the four were travelling,' one unidentified witness said. Three passengers died at the scene and the fourth died later in hospital. The paper quoted the commission�s chief in Madinah, Fahd al-Khidr, as calling the allegations baseless and denying that his men were involved.." [more]

US CG Gives Scholarships to Jeddah Students [Apr 3]
"The US Consulate General in Jeddah on Monday awarded scholarships to 15 male students and 15 female students to pursue English language studies.. ..The ACCESS English scholarship program provides two years of free English language instruction to outstanding 14-18-year-olds through a local partnership with Direct English, an English language institute. Students from the Jeddah area were openly invited to apply, and were selected based on their school records and age. Nearly 200 Saudi boys and girls are currently enrolled in the scholarship program in seven cities across the Kingdom.." [more]

Kingdom-India Strategic Relationship Need of Hour [Apr 3]
"Saudi Arabia and India should forge a strategic relationship and enhance their roles in the developing world, speakers at a meeting here said. Speaking at a conference on Saudi-Indian relationship, Saudi Ambassador to India Saleh M. Al-Ghamdi said, 'The security interests of Riyadh and New Delhi will be best served by a strong strategic cooperation that needs to be supplemented by an equally strong commercial and cultural relation.'.. ..Several proposals were presented at the meeting to promote Saudi-India strategic relationship. Those included setting up of an exclusive Indo-Arab University, motivating more Saudi students to go to India for higher studies, activating the existing Saudi-Indian Business Council, establishing a business conclave and holding closer interactions in cultural fields .." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 2] ~~~~~~~~~

CNN Hails King Abdullah�s Inter-Faith Dialogue Initiative [Apr 2]
"..In a report in its main bulletin, CNN highlighted the King�s call for dialogue among the three monotheistic religions for the protection of humanity from frivolousness and his role in supporting the peace process in the Mideast. Octavia Nasser, CNN�s correspondent, said King Abdullah has made history by his initiative, which was welcomed by religious quarters. David Rosen, head of the Religions Dialogue Committee said, 'Let us agree to shake hands with the hand that has been extended to Christians and Jews.' Meanwhile, political analyst Dr. Maurice Jones said if it were possible for a leader to accomplish an achievement as regards peace, then King Abdullah is the most capable leader for doing that. 'The US is hopeful that King Abdullah is capable of doing a lot for realizing peace in the entire region,' Dr. Jones said.." [more]

Hezbollah Criticizes Saudi Arabia [Apr 2]
"The Hezbollah militant group criticized Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, accusing it of siding with Lebanon's Western-backed government in its power struggle with the Syrian-allied opposition. The comments came only days after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal slammed Syria and its Lebanese allies for obstructing an Arab League initiative to help Lebanon elect a new president. Hezbollah rejected Prince Saud's criticism and instead accused Lebanon's anti-Syrian majority of obstructing parliamentary elections for a new president. Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud ended his term last November without a successor. 'This (Saudi) accusation against the opposition harms the kingdom's role and raises big question marks about its position and role in the Lebanese political crisis,'.." [more]

Abbas Sees No Progress in Mideast Peace Process [Apr 2]
"No tangible progress has been made during ongoing Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, the Palestinian Authority president said in Cairo on Wednesday.. ..Abbas met with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh on Tuesday, where he called for a more proactive role on the part of the United States in putting more pressure on Israel to come to an agreement with the Palestinians. A Mideast peace conference was held in the U.S. in Annapolis, Maryland last year. Palestinian-Israeli violence has continued unabated since the conference however, and more than 300 people have been killed in clashes since the November talks. The Palestinian leader also met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jordan on March 30-31, after which he announced that he would resume talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: Grand Mufti Denies Inviting Israeli Clerics to Religious Conference [Apr 2]
"The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al Sheikh has denied media reports that he has invited a group of Israeli clerics to take part in a religious conference to be held in Riyadh and described the reports as 'baseless.' Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al Sheikh who heads the Council of Senior Ulema and the Permanent Committee for Scientific Research and Issuing of Fatwas said that he wished that people would ascertain the truth before issuing reports.." [more]

Saudi Arabia is Prime Source of Terror Funds, U.S. Says [Apr 2]
"Saudi Arabia remains the world's leading source of money for Al Qaeda and other extremist networks and has failed to take key steps requested by U.S. officials to stem the flow, the Bush administration's top financial counter-terrorism official said Tuesday. Stuart A. Levey, a Treasury undersecretary, told a Senate committee that the Saudi government had not taken important steps to go after those who finance terrorist organizations or to prevent wealthy donors from bankrolling extremism through 
charitable contributions, sometimes unwittingly. 'Saudi Arabia today remains the location where more money is going to terrorism, to Sunni terror groups and to the Taliban than any other place in the world,'.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Spare No Effort in Supporting Beijing Olympics [Apr 2]
"Saudi Arabia will spare no efforts in supporting Beijing's hosting of the forthcoming Olympic Games and wishes the event great success, King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz said Tuesday. He made the pledge and expressed the wishes during a meeting with visiting Chinese envoy to the Middle East Sun Bigan, saying Saudi Arabia credits China as a most precious friend. Saudi Arabia is willing to coordinate its efforts with China and boost cooperation between the two countries for the promotion of bilateral ties, said the king. Sun, for his part, thanked the king for his attaching such importance to Chinese-Saudi ties, saying China is willing to make joint efforts with Saudi Arabia to raise strategic and friendly cooperation to a new high. The Chinese envoy also expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia's long-support for China in such issues as Taiwan and Tibet.." [more]

Saudi Ruling Assailed [Apr 2]
"More than 100 Arab rights groups and intellectuals on Tuesday condemned a religious edict calling for the death of two writers for apostasy. Sheik Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak, one of Saudi Arabia�s most revered clerics, had ruled that two newspaper columnists should be executed if they did not publicly renounce their �heretical articles� questioning the view that Christians and Jews should be considered unbelievers.." [more]

Western and Arab Media Must Bridge Gap [Apr 2]
"There is a need to open more channels of dialogue between the Western and Arab worlds, to bridge the gap created by the September 11 attacks in the US, concluded a group of media experts from both sides during a seminar held this week. The participants in the symposium, which concluded on Monday evening and was entitled "The Role of Media in Arab-Western Dialogue", argued that the attacks influenced the performance of mass media in a way that has triggered further tensions between Arabs and the West.. ..'Since September 11, the US has been utilising mass media to convince the public that terrorist acts are a form of war," said French media and international relations expert Virginie Sandrock. She stressed the importance of unbiased sources of information to fight preconceived thoughts and images of the Arab world.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Apr 1] ~~~~~~~~~

Saudi Court Meets in Secret to Ponder Fate of Canadian [Apr 1]
"A Saudi court has threatened the lawyer of a Canadian man who is facing a public beheading after the advocate submitted a bid to appeal the death sentence. Mohamed Kohail's lawyer was ejected from the court in Jidda on Monday after tabling a 27-page document before the same judges who rendered the execution order on March 3. 'The judge kicked the advocate out, they obtained a copy of his permit and they're threatening him, to revoke his licence,' said Mahmoud Al-Ken, a friend of the Kohail family. 'The court was not public. It lacks transparency.'.. ..The Canadian government has said it will seek clemency for Mohamed Kohail after a directive from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day met with Saudi officials during a visit to Saudi Arabia last week. He asked that the death sentence be overturned and the case reviewed. Al-Ken says the case is in a critical phase and the federal government 'has to do more.'.." [more]

Poll Reveals Saudi Arabia at Greater Risk From Religious Extremism [Apr 1]
"Nearly a third of all Arabs believe that Saudi Arabia is at greater risk from religious extremism than any other country in the world, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Doha Debates. The survey adds weight to an unusually blunt message from the mainly Muslim participants at the last Doha Debate, filmed on February 3rd, 2008, who criticised their communities around the world for failing to combat extremism. A motion to that effect was carried by more than 70 per cent of the audience. During the Debate, Ed Husain, a former Islamic fundamentalist from Britain, accused Saudi Arabia of acting like �a machine� by pumping millions of dollars into the support of Islamic extremism and criticised its 'destruction of our heritage in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina'.. ..More than half the respondents believe that poor religious leadership is to blame for today's extremism.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Slashes Import Duty as Inflation Soars [Apr 1]
"Saudi Arabia is cutting import tariffs on food and many other items from Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported, after inflation almost doubled in the six months to February. The agency said the cabinet decided on Monday to cut duties on food products such as frozen poultry, dairy goods and vegetable oils to 5 per cent from about 20 per cent. Levies on building materials such as paints, gypsum, electrical cables and plastic pipes will also be cut to 5 per cent, while duties on wheat products will be eliminated entirely from 25 per cent.. ..Saudi Arabia, which pegs its riyal currency to the weak US dollar, has been struggling to contain inflation, which surged to an at least 27-year high of 8.7 per cent in February. The kingdom, which has reiterated commitment to its dollar peg even as the US currency tumbled to record lows against the euro last month.." [more]

Rights Group Seeks to Unblock Access to Websites [Apr 1]
"Saudi Arabia's National Human Rights Society, a private organisation, is striving hard to unblock restricted access to websites belonging to Arab and international human rights organisations. Dr Saleh Al Hothalan, chairman of the monitoring and follow-up committee at the society and professor of politics at King Saud University in Riyadh, said that the society had noticed that websites of Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders and the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information inside Saudi Arabia had been blocked. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Dr Al Hothalan said that blocking these sites is tantamount to depriving Saudi Arabia of its rights as a member of the UN Human Rights Council.." [more]

Four Killed After Vice and Virtue Squad Car Chase in Saudi Arabia [Apr 1]
"In the second horrific incident to take place in northern Saudi Arabia in two weeks, allegedly caused by a 'religious police' chase, four people, including two women, were killed on Monday.. ..The Commission�s agents fled the scene, they added. One witness said after the car crashed he waved at the Commission�s agents to stop but they ignored him, prompting him to report the incident and the SUV�s licence plate number to the police. Another witness confirmed that he saw the commission�s SUV at the scene of the crash as it happened.." [more]

JCCI to Hold Kingdom�s 1st Environment Forum [Apr 1]
"Prince Turki Bin Nasser Al-Saud, the General Manager of the Saudi Meteorology and Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA), is scheduled to open the first session of Jeddah environmental forum on Monday, April 21, at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry (JCCI). 'Warning people of the dangers of environmental pollution is the main aim of the forum,' said Prince Turki, 'especially when we need to exchange both local and international knowledge.' 'The forum seeks to benefit from the experiences of other countries in fighting environmental pollution'.. ..Prince Turki said special programs are going to be used in the Kingdom�s first environmental forum. 'Three important angles are going to be discussed in the forum, and those are environmental rules and legislations, environmental management, and motivating businesspeople to invest in environmental fields.'.." [more]

Demand for Petrochemicals in Asia to Rise [Apr 1]
"The demand for petrochemicals in Asia is expected to exceed the combined demand of the United States and Europe within two years, says Mohamed Al-Mady, the CEO of Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC). 'Petrochemical producers in the Middle East, where cheap access to energy encouraged large investment in the industry, will benefit from the expected demand surge,' he said. 'Growth in global demand was a catalyst for growth in these industries, especially in China and Pacific Asia ... where demand is the expected to exceed within two years its level in the United States and Europe put together. Output from the Middle East will account for 17 percent of global output by the end of 2010 against 10 percent at the beginning of 2000, said Al-Mady, whose firm is the world's largest petrochemical company. 'Growth in global demand was as fast as growth in production capacities,' he said.." [more]

Editorial: Road Map to Nowhere [Apr 1]
"The Middle East Road Map is still leading nowhere. Four months after Annapolis, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators have yet to find any way forward. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has just completed her second visit in less than a month, urging both sides on. The only tangible achievement of her latest visit is an agreement by the Israelis to dismantle 50 roadblocks in the occupied West Bank. But viewed more closely, this amounts to little. There remain some five hundred others, including the 
main checkpoints, whose cumbersome processing of Palestinians on occasions produces long queues lasting hours. But far worse than this, Rice's visit coincided with the confirmation by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that his government has given the go ahead for almost a thousand new settlement homes in East Jerusalem. Three thousand further illegal homes are in the pipeline.." [more]

~~~~~~~~ [ Mar 31] ~~~~~~~~~

Arabs' Dollar Doldrums Fail to Shake Central Bankers [Mar 31]
"Central bankers in the Middle East are proving the U.S. dollar's decline to record lows is a small price to pay for the loyalty -- and oil money -- of their biggest Western ally. The governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, Hamad Saud al-Sayari, called the dollar a 'good buy' when it fell to $1.55 a euro on March 12. The United Arab Emirates, conceding to U.S. pressure, will keep the dirham tied to the currency, a U.A.E. central bank official speaking on condition of anonymity said March 17.. ..The survival of the pegs shows how hard it is for major economies to break from the dollar, regardless of its 13 percent decline on a trade-weighted basis in the past 12 months. Saudi Arabia keeps the riyal fixed at 3.75 to the dollar by purchasing or selling the greenback with the local currency.." [more]

Extremism Is Tool of Destruction: Salman [Mar 31]
"Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah has awarded an honorary doctorate degree in arts to Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, who is also the chairman of the King Abdul Aziz Museum, in appreciation for his contributions to knowledge and support for scholars.. ..Prince Salman described religious extremists as �the main enemies of the Saudi state,� saying that they have become tools of destruction and terrorism. He also said the Islamic faith has always urged its followers to be moderate.." [more]

Saudi and UAE Taps Opened to Offset Price Surge [Mar 31]
"Saudi Arabia boosted its oil production early this year to one of its highest levels in many years while the UAE pumped near capacity after prices smashed through the $100 barrier and triggered fears of slackening demand.. ..Riyadh�s decision to raise output came after oil prices began climbing fast in December before surging above $100 in January. They slumped below that level in the following weeks but have again shot above $100. Strong demand has allied with Opec�s reluctance to increase crude supplies and other factors to push oil prices up by nearly 30 percent since September.." [more]

Women to Work in Saudi Courts: Justice Minister [Mar 31]
"Saudi women are to be employed in soon-to-be-established reception centers at courts, Minister of Justice Abdullah Al-Asheikh announced here yesterday. These women-only reception centers will provide legal assistance before cases are brought before judges. 'We have come up with a mechanism in which women can reach judges without having to mingle with men,' said Al-Asheikh. 'These reception centers will deal with women visitors and convey their requests to judges.' Speaking to reporters on a host of issues after a meeting with members of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), Al-Asheikh said that law graduates in the Kingdom would be accepted by the Ministry of Justice to work as legal experts along with Shariah judges.." [more]

Saudi Delegates Arrive on April 7 [Mar 31]
"A high-level Saudi delegation is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 7 to discuss labour issues between the two countries and other bilateral concerns, an adviser said Sunday. 'Issues relating to Bangladeshi nationals working in Saudi Arabia will be a major item on the agenda,' foreign affairs adviser Iftekahr Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters in his office.. ..The Saudi government had imposed a ban on Bangladeshis working in the agricultural sector or being employed in private houses. The kingdom, however, has made it clear that it is keen to recruit skilled professionals such as doctors, engineers or technical experts. There are currently over 17.5 lakh Bangladeshis working in Saudi Arabia.." [more]

Encyclopaedia is Biggest Research Project on Haj [Mar 31]
"The Riyadh Governor has launched a scientific and research project to compile an encyclopaedia on Haj and the two holy mosques. Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz said on Saturday the encyclopaedia would document the history of Haj and detail the location and the situation of main cities and pilgrim routes.. ..The encyclopaedia, to be illustrated with photographs, paintings and maps, will also include input from historians and researchers, historical documents from Saudi Arabia and abroad, discourse on terminology, and the experiences of pilgrims.." [more]

KEC Set to Begin Construction in Madinah [Mar 31]
"The Knowledge Economic City (KEC) has begun preparatory works for construction of buildings at its site in Madinah. The decision comes following the endorsement of the construction project by Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). A number of national contracting companies are taking part in the first phase of the project, which will see construction of 100 villas and 300 apartments. Total area allocated for the whole project, including the first phase, is about 4.8 million square meters. The project offers distinct investment opportunities to businesses in Madinah.. ..The location of KEC in Madinah has enhanced its position, ensuring that it will come up to the expectations of investors and attract visitors and pilgrims from all over the world.." [more]

Editorial: Summit of Frustration [Mar 31]
"Substantial progress at Arab summits is rare. Habitual divisions have marked previous gatherings and have been usually papered over by a convenient consensus on generalities. But when half the leaders of the Damascus summit do not show up, the chances of reaching any sort of breakthrough considerably lessens, and the odds are further shortened when one of the principal parties of the very dispute which has kept so many leaders away, in this case Lebanon, boycotts altogether. The nonparticipation of so many Arab leaders in Damascus is the culmination of a growing sense of frustration with Syria�s leadership, mostly over its role in Lebanon, its declared support for Hamas in its battle for Palestinian minds and hearts with Fatah, and not to mention its all but declared alliance with Iran.." [more]

[Links were active the day they were posted here.  Some links may expire over time.]