Newsletter - August 8-14, 2005 - #121

In This Issue

Abdullah's Kingdom: Saudi Arabia after King Fahd
Thomas Lippman
Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute

Veteran journalist and author of Inside the Mirage: America’s Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia, Thomas Lippman discussed the domestic and external challenges that confront the House of Saud following the death of King Fahd. He outlined the issues of political, economic and social reform that the new king, Abdullah Bin Abd al-Aziz, will have to address.

A Visit to Rural America
Samar Fatany

"..We met with community leaders and thought leaders – political, academic, lawyers, doctors and business people.  It was quite an experience to visit rural America and get acquainted with the people I read about in novels and history books. I didn't know what kind of reception to expect and I was a little apprehensive.."

Empowering Saudi Women
HRH Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal

Remarks delivered at the Helen Dwight Reid Educational Foundation
Washington, DC, July 2005

"..the status of women in Saudi Arabia has undergone a profound change.  With increased access to education, employment opportunities and changes in the socio-cultural environment, Saudi women have progressed and participated effectively in all aspects of development in the country.  Within a period of 50 years, they have made incroads in most areas of the development and spheres of life.  Particularly encouraging is the progress made by women in many areas, such as education, health, employment, and participation in business and economic activities.."

The National Council on US-Arab Relations announces:

14th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference
"Restoring Arab-U.S. Trust in a Time of Turbulence and Reforms"

September 11-12, 2005
Marriott-Wardman Hotel, Washington, D.C. 

For information regarding conference registration and corporate as well as institutional cosponsorship, contact: Ms. Jennifer Sewell or Mr. Shawn Romer, Conference Coordinators: 202-293-6466; fax: 202-293-7770; email: [email protected]

For confirmed speakers list..

US Arab Economic Forum
Focus on Business as Instrument of Change
Fortune 500, SM/MED Businesses, US/Arab Gov. Officials Gather in Houston

July 11, Detroit - More than 1,500 American and Arab business leaders will gather in Houston September 14-16 for the 2005 U.S. Arab Economic Forum.  Supported by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and organized by the American Middle-East Economic Affairs Committee (AMEAC), the Forum will focus on improving economic ties and economic development as a source of societal change.

Participants will hear from the Chairs of ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil, Cisco Systems, Medialink, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers as well as the Energy Ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  

Among the many topics tackled at the Forum, transparency and accountability, human capacity building, trade infrastructure, public-private partnerships and empowering women through economics will take center stage.  

Other confirmed speakers include: Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa, Saudi Minister of State Abdullah Alireza, USAID Director Andrew Natsios, bestselling author Dr. Deepak Chopra, Houston Mayor Bill White, Baker Institute Director Amb. Edward Djerejian, Harvard Business Review Editor Thomas Stewart, Arab International Women's Forum Chair Haifa Al Kaylani, Timberland CEO Jeff Swartz, Link Group CEO Nijad Fares, Ghandi Institute Chair Arun Ghandi, MD Anderson Cancer Center President Dr. John Mendelsohn and BBC Global News Director Richard Sambrook.    

Forum proceedings are open to the media.  Members of the working press may register and get more information at  http://www.usaeforum.org  or contact Jennifer Salan 202-494-9857 [email protected] .

WHAT: U.S. Arab Economic Forum

WHERE: Houston, Texas, Hilton Americas

WHEN:  September 14-16, 2005

REGISTRATION/INFORMATION: http://www.usaeforum.org

In the News

Saudi King Pardons 3 Jailed Dissidents And Their Ally
"Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah [Aug 8] ordered the pardon and release of three prominent political dissidents and their attorney who had been imprisoned for holding meetings and signing petitions advocating a new constitution for the kingdom… ..Scholars Matrouk Faleh and Abdullah Hamed and poet Ali Dumaini were among a dozen reformers arrested in February 2004, following a meeting at a Riyadh hotel called to debate political change and advance a petition advocating a new constitution that would expand the rights of citizens in the kingdom.."

US Hails Saudi Dissidents' Pardon
"The US has welcomed a decision by Saudi Arabia's new king to pardon a number of political activists who were jailed for demanding democratic reforms. They include three intellectuals given sentences of up to nine years for criticizing the government. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the pardons were a significant move which showed King Abdullah was a forward-looking leader.."

Saudis Pardon Libyan 'Plotters'
"New Saudi King Abdullah has pardoned two Libyans accused of plotting to murder him, an official statement says. Riyadh expelled Tripoli's ambassador over the case in December, but Tripoli has strongly denied the allegations.. ..He also pardoned a number of political activists including three intellectuals who were serving long prison sentences. The three men - the poet Ali al-Demaini, and academics Abdullah al-Hamed and Matruk al-Faleh - were sentenced to up to nine years in jail earlier this year for calling on the country's absolute rulers to move towards a constitutional monarchy.."

Oil Prices Peak On Saudi Threat
"Oil prices are breaking fresh records following the closure of the US embassy in Saudi Arabia.. ..US light sweet crude rose $1.63 (£0.91) to $63.94 a barrel, and UK benchmark Brent crude - rose $1.63 to $62.70. The rising price was also underpinned by continuing problems for US refineries, sparking fears of a petrol shortage.."

SRO Extends Date for Landbridge Applications
"Saudi Railway Organization (SRO) announced [Aug 8]t was extending the date for receiving prequalification applications from international consortia intending to participate in the multibillion-riyal landbridge project. 'he date of accepting applications has been extended to Aug. 31 in response to demands by companies intending to bid for the project,'.. ..Several US and European companies have already expressed their keen interests to take part in the project.."

US Missions Reopen In Saudi Arabia
" US diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia reopened on [Aug 11] after closing for two days because of a threat of militant attacks, the US embassy said. An embassy spokesman said the embassy in Riyadh and the consulates in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and the eastern city of Dhahran had resumed operations on Wednesday based on 'further assessment of available threat information.' The missions were closed on [Aug 9] and [Aug 10] because of a threat against US government buildings in the kingdom.."

Gender-Split Saudi Faculty Roils Va. Tech
"The creation of gender-segregated classes at Virginia Tech for visiting faculty from Saudi Arabia is drawing complaints from professors, who say a state-supported school shouldn't promote discrimination. King Abdulaziz University paid Virginia Tech $246,000 to design and operate the faculty development program this summer.. ..Provost Mark McNamee has said that the gender segregation isn't compatible with Virginia Tech's practices and called the controversy "a learning moment" that will help guide the university's future contracts with foreign universities.."

Government Intensifies Efforts to Constitute Municipal Councils
"The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA) has increased efforts to constitute all 178 municipal councils and make them functional across the Kingdom as early as possible. The MOMRA has also created a separate department within the ministry which will work to provide a broad framework within which the municipal councils will function.. ..The municipal councils will become functional only after the ministry releases the final list of nominated and elected members and publicizes the operational guidelines. A total of 592 people were elected in the polls conducted nationwide early this year. The polls were held in three different phases by a secret ballot system.."

Turki Blasts Britain on Saudi Dissidents Issue
"Saudi Arabia's ambassador to London blasted the British government for ignoring his constant warnings on Saudi dissidents, a British newspaper reported [Aug 10]. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a former chief of Saudi intelligence, told The Times he had been 'going round in. ..He said the Kingdom had also informed British authorities about those extremists who incite violence and terrorism. 'We have told them that it is high time to prevent these people from spreading hate and promoting violence and terrorism'.."

Saudi Stock Index Set to Break 14,000 Barrier
"The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) set to break the 14,000 barrier as it closed on [Aug 11], the last day of weekly trading, at 13,930.49 points, the largest in its history, as a result of the strong performance of Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), which dominates the market. [Aug 11] saw the TASI index rising by 124.34 points or 0.90 percent from 13,806.15 on [Aug 10]. The main boost came from SABIC as its stock closed on [Aug 11] at SR1,447. Out of 76 symbols traded on [Aug 11], 34 were higher and 31 were down.."

Spain May Sign Offset Program With Kingdom
"Spain may become the fourth country after the US, Britain and France to sign an economic offset program with the Kingdom as an offshoot of military cooperation between the two countries. Spain's new ambassador to the Kingdom, Manuel Alabart, said that his country was seeking a significant expansion of bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, including defense, energy, water treatment and tourism sectors.."

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