Saudi-US Relations Information Service

Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States (Photo: SaudiEmbassy.net)

"..As two nations that are of critical importance to global issues today, the United States and Saudi Arabia share a responsibility to promote understanding where none exists, broker peace where it has been seldom seen, and strengthen our own common bonds of friendship and cooperation. I predicate this notion on the fact that each of our respective countries enjoys a unique position of influence that is complementary to that of the other, in spite of their admittedly disproportionate capabilities.." [more]

Lama Al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher who created history by getting elected to the JCCI board in the historic elections. (Photo: Arab News)

"..Two women — Lama Al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher — created history yesterday by winning election to the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In highly surprising and exciting results to the extremely competitive elections, the Lejeddah group, which included Lama Al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher, swept the 12 seats in the elections. A total of 17 women ran in the historic elections, but no one expected any of them to win. It was the first time ever that women were elected to the JCCI board.." [more]

This week SUSRIS reprinted an Op-ed item by Ms. Tanya C. Hsu, a political analyst living in Riyadh, that had appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). The commentary, titled "U.S. critics miss the real Saudi Arabia," inspired a rebuttal in the AJC as well as e-letters to the editor of SUSRIS.

In her rebuttal Op-ed Ms. Marcia Smith took issue with Ms. Hsu's portrayal of conditions in the Kingdom and provided her perspective: "I lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1990 to 1994. I taught in a women's language school, where I got to know many middle-class Saudi women. Analyst Tanya C. Hsu's opinions of the country will change once her recent move is not so recent ("U.S. critics miss the real Saudi Arabia," @issue, Nov. 28).."
[the complete Op-ed by Ms. Smith is at: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/1105/30edsaudi.html ]

Among the e-letters to the editor of SUSRIS regarding the Op-ed reprint was this contribution to the dialogue:

I recently read Ms. Hsu’s article in a publication from Atlanta and was dismayed at its apparent bias and slanted view of life in Saudi Arabia for women.. ..As an American who has lived in Dhahran for several years and throughout the Middle East for two decades, I know that I have a more knowledgeable and balanced view of the treatment of women, both in Saudi Arabia and several other countries on the Arabian Peninsula than what Ms Hsu has offered.

Life in Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Dubai for women, either as natives to their countries or as western women living in those countries, is significantly better with more freedoms than women of any nationality in Saudi Arabia. Even the treatment of Saudi women by their husbands in public would not be tolerated in other Arab countries. [There are stories] in the Arab newspapers about Saudi male teenagers harassing both Saudi girls and western women in public. However, that is never challenged by the mutawa, supposedly because the women “deserve” it because of their impious and tempting nature. I have personally seen western women in the malls of Dhahran harassed by mutawa accompanied by mall police for having their hair uncovered and struck with bamboo canes for not wearing full abayas.

As we often note here, SUSRIS welcomes feedback on issues of the day and on the articles, interviews and commentary provided in our e-newsletters. There is no shortage of perspectives on the complex questions confronting the Saudi-US relationship and we welcome the airing of reasonable voices here. In that regard we invite you to participate in the dialogue on this and many other issues in the SUSRIS Discussion Forum.

Abdullah to Lay Cornerstone for OIC Headquarters
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 3 December 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for the permanent headquarters of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) here on Wednesday. Ambassador Atta Al-Mannan Habeeb, spokesman of the OIC, said the new building, located close to the Islamic Development Bank, would be financed by the Saudi government..

..King Abdullah called the summit following last year’s Haj to review the current state of the Ummah and to explore strategies that would enable the Muslim world to face up to the challenges of the 21st century. OIC foreign ministers will hold a meeting on Tuesday to prepare the summit’s agenda and draft resolutions. The first Islamic summit after the invasion of Iraq by US-led forces, the Makkah conference will discuss the situation in the violence-torn country. OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said leaders of countries neighboring Iraq would meet on the sidelines of the summit.

Complete report:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=74121&d=3&m=12&y=2005

The Washington Times published a comment on Friday by S. Rob Sobhani, the President of the Caspian Energy Consulting firm, under the title of 'Reformer in the Ruling House of Saud'. He said that King Abdullah is the "first genuine reformer in Saudi Arabia's history."

"The first 100 days of King Abdullah's rule has been remarkable because of the alacrity with which he has instituted reform measures. This popular and pious monarch is turning out to be the first genuine reformer in Saudi Arabia's history. Since taking over officially from his brother, the late King Fahd, King Abdullah has embarked on a mission of statecraft designed to transform the institutions and partnerships of Saudi Arabia.

"Unlike some within the House of Saud, King Abdullah has demonstrated a willingness to address the challenges facing Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East, including: the poison of Islamist extremism; winning back the trust of the faithful; fighting corruption so as to create employment opportunities for the young population; Iran's influence in Shi'a-dominated Iraq; integration of Saudi Arabia into the world economy; protection of the world's largest oil reserves from the threat of terrorism; and promoting a new generation of leaders for the 21st century.

"The United States has an enormous stake in the success of King Abdullah's new statecraft, and it must support this popular leader through quiet diplomacy. Unfortunately, there are those in Washington who believe that Saudi Arabia is doing too little to confront and uproot terrorism. The propagation of this perception is extremely dangerous because, to the extent that Washington distances itself from the King and his nascent efforts to reform the institutions and foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia, it plays into the hands of both Riyadh's and Washington's terrorist enemies, like Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab Zarqawi.

"By his actions in the first 100 days King Abdullah has breathed new life into the political body of the world's largest oil producer and most important anchor of global energy security.

Abdullah to Lay Cornerstone for OIC Headquarters [Dec 3]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for the permanent headquarters of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) here on Wednesday.. ..the new building, located close to the Islamic Development Bank, would be financed by the Saudi government.."

Saudi Stocks Expected to Fluctuate in ‘Narrow Band’ [Dec 3]
"The performance of the Saudi stock exchange was mixed last week for the third week in a row. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed week on Thursday virtually unchanged at 16,339.58 points.. ..Arab stocks are expected to score fresh gains as of the beginning of January, buoyed by 2005 results, huge surplus petrodollars and an improving political climate in Iraq and Palestine.."

OPEC Chief Favors High Output [Dec 3]
"The president of OPEC said yesterday he wanted the powerful oil organization to maintain high production through the northern hemisphere winter to avoid price rises but also urged consumer countries to do more by building refineries and cutting fuel taxes.."

HP Announces Key Investment in Saudi Arabia [Dec 3]
"HP on Saturday announced that it had signed agreements to acquire Compaq Services Saudi Arabia (CSSA) by purchasing the remaining shares formerly owned by the Alireza Group. CSSA will be renamed 'Hewlett-Packard Services Saudi Arabia'.. ..Joseph Hanania, managing director of HP Middle East, said that this transaction was further evidence of HP’s commitment to develop its business in the Kingdom.."

Saudi Arabia: 13 Terror Suspects Arrested [Dec 3]
"An official source at the Saudi Ministry of Interior said that security forces carried out simultaneous anti-terror operations early Saturday to search 12 residential sites in the city of Riyadh, the province of Kharj and the province of Majmaah. The operations resulted in the arrest of 13 persons in addition to another four in other locations. All of them are Saudis.. ..The security authorities have verified that some of them participated in the activities of the 'deviant group'.."

Saudi Libyan Reconciliation Expected at OIC Summit [Dec 3]
"Political circles are optimistic that the extraordinary Islamic summit in Makkah this week would serve as a unique opportunity to bring together King Abdullah and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.. ..Saudi officials, however, expressed reservations about using the word reconciliation, pointing out that any meeting by King Abdullah with Arab and Muslim leaders is in the interest of the Ummah.."

Saudis Desert Private Sector Jobs [Dec 3]
"Saudi businessmen are split over the reasons behind the high number of Saudis leaving their jobs in the private sector at a time when the Saudi government is strongly calling for Saudisation.. ..confirm that 67 per cent of Saudis who get jobs in the private sector eventually leave their jobs. In contrast, he said, big national companies, including Sabic and Aramco, have been able to keep their employees due to their ability to create a good working atmosphere.."

Prince Turki Presents His Credentials to President Bush [Dec 2]
"Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal presented his diplomatic credentials to President George W. Bush at the White House today. After his meeting with President Bush, Prince Turki said, “It is an honor and a privilege for me to represent my country as Ambassador to the United States. I look forward to working with President Bush, his administration, Congress and the American people.."

IIRA Establishes 14 Orphanages [Dec 2]
"The secretary-general of the Jeddah-based International Islamic Relief Agency (IIRA), Dr Adnan Basha, said today that his organization is caring for 28,000 orphans and has established 14 orphanages in a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, Jordan, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Syria, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, India and Yemen.."

Construction Begins on the Hawiyah Natural Gas Mega Project [Dec 2]
"Construction began on Saudi Aramco’s Hawiyah Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Recovery Program project November 30. The project will add hundreds of thousands of barrels of petrochemical feedstock daily to the industrial cities of Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea.."

Saudi Plans Refinery Expansions to Meet Fuel Demand [Dec 2]
"Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil company by output, plans to expand refineries in the U.S., South Korea and the Philippines to meet rising demand for fuel. The company's Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, a venture with Royal Dutch Shell Plc, may add 320,000 barrels a day of capacity.. ..Oil refineries around the world are struggling to keep pace with soaring demand for diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.."

Stock Market Frenzy Becomes the Big News in Saudi [Dec 2]
"..For al-Arabiya, business coverage is an attempt to get an edge over the competition in Saudi Arabia, the largest market where advertisers boycott al-Jazeera but viewers are attached to it. 'The subject all people care about in the Gulf now is the stock market, not Palestine, Iraq or terrorism,” argues Abdelrahman al-Rashed, al-Arabiya’s general manager. “Maybe it’s a temporary case but the interest is at record high. That could give us the rise of a middle class and an increase in purchasing power'.."

Kingdom Marks AIDS Day With Massive Awareness Campaign [Dec 2]
"The Kingdom joined the member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in observing the World AIDS Day yesterday.. ..According to reports, around 1,800 Saudis have been afflicted with AIDS during the past two decades and one third of them died due to the illness. There have been 6,000 cases of AIDS patients among the expatriates since 1986.."

US Should Not and Will Not Impose Its Standards on Any Other Nation’ [Dec 2]
'A congressional delegation arrived in Riyadh for 24 hours yesterday as part of a seven-nation tour.. ..Fielding the sensitive question about why it was that in spite of being full of praise for Saudi Arabia during their visits, Congress members often seized the opportunity to insult the country and its policies when they returned, Sen. Hagel responded that much of this disparity was due to misinformation about the region.."

Saudi Postal Development Lauded by Universal Postal Union [Dec 2]
"The regional adviser to the Universal Postal Union, which is based in Bern, Switzerland, has praised the Kingdom’s efforts to privatize and improve postal services in the country.. ..The new delivery system, which was launched earlier this year in Riyadh, will enable subscribers who pay an annual fee to receive mail at their doorstep using mailboxes in front of their homes.."

Saudi Aramco Cuts Propane Prices [Dec 2]
"Saudi Aramco reduced the price of propane to $524 per ton for December contracts and dealings. The new price signals a decrease of $11 than last month price.. ..There are 6.5 million American households who use propane as their primary heating fuel.."

Top Swedish Firms Take Part in Riyadh Exhibition [Dec 2]
"Saudi students who have avoided studying in Sweden because of the language can now pursue their higher education there with English as the medium of instruction.."

Saudi Arabia’s Hamad Named Asia’s Top Player [Dec 1]
"Saudi Arabia defender Hamad Al Montashari was named Asian Player of the Year.. ..The Al Ittihad star beat off the challenge of Uzbekistan’s Dynamo Kiev striker Maksim Shatskikh for a title diminished by the exclusion of most of Asia’s best players because they could not travel to Kuala Lumpur.."

Saudi Ambassador Calls for Closer U.S./Saudi Cooperation [Dec 1]
"Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal today called for a continued focus on promoting political, economic and security cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and greater cultural understanding between both nations in a speech delivered at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.. ..The Ambassador cited key areas in the Middle East region where the U.S. and Saudi Arabia share an interest in pursuing peace and stability.."

Women Create History in JCCI Poll [Dec 1]
"Two women — Lama Al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher — created history yesterday by winning election to the board of directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In highly surprising and exciting results to the extremely competitive elections, the Lejeddah group, which included Lama Al-Sulaiman and Nashwa Taher, swept the 12 seats in the elections.."

Retirement Age Decision Applies to All Professions [Dec 1]
"The ban on the renewal of work permits of expatriates above 60 applies to all workers irrespective of specializations.. ..all labor offices have been instructed to implement the decision immediately. The ministry has also banned recruitment of foreigners above 60.."

Al-Qaeda Militants Have No Respect for Saudi Scholars [Dec 1]
"About 90 percent of young Saudis who went to Afghanistan to join the jihad against the US-led Western forces there had no respect for the Kingdom’s well-known Islamic scholars, a former Al-Qaeda militant, Walid Khan, told Saudi Television.. ..Most of the Arabs were Jordanians, followers of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Khoja said, adding that they considered Zarqawi their spiritual leader.."

New Desal Plants to Cost SR709 Million [Dec 1]
"Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen yesterday signed contracts worth more than SR709 million to establish six new desal plants.. ..Al-Hussayen said the Kingdom would require nearly SR350 billion in investment for water and sewage projects and SR340 billion for electricity projects during the next 20 years. He said the water and electricity sectors in the Kingdom were growing at the rate of seven percent.."

Saudi Stocks Edge Lower; Banking Index Rises [Dec 1]
"The Saudi stock market seems to be undergoing a minor correction as the index, after hitting a record high on Monday, took a downward path for two consecutive days. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed yesterday at 16,311.11, down 67.76 points from Tuesday’s closing.."

Saudi-French Economic Projects [Dec 1]
"Saudi Economic Offset Committee held a meeting with its French counterpart to discuss the completion and the development of several economic projects.. ..Among the discussed projects is “Al-Faisal University” project assigned to the French company “Thales”. In addition, there are two petrochemical projects established in Jubail by Thales.."

Kingdom Eyes $3.5bn Clean Fuel Plant in S. Korea [Dec 1]
"Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, may invest up to $3.5 billion to build a plant in South Korea to process more profitable clean fuels.. ..State-owned Saudi Aramco has a 35 percent stake in S-Oil Corp., but the Energy Ministry statement did not say whether Saudi Arabia would make the investment jointly with South Korea’s third-biggest oil refiner.."

Liberalization of 31 Investment Areas [Dec 1]
"The Saudi government will open 31 new areas in the service sector for foreign and Saudi joint investments. This step is part of the Kingdom’s strategy to liberalize its economy as result of its accession to the WTO.."

Implement Health Insurance Scheme Quickly [Dec 1]
"Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie yesterday called for the quick implementation of the mandatory cooperative health insurance scheme for expatriates, saying any delay would cost the state millions of riyals.. ..The implementation of the scheme on both Saudis and expatriates will boost the Kingdom’s insurance market.."

King Abdullah Meets With US Delegations [Nov 30]
"King Abdullah met with US Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend in Riyadh today.. ..King Abdullah also met with a US congressional delegation led by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska). The US delegation also included Sen. John Sununu (R-New Hampshire), Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas) and Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-California). They discussed Saudi-US cooperation on a variety of issues.."

Credit Suisse Sets up Brokerage Business in Saudi [Nov 30]
"Credit Suisse Group said it plans to establish a presence in Saudi Arabia by entering into a joint venture with local partners in the Saudi Swiss Securities consortium. Saudi Swiss Securities is among the first three entities to be awarded a local brokerage license by the Capital Markets Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.."

Saudi Arabia Holds Biggest Telecom Market Potential [Nov 30]
"With just two mobile operators, one fixed line operator and one iDEN-based group communications network, Saudi Arabia remains the country in the region with the largest potential for growth in telecommunication services.. ..Liberalization and its effect on the market is one of the key topics that will be discussed at Telecoms World Middle East, taking place from Dec. 4-7 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai.."

Saudi Arabia Should Export its AIDS Awareness Campaign [Nov 30]
"According to a United Nations report issued last week there are an estimated half million people in the Middle East and North Africa region who are HIV positive.. ..Saudi Arabia's initiative to launch an awareness campaign in the kingdom on HIV\AIDS can therefore only be welcomed. Whatever the extent of the campaign, it is also a courageous move. The ruler of the kingdom also carries the title of "Guardian of the Two Holy Shrines" and as such is seen as equally the custodian of Muslim morality.."

Record Number of Votes Cast in JCCI Poll [Nov 30]
"The results of the elections to the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry were delayed as the counting had to be done manually.. ..When the balloting closed at 9 p.m., over 3,900 voters had cast their votes. This was almost double the number who had voted in the last elections.."

JCCI Candidates Crying Foul [Nov 30]
"Elections by their very nature are contentious. The balloting for the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI) board of directors that concluded yesterday was no exception as candidates are crying foul over their opponents’ behavior and election rules get a variety of interpretations. Challenges to some of the unwritten but assumed rules began Saturday night.."

Saudi Poet Announces International Women’s Anthology [Nov 30]
"Women of all nationalities are invited to submit their original creative writing for inclusion in an upcoming anthology of poetry, essays, and short fiction. The book, tentatively entitled “Where Prayer Measures Time: The Women of Saudi Arabia Speak,” is the latest project of poet Nimah Ismail Nawwab.."

Kingdom Signs SR512 Million Contract for Railroad Project [Nov 30]
"Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf signed here yesterday a contract for over SR512 million ($136.8 million) with a consortium of multinational companies led by the Louis Berger Group of the US to do the complete design and construction of a 2,400 km freight and mineral transportation project linking Al-Jalamid and Al-Zabira in the north to Riyadh, with another line branching off to Ras Az-Zour in the Eastern Province.."

Saudi-Korean Ties Expanding [Nov 30]
"Crown Prince Sultan, who held extensive talks with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan on Monday night, emphasized the growing relations between the two countries.. ..Lee promised that South Korea would play a significant role in the transfer of technology and exchange of expertise in the operation and maintenance of power plants. He said South Korea supported the Arab peace plan, originally proposed by King Abdullah in 2002 when he was crown prince.."

Saudi Stock Index Down 51.69 Points [Nov 30]
"Saudi stocks drifted lower yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed at 16,378.87, down 51.69 points.. ..The value of total shares traded crossed SR20 billion yesterday.."

Poland Seeks to Boost Trade Cooperation With Kingdom [Nov 30]
"While the Kingdom seeks for viable ventures in Poland, Warsaw looks for trade cooperation with the Kingdom in the field of information technology, agriculture and automobile industry.. ..Warsaw has introduced friendly tax laws that would benefit the foreign investors. 'It will be a haven for Saudi investors since they could reap attractive profits compared to investment in other countries'.."

Heavy Turnout as Men Cast Votes in Close JCCI Poll [Nov 29]
"Viewed as the most competitive Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) board elections in history, the two-day men’s balloting kicked off here yesterday marked by heavy polling. Results will be out today.. ..What makes these elections unique in comparison with past elections are two hot topics: Women running for office for the first time and the Kingdom’s accession to the WTO.."

Kingdom to Hire Pakistani Doctors [Nov 29]
"A proposal to hire 1,000 Pakistani doctors, mainly specialists and consultants, has been made by the Kingdom. The proposal, which was made during the visit of a Saudi health delegation to Pakistan recently, also calls for the immediate recruitment 150 Pakistani doctors for the forthcoming Haj season.."

Al-Sayari Calls for Information Security for Banks [Nov 29]
"Rapid growth of e-banking in the Kingdom has accelerated the need for information security for the banking sector in the Kingdom, observed Hamad Al-Sayari, governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).. ..He recalled that in 2004, 15 percent of the banks’ customers used e-banking, this year it has risen to 18 percent and in the next year it is anticipated to reach 22 percent.."

PR Forum Kicks Off With Interactive Discussion [Nov 29]
"..Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman Dr. Ghassan Al-Sulaiman said PR had assumed great importance for the Kingdom in the realm of international relations. 'We need to use PR to our advantage in clearing whatever misgivings countries, especially the United States and Europe, have about the Kingdom in the recent years,' he said.."

Saudi-Korean Meet Discusses Trade, Investment [Nov 29]
"Saudi and South Korean businessmen met at the headquarters of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry yesterday to discuss ways of boosting trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.. ..Total investments that have been licensed by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) from Korea are estimated at $21.8 billion.."

Saudi Stocks Keep Upward Momentum [Nov 29]
"Despite fall in the Banking and Cement indices, Saudi stocks surged to a record high yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index inched closer to the 16,500-mark at 16,430.56, up 50.33 points from Sunday’s closing. The index is already up by over 100 percent so far this year.."

Saudi-Egyptian Joint Ventures [Nov 29]
"The head of the Arab Women Investors Union, Huda Yesi, announced that Saudi and Egyptian investors as well as other Arab investors are starting several mega projects in the field of tourism and petrochemicals. Among the expected projects are a petrochemical project for an unspecified cost and a tourism project worth $200 million .."

OPEC Ready to Pump Enough Oil to Build Up Global Stockpiles [Nov 29]
"OPEC will pump enough oil to build up global stockpiles and cushion consumers in the United States, Europe and Japan from higher prices this winter.. ..But analysts said OPEC’s stock-piling plan, however well-intentioned, cannot relieve tightness in refined oil products such as heating oil and gasoline.."

Chemical Weapons Convention [Nov 29]
"Saudi Arabia Monday approved a convention banning chemical weapons.. ..As per the convention, no one is allowed to create, produce, use, possess, store, keep, or transfer chemical weapons. Anyone found in the possession of chemical weapons or creating, producing, storing or using it will be fined a minimum of SR500,000.."

Extraordinary OIC Summit [Nov 29]
"A 10-YEAR crisis resolution plan for the Islamic world is the high point of the Makkah Declaration that will be announced at an extraordinary summit of Islamic countries on Dec. 7 in the holy city.. ..The plan, initiated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, will be the first ever long-term crisis management program agreed upon by the 57 nations from Africa, Asia and Europe that make up the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).."

Kingdom Helped Broker UN-Syria Deal: Abdullah [Nov 28]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has said that Saudi Arabia helped broker a deal between Syria and the United Nations over the questioning of five Syrians about the killing of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri.. ..He said he had instructed Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal to inform ambassadors of the five permanent Security Council members about the agreement.."

Students Stuck in Consulate Crunch [Nov 28]
"Saudi students with scholarships to study in the United States are struggling to get their visas in time for admission. Students say that it’s a nerve-wracking period of time. It’s a limbo in Jeddah because they are stuck between their university deadlines and the American Consulate closure.. ..The US Consulate General in Jeddah announced on Nov. 12 that its visa section will remain closed for administrative reasons until further notice.."

Women Candidates Optimistic of Victory [Nov 28]
"Despite the low turnout of women voters for the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry board elections over the past two days, first-time women candidates expressed optimism about their chances of victory. Now that women’s balloting is over, women candidates are hanging their hopes on the men’s vote today and tomorrow.."

Pakistan, Saudi Navies to Hold Exercises [Nov 28]
"Pakistani and Saudi Arabian navies will hold joint exercises in the Arabian Sea off Karachi from today, Pakistani ambassador said yesterday. “The two navies will engage in war games and other exercises aimed at enhancing technical know-how, communications, understanding and war techniques, Ambassador Rear Adm. (retd.) Abdul Aziz Mirza said.."

Global Competition for Venture Capital Investments Is Intensifying [Nov 28]
"The recent launch of the Centennial Fund, one of the economic reforms introduced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, offering financial aid worth SR150 million to young Saudi men and women who intend to open own businesses, is of great magnitude in shaping the future of venture capital industry in Saudi Arabia.."

Abdullah’s Visit Likely to Spur Tourist Traffic to India [Nov 28]
"The forthcoming visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to India is expected to give a big boost to the tourist traffic between the two countries, with Saudi visitor arrivals in that country already up by 16 percent last year.. ..Sentil Kumar said Air-India generated 18 to 19 percent of its revenue from the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia accounts for 30 percent of this figure. An increasing number of Saudis were looking at India as a tourist destination.."

100 Days in Office [Nov 28]
"King Abdullah, who ascended the throne on Aug. 3 after the death of his brother King Fahd, completed 100 days in office this month. He was hailed as the first genuine reformer in Saudi Arabia's history by The Washington Times. S. Rob Sobhani, president of Caspian Energy Consulting and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger, writing in the Friday s issue said that King Abdullah has embarked on a mission of statecraft designed to transform the institutions and partnerships of Saudi Arabia.."

S. Korean Prime Minister in Riyadh for Energy Talks [Nov 28]
"South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan arrived in the Saudi Arabian capital on Monday as his government seeks to enhance energy cooperation with the world's largest crude oil exporter.."

Aramco Shortlists Total, Chevron for Refinery [Nov 28]
"oil firm Saudi Aramco has short-listed at least two firms -- Total and Chevron Corp -- for an equity stake in a proposed export refinery at Jubail.. ..MEED said eight international oil companies responded to Aramco's initial inquiry in September for partnership in the proposed 400,000 barrel per day refinery on the Gulf coast at Jubail, which it estimated will cost $5 billion.."

Walking the Line With Saudis [Nov 28]
"..I was traveling with a Saudi delegation to the United States and we were getting ready to board a plane. Suddenly walking the line to the next flight, Johnny Cash and June Carter appeared. I approached June Carter and asked her if she recalled an incident that took place in the early 1960s.."

The SUSRIS project -- an independent, private-sector information resource – offers objective, comprehensive news and information on the history, breadth and depth of the US-Saudi Arabia relationship.
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