Saudi-US Relations Information Service

"..A close Saudi watcher, Braibanti advocated that the diplomacy of Saudi Arabia has had a moderating effect on the Muslim world. He has likened Saudi diplomacy as "quiet as the sand dunes of the Rub Al Khali, which move relentlessly but silently — driven only by the whispering of the desert winds." Braibanti termed the secret meeting between King Abdul Aziz and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt a "diplomatic triumph for both sides" and said that this set the standard for the conduct of Saudi foreign policy which was conducted by successive rulers of the Kingdom including Kings Saud, Faisal, Khaled, Fahd and Abdullah.." [more]

"..The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) conducted an extraordinary summit December 7-8, 2005 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The session provided the 56 nation intergovernmental organization -- representing over a billion of the world's Muslims -- the opportunity to refocus the OIC role in confronting challenges and crises. About 40 heads of state represented their countries at the session, the first since the OIC met for the a regular triennial meeting in October 2003. This extraordinary session was convened in response to a call from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. As Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah occupies a special place of leadership in the Islamic world. The role Saudi Arabia plays in shaping the course of the OIC as an organization and in the Muslim world in general was summed up by Bernard Dunn in an interview with GulfWire: "Leadership in the Islamic world is diffused, but if there could be said to be a symbolic seat for the center of Islam, it would be Saudi Arabia, because of its custodianship of the two holy mosques, Mecca and Medina.. ..Saudi Arabia and the head of state of Saudi Arabia will continue to be where the Islamic world turns to for guidance, leadership and defense of Islamic interests." This leadership role is but one of the areas where the United States derives benefits from its close partnership with Saudi Arabia.." [more]

JEDDAH, 12 December 2005 — Saudi Arabia formally joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday, becoming the trade body’s 149th member and setting the stage for the Kingdom to play a significant role in global commerce.

The Kingdom’s formal WTO accession came a month after it was admitted by its member governments on Nov. 11, following 12 years of intense negotiations, and just two days before a key summit in Hong Kong.

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy hailed the membership of Saudi Arabia, which is the world’s 13th largest merchandise exporter and 23rd largest importer.

“This is a historic event for the WTO,” said Lamy, adding that Riyadh’s membership would pave the way for a stronger multilateral trading system.

Source: Arab News
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=0&article=74599&d=12&m=12&y=2005

"Saudi Arabia said its 2005 budget surplus is projected to more than double to SR214 billion ($57.1 billion) but a smaller surplus is expected next year. The Finance Ministry said the surplus would be used to pay down public debt, invest in infrastructure projects and pump money into development.."

Source: TradeArabia.com
http://www.tradearabia.com/tanews/newsdetails_snECO_article97772_cnt.html

Saudi king offers solutions

"At 85 years of age, Saudi King Abdullah remains a man full of political ambitions. After only recently succeeding his long-ailing brother, Fahd, as king, Abdullah now is running for the job of leader of the Arab and Islamic world. Vowing to fight the endemic terrorism plaguing parts of the Islamic world, and which shook the kingdom two years ago when homegrown terrorists unleashed nationwide violence, the Saudi king decided action was far better than inaction.."

Source: Washington Times
http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20051211-092551-2882r.htm

Al-Naimi Reassures Market of Oil Supply [Dec 11]
"Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday that the Kingdom was dedicated to keeping the global oil market well supplied, and would use its spare output capacity if needed. He would not say what he expected from the OPEC meeting that starts tomorrow in Kuwait.."

Arabia Tabloid Debuts [Dec 11]
The first edition of the Saudi Sun Arabic Language daily newspaper, published in tabloid size, will appear on the stands today, it was announced. The 40-page paper, which is simultaneously published from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah, devotes two pages to university news and youth activities in addition to daily and weekly pages for the readers.."

Saudis Plan $650b Projects by 2015 [Dec 10]
"Saudi Arabia plans to invest $650 billion in infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways, airports and ports, between the years 2006 and 2015, according to Hussein Al Athel, secretary-general of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).."

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Gets Saudi Arabian Donations [Dec 10]
"The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of the United States said it would receive donations for Hurricane Katrina victims from the people of Saudi Arabia valued at more than $2.8 million. The donations are in form of furniture, clothing and household goods and will go to hurricane victims who applied to the society for help.."

Saudi Aldrees Petroleum To Launch 1.2 Million Shares IPO [Dec 10]
"Saudi Arabia's privately-held Aldrees Petroleum is planning to launch an initial public offering of 1.2 million shares, representing 30% of its total shares, the company said Saturday. The company has already obtained approval to launch the issue from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Chairman Hamad bin Mohammed Aldrees said in a statement.."

Saudi Arabia Looks to Use Wealth, Influence Abroad [Dec 10]
"Saudi Arabia: Buoyed by record oil revenues, a successful campaign against al Qaeda and a new monarch, Saudi Arabia is trying to translate its new-found domestic confidence into a more assertive international role. The global oil power hosted a summit of Muslim leaders in the holy city of Mecca this week to tackle the crisis of religious extremism and economic instability which it says confronts the Islamic world.."

The Makkah Declaration of the OIC Summit Conference [Dec 10]
'We, the kings, heads of state and government, and emirs of the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), meeting in the Third Session of the Extraordinary of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah from 5 to 6 Dul Qaada 1426H (Dec. 7-8, 2005), declare'.."

Expert Lauds Saudi Strategy for Conflict Resolution [Dec 10]
"A leading US institute for conflict analysis and resolution seeks Saudi experience in management without conflicts. 'We are deeply impressed by the manner in which Saudi Arabia has managed a couple of transitions. It was moving very fast without a civil war,' Sara Cob, director of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) of George Mason University.."

Saudi Stock Trading Crosses SR139bn in a Week [Dec 10]
"The Saudi stock market kept its upward trend last week. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) gained 2.9 percent at a new all-time high of 16,820.90 points, compared with last week’s close at 16,339.58 points. The index gained 481.32 points in a week.."

Saudi's Desalination Sector Poised for Privatization [Dec 10]
"Privatizing state-owned assets is high on the agenda of the government of Saudi Arabia. Over 20 sectors have been identified for divestment, including desalination services, the aviation sector, road management, seaports, postal services, municipal services, education, health and social services, railways and oil refining. But the privatization in the desalination sector is a high priority as the Kingdom's demand for desalinated water has increased markedly over recent years. About 70 percent of the Kingdom's drinking water is currently sourced from desalination plants.."

Muslim Leaders Vow to Fight Terror [Dec 9]
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal told reporters. He said the summit leaders
stressed the need to stop blaming outside forces for problems in the Muslim world and focus on cooperation.. ..The summit adopted the Makkah Declaration and the 10-year action plan designed to usher in a new era of renaissance in the Muslim world.."

Credit Suisse Forms Joint Venture in Kingdom [Dec 9]
"Credit Suisse Group, the second-largest financial service company in Switzerland, is entering the Saudi market by forming a joint venture with experienced Saudi partners in Saudi Swiss Securities.. ..The new securities firm expects to start its full operation in the second quarter of 2006 from its office in Riyadh.."

Investments Boost Port Activities in Saudi Arabia [Dec 9]
"Activities at the Saudi ports are increasing by the day. This follows increased investments both from the government and private sectors in expanding their services.. ..Jeddah Islamic Port, which handles a major bulk of Saudi Arabia's imports and exports, has increased its activities at least by 10 percent in the recent past.."

Informal Climate Deal Reached, but US, Saudi Arabia Absent [Dec 9]
"Negotiators at the UN climate meeting here have reached an informal agreement on starting the next phase of talks on greenhouse-gas cuts, but the deal was reached in the absence of the US and Saudi Arabia.. ..It is still unknown whether the US and Saudi delegations will accept the deal when the text is put to the conference later on Friday.."

Treat Us Like Human Beings, Saudi Reporter Tells US Ambassador [Dec 8]
"Omar Al-Zubaidi, a well-known reporter for the Arabic satellite channel “Al-Arabiya”, ripped his visa application and other papers in two in front of the American ambassador at a press conference. He had been told to submit the application and other documents to the US Embassy in Riyadh.. ..The reporter complained to the ambassador about the abuse and humiliation he experienced when he went to apply for a business visa to the US.."

BMI Launches New Services to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and India [Dec 8]
"Airline BMI said it is launching direct services from London Heathrow to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.. ..BMI launched a three times-weekly service to Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in September. The airline said the launch of flights to Jeddah would make it the only UK airline directly linking Britain to both of Saudi Arabia's administrative and commercial centers.."

Saudi Arabia: $163 Billion Oil Revenues [Dec 8]
"Saudi Arabia's economy is putting in its best performance in decades as oil revenues soar to 22-year highs following record global oil prices and the Kingdom's increased oil production. The good times are likely to stretch well into the future opening up a wealth of opportunity for foreign investors.."

Geelani Allowed to go to Saudi Arabia [Dec 8]
" Ali Geelani, chairman of the hardline faction of Kashmir’s All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), has been given permission to fly to Saudi Arabia for Haj.. ..Geelani is also a member of the Saudi Arabia-based World Muslim League but has never been allowed to participate in League meetings. His passport was seized in 1981 when he was a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.."

OIC Summit Opens in Saudi Arabia [Dec 7]
"The leaders of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Wednesday began a two-day extraordinary summit in the Saudi holy city of Makkah, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The convening of the summit comes in response to a call made earlier by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.."

Focus on 10-Year Action Plan [Dec 7]
"Nearly 40 foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference met in Jeddah yesterday to finalize the agenda of a two-day extraordinary summit that opens in Makkah today.. ..The focus of the preparatory meeting was on four documents to be approved by the heads of the OIC countries during the Makkah summit.."

Summit’s Outcome Important for Islamic Countries on WTO [Dec 7]
"There are two important international events taking place this month in which Islamic countries are participating. One event is political while the other is economic. The Third Extraordinary OIC Summit is the political event; it precedes the economic one, the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference (HKMC). There is a strong link between the two events in that the outcome of the OIC summit might influence the future of Muslim countries in the World Trade Organization.."

Saudi Arabia to Post Huge General Budget Surplus [Dec 7]
"A recently publicized report forecasts the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to record a SR 180 billion (some US$48 billion) general budget surplus by the end of the current year. The report, cited by Asharq Al Awsat, projects the total public spending of Saudi Arabia to reach SR 330 billion by the end of the current year.."

Saudi Arabia to Extend P2.5 Billion Support to ARMM [Dec 7]
"The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has all reasons to rejoice with the prospect of a P2.5B pesos funding support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan received the good news and considered the pledge of support as a big boost to the efforts of the government in strengthening the peace and development programs in the autonomous region.."

FBI Trained Saudi Intelligence: Mueller [Dec 7]
"The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert Mueller has acknowledged the existence of a small FBI bureau in the Kingdom, without elaborating on the number of its staff or location.. ..Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Mueller said that some Saudi intelligence officers had received training in the United States from the FBI as part of the cooperation between the two countries. He also said that whenever the bureau received any information regarding a possible terrorist threat, it immediately informed Saudi Intelligence.."

STC Announces Deals for Broadband Network [Dec 7]
"Saudi Telecom Company (STC) announced in a press conference on Monday that it will be partnering with Alcatel, Cisco Systems and Lucent Technologies to create a state-of-the-art broadband network in the Kingdom.. ..The company is now officially the largest telecom’s business in both Saudi Arabia and the GCC and is definitely leading the way in the field of communications.."

Saudi Stock Index Heading for Another Milestone [Dec 7]
"The Saudi stock market continued its relentless surge yesterday. Over 1,000 points increase in the Industrial index sent the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) soaring by 178.05 points, or 1.07 percent, to an all-time high of 16,758.87. The index seems to be heading to touch another milestone of 17,000 points in a couple of weeks.."

REF Suggests Measures to Create Jobs for Women [Dec 7]
"A supreme committee is to be set up for laying down guidelines that will chart the future course of action for creating job opportunities for women and enlarging their participation in the Kingdom’s economic development programs. This was one of the major recommendations of the Second Riyadh Economic Forum that concluded yesterday.."

IMF Paints Bright Picture of Saudi [Dec 7]
"Saudi Arabia, enjoying a jump in oil revenues this year, will see strong economic growth in 2005 with a massive external surplus, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday. In an annual review, an exercise the IMF undertakes with each member country, the global economic watchdog said Saudi Arabia should see its gross domestic product rise over 6 percent this year amid record high oil prices.."

Transparency, Accountability in Focus at Riyadh Forum [Dec 6]
"The participants on the second day of the Riyadh Economic Forum discussed transparency and accountability in the Kingdom. They stressed that the country should take urgent steps to combat corruption in the public and private sectors in addition to releasing vital information which is currently unavailable to the public.."

It’s a Summit for Unity, Says Abdullah [Dec 6]
"..King Abdullah yesterday hoped the extraordinary OIC summit, which opens in Makkah tomorrow, would strengthen Islamic unity and enable OIC countries play an effective role on world stage.. ..King Abdullah also hoped that the conference would encourage OIC countries to work together, especially to fight disease and poverty, and enable their peoples to compete with others.."

Hunting Migratory Birds Banned [Dec 6]
"As a preventive measure against the outbreak of bird flu, the Kingdom has imposed a strict ban on hunting migratory birds that come into the country during winter.. ..Birds such as dove, curlew and houbara bustard come to the Kingdom to spend the winter here, while other birds use Saudi Arabia as a transit point en route to Africa.."

Special Court for Trade Disputes to Be Set Up [Dec 6]
"A special court will be set up in the near future under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice for the settlement of commercial disputes.. ..Al-Alamy was responding to a question from the audience on the second day of the Riyadh Economic Forum which was holding a special session on the readiness of the private sector to join the WTO.."

Saudi Stocks Skyrocket to Record High [Dec 6]
"The Saudi stock market surged to a record high yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) closed at an all-time high of 16,580.82, up 56.82 points from Sunday’s closing. The index gained 113.11 points on Sunday.."

Doing Business in Saudi Arabia: The World Bank Perspective [Dec 6]
"The World Bank produces an annual index known as the “Doing Business Index” which evaluates the ease of doing business in 155 different countries. The index ranks the different countries from 1 to 155. It is calculated by using the simple averages of country percentile rankings in each of 10 business areas evaluated by the World Bank.. ..Saudi Arabia’s overall ranking is a respectable 38 out of 155.."

Iran’s Ahmadinejad Travels to Saudi Arabia for Talks [Dec 6]
"Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to take part in a meeting of heads of Islamic states, according to the state-run news agency. The two-day conference is set to take place in the holy city of Mecca and will conclude on Thursday.."

PM Leaves For Saudi Arabia [Dec 6]
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi left for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to attend the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)'s Third Extraordinary Summit to be held in Mecca from tomorrow.. ..The premier who is also chairman of the OIC is leading the Malaysian delegation to the two-day extraordinary summit to be held in the vicinity of the Al-Haram mosque. Restructuring the OIC is expected to top the agenda of the summit, with deliberations to revolve around reforming, restructuring, and redefining the organisation's charter and mission.."

President Abdulahi Yusuf leaves for Saudi Arabia [Dec 6]
"Somali president, Mr. Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed flew from Johar airport to Saudi Arabia for OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) meeting that will open on this coming Wednesday in the holly city of Mecca. Presidents and kings of Muslim nations will discuss many issues including tackling terrorism, closer cooperation among Muslim countries and eventual unified immigration system.."

Aramco PNOC Refinery Plant in Mindano [Dec 6]
"A proposal to expand the refining capacity of Petron, Philippines, the joint venture company between Saudi Aramco and PNOC. We have approved in principle the expansion of Petron Philippines with the injection of $250 million fresh investment, said Eduardo V. Maalac, PNOC president and chief executive officer. Saudi Aramco owns 40 percent of Petron Philippines.."

New 60-Plus Rule Not for Professionals [Dec 5]
"Professionals such as doctors, university professors, consultants and engineers have been exempted from a new law which bans the recruitment of expatriate workers aged 60. Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi yesterday issued a decision in this respect, changing a previous instruction given to labor offices across the country.."

Pilgrims Start Arriving From India, Pakistan as Haj Terminal Is Officially Opened [Dec 5]
"A number of flights of various airlines bringing in pilgrims for the annual pilgrimage started landing on Saturday at the Haj Terminal in Jeddah and the Madinah airport. The Haj Terminal was officially opened on Saturday. Pilgrims from India and Pakistan were among the first to land.."

Saudi Arabia's Top Army Officer to Arrive in Seoul [Dec 5]
"The chief of Saudi Arabian ground troops is to arrive in South Korea today for talks on military exchange programs, the Army said Monday. During his six-day trip, Lt. Gen. Hussein Abdullah Al-Qubayel and South Korean military officers will discuss how to boost bilateral cooperation on their defense-related industries.."

FBI Chief Mueller Arrives this Week [Dec 5]
"On his second visit to the Kingdom this year, FBI Director Robert Mueller will be arriving here this week. The American Embassy couldn t comment on the purpose of the visit or whom Mueller will be meeting with.. ..During a press conference Mueller stressed the need for speedy exchange of information on terrorists. He also said that the US State Department has toned down their travel warning to the Kingdom due to the significant progress made by Saudi Arabia in disabling Al-Qaeda over the last few months.."

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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