Saudi-US Relations Information Service

"..Results of the first-ever election to the Saudi Engineers Council were announced yesterday with a Saudi woman making history again by winning a seat on the 10-member board. Nadia Bakhurji received 431 votes, the fifth highest among the winners, to join the hall of fame of women, who won elections in other organizations such as the Saudi Journalists Association and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry." [Complete article]

Two Wanted Terrorists Killed After Security Forces Suffer Five Dead
"..Authorities in Saudi Arabia say security forces have shot and killed two wanted terrorists, hours after the fugitives gunned down five policemen in a drive-by shooting. The two dead men are said to have been involved in the al-Qaida terror network's operations in the kingdom.. ..Both men were on Saudi Arabia's list of most-wanted terrorists. Authorities say they killed five officers in a drive-by shooting in Qassim province.." [Complete article]

"The Arab satellite television station al-Jazeera is the enemy, or so we are told: “jihad TV,” “killers with cameras,” “the most powerful ally of terror in the world.” Shortly after 9/11, Fouad Ajami, distinguished professor of Near Eastern studies at Johns Hopkins University, luridly described the station in an influential New York Times Magazine essay as a cesspool of anti-American hate that “deliberately fans the flames of Muslim outrage.” In June, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld told attendees at an Asian defense conference that if they were to watch al-Jazeera day after day, “even if you were an American you would begin to believe that America was bad.” Even Newsweek International’s normally temperate Fareed Zakaria loses his composure when faced with al-Jazeera, which “fills its airwaves with crude appeals to Arab nationalism, anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and religious fundamentalism.” Denunciation of al-Jazeera is impressively bipartisan and a starting point for many of the post-9/11 debates over public diplomacy and the war of ideas in the Middle East.

"This consensus is all the more remarkable given how few of the critics speak Arabic or have ever actually watched al-Jazeera. If they had, they might well arrive at a more nuanced judgment.."

Middle Eastern Women on the Move
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars / Middle East Project

Openings for and the Constraints on Women's Political Participation in the Middle East

"Since its inception, the Middle East Project has devoted a substantial number of meetings to issues relating to women's rights in the Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries. The series hosted speakers from Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Afghanistan and Iran to talk on women's issues in their countries. Thanks to the spread of technology and especially the Internet, the Project was able to communicate with a great number of women in countries of the regions by putting the presentations delivered at the Center on its website.. ..The first two-day October meeting (2001) consisted of three panels. The first panel examined the impact of globalization on women's empowerment. Panels two and three examined both the experiences of Iranian women over the last two decades and the road that lies ahead for them. The panels on the second day of the meeting looked at women's issues in a number of Middle Eastern countries.. ..This publication contains some of the presentations made at the conference.."

"..Over the last two decades, gender issues have gradually moved to the center of the debate regarding the nature of democratization and civil society in Middle Eastern countries. The debate varies from country to country and society to society.. ..Does this mean the region is lagging behind when it comes to gender issues and women's empowerment? Are the changes taking place -- only very slowly?"

Suspension of "HI" Magazine

The State Department is conducting a review of its Arabic language magazine, "Hi", to assess whether the magazine is meeting its objectives effectively. During the period of this review, the print version of Hi magazine will be suspended. The Hi website (himag.com) will remain active.

Hi Magazine was launched in July 2003 to develop a dialogue with young, Arabic speaking audiences on topics that affect them and their American counterparts. Currently, 55,000 copies are distributed monthly in 18 countries, at a cost of $4.5 million a year.

The purpose of this review will be to develop quantitative data on how broadly Hi Magazine is reaching its intended audience. The review is part of a broader effort to develop a "culture of measurement" and to evaluate regularly the effectiveness of the Department's public diplomacy programs.

U.S. State Department, Office of the Spokesman, Media Note
Released on December 22, 2005

Saudi Stock Trading Falls to SR143.66bn [Dec 31]
"The Saudi stock market continued to be volatile last week ahead of the new year. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) fell 43.19 points or 0.26 percent last week to close on Thursday at 16,749.95 points. The index is higher by 104.11 percent so far this year.." [more]

Saudi Arabia's Katrina Aid to Fill Tanks for Alabama Shrimpers [Dec 30]
"Some of the Katrina recovery money from Saudi Arabia will fill fuel tanks for shrimpers in hurricane-damaged Bayou La Batre. Starting in January, shrimp boat owners on the Alabama coast will receive vouchers for free diesel fuel, about one-point-two (m) million dollars worth in all. It is being paid for by the world's largest oil producer, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company.." [more]

YANSAB IPO Closes, Raises SR5.91 Billion [Dec 30]
"After two weeks of trading, the initial public offering of 39 million shares of Yanbu National Petrochemicals Company (YANSAB) closed yesterday at 1 p.m., raising SR5.91 billion from 7.9 million Saudi buyers. Nearly half of the Saudi population participated in the IPO. The amount of money raised covers 259 percent of the value of YANSAB stocks offered.." [more]

Security Forces Gun Down Most Wanted Terrorist [Dec 29]
"Saudi security forces yesterday shot dead a wanted terrorist suspected of killing five policemen in the northern Qassim region, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry identified the terrorist as Abdul Rahman ibn Saleh Al-Miteb, 26, who figured on a list of 36 most wanted terrorists.." [more]

SR8.1 Billion Shuaiba Deal Signed [Dec 29]
"The Shuaiba Water and Electricity Company (SWEC) has signed an SR8.1 billion contract with a Siemens-led international consortium, making it the biggest independent water and power project (IWPP) worldwide. The contract was signed on behalf of the Abdullah Abunayyan Group, the developer of the Shuaiba Power Plant, by Mohammed Abunayyan, the chairman of the group, and Klaus Voges, group president, Siemens Power Generation. It will be the fourth high-capacity steam power plant that Siemens PG is constructing in the Kingdom.." [more]

Saudi Airlines, Qatar Airways Sign Accord [Dec 29]
"Award-winning Qatar Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines, one of the largest global airlines, on Wednesday signed a bilateral codeshare agreement that will link two of the region’s largest airline networks. This is the first codeshare agreement for Qatar Airways with a Gulf carrier.." [more]

King Faisal Prize Winners Announced [Dec 28]
"Two Arab professors from Egypt and Morocco shared the 2006 King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Language and Literature, while two mathematicians — one each from the UK and India — were declared co-winners of the prize for science (mathematics).." [more]

Engineers Council Poll: One More Step for Saudi Women [Dec 28]
"Results of the first-ever election to the Saudi Engineers Council were announced yesterday with a Saudi woman making history again by winning a seat on the 10-member board. Nadia Bakhurji received 431 votes, the fifth highest among the winners, to join the hall of fame of women, who won elections in other organizations such as the Saudi Journalists Association and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.." [more]

No Physical Education for Schoolgirls [Dec 28]
"A few public girls’ schools in Jeddah submitted requests to have gymnasiums built, but their hopes for introducing physical education classes were dashed after the Ministry of Education announced that physical education for girls would not be allowed.." [more]

Most Wanted Terrorist Arrested [Dec 28]
"Five Saudi policemen were killed and a most wanted terrorist was captured yesterday in the bloodiest gunbattle in the Kingdom in three months.. ..Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki did not confirm the arrest of Al-Suwailemi but said security forces were continuing their efforts to root out terrorists from the country.." [more]

Saudi Arabia, Reform or Retrenchment? [Dec 27]
"Saudi Arabia's new monarch, King Abdullah, is praised by some for his open-mindedness, while others criticize him for being illiberal. With al-Qaida on the run and skyrocketing oil prices, the kingdom and the royal family may be overcoming the crises of recent years. But some observers say that the new oil boom and the possibly receding terrorist threat may mask the importance of growing social problems and prevent urgently needed reforms.." [more]

Saudi Retirement Fund to Invest $2.6bn Internationally [Dec 26]
"The General Retirement Foundation, a Saudi-based pension fund, reportedly plans to invest an estimated Saudi riyals 9.6 billion ($2.56bn) in premium bonds and stocks abroad.. ..Currently, the firm has 73 percent of its assets, or 26bn riyals, invested in local stock market and funds.." [more]

Saudi Dissident Returns Home After More Than Two Years in Self-exile [Dec 26]
"An U.S.-educated Saudi dissident, who was part of a media campaign against the kingdom's rulers during two years in self-exile in London, returned to Jiddah, saying he regretted those activities and admitting he had been wrong, Saudi newspapers reported Monday. Abdel-Aziz bin Sharaf bin Rajeh al-Shanbari returned on Sunday after more than two years during which he worked with Saad Al-Faqih, director of the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia. The group has been widely accused of supporting Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network.." [more]

Saudi Woman Becomes World-Class Jockey [Dec 26]
"Alia Hayel Aboutaiyh Al-Howaite has taken the reins as the first female Saudi jockey to compete at the international level. Alia, who is being sponsored by Kingdom Holding Company Chairman Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, participated on Thursday in the 120-km World Endurance Championship for the Sheikh Hamdan Al-Maktoum Challenge Cup in Seeh Al-Silm near the Dubai International Village. Alia placed seventh among the 90 jockeys from around the world who took part in the global event.." [more]

New Web Service for Female Stock Sharks [Dec 26]
"The first website serving women stock investors was unveiled at the weekend. As women in the Kingdom join in on the relatively recent phenomenon of widespread public participation in the Saudi stock market (Tadawul), they are in need of cultivating themselves in how to successfully wheel and deal.." [more]

Why Does Saudi Arabia Need the WTO? [Dec 26]
"Without the World Trade Organization (WTO) you are out of the race in today’s globalized world. With the WTO, you are guaranteed a place at the starting line even if there are no guarantees that you will make it to the finish line. But, most important, without the WTO the Kingdom’s strategy of economic diversification could be at peril.." [more]

Low-Fare Airline Set for Takeoff in 2006 [Dec 26]
"A group of Saudi investors will launch next year a low-fare airline in response to the growing demand for airline services within the Kingdom and the region. This was announced by Prince Bandar ibn Khalid Al-Faisal, chairman, Investment Enterprises Ltd.. ..He said the launch of the company was made possible by the Saudi government, which has approved private sector investment in air transport.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Tightens Health Screening in Hajj Season [Dec 26]
"Fears of bird flu pandemic have led Saudi Arabia to step up health checks at entry points for Hajj pilgrims. Over 2.5 million Muslims from about 160 countries will throng Mecca, Medina and Arafat for the holy trip.. ..An outbreak of the flu among the pilgrims would lead to a major pandemic as the visitors come from many countries. The presence of so many people at one place can also lead to the emergence of a new strain of the H5N1 virus.." [more]

Saudi Crown Prince Says Shura Polls Unnecessary [Dec 26]
"Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has said that he was not opposed to holding elections for the consultative Shura Council, but that they were unnecessary because the current members were highly capable.. ..'We would be able to do '99.9-per-cent elections' that the government manipulates as it wishes,' the crown prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz said.." [more]

Arab Stocks, 2005's Top Performers, Lure Investors as Oil Booms [Dec 26]
"..With oil prices soaring, Arabs are investing their money regionally rather than in Western countries, as they did during previous energy booms. Eight out of the 10 best-performing stock indexes tracked by Bloomberg News are Arab benchmarks this year, led by Egypt's CASE 30 Index. Most reached records this year. There's no sign the markets will give up their gains any time soon.." [more]

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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