Saudi-US Relations Information Service

The attack on the Saudi Aramco facility at Abqaiq sent an immediate shock into the world oil market, pumping up prices by about $2.00 a barrel in a day. Fortunately the preparations by Saudi security forces and the bravery of the guards at Abqaiq's gates, two of who lost their lives, thwarted the attack, later attributed to Al Qaeda. In "The Impact of the Abqaiq Attack on Saudi Energy Security" Khalid R. al-Rodhan provides a comprehensive discussion of the security of Saudi energy resources and facilities and the specifics of the February 24 attack at Abqaiq..

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Saudi Claims He Worked With Eight People in Attack on Abqaiq Facility [Mar 4]
"A Saudi held in Iraq told interrogators yesterday that he and eight people from his country were involved in last month's suicide attack on the Abqaiq oil facility in eastern Saudi Arabia.. ..Al Harbi gave the names of eight men, saying five of them fled into Iraq while three were still in Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said. One of the three was wounded in a clash with Saudi security forces shortly after the suicide attack.." [more]

Bin Baz Charity shuts down branch offices [Mar 4]
"The Abdul Aziz Bin Baz Charity Foundation has started shutting down its branch offices in various parts of the kingdom following a directive from the Ministry of Social Affairs for violation of its regulations.. ..the foundation, which was named after the late Islamic scholar and grand mufti of Saudi Arabia Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, will continue its activities based at its headquarters in Riyadh.." [more]

Saudi Militant Captured in Iraq [Mar 3]
"Iraqi police have detained a Saudi militant found crossing the border into Iraq. Police said Abdullah Saleh al-Harbi is one of a group of militants that attacked a Saudi oil facility last week. They say al-Harbi told them he was on his way to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, where he was to meet al-Qaida contacts.." [more]

Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, Saudi Aramco JV to Borrow 5.8 Bln USD [Mar 3]
"A petrochemical joint venture by Sumitomo Chemical Co Ltd and Saudi Aramco will borrow 5.8 bln usd from a syndicate of 19 banks, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.. ..The banking syndicate determined that the proceeds from petrochemical sales will be sufficient to cover repayments. The lenders include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co and 13 other banks.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban on Scrap Metal Export [Mar 3]
"Saudi authorities have officially lifted the ban on exporting scrap metal by issuing a circulation to all its outlets ending a 16-year ban, according to "Al-Eqtisadiya" Arabic newspaper. These procedures are in compliance with requests of World Trade Organization (WTO) after Saudi Arabia joined it as the 49th member in 2005.." [more]

Middle East Establishes Petrochems Trade Association [Mar 3]
"The fast growing Middle East petrochemicals industry has its first trade association with the formation of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association.. ..The founding members of the association are Borouge of the UAE, Equate of Kuwait, Gulf Petrochemical Industries of Bahrain, Qapco of Qatar, and Sabic and Tasnee Petrochemicals of Saudi Arabia.." [more]

GIF Grants $1 Billion Loan to Rabigh Petrochemical Project [Mar 3]
"The General Investment Fund (GIF) has granted a loan of SR 3.75 billion [$1 billion] to the petrochemical and refining project at Rabigh, which is a joint project of Saudi Aramco and the Sumitomo Chemicals of Japan. Local and international banks are also providing loans, including the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.." [more]

Oil Keeps Rising on Supply Fears [Mar 3]
"Oil prices have continued to rise on Friday, pushed higher by fears that production facilities may be attacked in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Nigerian production has been disrupted by militants, while Saudi Arabia said it halted a plan to bomb a local plant. There also are concerns that a European and US row with Iran over its nuclear programme may crimp oil exports.." [more]

Launch of 3 Joint Stock Firms [Mar 3]
"The minister of commerce and industry approved this week the requests of three Saudi companies to operate as closed joint stock companies. Hashim Yamani approved the launch of Tabuk Investment and Tourism Co. and Wathigah Real Estate Investment Co. while giving the go-ahead to Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. to transform into a joint stock company. The shares of the three companies are not to be traded in the Saudi stock market until they receive the approval of the Saudi Capital Market Authority.." [more]

Fans and Rebuke Greet Women Writers [Mar 3]
"Women for the first time in the history of the Riyadh International Book Fair were allowed to meet their fans.. ..Despite the lack of publicity for the occasion, another group showed up to greet the women writers: Men, some of whom were visibly wearing badges identifying themselves as members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.." [more]

Saudi Qaeda Ideologue Sets Rules for Oil War [Mar 2]
"Al Qaeda has advised followers to attack pipelines in Saudi Arabia and Iraq but to steer clear of oil wells because they are the lifeline of Muslim states, according to a two-year-old document recently posted on the Web. The guidelines in al Qaeda's war against "crusaders" and U.S.-allied governments were laid out in a manifesto written by Abdulaziz al-Enezi.. ..It said Saudi state-owned refineries and oil pipelines and Iraqi facilities were 'all in the hands of infidels'.." [more]

Intel Goes WiMAX in Saudi Arabia [Mar 2]
"Intel's operations in Saudi Arabia have achieved a regional first by adopting WiMAX technology to support their communication needs through Integrated Telecom Co.. ..'ITC' WiMAX network in Saudi Arabia. ITC, the second licensed data services provider in Saudi Arabia, has started the deployment of their unique WiMAX network infrastructure early this year.." [more]

Defunct Saudi Charity Files NSA Spying Suit [Mar 2]
"Documents cited in a federal lawsuit by a defunct Islamic charity may provide the first detailed evidence of U.S. residents being spied upon by U.S. President George W. Bush's warrantless domestic spying program, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.. ..a source familiar with the records said they indicate the National Security Agency (NSA) intercepted conversations in 2004 between the foundation's director Suliman al-Buthe, who was in Saudi Arabia, and two U.S. citizens in Washington who were lawyers for the organization.." [more]

Lawmaker Presses USTR on Saudi Treatment of Israel [Mar 2]
"A U.S. lawmaker asked the Bush administration on Wednesday to explain what steps it is taking to ensure Saudi Arabia no longer participates in the Arab League boycott of Israel.. ..In a report last year before Saudi Arabia's entry into the WTO, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said Riyadh enforced the primary ban on imports of goods and services from Israel, but not related bans on U.S. and other foreign companies that did business with Israel.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Show No Sign of Recovery [Mar 2]
"After a successful and robust performance in February, the Saudi stock market projected an unexpected weak performance on the first day of March. The high expectation that the investors had during most of February started to fade as the Saudi stocks fell again yesterday after recovering 4.07 percent or 762.45 points on Tuesday. Over 1,000 points drop in the Industrial Index sent the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) plunging 251.08 points to 19,251.57.." [more]

Saudi Unveils Rules for Foreign Insurance Firms [Mar 2]
"Saudi Arabia’s government has set up rules to enable foreign insurance companies to open and operate in the country, said a report. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) posted on its website a working document that lists the rules regulating the establishment of branches in the Kingdom by foreign insurance companies.." [more]

Chirac to Visit Saudi as Contracts Race Hots Up [Mar 2]
"President Jacques Chirac will battle this week for French firms to get a bigger slice of the giant economic projects mushrooming in Saudi Arabia, where US and British firms already have a strong foothold. Chirac starts a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, flanked by 12 business leaders including the chief executives of Total, Alstom and Alcatel, French diplomatic sources said.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Refuses to Budge on Qatar-Kuwait Pipeline Deal [Mar 2]
"Border conflicts and infighting between the GCC members took a new meaning this month, when Qatar finally ended talks to supply Kuwait with natural gas because Saudi Arabia has not agreed to a pipeline running through its territory. Qatar had a tentative deal with Kuwait to build the submarine pipeline through Saudi waters. But the deal needed approval from Riyadh.." [more]

Saudi CMA Denies Revoking Suspension [Mar 2]
"The Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced yesterday that it is going to take legal action against all entities that would publish any biased and incorrect news reports about the authority. The announcement came after a Saudi daily newspaper reported that the authority revoked the suspension of two speculators who manipulated the stocks of several companies. The CMA denied the revoking of the speculators' suspension.." [more]

Saudi Minister Hauled up by Conservatives [Mar 2]
"Debates at a symposium on 'Press Censureship and the Changing Times' in the Saudi capital of Riyad got so heated up that the Minister of Information Iyad Madani and the former Minister of Information Mohammed Abdu Yemeni were taken to task amidst pandemonium by conservative sections.. ..The symposium, held on the sidelines of a book fair, witnessed the grilling of the minister in presence of a number of Arab intellectuals.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Discreetly Presses Ahead With Reform [March 1]
"King Abdullah has given unmistakable signs of his determination to keep opening up kingdom since ascending throne.. ..Seven months after King Abdullah ascended the throne, Saudi Arabia is discreetly pursuing modernization under the leadership of a monarch who has opted for cautious reform in order to safeguard stability.." [more]

Defining the Pillars of Saudi Security [Mar 1]
"In the high-intensity wake-up call department, this was as shrill as it gets. The aborted terror attack against Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil production and refining complex last week was followed by police action where five suspected Saudi terrorists were killed and one was captured. We must not get so fixated on energy and terror that we forget the third critical element in this equation: discontented young men who pursue political deviance and violence. The important events at Abqaiq represent the intersection of three critical Middle Eastern and global phenomena.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Gas Boost [Mar 1]
"Saudi Arabia has announced a new gas find in its Eastern Province, putting the capacity of the new field at 27 million cubic feet (764,554 cubic meters) per day. 'Saudi Aramco made a new gas find in the kingdom's Eastern Province ... Gas surfaced at the Madraka-3 wellhead .... at a rate of 27 million cubic feet a day plus 932 barrels (a day) of condensates,' Oil Minister Ali Al Nuaimi was quoted as saying in a news report.." [more]

Saudis Look East for New Friendships in 'Rebalancing' of Foreign Relations [Mar 1]
"During a stay at a royal guesthouse in Riyadh last year, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia heard Chinese classical music playing in the background, instead of the usual American pop tunes. 'I was struck by that,' says Chas Freeman, the ex-envoy. 'It meant to me that there was something new, a bit of flirtation with China going on.'.." [more]

Saudi Shi'ites Enjoy New Freedoms Laced With Fears [Mar 1]
"For Shi'ites living on Saudi Arabia's east coast, freedom is an invisible line in the sand.. ..Saudi Arabia's minority Shi'ites, long viewed as heretics by authorities, are slowly testing government pledges to let them practise their religious rites more freely -- a change overseen by King Abdullah who ascended the throne last year.." [more]

Terrorist Leader Among the Dead [Mar 1]
"The leader of the Al-Qaeda network in Saudi Arabia was among the five terrorists gunned down in a shootout in Al-Yarmouk district in Riyadh on Monday, said the Interior Ministry. Fahd Faraj Al-Joweir, 36, who was trained in Afghanistan and had taken charge of the network in the Kingdom after Moroccan Younis Al-Hayari, the former commander in the Arabian Peninsula, was killed in a shootout in Riyadh on July 3.." [more]

Alwaleed Gets ‘Legion of Honor’ [Mar 1]
"Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, has been bestowed the medal of “Legion of Honor,” with the rank of Commander by the French President Jacques Chirac in an official ceremony held at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Monday. The medal is the country’s highest civilian honor in recognition of the prince’s role in strengthening Saudi-French cultural, business and economic relations.." [more]

Film With Saudi Cast Set for Release [Mar 1]
"The first ever film with a Saudi cast is being produced for screening in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries this summer. 'Kaif Al Hal?', or 'How Are You?', a comedy that takes on the global misconceptions of Saudi life and tackles social issues facing young people in the Kingdom, was filmed for over several months at different locations in Dubai.." [more]

Saudi Stock Market Rebounds After Turmoil [Mar 1]
"The Saudi stock market rebounded after early plunge yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) regained 762.45 points or 4.07 percent after falling 1,894 points in two days of trading. The index closed at 19,502.65 points but still 16.69 percent higher so far this year.." [more]

Top Foreign Varsities Seek Role in Saudi Higher Education Sector [Mar 1]
"Around 44 foreign universities of international repute have approached the Saudi Arabian government seeking permission to open their branches in the kingdom, according to a source at the Ministry of Higher Education. "The government had received applications from several universities from Britain, the United States, Canada, Malaysia and Australia.." [more]

Saudi Says Four of Five Dead Militants on Wanted List [Feb 28]
"Four of five militants killed by Saudi security forces this week were on a most wanted list of al Qaeda-linked suspects and two of them took part in an attack on Saudi oil facilities, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. The official statement means almost all of the 15 men thought to be at large in Saudi Arabia on the list of 36 issued last year have been killed or arrested.Security analysts say another 21 are outside the country.." [more]

Oil Falls a 2nd Day on Stockpiles Report, Easing Saudi Concern [Feb 28]
"Crude oil fell for a second day in New York on speculation a report tomorrow may show U.S. stockpiles rose as concern eased that terrorists could disrupt shipments from Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest exporter.. ..Kyle Cooper, an analyst with Citigroup Inc. in Houston, said yesterday. 'There are valid concerns about Saudi Arabia because it's such an important source of oil, but they foiled the attack. The Saudis probably have some of the best security in the world'.." [more]

Ruby Tuesday Plans Four Restaurants in Saudi Arabia [Feb 28]
"Plans are under way for opening four new Ruby Tuesday restaurants -- in Saudi Arabia.. ..As soon as October, the chain will open a franchisee-owned store in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with immediate plans for three more restaurants in the Middle Eastern country.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Dive for Second Day [Feb 28]
"After a period of unjustified rise in stock prices, the Saudi stock market continued its plunge yesterday. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) lost a massive 1,894 points in two days after hitting a record high of 20,634.86 on Saturday. Yesterday, the index closed at 18,740.20, down 914.48 points or 4.65 percent. All the indexes went red and the Industrial and Banking were the most affected in yesterday's trading.." [more]

Malaysia, Saudi Arabia to Host Regional Meeting on Political, Security Issues [Feb 28]
"Malaysia and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday will jointly host the First Meeting of the Working Group on Political and Security Issues of the Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED) here. The two-day meeting aims to promote dialogue and enhance cooperation between countries in Asia and the Middle East, Malaysian Foreign Ministry said Monday. Ninety-seven representatives from about 30 countries in the region are expected to attend the meeting.." [more]

Saudi Eyes New Phase of Oilfield Expansion [Feb 28]
"Saudi Arabia will decide soon whether to proceed with plans to raise capacity at its oilfields beyond the 2009 target of 12.5 million barrels per day (bpd), a Saudi oil adviser said. The kingdom is on track to add 2.3 million bpd by August 2009, around 800,000 of which will be used to offset natural declines, said Nawaf Obaid, managing director of Saudi National Security Assessment Project (SNSAP).." [more]

Saudi to Bridge Gap Between Liquidity, Demand Driven Economy [Feb 28]
"Saudi economy faces the challenge of converting itself from a liquidity-driven to a demand-driven productive machine.. ..Available Saudi economic and financial data suggest that the large increase in liquid wealth in the Kingdom in recent years has had the following impact on the Kingdom's economic activities: (1) the country's imports from abroad have increased greatly, (2) while the impact on domestic production (real GDP) has been more muted, (3) prices of local equity have risen tremendously (due to limited supply of shares), (4) real estate prices have increased greatly, and (5) prices of locally produced goods and services have increased.." [more]

US Academics Hold Orientation Session in Qatif [Feb 28]
"An academic team from three different US universities visited Qatif last week to orientate local students about how to apply to US universities. The group consisted of representatives from the universities of Oregon, Hardford and Kansas. They were joined with a group from the US Embassy in Riyadh. Approximately 250 young men and 60 young women attended an orientation session to explore the prospects of applying at US universities.." [more]

Egypt, Saudi Arabia Mull Red Sea Bridge [Feb 27]
"The Feb. 3 sinking of the Egyptian ferry Salam Boccaccio 98 in the Red Sea has revived interest in a project to build an Egyptian-Saudi Arabian bridge across the waterway.. ..The bridge, as currently envisaged, will link the southern tip of Egypt's Sinai peninsula north of Sharm el-Sheikh with Saudi Arabia's Ras Hamid, spanning the Straits of Tiran. Construction time is estimated at five years. Another route under consideration is farther north across the Gulf of Aqaba.." [more]

King's Reforms Will Diversify Saudi Economic Growth: Gutierrez [Feb 27]
"US Trade Secretary Carols Gutierrez has highlighted the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in the economic sphere, and said the arrangements made by the King would make it possible to diversify sources of economic development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.. ..He noted that Saudi Arabia began reforming its economy over the course of the last ten years and WTO accession is the crowning achievement of this continuing efforts.." [more]

Al-Qaeda Terrorists Claim Abqaiq Attack [Feb 26]
"Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for Friday’s foiled attack on the world’s largest oil processing facility at Abqaiq in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. In a statement posted on a website often used by Al-Qaeda, the terror network claimed responsibility for Friday afternoon’s attack.." [more]

Saudi Says 2 Tons of Explosives Used in Qaeda Raid [Feb 26]
"Al Qaeda suicide bombers in Saudia Arabia used two tonnes (4,400 lb) of explosives in their foiled attack on the world's largest oil processing plant, the Saudi Interior Ministry said on Sunday. A ministry statement said each of the two pick-up trucks used in Friday's attack carried one tonne of an explosive made with ammonium nitrate. There were also unspecified quantities of other explosives including nitroglycerine and RDX.." [more]

Saudi Shares Drop 4.7pc [Feb 26]
"The Saudi bourse's all-share index sank 4.71 per cent today in a session marked by selling across the board, a sharp decline in turnover and welter of rumors. The index dropped as much as 4.81 per cent, just below the maximum 5 percent movement allowed in a single day, before it closing at 19,654.68 points. All 78 listed stocks closed in the red, with nearly 60 down by at least 4.9 percent.." [more]

Relaxed Censorship Rules Give a Boost to Publishing Industry [Feb 26]
"As a result of relaxing censorship rules in the Kingdom, a growing number of Saudi writers are emerging on the Kingdom’s literary scene. This seems to be the consensus of attendees of Riyadh’s International Book Fair, which runs through Thursday.." [more]

Treasury Prices Back Down as Saudi Concerns Ease [Feb 26]
"Treasury prices surrendered early gains to close lower Friday, pushing yields higher, as investors concluded that the overall January durable goods report was not as weak as the headline figure suggested. Safe-haven interest sparked by a blast at an oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia also subsided when the Saudi authorities said they had thwarted an attack there.." [more]

UNICEF, Al-Birr Society Work to End Child Trafficking, Exploitation [Feb 26]
"Saudi Arabia has repatriated about 3,000 children. A large number of them were trafficked into the country from Yemen with parental approval. The Jeddah-based Al-Birr Charitable Society gave shelter to these children before deportation during the last two years, said senior UNICEF officials, who are currently providing technical support to the Kingdom in addressing the problem of child trafficking.." [more]

Counterfeits Cost Saudi Economy Over SR4 Billion [Feb 26]
"'The Saudi economy loses more than SR4 billion annually because of counterfeits,' said Majed Garoub, a young Saudi lawyer, yesterday in a forum on intellectual property rights held here and organized by the Saudi Law Training Center. 'Implementing the rules for intellectual property rights is a top priority for the country if it wants to survive the fierce competition in the global economy,'.." [more]

French Firms Eye Kingdom’s Airport Projects [Feb 26]
"France, which is already present in Saudi Arabia with its technology in various fields of activity, is now
increasingly looking for airport projects. 'Our visit coincides with the Kingdom’s plans to upgrade and expand its airports with the latest equipment and technology,” a member of the delegation said. The team represents eight members who are specialized in airport equipment and technology.." [more]

Investors Throng Real Estate Expo [Feb 26]
"The real estate exhibition, which opened last week, ended on a successful note on Friday night, with exhibitors reporting deals that run into several millions of riyals.. ..Some 135 large companies specializing in real estate building and marketing showcased their residential, office and commercial projects that they have already executed or are currently being planned. They included firms from Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE, Yemen, Syria, Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Pakistan and South Africa.." [more]

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