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Sino-Arab
Relations in the Decade to Come
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 "..What
do the Arabs and Chinese see in each other? Quite a bit. The
Arabs see a partner who will buy their oil without demanding
that they accept a foreign ideology, abandon their way of
life, or make other choices they'd rather avoid. They see a
country that is far away and has no imperial agenda in their
region but which is internationally influential and likely
in time to be militarily powerful. They see a place to
exchange their portraits of little green dead Americans for
things they can unwrap and enjoy. They see a country that
unreservedly welcomes their investments and is grateful for
the jobs these create. They see a major civilization that
seems determined to build a partnership with them, does not
insult their religion or their way of life, values its
reputation as a reliable supplier too much to engage in the
promiscuous application of sanctions or other coercive
measures, and has no habit of bombing or invading other
countries to whose policies it objects.."
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It
Is Time for New Saudi-US Bridges
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 "..Saudis
and Americans found themselves in dire need of outstanding
communicators after Sept. 11, 2001. Unfortunately, there was
shortage of such talent on both sides. Somehow, we
couldn’t communicate well for many years. Things are
improving, but still.. ..a lot needs to be done before we
declare victory. Needless to say, we were totally taken
by surprise. In the beginning, we, Saudis, couldn’t
believe that some of our own committed such horrible and
sophisticated crime. We were stuck in the denial mode for
too long. Some still are. This cost us very precious
time. By the moment we moved, it was almost too late to
repair the damage, let alone improve the image of our
nation, culture and people. Our enemies, on both sides, used
the stall to further the damage and their agenda.."
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On
Relations and Reform - Usamah al Kurdi
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 "..People
are under that impression that decisions in Saudi Arabia are
made by the stroke of a pen. In fact, we have our own
democracy. The exchanges of dialogue that take place before
a decision is made, might not be on the pages of the
newspapers all the time. Yet, the issues are certainly
discussed and decisions are reached based on hearing the
arguments of all the parties. The institutions in Saudi
Arabia will continue to perform, I believe, as they have
always been planned to perform. The Basic Law of
government in Saudi Arabia, that was issued 13 years ago,
clearly addresses the issue of succession. So we were
following a law when Prince Abdullah took over after the
death of King Fahd, God bless his soul. There was a law that
was applied. So the change was not an arbitrary one.."
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With
China It's Strictly Business
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 "..The
implications of all these interactions are staggering. The
world’s largest manufacturer (China) and the world’s
largest back-office (India) are scurrying to build a
relationship with the world’s largest supplier of energy
(Saudi Arabia.) Nobody has talked about conflicts between
these cultures and yet the results of the friendship that
these nations are trying to develop will have an immense
impact on the way the world economy develops.."
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| On
the Web
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Security
Sector Reform in the Gulf
"..On
behalf of the U.S. Army's Dwight D. Eisenhower National
Security Series and the Henry L. Stimson Center, we are
pleased to provide this report on reform of the security
sector in the Middle East region, with particular focus on
the Arabian peninsula states (the six states of the Gulf
Cooperation Council, plus Yemen). In February 2006, we
convened a workshop of former and current practitioners and
academics who work on an often-neglected topic: what is the
status of and prospects for openness and accountability in
the security sector of the states in the region?
"Our
discussion was premised on the notions that security remains
the paramount issue for most of the governments of the
Middle East, that the goal of reform promoted by the West is
not universally embraced in the region, and that any changes
in the security sector have to be assessed in terms of their
likely impact on regional security. Given the
challenges of Iraq, Iran and the concerns about terrorism,
security sector reform may be an important strategic goal,
but not necessarily the current priority for regional
states."
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| In
the News |
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US
Embassy Launches Online Visa Service
The
US Embassy has announced a new 24-hour online visa
information and appointment service to help visa applicants
in Saudi Arabia. The new service will also help to fix time
slots for interviews of visa applicants, while giving the
latest information about American visas, eligibility
criteria and other details relevant for visa seekers.
Details
of how to use the new service are available on the website
in both Arabic and English at http://ksa.us-visaservices.com
. Visa information continues to be available at http://riyadh.usembassy.gov
at no cost. |
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| Keeping
Track - Recently
on SUSRIS |
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Suggest
an event to add to the calendar -- click
here.
| News
This Week - May 28-June 3, 2006 |
|
Indo-Saudi
Medical Forum launched by Arjun Singh [Jun 3]
"Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has launched
the Indo-Saudi Medical Forum to foster exchanges in healthcare
between the two countries, telling Saudi Arabia that India offered
great potential in medical education and treatment.. ..Singh said
Indian hospitals are increasingly opening their services to
foreign visitors, many of whom find them an affordable and viable
option to other options of healthcare.." [more]
Saudi
Non-Profit Organization to Tackle Child Trafficking in the Middle
East [Jun 3]
"A Saudi charity, in collaboration with UNICEF, plans to
carry out a groundbreaking study on the exploitation and
trafficking of children. Ashari Khalil, director of the
international institute for humanitarian sciences and an advisor
to the UN body, told Asharq Al Awsat, 'The study is being financed
by UNICEF and will be overseen by AL-Bir Charity Organization in
Jeddah.' The study will fill a gap in statistics and information
about the problems facing children in Saudi Arabia and the Arab
world.." [more]
OPEC
Keeps Oil Production at 25-Year High [Jun 3]
"The OPEC group agreed Thursday to keep its oil output at a
25-year high, but warned it would watch for any signs of a global
slowdown that might merit a cut in the months ahead. At their
latest talks here, ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries decided to maintain the group’s total
official production cap at 28 million barrels a day.." [more]
Saudi
Stocks Gain 11.80 Percent in a Week [Jun 3]
"The Saudi stock market’s Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI)
climbed last week 1,225.45 points or 11.80 percent to close on
Thursday at 11,610.93 points, up from 10,385.48 points in the
previous week. The stock market turnover also jumped to SR102.89
billion compared to SR93.71 billion in the previous week.." [more]
World
Cup Profile: Saudi Arabia [Jun 2]
"Its players are hardly household names and the clubs for
which they play are virtually unheard of outside their country.
The unglamorous Saudi Arabian team does not usually receive much
notice in the World Cup.. ..Yet there was a time back in 1994 when
the former Asian football champions made waves as they swept into
the second round of the tournament, in the process scoring one of
the most astonishing goals in World Cup history.." [more]
Saudi
Prince Receives Order of Star of Volta [Jun 2]
"President John Agyekum Kufuor has conferred the "Order
of Star of Volta, Civil Division" on Saudi Prince Alwaleed
Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in recognition of his commitment
to humanity and particular interest in Ghana's economy. The Prince
annually donates about 150 million dollars to charity globally. In
Ghana, Prince Alsaud made available one million dollars in support
of the health and education sectors three years ago.." [more]
Saudi
Bourse Extends Rally [Jun 2]
" The benchmark stock index of Saudi Arabia, the largest
equity market in the Middle East, rallied for a fifth day on
speculation its slump in the past three months was exaggerated..
..The Tadawul All Share Index, Tasi, climbed 3.7% to 11610.93 at
the close in Riyadh, bringing its jump in the past five days to
14%. It is still down 44% since reaching a record on Feb.
25.." [more]
Saudi
to Cut Stock Trading Commission by 20 Percent [Jun 2]
"Saudi Arabia said yesterday that it will cut stock trading
commissions by 20 per cent, in the first change announced by a new
chief regulator who has vowed to restore confidence after a
crash.. ..'Our main aim is to make citizens and investors feel
that the costs of trading are not high,' CMA chief Abdulrahman Al
Tuwaijri on Al Arabiya television.." [more]
Saudis
Hope Stones Mystery Will Appeal to Tourists [Jun 2]
"The stones of Rajajil form a striking pattern against the
clear desert sky, the fallen and tilting sand-coloured slabs
conjuring up visions of England's Stonehenge. Nobody really knows
why the 50 groups of about five pillars each are clustered on the
edge of the Nafud desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Local
legend says they are a lost tribe punished by God. Whatever their
origin, local authorities hope the standing stones and the
history-rich al-Jouf region will form the centre-piece of a new
tourism drive.." [more]
OPEC
to Keep Oil Output at Full Capacity [Jun 2]
"OPEC has agreed to leave oil output unchanged near its full
capacity, rejecting a suggested cut in production by Venezuela, a
leading price hawk. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries is concerned that prices of $US70 a barrel could
backfire by slowing global economic growth.." [more]
Yemen
Border Pact to Cement Ties [Jun 2]
"Saudi Arabia and Yemen will sign an agreement on the final
demarcation of the border between the two countries in a joint
session of the Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council that began at the
Republican Palace in the scenic city of Mukalla in Yemen last
night. The session is expected to end tomorrow.." [more]
Summit
on GCC Stock Markets Set [Jun 2]
"The 4th GCC Stock Market Summit to be held from Sept. 16-17
at the Burj Al-Arab, Dubai, will examine the GCC stock market in
depth and analyze recent trends and future forecasts for the
regional capital markets. The conference addresses major issues,
risks and opportunities for investors in the GCC stock
markets.." [more]
Iran
to Top Agenda of GCC Ministers' Meeting [Jun 2]
"Iran's occupation of the three UAE islands and its nuclear
row will top the agenda of the GCC foreign ministers' meeting
scheduled to begin here tomorrow. The 99th session of GCC foreign
ministers will be chaired by UAE's Foreign Minister Shaikh
Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is the current chairman of the
GCC foreign ministerial council.." [more]
Kingdom
Submits Nonproliferation Document to the UN [Jun 2]
"Saudi Arabia recently submitted a document to the UN
Security Council outlining its implementation system for enforcing
international laws that prohibit chemical weapons, according to
documents released by the UN. The document was submitted in
response to a general request by the Security Council’s
nonproliferation committee. The document outlines the procedure to
obtain permits for non-prohibited chemical activities.." [more]
Mubarak-Saudi
King talks Focus on Palestinian-Israeli Peace Process [Jun 1]
"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday held talks with
visiting Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul- Aziz on regional issues,
particularly the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.. ..The summit
was held in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el- Sheikh, where
Mubarak will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on June
4. The two leaders discussed the means to resume Palestinian-
Israeli peace negotiations.." [more]
Three
Saudi Researchers Have Been Awarded Ford Grants [Jun 1]
"Three Saudi researchers have been awarded Ford Grants for
their pioneering efforts in the field of environmental education,
SPA reported. The three award winnig works from Saudi Arabia
include a book on rare plants in the Kingdom, another on mangrove
plantations and a study on protection of Al-Sirh forests from
desertification in Makkah.." [more]
Saudi’s
Tasi Gains for the Fourth Day [Jun 1]
"Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index rose for a fourth day
and led gains in Arab markets. Saudi Basic Industries Corp, the
biggest chemical maker in the world by market value, and Saudi
Telecom Co, the largest telephone company in the kingdom, led the
advance. The Tadawul All Share Index, Tasi, rose 3.4% to 11201.48
at close.." [more]
Abdullah
Donates $30m to Jamia Millia Islamia [Jun 1]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has donated
$30 million to Jamia Millia Islamia for the construction of a
building that will be both library and research center and will be
named after him.. ..King Abdullah was awarded an honorary
doctorate by the university in January for his contribution to
regional and international peace and development and for his
efforts to promote Indo-Saudi ties.." [more]
US
Embassy Launches Online Visa Service [Jun 1]
"The US Embassy has announced a new 24-hour online visa
information and appointment service to help visa applicants in
Saudi Arabia. The new service will also help to fix time slots for
interviews of visa applicants, while giving the latest information
about American visas, eligibility criteria and other details
relevant for visa seekers.." [more]
IDB
Sets Up Poverty Fund, Doubles Capital [Jun 1]
"Saudi Arabia has agreed to contribute $1 billion to the
Poverty Alleviation Fund managed by the Jeddah-based Islamic
Development Bank and first proposed by Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Abdullah at the Extraordinary Islamic Summit in
Makkah Al-Mukarramah in December 2005.." [more]
OPEC
to Maintain Current Output [Jun 1]
"OPEC will likely maintain its oil output levels for now but
should consider a cut by September, Venezuelan energy minister
Rafael Ramirez said.. ..The OPEC members dominated by Saudi Arabia
appear set to persist with their official production quota, which
stands at a 25-year high of 28 million barrels a day.." [more]
Saudi
Fighters Are Leading the Surge in Attacks on British Troops [May
31]
"Foreign terrorists, led by fighters from Saudi Arabia, are
behind an upsurge in attacks against British troops in Basra,
military sources said yesterday. As the Army suffered the highest
number of fatal attacks in a month since the invasion of Iraq in
2003, commanders on the ground are concerned at the level of
sophistication and ferocity of the assaults.." [more]
Paqueta's
Saudi Arabia Receive World Cup Cash Boost [May 31]
"Saudi Arabia’s national team coach Marcos Paqueta has
received a welcome lift for the national team in the shape of a £6.45m
donation from the Saudi royal family to help the team reach the
knockout stages of the World Cup Finals for the first time in
their history. The gift, presented by King Abdullah, will be used
to assist the team in their preparations for the
tournament.." [more]
Sultan
Launches Al Faisal University [May 31]
"Crown Prince Sultan launched Al Faisal University, a
world-class institution of higher learning with advanced academic
facilities, here yesterday. It will have four faculties for
science, business, medicine and engineering and will have a
capacity to accommodate 4,000 students.." [more]
Sultan
Begins Yemen Visit Tomorrow [May 31]
"Yemen’s drive to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
will figure high on the agenda in talks between President Ali
Abdullah Saleh and Crown Prince Sultan, who is expected to arrive
here tomorrow, sources said. In a statement yesterday, President
Saleh said Yemen was fully prepared to join the GCC, which
currently includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and
the United Arab Emirates.." [more]
Gold
Demand Falls in Kingdom [May 31]
"Demand for gold in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Gulf
has marked a decline in the first quarter of 2006. This is
attributed to volatile prices of the precious metal and also the
stock market crash. There has, however, been a big increase in
demand from institutional investors.." [more]
Saudi
Arabia And UAE Pledge US$9 Million To Earthquake Victims [May 30]
"Two Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member countries -- Saudi
Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- Tuesday pledged US$9
million in cash and kind for the victims of last Saturday's
earthquake in Indonesia. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid
Albar said Saudi Arabia committed to provide US$5 million in cash
and medicine and the UAE, US$4 million in material form.." [more]
India
to Help Saudi Set Up Centres of Excellence [May 30]
"Giving a boost to their academic ties, India on Tuesday
agreed to help Saudi Arabia in setting up centres of excellence in
its universities to promote scientific research and higher
studies.. ..The centres of excellence would be established at the
university-level in Saudi Arabia to promote scientific research
and higher studies with India's cooperation, Singh said after the
meeting. An academic exchange programme would also get under
way.." [more]
Saudi
Aramco Exports Reached 2.623 Million Barrels in 2005 [May 30]
"Saudi Aramco's crude oil exports in 2005 reached 2.623
million barrels in 2005, showing an increase of six percent over
the previous year, when they stood at 2.479 million barrels, a
recently published company report said. According to Aramco's
Annual Review 2005, the company's crude oil production amounted to
3.309 million barrels (9.1 million barrels a day) in 2005, up five
percent compared with 3.151 million barrels in 2004.." [more]
Three
Guantanamo Detainees Released on Bail [May 30]
"The Interior Ministry announced yesterday that it has
released on bail three Saudi Gitmo returnees who arrived in the
Kingdom on July 20, 2005 after the court sentenced them to
different jail terms.. ..The court sentenced two of them to
one-year jail term while it decided that the period spent by the
third in detention was adequate, the official said.." [more]
Deutsche
Bank Launches Saudi Arabian Brokerage Business [May 30]
"Deutsche Bank today announced the launch of its brokerage
business on the Tadawul (Stock Exchange) in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. Deutsche Bank's initial trade marks the first time a
broker from outside the region has become a full member of the
Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) largest stock exchange.." [more]
OPEC
Struggles to Boost Production as Prices Rise, Demand Gains [May
30]
"The U.S. and other oil-consuming nations say OPEC, producer
of 40 percent of the world's oil, should be doing more to expand
output to help ease prices. The producer group, meeting in Caracas
two days from now, is likely to keep crude production near record
levels, rejecting yesterday's call by Venezuela to cut output.
Officials from the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Iran have
signaled output quotas won't be reduced. Still, five increases
over two years in the production ceiling have failed to check
oil's climb.." [more]
Blue
Chips Push Saudi Shares 2.87 Percent Up [May 30]
"Saudi shares rose nearly three percent yesterday, fueled
mainly by bargain-hunting on blue chips after a recent crash
reduced their valuation ratios to their lowest levels in years.
The all-share index closed 2.87 percent higher at 10,519.77
points, close to its peak of the day. Total volume stood at 361.08
million shares generating SR20.04 billion ($5.34 billion)
turnover, but was largely led by small capitalizations.," [more]
Only
Gradual Reforms Would Prove Successful, Says Prince Saud [May 29]
"Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has said that
modernization through reforms on a graduated scale stands the best
chance of promoting stability and security in the region.. ..'Any
modernization or reform will encounter resistance that will pull
us in different directions. Our leaders realize that proper
management of the dynamic tension that exists between change on
one hand and conservatism on the other is the only way to move
forward'.." [more]
GCC
States Agree on Qatari Model for Curriculum Reform [May 29]
"The six Gulf Cooperation Council states have accepted the
Emir of Qatar’s suggestion to adopt his country’s curriculum
as part of an initiative to improve the quality of education
across the region.. ..it is necessary to streamline the Islamic
curriculum to ensure that students are not overburdened with too
many subjects. So long as the core values based on the Shariah
remain intact, peripheral subjects need not be taught in
detail.." [more]
WTO
Accession: Stakes Are High [May 29]
"Saudi Arabia has become a member of the WTO. The business
community in general, and the general public, in particular, are
still not the wiser on what are the implications of entry to the
world trading body. Why do countries aim to join the WTO? The
answer is simply — that being a member of this exclusive club
will give its members the same trading privileges to deal with
each other without discriminating trade barriers.." [more]
Saudi
Companies Shun Smokers Says Report [May 28]
"Work attitudes are seemingly shifting in Saudi Arabia with
many companies preferring non-smoking workers over smokers,
according to a report. The shift in attitudes was due to a growing
concern in the quality of working environments, an executive was
quoted as saying in an Arab News report. Managers are now less
enthusiastic about employing smokers because of the dangerous
health hazards that smoking may pose to co-workers.." [more]
Saudi
Insurance Row Settled [May 28]
"The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency has referred the licences
of 13 insurance companies to King Abdullah for final approval,
reported Gulf News. Saudi authorities had previously returned the
licences to SAMA as some investors appeared to be founders of more
than one company, a breach of the new insurance law.." [more]
Saudi
Prince Denies Iran Deal Claim [May 28]
"GCC states have not entered into any agreement with the
United States to help it destabilize Iran.. ..A report last week
by Middle East Newsline (MEN), a defense news service said that
'The Gulf Cooperation Council has quietly agreed to help the
United States in efforts to destabilize Iran.' The report quoted
Western diplomatic sources said 'several Gulf Arab countries would
be used for a range of non-combat operations against the Iranian
regime'.." [more]
The
Central Role of Saudi Arabia in the Gulf [May 28]
"The saying that the Gulf's destiny is to unite and that what
it really needs is to cooperate is not political flattery or mere
small-talk. It expresses political, geographical, economic, and
social facts and more. Over the last few days, this became
increasingly evident as I traveled between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
and the United Arab Emirates. However, I will only comment about
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the last two countries I visited and will
write about what I witnessed and experienced.." [more]
Saudi
Firm Invests $1.07bn in Reem Island [May 28]
"A Saudi firm will invest SR4 billion ($1.07 billion) into
Abu Dhabi's $5.4 billion Reem Island real estate project, making
it one of the main investors in the project, company officials
said. Abu Dhabi Towers, wholly-owned by Saudi capital, will spend
the amount to purchase 8.9 million sq ft (80 hectares) and build
five 40-to-68 storey towers on the island, which will house around
80,000 people once completed in 2012.." [more]
Kingdom
Allows Launch of Dana Cement [May 28]
"Saudi Arabia has authorized the launch of Dana Cement Co., a
closed-stock firm with a paid-up capital of SR1.1 billion ($293.3
million), the state news agency SPA said yesterday. Founders have
so far raised 25 percent of the capital, the equivalent of 27.5
million shares, of the firm which will be based in Riyadh, the
agency said, quoting a statement from the Trade and Industry
Ministry. It did not give the capacity of the planned
company.." [more]
Click
here to read the "News-This Week."
| About
the Saudi-US
Relations Information Service |
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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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