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Education
Reform - Trying Hard to Change
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 "..Saudi
Arabia is a nation undergoing dramatic self-examination.
Every aspect of Saudi Arabia's society and culture is being
openly debated. We have recognized that a comprehensive,
modern and open educational system -- with new and revised
textbooks -- is fundamental to the growth and prosperity of
our country. A thoughtful revision of this system is
necessary, and indeed well underway.."
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Saudi
Arabia and Jordan Confer on Mid East Peace
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 "..The
two Arab leaders called for a resumption of the peace
process based on an Arab
initiative drawn up by Saudi Arabia in 2002 and the
international road map peace plan, the Jordanian official
said. They also called on Palestinian factions to “discard
disputes and protect national unity,” he added. The
Saudi-Jordan summit talks come against the backdrop of a new
international initiative to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace
talks in coordination with Washington..."
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USA
and KSA Field Teams in Soccer World Cup
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 "..The
World Cup starts today in Germany. Teams from the United
States and Saudi Arabia are among the 32 teams that will
compete in 64 games over the next 31 days for the world
championship of soccer that will be won in Berlin on July 9.
This SUSRIS IOI provides background information and links so
you can follow your team or just to find out what all the
'buzz' is about..."
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the Web
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The Broader Middle East and North Africa
(BMENA) Foundation for the Future
"..The Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) Foundation for the Future is a multilateral, not-for-profit entity with a focus on grant making in support of democracy and reform. The establishment of the BMENA Foundation represents a commitment to the principles of freedom and democracy, as they are elaborated in political, economic, and civic education programs led by indigenous non-governmental organizations.."
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The BMENA Foundation for the Future will support the people of the countries of the Broader Middle East and North Africa in their efforts to advance and strengthen freedom and democratic trends and practices. The Foundation will focus on supporting free, fair and genuinely competitive elections, the rule of law, access to and transparency of information, freedom of association, independent media, access to civic education, the empowerment of women, and human rights as included in the major international conventions and agreements.
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The Foundation recognizes and values the difference between individual nations in the region, and that each represents a unique amalgam of history, culture, religion, and traditions. Consequently, each will take different pathways in strengthening the mutual responsibilities of governments and people to create twenty-first century societies equal to the potential of the region. The Foundation is established in the conviction that its resources and activities will foster the spirit of democratic reform so evident in the region, and provide citizens and governments with the means and inspiration in their common efforts to promote freedom and democracy.
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To provide the broadest range of support to the Broader Middle East and North Africa, the Foundation will exercise the widest possible flexibility in its activities within the region, seeking to draw on indigenous reformers and their ideas, and to include them in innovative approaches which nurture grass-roots civil society organizations and their leaders, and recognize the creativity of governments as they encourage such organizations to join them in strengthening democratic processes and institutions.
[Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Agrees to Serve as U.S. Representative to the Board of the Broader Middle East and North Africa Foundation for the Future
- Click here for more]
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the Web |
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Working
Paper - The Arab Gulf States in the Shadow of the Iranian Nuclear Challenge
- Emile El-Hokayem and Matteo Legrenzi - The Henry L.
Stimson Center
"Proponents
of the 2003 Iraq war anticipated that the removal of Saddam
Hussein's regime would dramatically improve security in the
Persian Gulf. Under Hussein's reckless, brutal and
risk-taking leadership, Iraq had adopted a threatening
posture that precipitated three wars and generated great
uncertainty and instability in the region. Yet,
contrary to these expectations, prospects for Persian Gulf
security have significantly deteriorated in the past
year.."
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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 - June 4-10, 2006 |
|
Value
of Saudi Traded Shares Tops SR150bn in a Week [Jun 10]
"The Saudi stock exchange fluctuated violently last week
with the comeback of the speculation fever that was mainly
responsible for the drastic drop in the value of Saudi stocks
since the beginning of the year. The Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI)
gained 3.30 percent or 383.08 points last week, closing on
Thursday at 11,994.01 points, up from 11,610.93 points in the
previous week.. ..The value of traded shares broke the SR150
billion barrier last week, highest since the crash, compared to
SR102.89 billion in the previous week.." [more]
Most
Muslim Women Play Down Gender Inequality [Jun 10]
"Muslim women should be allowed to vote, drive and work
outside the home, but gender inequality is not a primary
problem, a majority of Muslim women said in a new Gallup poll.
The 2005 poll, released Tuesday, questioned 8,000 women about
their perceptions of life in Muslim and Western countries. Women
were polled in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia and Turkey.. ..A vast majority of Muslim women
surveyed most admired their society's adherence to Islamic
values.." [more]
Saudi
Student Goes to US as Goodwill Ambassador [Jun 10]
"Abid Ahmed, a student at the American International
School, will leave for the United States today to join a select
group of students attending the so-called people-to-people
summit. Ahmed has been accepted into the People to People
Leadership Summit on Medicine, which will commence this week at
Johns Hopkins University in Washington.." [more]
Steps
to Curb Child Trafficking Studied [Jun 10]
"The first meeting between key officials of Saudi Arabia
and Yemen was held by Unicef to tackle the trafficking of
thousands of Yemeni children to the kingdom.. ..Officials
estimate that about 24,000 children are involved in street
selling and begging in Saudi Arabia from 18 countries.." [more]
Embassies
To Run Foreign Schools [Jun 10]
"Embassies can now appoint members of managing committees
to oversee their respective schools following approval of
amended rules by the Education Ministry covering international
community schools in Saudi Arabia.. ..In 1999, when the
Education Ministry put forth new rules governing international
community schools, embassies were barred from taking any part in
the school affairs. The Foreign Education Department was
empowered to implement the rules while embassies were mere
observers.." [more]
Air
France To Begin Riyadh-Paris Flights [Jun 10]
"Air France will start operating daily flights from/to
Riyadh by a code-share agreement with the National carrier Saudi
Arabian Airlines, Abdo Abi Allam, the Air France manager of
Western Province announced here Wednesday. 'The direct flights
will be between Riyadh and Paris and soon it will start from/to
Jeddah as well,' he said. The new schedule will start from June
26.." [more]
Commerce
Minister to address the Chicago CFR on June 22 [Jun 9]
"Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Hashem Yamani will
discuss economic reform in the Kingdom in an address to the
Chicago Council on Foreign Relations Thursday, June 22. The
event will be held at the Park Hyatt Chicago from 12:00pm to
2:00pm. Dr Yamani has been Minister of Commerce and Industry
since May 2003.." [more]
Saudi
Shares Rebound, While Arabia Titans Index Drops [Jun 9]
"The stock index of Saudi Arabia, the largest market in the
Middle East, rebounded yesterday on speculation that a slide on
Wednesday was overdone. Saudi Basic Industries Corp, a chemical
maker, and Saudi Telecom Co led the advance. 'Today there are
investors who see some value,' said Edward Samawi, who oversees
$150mn at Arab Jordan Investment Bank in Amman. The Tadawul All
Share Index, Tasi, closed 5.1% higher at 11994.01, the biggest
move among Arab equity markets.." [more]
Saudi
to Set Up Another Hospital For Quake Victims [Jun 9]
"Saudi Arabia would set up another hospital for the
earthquake victims in Pakistan, Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Asseri
said in a meeting with Health Minister Nasir Khan yesterday. The
Saudi envoy asked the health minister to identify a site for
establishment of the new hospital. He also informed him the
Saudi government would hand over its Mansehra hospital to the
government of Pakistan in the next six months.." [more]
Pressures
Build on Saudi Media [Jun 9]
"The media in Saudi Arabia has begun to broach topics such
as religious extremism, women's rights and unemployment that
were once strictly off limits. The changes have provided new
insight into what has long been one of the most closed and
conservative societies in the world. In speeches broadcast on
Saudi television, King Abdullah has repeated what is now the
dominant message of his reign - Saudi Arabia must stamp out the
threat of home-grown Islamic extremism.." [more]
Textbooks
Not Inciting Extremism, Says Naif [Jun 9]
"Interior Minister Prince Naif said the syllabuses of the
Kingdom’s schools and colleges are progressive and free from
any sort of extremist and terrorist ideology. Prince Naif
refuted reports published by the right-wing US think-tank,
Freedom House, that allege Saudi textbooks are filled with
extremism, the Saudi Press Agency reported.. .. Prince Naif said
that the Saudi syllabuses were based on Islamic education. He
also said, 'If there are some people with deviant views and
ideas, then we should not hold the syllabus responsible for
their deviation'.." [more]
Oil
Prices Slide Under $70 [Jun 9]
"World oil prices fell under $70 per barrel yesterday
following news of the death of Al-Qaeda chief’s in Iraq,
analysts said. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for
delivery in July, sank by 1.32 dollars to $69.50 per barrel in
pit trading. At around 1615 GMT, the contract touched $69.10 —
the lowest level since May 22.." [more]
Crown
Prince Sultan Extends 1 Million to Scientific Project [Jun 9]
"Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier,
Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has
extended sr 1 million to the project of preparation of
educational, geographic and historical atlases, which is being
carried out by King Abdulaziz Center in cooperation with the
ministry of eduction.." [more]
House
Jabs Saudi Arabia in Foreign Aid Bill [Jun 9]
"The House of Representatives on Friday took a symbolic jab
at Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of fueling religious
extremism and violence, as it passed a $21.3 billion foreign aid
bill.. ..Decrying Saudi Arabia for teaching intolerance and
financing terrorism, lawmakers voted 312-97 to cut the $420,000
the oil-rich kingdom receives to participate in U.S.-backed
military and counter-terrorism training.." [more]
Saudi
Education System Backed [Jun 8]
"Saudi Arabia’s interior minister has defended the
state's education system, saying that militancy blamed on Saudi
school textbooks had its roots elsewhere. 'All they are is
educational syllabuses, Islamic education syllabuses. As for
deviancy, anyone can have that in him. But it doesn't come from
their education, it comes from outside -- from bad people who
spread their sick ideas,' Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin
Abdul-Aziz said.." [more]
WFP
Honours its First Saudi Special Ambassador [Jun 8]
"The United Nations World Food Programme has honoured
Abdulaziz Arrukban, the first Saudi citizen to have volunteered
to work with the agency to raise awareness about hunger issues
and funds to help alleviate it.. ..Arrukban is a US-educated
Saudi businessman who went to high school in California at the
age of 14. It was as a college student in Georgia studying
international business that he was able to get his first taste
of charity work. 'I used to join charity groups and hospitals to
bring meals to the elderly and homeless during the traditional
holidays like Thanksgiving, when most people are with their
families,' said Arrukban.." [more]
Saudi
Prince Shares Views in Louisville [Jun 8]
"Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the
United States, is traveling cross-country to meet Americans and
talk about U.S.-Saudi relations. Yesterday he was escorted by
local royalty -- Muhammad and Lonnie Ali -- during a visit to
Louisville's Ali Center. Al-Faisal said the motive for his
nationwide tour is a desire to give Americans a true picture of
Saudi Arabia.." [more]
Thales
Wins 180 Million Euro Contract in Saudi Arabia [Jun 8]
"Thales has won a contract worth 180 million euros in Saudi
Arabia, in the field of communications infrastructure with its
local company Stesa. Thales will create the Fibre Optic backbone
network for Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), the operator of the second
GSM network, ITC and Bayanat, two data service providers in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.." [more]
Saudi
King Claims Al Qaeda Defeated [Jun 8]
"A violent campaign by Al Qaeda militants fighting Saudi
Arabia has been defeated, King Abdullah was quoted as saying by
Saudi newspapers published yesterday. 'I can assure you that
your country is well and the evil-doers are, thank God,
defeated,' the king said at his royal court before a delegation
of visiting government officials on Tuesday.." [more]
Saudi
Index Dips 8.2% [Jun 8]
"The stock index of Saudi Arabia, the largest market in the
Middle East, broke a nine-day rally on concern that prices
overstate the prospects for profit growth. Saudi Basic
Industries Corp, the world’s biggest chemical maker by market
value, and Saudi Telecom Co, the largest telephone company in
the kingdom, led the drop. The Tadawul All Share Index, Tasi,
slumped 8.2% to 11408.07 in Riyadh.." [more]
Accor
Plans Saudi Tourism Academies [Jun 8]
"French hotel and tourism group Accor has signed a deal
with Saudi Arabia to set up three academies to train Saudis in
the hospitality sector. Prince Sultan bin Salman, who heads the
Supreme Commission for Tourism, signed the deal with Accor CEO
Gilles Pelisson for academies in Riyadh, the eastern city of
Hufuf and the western city of Taif at a cost of SR120 million
($32 million).." [more]
Saudi
Arabia, Jordan Reject Olmert's Plan [Jun 8]
"Saudi Arabia and Jordan yesterday rejected Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert’s unilateral withdrawal plan from the
West Bank and urged Palestinians and Israelis to resume peace
negotiations, an official said yesterday after talks between
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Jordan’s
King Abdullah in Riyadh. 'The two kings stressed their rejection
of unilateral solutions which Israel is trying to implement in
the Palestinian
territories'.." [more]
Interior
Minister: Plans Underway to Extradite 2 Saudi Terrorists From
Iraq [Jun 8]
"Minister of Interior Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz said
yesterday that arrangements are underway to extradite two Saudis
who were on the list of 36 most-wanted terrorists from Iraq. 'We
will exert intensive efforts for their extraditions, and the
matter is to be settled by the Iraqi authorities'.." [more]
Riyadh
Pledges $10m for Drought Relief in Africa [Jun 8]
"Six countries in the Horn of Africa are to benefit from
$10 million in drought relief Saudi Arabia has pledged to
provide through the World Food Program. The cash donation would
be forwarded to the WFP to buy and distribute food to the needy
in drought-affected parts of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,
Somalia and Tanzania. The locally purchased grain is expected to
be ready for joint distribution by mid-June.." [more]
Abdullah
to Launch New Petrochemical Projects at Jubail-II [Jun 8]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will
launch a number of petrochemical and infrastructure projects at
the new Jubail Industrial City (Jubail-II) on Sunday. The king
will commission the Butanediol plant of the Saudi International
Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). The plant, the first of its
kind in the Middle East, has an annual capacity of 75,000 tons
to meet world and domestic market demands.." [more]
Saudi
Aramco Awards Halliburton Multimillion-Dollar [Jun 7]
"Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) has been awarded the oilfield
services component of the largest oil development project in the
Arabian Gulf Region since the 1950s - the Saudi Aramco Khurais
mega project. This three-year contract includes a full range of
Halliburton's integrated services and technologies. In order to
produce 1.2 million barrels of oil per day (MMB/d) for several
years, the project will utilize up to 23 rigs to support the
drilling and completion of more than 300 wells. Development of
this project is a key contributor to Saudi Aramco's plan of
increasing production capacity.." [more]
No
Umrah Visas For People Under 40 yrs: Saudi [Jun 7]
"Saudi Arabia will not issue Umrah visas to individuals
under 40 years of age, who come alone for the pilgrimage from a
number of countries including India, Pakistan and Egypt. This
decision was taken due to the fact that there were a large
number of overstayers in Saudi Arabia who had visited the
Kingdom for pilgrimage alone after being granted visas for Umrah
or mini Haj.." [more]
Saudi
Prince Says Oil Troubles Offer No Short-Term Remedy [Jun 7]
"With energy costs remaining at the top of a list of
concerns for Tennessee businesses, the Saudi Arabian ambassador
to the United States told a group of Nashville business leaders
Tuesday there are no short-term fixes.. ..Speaking at the Loews
Vanderbilt Plaza at a Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
luncheon, Al-Faisal acknowledged audience member concerns
regarding oil prices. But he said a need for more refining
capacity, uncertainty in oil producing regions, and the actions
of speculators on the oil markets all drive up the price.."
[more]
Chinese
Province, Saudi Enterprises Sign Trade Deal of 400 Mln Dollars
[Jun 7]
"The 2006 Chinese Guangdong-Saudi Arabia Fair for Trade and
Economic Cooperation was inaugurated here on Tuesday. During the
opening ceremony, representatives of enterprises from the
Chinese province signed a total of more than 400 million U.S.
dollars worth of contracts with their Saudi counterparts in a
host of areas, including liquefied petroleum gas, steel tubing,
clothing, light industry products, household utensils,
furniture, building materials, and home appliances.." [more]
Saudi
Decries Report on Human Trafficking [Jun 6]
"Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States said
Tuesday that American criticism of his country's failure to stop
human trafficking was unfair, especially given the mistreatment
of some illegal immigrants in the U.S. The U.S. State Department
released a report Monday that included Saudi Arabia on a list of
12 nations that risk sanctions for not adequately fighting human
trafficking.. ..Al-Faisal said Saudi Arabia has imposed
regulations to control mistreatment of servants and employees,
prosecuted those accused of mistreatment and opened shelters for
victims.." [more]
Curbed
Production Due to Demand Fall, says Saudi [Jun 6]
"Saudi Arabia cut oil exports to 9.1mn bpd in April due to
a drop in refinery demand, not a desire to lower stock levels,
The Wall Street Journal yesterday quoted Oil Minister Ali
al-Naimi as saying.. ..Naimi said other Opec members are having
trouble finding buyers for all their crude, at a time when
global storage is near full and many refiners have closed for
routine maintenance.." [more]
Saudi-Chinese Economic Meeting Starts in Riyadh [Jun 6]
"Saudi-Chinese Economic Meeting, which is organized by
Economic Cooperation and Foreign Trade Bureau in cooperation
with Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the Council of Saudi
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, started here today in
presence of member of political bureau of Chinese Communist
Party Central Committee Chang Dah Jiang and Vice Chairman of the
Council Abdulrahman bin Ali Al-Jeraisy.." [more]
Kingdom
Among Countries Most Affected by Climate Change [Jun 6]
"Saudi Arabia is among a group of seven countries
experiencing a depletion of water resources because of climate
change, which is also threatening its vast arid lands and
deserts.. ..The report, released on World Environment Day
yesterday, said that ground water levels in desert areas of the
Kingdom and in similar regions around the world are dropping
'very quickly as ancient underground aquifers are
exhausted'.." [more]
OPEC
Chief Calls for Easing of Tensions [Jun 6]
"OPEC President Edmund Daukoru yesterday called for the
international community to work to solve geopolitical tensions
that help contribute to high oil prices. 'Geopolitical tensions
... let the global community fix them,' Daukoru said,
emphasizing that the 11-member Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries has no political role itself.." [more]
China
Products Fair in Jeddah [Jun 6]
"The 'Second China Products Fair and Investment Cooperation
Conference' will be held in Jeddah from June 12-15 at the
International Exhibition Center. It will provide an opportunity
for Saudi and Chinese businessmen to meet, exchange information
and make deals. The first China Products Fair was held in Riyadh
in September 2003 and was a success.." [more]
Saudi
Advertising Agencies Score with the World Cup [Jun 6]
"Football fever has engulfed the Middle East as well as its
thriving advertising industry, in anticipation of
arguably, the most important sports event in the world: the FIFA
World Cup. Hosted in Germany, the 18 th World Cup will feature
32 teams from around the world, competing for global recognition
and the ultimate prize. Companies have sought to increase their
advertising campaigns and tie-ins with participating nations and
players, in an attempt to cash in on the cup's huge
following.." [more]
Mexico
Wants Saudi Help in Tapping Oil Reserves [Jun 5]
"Mexico wants Saudi Arabian technical help in tapping its
oil reserves, Reforma newspaper reported, citing the head of
state oil monopoly Pemex after a meeting Saudi Arabian Energy
Minister Ali Al Naimi. Pemex general director Luis Ramirez, who
hosted Naimi during a visit to Mexico over the weekend, said the
countries were discussing areas of the oil industry in which
they could collaborate.." [more]
More
FDI Expected in Saudi Arabia [Jun 5]
"The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA)
expects the cumulative value of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
in the Kingdom to reach $1 trillion by 2020, according to new
reports. SAGIA data shows a 30-fold increase in investments in
the Kingdom over last year; around SR200 billion.." [more]
Roed-Larsen
Meets Saudi Monarch on Syria-Lebanon Crisis [Jun 5]
"U.N. special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, who is on a regional
tour, has met with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh in an attempt
to find a solution to the Lebanese-Syrian crisis. An Nahar
described Roed-Larsen's talks with the king and other Saudi
officials on Sunday as positive and said they reached an
understanding on the Lebanese issue.." [more]
Saudi
Arabia and Military Expenditures [Jun 5]
"Saudi Arabia is a special country. It is the place of two
of the Muslims’ holiest sites. It is a major oil producer.
It is the only country in the world that is named after its
founder: Ibn Saud. It is one of a few countries in the
world that is run as a family business. It also had the
world’s highest military expenditure per capita. In the period
1990 to 2004, Saudi Arabia has spent more on its military than
Iran, Pakistan, or even India with a population of over 1
billion people. Yet, they (Saudis and friends) still feel that
Saudi Arabia needs more military hardware.." [more]
Jeddah
Water Forum to Present Investment, Technology Projects [Jun 5]
"The second Jeddah Water and Power Forum 2006 is being held
under the theme “New investment opportunities for Saudi and
foreign companies” on Nov. 11-14 to present not only the
investment projects available in Saudi Arabia but also the
latest in water technology. Around 700 participants are expected
to attend from 39 different countries.." [more]
Saudi-Chinese
Economic and Trade Ties Progressing Remarkably, says Envoy [Jun
5]
"China’s Consul General Chang Bie said today that the
Saudi-Chinese relations, which started in1990, have witnessed
remarkable development, notably in the economic and trade
domains. Speaking at a press meeting at the chamber of commerce
and industry here today, the consul general said the volume of
trade exchange between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China in
2005 amounted to $16.07 billion. This figure constitutes an
increase of 65 percent compared to the figure in 2004.." [more]
Gosaibi
Answers Back [Jun 5]
"Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has been under fire since he became
Minister of Labor a few years ago and started pushing hard ahead
with the government’s Saudization program. Recent issues that
have put him under the gun lately is the shelving of a new
regulation to employ saleswomen in women’s garment shops. In
an interview with Okaz, the mass-circulation Arabic-language
daily, he blamed the delay on the business community, saying
they had told him that none of them were ready regardless of the
fact the decision was issued by the Council of Ministers two
years ago.." [more]
Bitcom
Computer Plant Opens in Saudi Arabia [Jun 4]
"The Silicon Valley Factory for Information Technology, the
first in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the capacity to
assemble notebooks and LCD screens, has been officially opened
in Riyadh. The 2000 square metre factory, which will also
assemble servers and desktops, will build several product series
to cover enterprise, small-to-medium businesses and the
Small-Office-Home-Office markets in the Kingdom under the brand
name of Bitcom.." [more]
Saudi
Diplomat Drowns Near Turkish Resort [Jun 4]
"The Vice-Consul of Saudi Arabia’s Consulate General in
Istanbul Ibrahim Abdullah al Shaie drowned near the beach of
Sale on the Black Sea, Dogu Haber Ajansi reports. The Saudi
diplomat went in to the sea with two other Saudi citizens who,
however, were saved.." [more]
Rights
Group to Ask Bush to Free Saudi Detainees [Jun 4]
"The Saudi Society for Human Rights will formally ask
United States President George Bush to release the remaining
Saudi detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison and close the
notorious detention centre. The decision was taken at a joint
meeting of the relatives of the detainees and the members of the
society.." [more]
Saudi
Airlift Relief Operations to Quake-hit People in Indonesia [Jun
4]
"The third cargo plane in a row laden with relief materials
arrived in Jakarta earlier today within the airlift
relief operations to quake-hit areas and people in Indonesia.
The plane trip, taking place upon directives of the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, is part of a
plan to airlift more than 300 tons of relief items to needy
people in quake-hit regions in Indonesia.." [more]
Cooperate
Fully With IAEA, GCC Tells Iran [Jun 4]
"GCC countries yesterday urged Iran to cooperate fully with
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and backed global
efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the standoff between
Tehran and Western countries on its nuclear program.. ..Abdullah
reiterated the GCC’s call to make the Middle East free of
weapons of mass destruction.." [more]
Saudi
Airlines Could Be Next for Privatisation [Jun 4]
"Arabia's next major privatisation could be national
carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines, which could come ahead of an
auction for the third telecom license, the kingdom's finance
minister said.. ..Saudi authorities plan to grant new mobile and
fixed-line licences by the end of the year and have set a
three-year timetable for privatising Saudi Airlines, but Assaf
indicated that airline privatisation could come earlier.."
[more]
Foreign
Banks Launch into Saudi Financial Market [Jun 4]
"The move by Deutsche Bank and other global institutions
into the Saudi financial market is a huge show of long-term
confidence in the Kingdom's economy by some of the world's
largest financial players.. ..Deutsche Bank was among ten
foreign banks licensed to operate in the Kingdom by the Saudi
Arabian Monetary Agency last December. The list also includes
BNP Paribas, J.P Morgan, National Bank of Kuwait, National Bank
of Bahrain, Emirates Bank, Gulf International Bank, State Bank
of India (SBI) and National Bank of Pakistan.." [more]
Saudi,
UAE Shares Extend Rally [Jun 4]
"Stocks in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
extended their winning streaks as investors bet the slump of the
past three months was excessive. Al Rajhi Bank, Saudi Arabia’s
biggest publicly traded lender, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank,
the second-largest bank in the UAE by assets, led the
advance.." [more]
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