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Hezbollah Ally Seeks Saudi Help in Calming Lebanon Tensions [Oct 7]
"Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key Shia ally of Hezbollah, was due in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to seek the Sunni-led kingdom’s help in reducing growing sectarian tensions. Berri, whose Amal movement fought alongide Hezbollah in its summer war with Israel, was due to meet King Abdullah during his 48-hour visit.. ..'Saudi Arabia’s influence puts it in a position where it can help us improve relations between Muslims inside Lebanon and between Lebanon and Syria,’ Berri said.." [more]

Saudi Stock Index Falls Below 11,000-Point Level [Oct 7]
"The Saudi stock market witnessed a series of downward corrections last week, with the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) slipping under the 11,000-point level for the first time in two months. The market's benchmark price shed 3.23 percent last week to close at 10,862.64 points, down from 11,225.28 points previous week.." [more]

Saudi Chambers of Commerce to Set Up in Beirut [Oct 7]
"The Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is opening an office in Beirut to assess losses during Israel's attack on Lebanon. Fahd Al Sultan, secretary general of the council, said the organisation is opening an office in Beirut to determine the volume of losses incurred by Saudi businessmen. He said that the office will start functioning in the near future.." [more]

Population to Reach 30m in 2024 – Study [Oct 7]
"The Saudi Federation of Commerce and Industry has drawn attention to what it describes as highly important equations in the Saudi economy, which must seriously be dealt with in light of the Kingdom’s ascension to the World Trade organization WTO.. ..On of these economic equations, an official was quoted as saying is the significant rise in the Kingdom’s population, who are expected to reach 30 million by the year 2024. This rise will definitely be associated with an increase in the demand for services and public facilities.." [more]

Oil Rebounds After Report Saudi Arabia Won't Oppose OPEC Meet [Oct 6]
"Oil rebounded in New York, after trading below $60 a barrel earlier in the day, on a report in al-Hayat newspaper that said Saudi Arabia won't oppose an emergency OPEC meeting and may agree to output cuts. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries may hold an emergency meeting in Vienna on Oct. 18 and 19 and Saudi Arabia would back any consensus that emerged from the talks.." [more]

Syria Says Attack on US Embassy Planned in Saudi Arabia [Oct 6]
"Last month's attack on the U.S. embassy in Damascus was planned in Saudi Arabia and the four Syrians who carried it out had no links to al Qaeda, a government investigation said on Thursday. Three of the four assailants, 31-year-old Abdel Raouf Saleh, Bilal Saleh, 25, and Samir Saleh, also 25, were close relatives who followed the teachings of a preacher in Saudi Arabia where they had worked, the Interior Ministry report said. They started preparing for the operation in 2004.." [more]

UAE Ban on Importing Raw Saudi Dates 'Violates GCC Agreement' [Oct 6]
"Saudi Arabia has complained that a recent UAE ban on the import of raw Saudi dates violates the customs union agreement of the Gulf Cooperation Council to which the two countries belong. A senior Saudi official told Gulf News on Tuesday that the kingdom's Finance and National Economy Minister Dr Ebrahim Al Assaf made the complaint to his UAE counterpart.." [more]

KSA Embarks on Strategy to Maintain Spare Oil Capacity [Oct 6]
"Saudi Arabia has embarked on a strategic energy initiative with the explicit objective of maintaining enough spare oil capacity to compensate for the loss of oil from two of Opec's major oil exporting countries.. ..Skeptics argue that Saudi Arabia will not be able to boost its production capacity by these amounts. While they are right that these targets are ambitious, they ignore the fact that Saudi Aramco.. .. has announced equally lofty goals throughout the past decade.." [more]

Israel Should Accept Saudi Peace Initiative [Oct 5]
"Amid international efforts to restart peace talks in the Middle East after they were shelved following Israeli incursions into Palestine and Lebanon, a statement came from Meir Sheetrit, Israeli Justice and Housing Minister, who said the Saudi peace initiative should be given a favorable reception. The Israeli government should acknowledge the peace initiative from Saudi Arabia, Sheerit told Israeli public radio.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Starts Militant Trials [Oct 5]
"- Saudi Arabia, fighting a violent campaign by al Qaeda supporters, has quietly begun trying suspected militants in Islamic courts, a government official said in comments aired on Thursday. The comments suggest Saudi Arabia, which rules by strict Islamic law, has shelved the idea of setting up special tribunals along the lines of state security courts used in other Arab countries and raised fears among rights activists over legal procedures.." [more]

Saudi Blasts US 'Rhetoric' [Oct 5]
"Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States yesterday criticised Washington for its "rhetoric and bombast" in dealing with Arab countries and urged greater efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Turning the tables on Washington, which has been critical of the pace of reform in Saudi Arabia, Prince Turki Al Faisal also took aim at what he said were needed reforms in the United States, particularly in political campaign contributions,," [more]

10,000 Saudi Students Enrolled in Universities in the United States [Oct 5]
"Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal announced the launch of the Saudi Arabian scholarship program, which was initiated in 2005. The scholarship offers 10,000 students full four-year scholarships ranging in various fields, from bachelor degrees to PhDs. There are currently over 10,000 Saudi students enrolled in universities in the US, a figure that will increase with the advent of the coming year.." [more]

Kingdom Expands Manpower Sources [Oct 5]
"Recruitment agencies with a proven track record alone will be allowed to bring in overseas manpower under a new policy announced here on Tuesday.. ..it was explained that the new policy is intended to streamline the recruitment procedure and stop the phenomenon of runaway workers and housemaids.." [more]

Border Fence With Iraq 'Not a Segregation Wall' [Oct 5]
"Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz has emphasised that the border fence, which Saudi Arabia plans to build along its border with Iraq, will not in any way be a segregation wall.. ..Prince Ahmad underscored the importance of protecting the Saudi-Iraqi border in light of the turbulent situation in the region.." [more]

Saudi Plan is Basis for Talks -Israeli Minister [Oct 4]
"A cabinet minister from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's party voiced support on Wednesday for peace negotiations on the basis of a Saudi initiative that has long been a non-starter for Israeli leaders.. ..The plan, drawn up in a 2002 Arab League summit, calls for Israel to quit all land conquered in the 1967 Middle East war, the formation of a Palestinian state and a solution for Palestinian refugees who fled what is now the Jewish state.." [more]

Hong Kong Plans to Boost Exports to Saudi Arabia [Oct 4]
"Hong Kong has launched a drive to boost its exports to Saudi Arabia, especially its electronics goods and services, Khaleej Times reported. The director of Hong Kong-based Orbitronics Manufacturing Co. said that the kingdom is the largest and most important market in the Gulf and we find the potential is vast for our goods and services.. ..According to official figures, Hong Kong's total exports in the first seven months of 2006 grew 8.9 percent over the same period in 2005.." [more]

Saudi Mission in Pakistan Relents on Visas for Chinese Muslims [Oct 4]
"After weeks of protests outside the Saudi embassy here, Chinese Muslims won their battle on Tuesday to be granted Hajj visas. Saudi Ambassador Ali Saeed Awad Asseri, after consultation with Chinese officials, told reporters that the visas would be given for the Hajj in January. Hundreds of Chinese Muslims, mostly Uighurs from western China, have been protesting daily outside the embassy.." [more]

OPEC Chief Calls for More Oil Supply Cuts [Oct 4]
"OPEC President Edmund Daukoru yesterday called on other members of the oil exporting group to join Nigeria in reducing supply to world markets.. ..Nagging at the organization is the knowledge that US heating oil stocks are at their highest in seven years, that the group has been oversupplying the market for most of the past year and demand for OPEC’s oil is expected to fall sharply. - and a collective output cut when OPEC next meets on Dec. 14. All that could be setting the stage for a price collapse.." [more]

Saudi Arabia's National Showcase [Oct 3]
"..The 14th edition of SHASH, scheduled to be held in Jeddah in May 2007, is already shaping up to be a success with a record number of bookings and enquiries from both international and domestic exhibitors. Encompassing not only the medical equipment sector, the exhibition also includes the increasingly important general hospitals sector, covering aspects such as infrastructure, maintenance and services.." [more]

Infosys Bags Saudi Bank Contract [Oct 3]
"India's Infosys has won its first contract from a Saudi Bank for its Islamic banking solution.. ..The full-fledged Islamic Banking solution is part of the Finacle core banking solution which will be ready in early 2008. Infosys has an ongoing contract with Egypt's Bank of Alexandria that has some 200 branches. It also has a support centre in Egypt and another in Saudi Arabia.." [more]

Saudi Telecom Among Top 50 Firms [Oct 3]
"The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is among the 50 best performing joint stock companies in the Arab world, says a study published in Forbes Arabia in its September issue.. ..At the local level, STC is ranked second in the 100 top local companies.." [more]

Saudi Media Pushing Line Against Extremism [Oct 3]
"The Saudi media is using Ramadan to tackle the sensitive issue of Islamist extremism.. ..Reformers in the Saudi royal family want to use the media to promote liberal policies in a country where Wahhabism exerts a strong influence.." [more]

Chinese Muslims Press for Saudi Visas in Pakistan [Oct 3]
"Shouting Koranic verses, hundreds of Chinese Muslims protested in front of the Saudi embassy in Pakistan on Monday, seeking visas so that they can join the annual Haj pilgrimage to Islam’s holy city of Mecca.. ..The protesters said that Saudi embassy had refused to grant visas on the advice of the Chinese government. A Chinese embassy spokesman said Saudi and Chinese governments had agreed in May that Chinese Muslims would not be given visas in any third country.." [more]

New University Will Change Face of Tabuk Region [Oct 3]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will soon lay the foundation stone of the Tabuk University, the first center of higher learning in the Kingdom’s northern region.. ..The first phase of the project, spreading over an area of nine million square meters, will cost about SR1 billion ($375 million). The university will have 16 colleges for boys and girls.." [more]

Germany, Kingdom Set Out New Broad Vision of Bilateral Relationship [Oct 3]
"Saudi Arabia and Germany have set out a new broad vision of bilateral relationship, which, in fact, is the direct result of the progressively growing political and commercial contacts between the two nations. As part of this new vision, the two countries are all set to take many joint initiatives. The first one is a ministerial meeting entitled “Saudi-German Joint Economic Commission” to be held on Nov. 11 in which Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, finance minister, will lead the Saudi delegation.." [more]

Rice Seeks Saudi Help to Stabilize Iraq [Oct 2]
"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday she plans to ask Saudi Arabia to do more to help stabilize Iraq, encouraging it to influence Iraqi Sunnis to become more involved in the political process.. ..Saudi Arabia considers itself the bastion of mainstream Sunni Islam. But its support for Sunni tribes in Iraq is tempered by concern that Saudi Islamists who have gone to fight alongside insurgents could return to fight in Saudi Arabia.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Enter World of Motorsport [Oct 2]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to enter the world of international motorsport for the first time, following yesterday's announcement that the Hail Saudi Baja will become an official candidate event for the FIA International Cup for Bajas. The event will take place near Hail in northern Saudi Arabia on February 8-11, 2007 and will be organised by the Saudi Motor Sports Committee.." [more]

Japan, Saudi to Launch Investment Promotion Talks [Oct 2]
"Japan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to launch talks on a bilateral investment agreement, the Japanese government announced Monday. The first round of the talks will be held here on Thursday and Friday.. ..At the upcoming meeting, Japanese and Saudi officials are expected take up wide-ranging subjects, such as most favored nation and national treatments, to facilitate reciprocal investment activities.." [more]

Oil Eases Below $63, OPEC in Focus [Oct 2]
"Oil eased below $63 a barrel on Monday as investors weighed plans by OPEC members Nigeria and Venezuela to trim output against healthy inventories in top consumer the United States.. ..'The only significant thing would be if Saudi Arabia announced they were going to cut output, which they haven't,' said Christopher Bellew, a broker at Bache Financial.." [more]

Students to be Taught Culture of Dialogue [Oct 2]
"The King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Centre of Riyadh has plans to appoint permanent staff to train male and female students in the skills of healthy interaction and dialogue. The training courses, which will be held in various parts of the kingdom, are also aimed at conveying the fundamentals of Islamic Sharia based on moderation, tolerance and respecting the views of others.." [more]

SRO Invites Tenders for MMRL Project [Oct 2]
"The Saudi Railway Organization (SRO) has called upon specialized national and international companies to participate in the implementation of the 500-km Makkah-Madinah Rail Link (MMRL) project by offering their tenders.. ..Meanwhile, four consortia comprising Saudi and foreign companies have been qualified to present their offers to carry out the land bridge project, the main thrust of the Kingdom’s railway expansion project.." [more]

Bank Trading Halls Change Working Hours [Oct 2]
" Banks received a circular yesterday based on directives from the Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency (SAMA) to change their stock trading halls working hours. The news comes less than a week after the Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced that it would be changing its trading hours starting Oct. 28.. ..A source at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) told Arab News that in accordance with rules by SAMA, banks are expected to change the working hours in their trading halls to suit the change in the Tadawul stock market trading hours.." [more]

Saudi Stock Market Builds for Possible Recovery [Oct 1]
"It is taking time for confidence in Saudi Arabia's stock exchange to return following the crash earlier in the year when share values shed $350 billion in just three months. But at last the stock market seems to be showing some signs that its recovery has begun. The Tadawul All-Share Index has been hovering around 11,000 to 11,500 points in recent weeks and some analysts are hoping to see levels approaching 13,000 by year end .." [more]

Exports to Saudi Arabia Up by 10% [Oct 1]
"The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) revealed last week that Israeli exports to Saudi Arabia totaled USD 470,000 in the first half of 2006, constituting a rise of 10% compared to the first half of 2005.. ..It is understood that Israeli export to Saudi Arabia consists mainly of medical equipment, fertilizers, minerals, metals, machines, mechanical appliances. Some of the companies export directly and some export indirectly.." [more]

Saudi to Start Moneefa Oilfield Development in '07 [Oct 1]
"Saudi Aramco said on Sunday it would start developing the Moneefa oilfield in the first quarter of 2007 to add 900,000 barrels per day of Arab Heavy crude by mid-2011. Moneefa is also expected to produce 120 million cubic feet per day of gas, the state oil firm said in a statement. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has fast-tracked oilfield expansion plans to boost output capacity to meet rising world demand.." [more]

US Proposes $84m Defense Sale to Saudi [Oct 1]
"The US is likely to sell $84 million worth of major defence equipment and non-defence equipment to Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). The Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the US has notified Congress of the possible sale for the continued effort to modernise the SANG. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $84 million, a statement said.." [more]

More Leadership Positions for Women in Ministry of Education [Oct 1]
"More women are expected to occupy top positions in the Ministry of Education and the integration of the girls and boys administrations, procedures and curriculum is also planned, according to Dr. Samia Binladen, assistant director general of girls education administration in Jeddah. Dr. Binladen was promoted to the job over a month ago and is the first woman to hold such a position in the Western Province.." [more]

Muslim Body Rules Out Intellectual Security for Religious Institutions [Oct 1]
"Dr Abdullah Al Turki, secretary general of the Makkah-based Muslim World League, emphasised that the religious institutions in the kingdom have no need to establish intellectual security departments on their own.. ..'The required thing for them is mapping out of programmes on promoting national culture and revision of curriculums with the objective of inculcating religious values in the minds of the younger generation,' he said. 'The educational programmes and precautionary measures being followed by the government of Saudi Arabia, are enough to fulfill these requirements'.." [more]

Mideast Targets Investments in Asia and Africa [Oct 1]
"The Middle East is looking at more investments in Asia and Africa rather than the US and Western economies, according to a senior economist.. ..The Middle East countries' pursuit of investments in Asia is not merely a result of the way the US handled DP World's acquisition of P&O's assets in the US as well as other such Middle East investments, but it is mostly due to purely economic reasons, according to Lyons.." [more]

Saudi Customs Revenues Expected to Rise to 11b Riyals Next Year [Oct 1]
"Saudi Customs Director General Saleh Bin Ali Al Barak expressed hope that the Kingdom's customs revenues would reach 11 billion Saudi riyals next year. "Customs revenues have reached 10 billion riyals, up from 9.7 billion riyals last year," he noted. He attributed the increase to the huge rise in imports.." [more]

Saudi Texaco Objects to New Kuwait Refinery [Oct 1]
"Saudi Arabian Texaco, the Chevron subsidiary, which operates the partitioned neutral zone with Kuwait, has objected to the site of a huge new Kuwaiti oil refinery.. ..The head of Texaco Ahmad Al Omar wrote to Kuwait municipality, which made the site allocation to the national refinery company, saying the site violated a concession agreement signed some 50 years ago.. ..the port, called Saud Port by Riyadh, is part of the area reserved for the Texaco operations based on a concession agreement signed in 1954.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: Launch of the Emaar (construction) Economic City [Oct 1]
"Saudi Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Hashem Yamani, declared on Saturday the launch of the Emaar (construction) economic city public shareholding company with a caputal of SR8.5 billion US$ 2.3 billion. According to him, the capital of the Jeddah-based company is divided into 850 million shares at the nominal value of ten Saudi Riyals per share, noting that the founders of the company has subscribed by 595 million shares representing 70 percent of the company's capital.." [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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