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A Convenient Time for Saudi Arabia to be Ambivalent [Jan 20]
"What is the main driver behind Opec power Saudi Arabia's oil policy? This question is sweeping trading floors and it could be unanswerable. Is it a desire to contain any potential threat from Iran or is it the kingdom's struggle to balance its own economic interests with those of top energy consumer the United States?.. ..Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al Naimi on Tuesday told oil traders not to panic and said there was no need for further action. These comments from the world's top oil exporter helped to push prices more than a dollar lower.." [more]

President Arrives for a Two Day Visit to Saudi Arabia [Jan 20]
"President General Pervez Musharraf arrived here Saturday on the first leg of his five-nation visit to the
Arab countries in a bid to make fresh efforts for the resolution of the Palestine issue, that remains at the
heart of tension and conflict in the region.. ..The President during his stay will meet King Abdullah bin
Abdul Aziz and besides bilateral matters, regional and international issues, discuss the prevailing situation in Middle East including Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan.." [more]

CMA Plans New Laws to Stabilize Stock Market [Jan 20]
"The Saudi stock market plummeted further last week against the backdrop of a decision by the market’s watchdog, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), to suspend the trading of two firms for incurring heavy losses.. ..The CMA Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Tuwaijeri made it clear that the authority was determined to apply similar decisions across-the-board against all listed firms the losses of which exceed 75 percent of the capital, according to the law. But he expected such measures 'to reflect positively on the market and enhance investors’ confidence'.." [more]

German Delegation to Visit Kingdom [Jan 20]
"A 28-MEMBER business delegation from the state of Lower Saxony, Federal Republic Germany will be on three-day visit to Saudi Arabia starting from Jan. 29. The visit of a German business delegation led by Hirche, Minister of Economic Affairs Employment and Traffic of the Federal State of Lower Saxony would be aimed at promoting already fast growing bilateral trade relations between the Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany, said a press statement issued by German-Saudi Arabian Liasion Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO), the organizer in Riyadh.." [more]

Role of IPOs in Rebuilding Gulf Stocks [Jan 20]
"The overexuberance of investors connected with initial public offerings (IPOs) in the Gulf stock markets of 2005 certainly dimmed in the correcting market of 2006, but still the combined value of over $7.5 billion represented a 35 per cent increase over 2005's total of $5.6 billion.. ..Analysts tend to agree that the correction which the market underwent in 2006 augurs well for the future IPO market.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Plans to Boost Output Capacity 40% by 2009 [Jan 19]
"Saudi Arabia plans to increase its crude oil production capacity nearly 40 per cent by 2009 and double its refining size over the next five years to keep pace with growing global demand, the country's oil minister said. Ali Al Naimi said the plans are part of a $80-billion commitment that Saudi Arabia - the world's biggest oil exporter - has made to increase oil supplies in the global market.." [more]

CMA Halts Trading in Another Firm [Jan 19]
"The Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) has suspended trading in another loss-making company, Anaam International Holding Group, effective from tomorrow. According to information available on the Tadawul website, Anaam, formerly Mawashi Mukairish, has made losses equaling 95 percent of its capital.. ..Nahed M. Taher, chief executive officer of Gulf One Investment Bank, told Arab News yesterday: “I believe that this decision should have been taken more than a year ago. However, it is never late and the decision of suspending shares of some of the losing companies from the stock market is definitely the right decision.." [more]

Bisha Scandal Rocks Saudi Trading Week [Jan 19]
"The Saudi Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) started the past trading week with a sharp decline of 4.6 per cent in reaction to the suspension of Bisha Agricultural Development Co's trading. Analysts attributed the decision of the Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) to the initial financial results announced by the company in November 2006, which showed a profit of 51 million Saudi riyals for the first nine months of 2006.. ..CMA asked the company to republish its financial statements for the same period. The revised results revealed a 22.2 million riyal loss or 96 per cent for the first nine months of 2006. The CMA's decision has affected the market, sending ripples of fear that other distressed companies may face the same situation.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Seeks US$50 BN Foreign Capital Investments [Jan 19]
"Saudi Arabia today invited foreign investment to the tune of 50 billion dollars in sectors like infrastructure, oil and gas.. ..Speaking at a session on 'Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia' at ASSOCHAM, Abdul Rahman said the investment structure in these sectors would be mentioned in the proposed tenders for private sector investments of 30.6 billion USD, investment in oil and gas sector at 7.4 billion USD and in government sector at 12 billion USD.." [more]

Islamic States Lag in Science, Says Report [Jan 19]
"Members of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) are lagging behind other countries in science and technology, the 75-member body said in a recent report. The report pointed out that only three countries among the OIC members produce high technology products for export.. ..OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology Dr Ali Akbar Salehi said that most member states are allocating minimum funds for science and technology.." [more]

IOM and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Partner on Tsunami Assistance [Jan 19]
"IOM's Director General, Brunson McKinley, begins a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia tomorrow, the first such official visit by an IOM director general to the country.. .. key part of his visit will be the signing of an agreement with Saudi Charity Campaign for the Relief of the Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in East Asia. The agreement will allow for the building of 500 new homes by IOM in Sri Lanka's southern district of Ampara, one of several badly affected by the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 35,000 people in the country.." [more]

Five Foreign Scholars Win King Faisal Prize [Jan 19]
"Scholars from Russia, Canada, the United States of America, Britain, Egypt and Morocco won the prestigious King Faisal International Prize for the year 2007.. ..The prize for Medicine has been awarded jointly to Canadian Professor Fernand Labrie, Head of the Department of Molecular Endocrinology, Central Hospital of Laval University at Quebec and Professor Patrick Craig Walsh, an American, in recognition of their respective contributions to therapeutic and surgical management of prostate cancer.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Casts Wary Eye on its Shiites [Jan 19]
"..With a Sunni-Shiite cold war descending on the region, Saudi Arabia appears to be hardening its sectarian battle lines. That, experts say, could mean that it once again will regard its Shiite minority, mainly clustered in eastern oases like this one, solely as enemies of the state.. ..'You don't see [Saudi King Abdullah] quashing any of this very, very public anti-Shiite rhetoric,' says Mr. Jones. 'That's a sign that he either isn't interested in doing it or that he can't'.." [more]

OECD Concerns Over Saudi Probe [Jan 18]
"There are "serious concerns" about the UK dropping a fraud probe into a Saudi arms deal, says the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD, which drew up an anti-bribery treaty signed by Britain, has been reviewing the Serious Fraud Office decision announced last month. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the decision to end the probe was taken in the interests of national security.." [more]

Saudi-Indian Joint Commission Starts Meeting [Jan 18]
"The seventh session for the Saudi-Indian Joint Commission was inaugurated here today under the chairmanship of minister of commerce and industry.. ..It is worth mentioning that the volume of trade exchange between the Kingdom and India amounted to sr 47.12 billion in 2005.." [more]

Saudi Arabian Businessmen Want More Multiple-Entry Visas [Jan 18]
"India should offer a more liberal visa regime for Saudi citizens and grant more multiple-entry visas, Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to India Saleh Mohammad Al-Ghamdi said Thursday. 'Our people are facing problems in getting multiple-entry and long-term visa from the Indian embassy in Riyadh. They only get single-entry visa for one month,' he said while addressing a meeting of Indian and Saudi business leaders organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here. 'I am sure India would look into this issue and reciprocate, as getting multiple-entry visa from the Saudi embassy here for Indian businessmen is not a problem,' the envoy added.." [more]

Morgan Stanley to Form Saudi Arabia Bank Venture [Jan 18]
"US investment bank Morgan Stanley, rapidly expanding in the Middle East, said it would form a joint venture with Capital Group, a securities firm based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The venture will engage in underwriting, trading and wealth management, as well as an asset management business allowing Morgan clients to invest in the country. The office will start with 25 professionals but likely will double in size over the next year.. ..The deal to create Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia is expected to be completed before the end of the first quarter. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.." [more]

Don't Tie Bush's Hands on Iraq: Saudi Envoy to U.S [Jan 18]
"A vote by the U.S. Congress limiting the number of American troops that could be deployed in Iraq would send the wrong signal to the Middle East and make people wonder if President George W. Bush's authority has been weakened, Saudi Arabia's outgoing envoy to Washington said. Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former long-time Saudi intelligence chief who is about to retire after just over one year as envoy to Washington, also warned the United States against military action to set back Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying the consequences would be 'catastrophic'.." [more]

Saudi to Have 3M B/D Spare Oil in February [Jan 18]
"Saudi Arabia's spare crude oil production capacity will rise to 3 million barrels per day (b/d) in February
after a second round of Opec output cuts, oil minister Ali bin Ibrahim Al Nuaimi said yesterday. He also told reporters in the Indian capital that long-term investments in the oil sector will not be determined by
short-term crude oil price movements. 'Investments in the oil and gas industry is very long-term investment, it is not decided upon by short-term price movements'.. ..The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has an estimated 100 exploration and production projects with estimated investments of $100bn to meet rising demand, but justifying spare capacity to calm oil market nerves has been difficult.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Launches 19 Information Centres [Jan 18]
"In a bid to boost its tourism industry, Saudi Arabia has installed 19 tourism information centres throughout the country.. ..'This move comes within the first phase of the tourism information centres project which aims to install 20 centres during 2006 and the beginning of 2007.." [more]

The Desert Set for Production [Jan 18]
"Twenty-nine-year-old Saudi filmmaker Muhanned Kumkumji announced he would begin working on a new film project titled 'The Desert', saying that the recent Saudi production 'Kaif Al-Hal?' has ushered in period where Saudis will start to take film production more seriously.. ..“The Desert” is a story based on true events that take place in the desert Kingdom. The project will be 100 percent Saudi produced and funded and is expected to be released in early 2008.." [more]

Oil Prices Sink Close to $50 a Barrel [Jan 18]
"World oil prices dived close to $50 per barrel in London and New York yesterday, hitting fresh 19-month lows after the market ruled out the prospect of a new OPEC production cut.. ..Oil prices have now sunk by more than 16 percent since the start of 2007, dampened also by low heating fuel demand been caused by recent milder-than-expected winter weather in the United States and Europe.." [more]

US Defence Chief Seeks Saudi Support on Iran [Jan 18]
"US Defence Secretary Robert Gates touched down in Saudi Arabia yesterday angling for support from the kingdom in confronting Iran’s suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. Gates, who flew into Riyadh from Kabul, was also expected to discuss Washington’s new strategy for taming sectarian bloodshed and chaos in Iraq when he sees King Abdullah for face-to-face talks.. ..Gates indicated that Washington was counting on Riyadh’s support in addressing hot-button issues in the region, starting with Iran’s nuclear programme. 'I think we can always use Saudi cooperation on these issues in the Gulf region'.." [more]

Saudi Backs US Plan, says Iraq Role Key [Jan 17]
"The US won Saudi backing yesterday for a US plan to stabilise Iraq, but Washington’s Gulf ally said success depended on Baghdad tackling sectarian strife driving the country towards civil war. Saudi Arabia fears that a plan announced by US President George W Bush to stabilise Iraq would lead to an early departure of US troops from Iraq, leaving the violence-ravaged country moving towards full-out civil war that might spill beyond Iraq’s borders.." [more]

Blair Under Fire Over Saudi Probe [Jan 17]
"Tony Blair has been accused of backing down on a pledge that his government would be "whiter than white", by ending a fraud probe into a Saudi arms deal. Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell asked if others would be dropped in the same way as 'this squalid affair'. But Mr Blair said the Lib Dems could not have it 'both ways'- continuing with the inquiry without dealing a serious blow to UK interests. He called their stance as 'an object lesson in the absence of leadership'.." [more]

Oil Steady Near $51, Saudi Comments Pressure [Jan 17]
"Oil steadied near $51 on Wednesday, after falling to a 20-month low the previous session as top exporter Saudi Arabia said there was no need to worry about the market's 16 percent slide so far this month.. ..'There is no need to worry because the market is in a very healthy condition,' the kingdom's oil minister Ali al-Naimi told reporters on Wednesday.." [more]

Saudi Able to Maintain Riyal Peg to Dollar [Jan 17]
"Saudi Arabia, the world largest oil exporter, has the ability to maintain the riyal currency’s exchange rate against the dollar despite fluctuations in crude prices, Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf said yesterday. Saudi Arabia ruled out any change to its dollar peg on Monday, forcing markets to roll back expectations of a region-wide revaluation after the prospect was raised last week by the United Arab Emirates.. ..'We have the capability to preserve the exchange rate'.." [more]

Tehran Denies Seeking Riyadh Help on US Ties [Jan 17]
"Iran has denied it asked Saudi Arabia to ease tension with Washington over its disputed nuclear programme and Iraq but analysts said yesterday Tehran may be trying to prevent US-allied Arab states lining up against it.. ..Analysts said Larijani’s visit to Riyadh may be part of efforts to prevent Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, which fret about Tehran’s atomic ambitions, from lining up against Iran, a worry expressed by Iran’s leadership.." [more]

Summit Bid to Heal Rifts [Jan 17]
"Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the Arab League announced yesterday that Riyadh will host the organisation’s next summit on March 28 and 29 in a bid to heal divisions in the region.. ..Riyadh had originally declined to hold the next annual summit following a 2006 meeting in Khartoum, resulting in an announcement the 2007 gathering of Arab heads of state would be held in Egypt’s resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Asked about the change in position, Qatan told reporters that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia 'understands well that the region is passing through a critical and delicate period'.." [more]

Kingdom’s Role Crucial in Solving M-E Crisis [Jan 17]
"Saudi Arabia could serve as a steam engine in the current peace process around the world, according to an American professor of international law and diplomacy.. ..The main objective of Wedgwood’s first visit to the Kingdom is to formulate US foreign policies with the Saudi community. She met several Saudi community leaders and Saudi women she thinks are 'highly proficient and qualified when talking about regional politics' on current issues like Iraq and Lebanon.." [more]

SRMG’s Record Profit Will Attract More Investors [Jan 17]
"The record profit gained by the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) in 2006 reflects the success of the restructuring program carried out by its top management during the past years, economic analysts said. SRMG’s financial results for 2006 will also encourage investors to put their money in its stocks, the analysts said after the company announced that it posted a net profit of SR261 million last year, registering a 44 percent increase compared to 2005.." [more]

Saudi Housing for Tsunami Victims [Jan 17]
"The Saudi Charity Campaign (SCC) will sign an agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Jan. 20 to establish a model housing city in Sri Lanka at a cost of SR38.74 million to accommodate the country’s tsunami victims. The housing city to be named after Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will have 500 houses, two schools, a clinic, a mosque, a playground and a shopping complex, according to Saeed Al-Harithy, head of the Saudi charity.. ..Al-Harithy described the housing city as one of the largest relief projects to be implemented by Saudi Arabia in Asia.." [more]

Saudi-Indian Ties Mark Unprecedented Increase [Jan 17]
"Saudi-Indian relations marked an “unprecedented” increase, with bilateral trade reaching around $10 billion at present from $7 billion in 2005, Saudi Ambassador Saleh M. Al-Ghamdi briefed the media.. .. He credited this development to “wise and inspiring leadership” on both sides, an increase in diplomatic visits, the ease in visa restrictions and agreements agreed to during the visit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to India. Al-Ghamdi said there is a parallel increase of Saudi investment in India.." [more]

Saudi is Urged to Ease Tensions [Jan 16]
"Iran has asked Saudi Arabia to help ease tensions between the Islamic Republic and the US in a letter delivered by Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator to the Saudi King, a Saudi official said yesterday. The letter, from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was delivered by Ali Larijani to King Abdullah. A Saudi official said Iran wanted Saudi leaders to relay a goodwill message to Washington.." [more]

Rice Seeks Saudi Backing on Iraq [Jan 16]
"US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Saudi Arabia as she tries to rally support for
Washington's latest plans to try to stabilise Iraq. She was due to hold talks with top Saudi officials in the capital Riyadh.. ..Ms Rice has also met Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian heads on her tour of the Middle East, and announced plans for a US-Israeli-Palestinian summit.." [more]

Measures Underway to Restructure Judiciary [Jan 16]
"Saudi Arabia is working on modernising its judiciary laws to eliminate bureaucracy in courts and to
accelerate settlement of disputes. The step is part of a move, to be approved soon, for restructuring the
Saudi judiciary. Media and legal circles in the West have been criticising the Islamic-based legal procedures in Saudi Arabia.." [more]

No Change in Saudi Currency Policy [Jan 16]
"Saudi Arabia ruled out any changes to its dollar-pegged exchange rate yesterday, driving the riyal to a
13-month low as markets rolled back expectations of a currency revaluation by the world's biggest oil
exporter.. ..Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (Sama) dismissed any suggestion of a riyal revaluation this year, becoming the third of the six Gulf central banks to say it planned to stand by a currency regime set up to prepare for monetary union in 2010.." [more]

Saudis Top Master Index Consumer Confidence [Jan 16]
"Saudi Arabia topped the MasterIndex consumer confidence in the region with the highest confidence score of 97.3.. ..Buoyed by strong economic growth and abundant liquidity fuelling both public and private investments in the Middle East, consumer confidence in the region for the six months ahead is generally optimistic, according to the latest MasterIndex survey released yesterday.." [more]

Finland Seeks Joint Venture Projects [Jan 16]
"Finnish Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paula Lehtomaki announced yesterday that his country is preparing to sign a reciprocal investment protection agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering trade ties. Saudi Arabia had a 634-million-euro trade deficit with Finland in 2005.. ..RCCI Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy said that he expect a local businessmen to visit Finland in the near future. 'As a result of these discussions, we would like to send a Saudi trade delegation to Finland to identify new areas of interests'.." [more]

Blair Refuses to Answer Calls to Reopen Saudi Arms Probe [Jan 15]
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair has refused to answer a call from 130 campaign groups to reverse his decision to scrap a corruption inquiry into the Al Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Lobby groups including Amnesty International, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth and Transparency International have written to Blair and other ministers in an effort to get a Serious Fraud Office inquiry into the deal between BAE Systems.. .. and the Saudi government reopened.." [more]

Spanish Minister Cancels Speech at Saudi University Because of Ban on Women Reporters [Jan 15]
"Spain's justice minister on Monday canceled a speech he was to deliver at a university in the Saudi capital after authorities there refused to allow women journalists accompanying him to attend, news reports said. Minister Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar was due to give the lecture at Riyadh's Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, regarded by liberal Saudis as the heart of Saudi conservatism. Women are strictly banned from the men's campus.." [more]

Ministries Launch Websites [Jan 15]
"..The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced that companies wishing to apply for commercial registration may do so electronically by downloading the application form. This will greatly reduce the time spent on bureaucratic procedures. A number of Saudi and international companies as well as government organizations are taking part in an e-exhibition being held on the sidelines of the conference which ends Wednesday.." [more]

KM Properties to Invest $1.36bn in Saudi Arabia [Jan 15]
"Dubai-based KM Properties plans to invest Dh5 billion ($1.36 billion) in Saudi Arabia’s property sector. The real estate arm of the Knowledge Management Group (KMG) today announced a major Middle East expansion with new offices in three Saudi cities, Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah.. ..An entrance of this scale is expected to create a substantial number of jobs for the Saudi market. The company is also in discussion with various developers in the country and is expected to announce a number of joint ventures soon.." [more]

Do Not Isolate Iran: Saudi King Abdullah [Jan 14]
"Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said here yesterday at a joint press
conference with Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal that Italy called on Iran to play a role in solving many problems in the Middle East. 'We hope that Iran will be determined to solve regional problems since it is a large country with a significant influence,' he said. Fini also said that both Italy and the Kingdom agreed on the danger of isolating Iran from the international community. Both, he said, were determined to solve the Iranian nuclear crisis through 'diplomatic efforts'.." [more]

Saudi Souq to Open Soon [Jan 14]
"The Saudi version of online auction site Souq.com will be up and running in the next three months, the firm’s CEO confirmed this week.. ..Mouchawar revealed that 2006 was a big year for the firm in terms of sales for both the UAE and Jordan version of the site. 'In November alone, Souq.com listed over 18,000 new auctions, recorded over five million page views, and traded nearly six million dirhams in gross merchandise volume'.." [more]

Saudi Stocks Tumble on Selling Pressure [Jan 14]
"The Saudi bourse tumbled to its lowest close in 26-1/2-months yesterday on selling spurred by fears that weak 2006 earnings could drag the index below 7,000 points for the first time since late 2004.. ..'Investors are panicking because there is no floor to decreasing investor confidence in Saudi,' said Hani Baothman, chief executive of Aayan Capital. 'If you walk in the streets you hear rumours that the market is going down to 6,800 points, and no one has a good reason.'.. ..The Riyadh bourse erased 52.5% of its value in 2006 after a crisis of confidence gripped regional investors.." [more]

Premier of Lebanon Goes to Saudi Arabia to Get Finance Support [Jan 14]
"Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora on Saturday went to Saudi Arabia in order to get financial support to the plan of the country’s reconstruction and reforms that will be presented at an international conference on aid to Lebanon to be held in Paris on January 25.. ..The Lebanese prime minister urged Arab leaders to provide support to his country in efforts aimed at the settlement of the political crisis that swept Lebanon and establishment of economic stability.." [more]

E-Government Portal to Become Functional [Jan 14]
"In what is seen as a significant move, the Kingdom’s e-government national portal will become operational at the first national e-transaction conference.. ..Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Orainy, adviser to the minister of communications and information technology, and Ali S. Al-Soma, the minister’s adviser for IT and director general of the e-government program, said the e-government portal would allow both citizens and expatriates to access government information on the Internet. 'It’s a major initiative for promoting transparency in government functioning and increasing productivity, efficiency and the speedy delivery of services to all people, including visitors'.." [more]

Taoiseach Heads Gulf Trade Mission [Jan 14]
"Taoiseach Bertie Ahern heads to the Mideast tomorrow as part of a trade mission to encourage multi-billion euro export links between Irish companies and business leaders across the gulf. Mr Ahern will lead a trade mission of 170 employers from 114 firms to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The expedition has been organised by Enterprise Ireland , which plans to increase exports to the region by 3 billion [Euros] by the end of 2007.." [more]

Regional Stability to Top Rice’s Talks With Saudi Leaders [Jan 14]
"Urging Arab states to step up support for the Iraqi government and exploring prospects for a renewed
Israeli-Palestinian peace effort are high on the agenda of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s upcoming visit to the Kingdom. Although specifics are not available, Melissa Ford, press attaché at the US Embassy in Riyadh, confirmed yesterday that Rice would arrive here today or tomorrow. “Rice will be accompanied by top US officials and will hold talks with senior Saudi officials during her stay here,” said Ford. Ford would not provide further details of Rice’s visit.." [more]

Male Guardians Make It Hard for Women to Work [Jan 14]
"Attitudes toward working women in the Kingdom are changing. Nonetheless, some working women find it difficult to balance the demands of their careers and the needs of their husbands and families. This is especially the case with women married to men who are unsympathetic to them working. Speaking to various career women, it does seem that the husbands and male guardians of many do not take seriously the jobs that many women do.." [more]

Khursaniyah Clarification [Jan 14]
"The report headlined “Aramco Defers Khursaniyah Project” that appeared on page 15 of the Arab News on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007 edition, incorrectly reports that “Saudi Aramco postponed the commissioning of the 500,000 bpd Khursaniyah oil and gas project to the fourth quarter of the year, a few months later than the previously announced date.. ..The Khursaniyah Project has always been scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of the year. Saudi Aramco Vice President for Project Management Ali A. Al-Ajmi said, “There has been no change in the Khursaniyah schedule and the program is progressing as planned.." [more]

Emergency OPEC Meeting Still Up in the Air [Jan 14]
"A senior Iranian oil official said on Sunday OPEC had still not decided on whether to hold an emergency meeting soon to discuss a 15 percent drop in crude prices since the start of the year, a ministry Web site said. 'There is still no official decision over holding an urgent meeting of OPEC in the coming days'.. ..OPEC President Mohammed al-Hamli, also UAE oil minister, said on Thursday OPEC was deeply concerned by the price drop and stood ready if necessary to bolster the world market.." [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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