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Abdullah's Chance To Bridge The Divide [Mar 24]
Thomas L. Friedman - "Is Saudi Arabia becoming the new Egypt? That's a question you hear more and more these days in Arab circles, as Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah becomes more diplomatically active and Egypt, the traditional leader of the Arab world, becomes more diplomatically passive.." [more]

Al-Naimi staying as Saudi’s oil minister ‘offers Opec stability’ [Mar 24]
"Ali al-Naimi’s reappointment as Saudi Arabian Oil Minister may signal stable policy from Opec’s leading producer as members Iran and Venezuela antagonise the US, the world’s largest consumer. Al-Naimi, 71, will serve a fourth four-year term, the Saudi press agency said on Thursday. Al-Naimi, dubbed the “Greenspan of oil,” helped smooth divisions among the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, reviving its power as prices rose fivefold from 1998’s record low, said Anthony Nunan, an oil trader at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.." [more]

Hurdles high as Rice heads to Mideast talks [Mar 24]
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives here Sunday in another attempt to revive peace efforts as Washington and other Middle East mediators still are sorting out how to deal with the new Palestinian coalition government.. ..In an effort to find broader avenues to peace, Rice was scheduled to meet Saturday with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and foreign ministers of the so-called Arab Quartet of moderate states: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. She will meet Monday with King Abdullah II of Jordan. High on the agenda is the revival of a peace initiative adopted at the 2002 Arab summit in Beirut. The initiative, proposed by Saudi Arabia, called for peace and normal relations with Israel in return for its full withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.." [more]

Morgan Stanley in Saudi Arabia Bank Venture [Mar 24]
"Morgan Stanley, a U.S. investment bank keen to expand in the Middle East, signed a deal on Friday to form a joint venture with Saudi securities firm Capital Group. Officials said at the signing that the U.S. bank would hold a stake of about 50 percent in Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia. They did not give the value of the deal, pending regulatory approval. The Riyadh-based Capital Group, founded by Fahad Almubarak in 2001, holds Saudi licenses to offer advisory, banking, asset management and trading, officials said earlier.." [more]

Rice meets Arab ministers in Egypt [Mar 24]
"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a Middle East tour on Saturday by meeting four Arab foreign ministers in the south Egyptian town of Aswan to explore Arab views on steps toward peace with Israel. Just a few days before an Arab summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Rice says she wants Arab governments to add some "active diplomacy" to an Arab peace initiative launched in 2002.." [more]

On Mideast Trip, Rice To Try a New Formula [Mar 24]
"..One of Rice's possible goals this spring, diplomats said, is to bring together the Quartet, the Arab Quartet, Israel and Palestinian leader Abbas for a single meeting. This would publicly bring together Israeli and Saudi officials for the first time since 2000; such a high-profile meeting between the Jewish state and the keeper of Islam's holiest sites would be considered a breakthrough -- especially by Israelis -- and a coup for Rice.." [more]

Bird flu in Saudi Arabia [Mar 24]
"Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Agriculture is dealing with an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at a farm in the Eastern Province, reported the Saudi Gazette. The ministry carried out tests on turkeys, parrots, peacocks and ostriches on the farm and found evidence of the virus, after which all the birds were culled and the entire area sterilised. Investigations are underway to trace the source of the outbreak.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Bars Israeli Journalist Traveling With U.N. Chief [Mar 24]
"Saudi Arabia has barred entry to a Washington-based Israeli journalist traveling with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on his current Middle East tour, the United Nations said today. Egyptian President Rebuffs U.N. Chief on Darfur (March 24, 2007) Mr. Ban is going to Riyadh on Tuesday for two days of the summit meeting of the League of Arab States.." [more]

Roh begins official visit to Saudi Arabia [Mar 24]
"South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for a three-day official visit aimed at boosting South Korea's economic relations with the leading Middle East country.." [more]

Saudi, Jordanian leaders discuss regional issues ahead of an upcoming Arab summit [Mar 24]
"Saudi King Abdullah and Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday discussed ways to revive the Middle East peace process, a key topic at an upcoming Arab summit in Riyadh on March 28-29.." [more]

Rice Bringing New Middle East Ideas [Mar 24]
"..Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left yesterday to visit Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Jordan in an effort to make progress on Middle East peace. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Rice’s trip would begin with a stop in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, where she will meet ministers from the so-called “Arab Quartet” of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as President Hosni Mubarak. Rice will discuss ways to revive long-frozen Middle East peace negotiations with the ministers from the Quartet, all four of them at odds with US strategy. These four countries are major players in the Arab League, which will meet next week in Riyadh.." [more]

King’s Move to Maintain Stability [Mar 24]
"Saudis welcomed Thursday’s decision taken by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah allowing existing ministers to continue in their posts for another four years, saying this sign of stability would have a positive impact on the Kingdom’s overall progress. Political and economic analysts said the decision would also serve as a boost to the Kingdom’s five-year plans as well as numerous economic city projects. Four-year extensions were also given to a number of senior officials and presidents of some universities,," [more]

Shuaiba-3 to End Water Crisis in Jeddah [Mar 24]
"Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen has said that Jeddah’s water problem would be solved within two years with the supply of 1.3 million cubic meters of water from desalination plants in Shuaiba on the Red Sea. “The new desalination plant in Shuaiba (Shuaiba-3) will supply about 550,000 cubic meters of water to Jeddah when it is ready by the end of next year,” he said, adding that the per capita water share in the city would increase to 350 liters daily.." [more]

Amman Says Arab Initiative Serious Offer [Mar 23]
"A dormant five-year-old Arab initiative for peace with Israel is a serious offer and will be the cornerstone of discussions at next week’s Arab summit, Jordan’s foreign minister said yesterday. “The Arab initiative represents a constructive Arab position and a serious peace offer,” Abdel Ilah Khatib said.. ..Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said yesterday his country is ready to make 'big and painful' concessions to advance the peace process and that Arab initiative could be a starting point.. ..'The Saudi initiative is interesting and contains many parts I would be ready to accept... not all
of them'.." [more]

Nominee to Be US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Appears Before Congress [Mar 23]
"President Bush's nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia says, if confirmed, he will work with the Saudis to further anti-terrorism efforts.. ..At a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Fraker said Saudi Arabia has made and continues to make progress in the fight against terrorism. 'Hundreds of terrorists have been arrested and killed in the last three years,' said Ford Fraker. 'I believe the Saudis have come to understand the need to address the roots of extremism that underlie terrorism, especially the need to aggressively deny financial support for terrorist organizations. If confirmed, I will be committed to expanding and deepening our efforts in these critical areas'.." [more]

Saudi King Abdullah Keeps Cabinet, Including Al-Naimi [Mar 23]
"Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has reappointed all the government's cabinet members, including Minister of Oil Ali al-Naimi.. ..Naimi, who has served as oil minister for a dozen years, will guide the world's largest oil exporter at a time when the two next biggest producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Iran and Venezuela, are engaged in a military or political standoff with the U.S., Saudi Arabia's closest ally. Abdullah has made no changes to his cabinet since taking power in August 2005 from his deceased half-brother King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saudi.." [more]

Bird Flu Discovered in Eastern Saudi Arabia [Mar 23]
"Saudi Arabia's agriculture ministry has said the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu had been discovered in birds at a house in the east of the kingdom.. ..the virus was found in peacocks, turkeys, ostriches and parrots at the house last month after a man phoned the ministry about deaths of birds. All birds in the area had been culled.." [more]

Doctor Says Sex Correction Cases Need Societal Support [Mar 23]
"More than 325 "gender correction" operations were conducted in one Saudi hospital over the past 25 years, medical doctors in Saudi Arabia said. The operations, viewed as personal secrets in the conservative Kingdom, were conducted at King Abdul Aziz hospital in Jeddah.. ..He noted that sex change is illegal according to Islamic Sharia but sex correction is legal. He urged the public to support this segment that has been victim of wrong diagnosis at birth. Saudi Arabia does not allow surgery for transsexuals, but permits operations on people with an intersex condition.." [more]

Not Much Expected from Arab Summit – Analysts [Mar 23]
"Failures of previous Arab summits appear to have dimmed the expectations from the Riyadh gathering of 22 Arab heads of state next week. Despite their general optimism, many Saudi political analysts are not expecting much from the March 28-29 Arab League summit. Hussein Shobokshi, a writer and a political analyst, said people are expecting a lot out of this summit especially that it comes at a critical moment when the Arab region is passing through tough times and the volume of foreign troops in the region is on the rise. He does not expect any magic solutions. But he is optimistic considering the fact that the present situation necessitates at least coordination among Arab countries to overcome such crises.." [more]

Saudi Arabia, Jordan in Pre-Summit Talks [Mar 22]
" Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks with Jordan's King Abdallah on major regional issues including Palestine and Iraq as part of his efforts to make the March 28-29 Arab summit in Riyadh a success.. ..The Jordanian king has called for the relaunch of the Arab peace plan that offers normalization of ties with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal to pre-1967 boundaries and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Saudi Arabia has stepped up preparations for the summit, which is expected to open a new era in Arab joint action.." [more]

Saudi Railways Organisation Postpones Rail Project [Mar 22]
"Build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract, involving construction of a 950-kilometre rail link and a 115-kilometre connection between ports and industrial cities. Total budget for the project is estimated to be USD5 blns. This project has been postponed indefinitely, as the client is experiencing difficulties to co-ordinate between the Ministry of Transport & Municipalities and local authorities to acquire the corridor of land required.." [more]

Saudi Plunges on Profit-Booking [Mar 22]
"Saudi Arabia’s stock market, the Arab world’s largest, suffered its biggest one-day drop in 10 weeks yesterday as investors booked profits from a six-day rally.. ..The Riyadh benchmark was the biggest decliner in the Gulf Arab region, where five of the seven markets posted gains. The index became the Gulf’s best performer this year after rallying more than 26% from a year low on January 30. The index fell 2.53% to 8,560.82 points, its biggest one-day drop since January 10.." [more]

$100 Oil With Iran Strike [Mar 22]
"An attack on Iran would push oil prices beyond $100 per barrel, a former Saudi Arabian oil minister said in London. "If America or Israel attacks Iran ... the prices of oil will go three digits," former Saudi Oil Minister Sheikh Zaki Yamani said. Oil was around $60.15 Wednesday.. ..An attack on Iran could shut that country's market, which produces about 4 billion barrels per day, as well as have reverberating effects through the Middle East region.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Sets Up New Company to Manage Stocks [Mar 22]
"Saudi Arabia will establish a 1.2 billion-Saudi riyal company to manage matters related to trading in stocks and bonds. The decision was taken by the Saudi cabinet during its regular weekly session on Monday.. ..The company will be responsible mainly for providing and managing mechanisms to trade in stocks and bonds as well as making settlements and registering ownerships of financial documents and storing relevant information. Part of the company's shares will be offered to the public through an initial public offering (IPO) at a time determined by the company's extraordinary general assembly.." [more]

Ministry Rules Out a Specialist Family Court [Mar 22]
"The long-awaited step to establish traffic, family and real estate courts will no longer be taken as the Ministry of Justice has ruled out the idea. The ministry in a press statement released yesterday, a copy of which was sent to Gulf News, said such types of courts were not covered by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz's earlier directive to the ministry to establish specialist courts.. ..All family disputes in Saudi Arabia are currently handled by Islamic Sharia courts that are not specialised in family affairs.." [more]

JCCI Asks US Investors to Take Part in Booming Economy [Mar 22]
"The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday extended an invitation to American businessmen and investors to take part “more aggressively” in Saudi Arabia’s booming economy.. ..Giving an overview of the importance of Jeddah as the commercial hub in this part of the world, Batterjee said: 'Rabigh, north of Jeddah, will have the second biggest harbor after Jeddah and you can imagine the kind of commercial and trading activity that will be seen here.' The Kingdom has a new investment law and the investment climate is getting better by the day. 'We want you to encourage American businessmen to come and see how they can further increase bilateral trade and investment,' he added.." [more]

HKFW Concludes Productive Consultative Talks in Kingdom [Mar 22]
"The Hong Kong Federation of Women (HKFW) concluded a four-day visit to the Kingdom here yesterday.. ..During their visit, the delegation met with officials from Effat College, The Jeddah Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Xenel Group, the Saudi Binladin Group and the Supreme Commission for Tourism (STC).. .. The HKFW was founded in 1993 and has become one of the leading women non-government organizations (NGO) in Hong Kong.." [more]

Businessline: Alwaleed Tops List of ‘100 Powerful Arabs’ [Mar 22]
"Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company, has been ranked No. 1 in Arabian Business Magazine’s 2007 list of 100 Most Powerful Arabs for the third consecutive year. Prince Alwaleed has previously been called the “Arabian Warren Buffet” and the “most powerful investor on earth.” The list was published simultaneously by Arabian Business Arabic edition. According to the magazine, it had been another busy year for Prince Alwaleed. 'He has successfully maintained his position at the very top of this year’s Power List'.." [more]

Summit to Relaunch Arab Peace Plan [Mar 21]
"The relaunch of the Arab peace plan to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, measures to bring security and stability to Iraq and the need to make the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) will figure high on the agenda of the 19th Arab League summit, scheduled to begin in Riyadh on March 28.. ..Leaders from 23 Arab League member countries will attend the conference, entitled “The Summit of Solidarity.”.. ..Arab foreign ministers have already discussed the summit’s draft resolutions, including the one addressing the laying out of an overall 2020 Arab strategy to acquire the technology to produce nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.." [more]

GCC Plans Pipelines to Offset Tehran Oil Threat [Mar 21]
"Gulf governments are planning oil pipelines that will bypass the world’s most vulnerable energy choke point, the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to avoid possible Iranian threats to global oil shipments, according to Dow Jones Newswires. If built, two pipelines could ferry as much as 6.5mn barrels of oil a day around the strait, an amount equal to nearly 40% of the daily exports currently shipped through the narrow channel at the entrance of the Gulf, says the DJN report. Construction of the first, smaller line is forecast to begin this year.." [more]

King Abdullah Receives Khaled Mashaal [Mar 21]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah received here on Tuesday Chairman of Hamas Political Bureau Khaled Mashaal and his accompanying delegation. In the course of the meeting, the two leaders discussed events in the Middle East and the new unity government in Palestine.. ..The Kingdom also issued a call to all influential nations to assist the new government, which is badly hampered by the refusal of many Western nations to provide much needed aid.." [more]

Local, Foreign Investments Help Create 255,000 Jobs in Saudi Arabia [Mar 21]
"Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA), Deputy Governor, Dr. Awad bin Saleh Al-Awad, said on Monday that more than 255,000 jobs had been created in the Saudi market as a result of increasing domestic and foreign investment. Al-Awad, who said that the private sector plays an important and growing role in advancing economic and social development in Saudi Arabia, added that the economic reforms undertaken by the Saudi government in recent years had played a major role in attracting investment. He pointed out that the balance of foreign investment in Saudi Arabia was in excesses of SR194 billion distributed in a variety of sectors, mainly oil and gas, petrochemicals and energy.." [more]

Saudi Arabia to Set Up Hospital in Jamia University Campus [Mar 21]
"India's leading university Jamia Milia Islamia will have an ultra-modern hospital in the campus with financial aid from Saudi Arabia. The university and the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia Tuesday signed an agreement to set up the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Health Center with an investment of Rs.22.5 million. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Jamia vice chancellor Mushirul Hasan and the Saudi embassy authorities at the university here.." [more]

Oil Prices Find Support From Declining Supplies in US [Mar 21]
"Oil steadied yesterday as traders balanced expectations for a drawdown in US gasoline stocks with lingering concerns over the health of the global economy. Oil prices have come under pressure from fears of a slowdown in the world economy sparked by troubles in the US housing sector and China's move to raise interest rates in an attempt to cool growth.. ..Prices have found support from declining gasoline supplies in the United States. 'This is a gasoline-led market right now and people are waiting to see what the inventories are going to be tomorrow,' said Chip Hodge of John Hancock Financial Services.." [more]

Banking, Investment Forum Set [Mar 21]
"An international forum for banks and investments is being held at the Jeddah Hilton from April 8-10.. ..Prince Abdul Majeed, told the media yesterday that the forum would mainly focus on investment opportunities in the Kingdom. The forum is set for opening on April 8. On its second day, the forum will discuss the new investment environment and how it reflects on banking services. It will have subsessions in the morning on the role of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and the jurisdiction of financial establishments, as well as hopes and expectations of banking establishments and services.." [more]

Swiss Schools Target Saudi Students [Mar 21]
"Swiss Consul General Adrien Evequoz hosted a Swiss education fair at his residence on Monday. The event showcased the programs of various academic and training institutions as well as facilities for summer and winter camps. 'We are not only looking at partnerships to promote our programs here, but also considering the opening of some of our prestigious institutions in this part of the world with local support,' Christopher Norton, director of marketing and communication.. ..Brillantmont International School, Leysin American School and Les Elfes Verbier SA were also here to promote their primary and secondary school programs, and summer camp facilities. Surval Mont-Fleuri was another participant that has a high school, women’s college and summer holiday course.." [more]

Austria Plans Heavy Duty Truck Assembly Plant [Mar 21]
"Austria is planning to set up a heavy duty truck assembly plant in Saudi Arabia. 'Our negotiations with local partners are in progress and we hope to succeed in establishing the plant in Riyadh,' Hartwig Seuchter, commercial counselor at the Austrian Embassy in Riyadh, told Arab News here yesterday. 'We are also gearing up for the Saudi-Austria joint economic commission meeting that is scheduled to be held in Riyadh this year,'.. ..Seuchter said that Saudi businessmen and investors had been showing increased interest in his country.." [more]

Lebanese President Hopes Saudi Endeavors Can Solve Lebanese Crisis [Mar 20]
"Lebanese President Emile Lahoud hoped Monday that Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz could succeed in his endeavors of holding the Arab Summit to solve the political crisis in Lebanon.. ..The Lebanese leader also hoped the Saudi efforts could help in securing a solid ground for a sustainable peace and national conciliation based on the Taef accord. In his letter, President Lahoud expressed gratitude to the move by King Abdullah to formally invite him as the president of Lebanon to take part in the upcoming Arab Summit Meeting in Riyadh. He also expressed his hope that the Arab Summit, which is due to be held on March 28-29, would adopt a united Arab stand to confront challenges facing the Arab world.." [more]

GITEX Saudi Arabia 2007 [Mar 20]
"..The bustling, cosmopolitan Saudi capital Riyadh is a perfect place to hold the GITEX Saudi Arabia 2007 exhibition – which will be hosted in collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Center. Riyadh is Saudi Arabia’s busy governmental and corporate hub, rich with a variety of schools, universities and research institutes – all of which are helping propel internet and technology demand skywards.. ..IT decision makers are focusing in the Saudi IT sector. They are all going to be participating in GITEX Saudi Arabia 2007, seeking to seize a lucrative slice of the investment pie.." [more]

LPGA and FSA Bring Sports Diplomacy for Women to a New Level [Mar 20]
"The Ladies Professional Golf Association and Friends of Saudi Arabia have teamed up in a sports
diplomacy initiative to bring Americans and Saudis together for sport and dialogue at the Friendship
Invitational Woman's Pro-Am Golf Tournament and Forum in Orlando, Florida April 15-17, 2007. The event will bring sports diplomacy for women to a new level allowing women's empowerment and interaction to occur both on and off the green.. ..Forum speakers include: Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain, President of Middle East Institute and former UN high commissioner; Supermodel/Actress and activist, Amber Valletta; Saudi writer and TV Presenter, Lubna Hussein; California politician, Ferial Masry, the first Saudi woman to run for office; Ergonomics Researcher, Shatha Samman; and Pam Swensen of the Executive Women Golfers Association.." [more]

Saudi Women Unemployment on the Rise [Mar 20]
"Speaking at a forum on women in business in Jeddah yesterday, Al-Homaid said that unemployment among women is gradually diminishing, however, Saudi Labor Ministry statistics show that unemployment of Saudi women increased from 21 percent in 2002 to 26 percent in 2006. However, 66 percent of Saudi university students are women. "These numbers show that the entrance of women in the working field is inevitable and needed," he said. He said that social obstacles including the transportation problems and unpleasant working environments are the major factors driving the unemployment.." [more]

Capital Market Company Approved [Mar 20]
"The Council of Ministers yesterday approved the establishment of the Saudi Capital Market Company with a capital of SR1.2 billion, converting Tadawul into a joint stock company fully owned by the state-owned Public Investment Fund, an official Cabinet statement said.. ..Abdul Rahman Al-Tuwaijri, acting chairman of the Capital Market Authority, said the establishment of the new capital market company would have a positive impact on the market as it would carry out executive responsibilities. “This is a decision that goes in line with international stock markets,” he added.." [more]

Women’s Empowerment a Must [Mar 20]
"Princess Adelah bint Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz and Lubna Al-Olayan expressed their concerns and worries at the first session of the Khadija bint Khuwailid Forum yesterday. Both stressed that without utilizing 100 percent of Saudi society’s talents and abilities, the country would never develop, compete internationally or witness any real national economic growth.. ..Al-Olayan identified five major points which are vital to the success of businesswomen. They are: providing the education that is really needed; providing opportunities for training women equal to those available for men in banks and companies such as ARAMCO and SABIC; encouraging women to take the initiative and then rewarding them; ensuring continuous support and encouragement by family members and colleagues; having the same rights and benefits men have.." [more]

Arabs Pin Hopes on Summit [Mar 19]
"People in the Arab world are enthusiastically looking forward to the March 28-29 Arab summit in Riyadh. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the summit host, has voiced optimism that the two-day conference will strengthen Arab unity and be a source of effective resolutions. “This summit is held at an important time when the Arab world is facing several challenges such as the situation in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia. I expect the summit will issue important resolutions to meet our political, economic and social challenges,” said Muhammad Bin Ahmed Tayeb, director general of the Foreign Ministry’s office in the Makkah region.." [more]

Assad Speaks on Cloudy Relations With Saudi Arabia [Mar 19]
"Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Monday that ties with Saudi Arabia had passed through a "cloudy" period, but he hoped this month's Arab summit will help patch up differences. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was enraged by the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Saudi ally.. .."We hope the Arab summit will be a new departure between Syria and Saudi Arabia and between the Arabs in general," he said, adding he had good
personal relations with King Abdullah stretching back over a decade.." [more]

U.N. Secretary-General Calls Saudi Proposal Pillar in the Peace Process [Mar 19]
"U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon hailed the 2002 Middle East peace initiative by Saudi Arabia during an on camera interview with the Voice of America (VOA). "I think the Arab peace initiative of 2002 by Saudi Arabia is one of the pillars, which will facilitate the peace process in the Middle East," said Ban Ki-Moon in an interview with Voice of America Television. "We must build upon these good principles.".. ..Ban also observed that the response from the Palestinian coalition to the proposals of the Middle East Quartet (which includes Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia and the European Union) was "disappointing" observing that, "Initial reports coming from this national unity government seem to be a little bit disappointing. They have not clearly stated they will abide by these three principles.".." [more]

Businesswomen Keen to Play Their Role in Saudi Arabia's Development [Mar 19]
"Saudi businesswomen are on the march. Emboldened by the policies of a reforming monarch, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, they are keen to play their role in contributing to the Kingdom's GDP and economic development. Empowerment and gender equality may be largely aspirational at this stage, but as the first-ever supplement of the Top 20 Saudi Companies run or owned by local businesswomen in today's Arab News shows, they are well on their way. This contribution speaks for itself. The Top 20 Companies listed in this supplement, for instance, employ more than 4,200 people, presumably women. In this respect they are creating real jobs for Saudi women, whose adult unemployment rate ranges from the official 30 to 40 percent to the unofficial 80 percent.." [more]

New Saudi Rules to Secure Maids' Rights [Mar 19]
"Saudi Arabia announced that it would soon release new regulations governing the contract and employment of its large number of foreign housemaids. The first of its kind, they are expected to organise relations between housemaids and their employers and set up the obligations and rights of both parties.. ..Thousands of housemaids in the kingdom run away from their employers ever year and seek refuge at their respective embassies. Most of the maids are from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the
Philippines, but there are maids from a number of other countries like Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Maids leave their employers for a variety of reasons, including non-payment of wages and maltreatment by family members.." [more]

All Eyes on Saudi King's Key Speech [Mar 18]
"Political and economic analysts are looking forward to the speech to be delivered by the Saudi king before the Shura (Consultative Council) on Thursday.. ..Gulf News has learned that the Saudi monarch's address, to coincide with the end of the 4th session of the second year of the Shura Council, will include a number of important decisions for the coming period. New domestic and foreign policies are expected to be announced by the king. Domestic observers expect the king's speech to focus on fighting corruption in the kingdom.." [more]

World Support Grows for Palestinian Cabinet [Mar 18]
"Palestinians installed a new coalition government yesterday in hopes of persuading the international community to end its isolation of the Palestinian National Authority and lift a year of bruising sanctions. The new alliance, which replaced a Hamas-led Cabinet, appeared to implicitly recognise Israel by calling for a Palestinian state on lands the Israelis captured in 1967. The European Union welcomed the government but said a resumption of aid would depend on an assessment of the new Cabinet's actions.." [more]

Israel Refuses Contacts With Cabinet [Mar 18]
"Israel will not deal with the new Palestinian government, a government spokeswoman said yesterday, after the Hamas-Fatah coalition laid out its programme to parliament. At the centre of the platform is a call for establishing a Palestinian state in landsIsrael occupied in the 1967 war. However, it falls short of explicit recognition of Israel and affirms that the Palestinians have a right to "all forms" of resistance against occupation.." [more]

Saudi Railway Organization Clinches Deals With US Firms [Mar 18]
"The Saudi Railway Organization (SRO) has entered into contracts with 20 American companies for the supply of train engines, heavy equipment and spare parts, its chairman Khaled Al-Yahya said.. ..Al-Yahya said the contracts also included training of Saudi personnel, both in the Kingdom and the US, in the operation and maintenance of the engines. The agreements also included joint research projects to handle some operational and technical problems faced by the SRO.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Routinely Frees Detainees [Mar 18]
"The analysis, based on government case files for Saudi detainees sent home over the past three years, shows inmates being systematically freed from custody within weeks of their return. It also raises questions on how detainees are selected for release: While some of the repatriated Saudis were accused of lesser offenses -- such as working for charitable organizations with alleged ties to al-Qaeda -- others were released in spite of standing accusations that they belonged to al-Qaeda or the Taliban, or even fought against U.S. or coalition forces in Afghanistan, records show. The case files also offer insight into the nature of U.S. evidence against the detainees.." [more]

Saudi Arabia - Attracting Investors to Become Part of Economic Growth [Mar 18]
"Since its inception in April 10, 2000, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has, so far, licensed 3608 projects (upto Mar-2006) amounting to SR292.7bn. Foreign investors, contributed 38.3%, i.e. SR112.2bn of the total licensed investments, whereas the Saudi share amounted to SR180.5bn i.e. 61.7% of the total investments In Jan-07, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority announced its target to license investment projects worth more than SR300bn in 2007.. ..SAGIA's One-Stop-Shop (OSS) issued 505 licenses with a total value of SR72bn, a 107% rise over the same period last year when 219 licenses were issued at an aggregate value of SR35bn.." [more]

ICRC Official Estimates ‘a Few Dozen’ Saudi Detainees in Iraq [Mar 18]
"The number of Saudi citizens who have been detained by US-led multinational forces in Iraq was estimated at “a few dozen,” according to a high official of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).. ..Jean- Michel Monod, head of regional delegation, ICRC, said that even though the Red Cross was able to visit Saudis detained by the multinational forces, they were still prohibited from visiting Saudi captives being held by Iraqi authorities because negotiations have still not been finalized with the Iraqi government.." [more]

Seven Firms Qualify to Bid for Kingdom’s 3rd Mobile License [Mar 18]
"Kingdom Turkcell, MTC & Partners, Samawat-Bharti, Oger Telecom, Tawasul-Digicel, MTN Saudi Arabia and Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Rajhi-Reliance have been qualified to bid for Saudi Arabia’s third mobile phone license, it was announced yesterday.. ..Saudi Arabia, considered the largest telecom market in the region, also plans to end the fixed line monopoly of Saudi Telecom Co. this year to liberalize the market. There are four million fixed-line users in the Kingdom, which has a population of 27 million including expatriates. Ten consortia led by leading international companies including Verizon Communications of the US and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. of India and China Telecom are competing for the Kingdom’s second land phone license.." [more]

US Ready for Non-Hamas Contacts [Mar 18]
"The US says it has decided that it will have contact with some of the new ministers in the Palestinian unity government, sworn in on Saturday. US consular official in Jerusalem said the US would maintain contact with ministers it feels it can work with. US officials deny this amounts to a shift in policy, saying they will still not deal with Hamas. Israeli PM Ehud Olmert urged the international community to have nothing to do with the new government.." [more]

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