Saudi-US Relations Information Service

Keeping Track - Recently on SUSRIS


Rollover image for info








Rollover image for info		Rollover image for info

Mubarak to Visit Saudi in Run-up to Arab Summit [Feb 23]
"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak travels to Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks with King Abdullah on an Arab summit due to take place in Syria next month, his office said on Saturday. Oil powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which hosted the annual summit in 2007, has not yet received a formal invitation from Syria to attend the March 29-30 forum amid tensions between the two countries over Lebanon's presidential crisis.. ..Arab analysts and recent media reports have suggested that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries may boycott the Damascus summit or send low-level delegates.." [more]

Businesses Fear Impact of Inflation [Feb 23]
"Nearly half of firms surveyed in Saudi Arabia last month expected inflation to have a negative impact on their business and a third said they would pass on higher costs, SABB bank said. In the survey, which showed high business confidence, more than a third of respondents said they expected Saudi Arabia, facing record inflation in December, to revalue its US dollar-pegged riyal by the end of September, the bank said. Saudi Arabia's dollar peg limits its ability to fight inflation, which hit 7% in January.. ..The US economy is slowing but Saudi Arabia's is growing due to a five-fold increase in oil prices over the past six years. Some 48% of 609 respondents said they expected inflation to harm their businesses and 33% said they would pass on higher costs to end-users through higher prices.." [more]

Saudi Men Arrested for Flirting [Feb 23]
"Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have begun investigating 57 young men who were arrested on Thursday for flirting with girls at shopping centres in Mecca. The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported. They were arrested following a request of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The mutaween enforce Saudi Arabia's conservative brand of Islam, Wahhabism.. ..The guardians of some of the men defended their actions, however, saying they would regularly get together at the weekend to have fun without ever violating laws governing the segregation of the sexes.." [more]

Women Want Women Muftis [Feb 23]
"Saudi women who find it embarrassing to seek a fatwa (religious ruling) on private matters are calling for appointing female mufti specialized in women's affairs. A fatwa is a formal legal opinion or religious decree issued by an Islamic scholar (mufti) recognized by the State. 'In many cases women find it embarrassing to seek clarification about matters and issues dealing with their day-to-day life,' Haifa Al-Kharboosh, a lecturer in Shariah (Islamic law) told the Arabic daily Al-Watan. Hence it is preferable that a knowledgeable woman in Shariah be assigned to reply to their questions," she said. There are several women licensed for different recitations of the Holy Qur'an and Al-Kharboosh wondered what prevented them from being accredited in Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence)?.." [more]

Private Sector Must Employ More Women [Feb 23]
"With 106,000 unemployed Saudi women actively seeking employment, 65 percent of them holding university degrees, Deputy Minister of Labor Abdul Wahim Al-Homaid said recently that the private sector should act more quickly to find places for these qualified workers. Al-Homaid also conceded that a proposal to place Saudi women in shops selling lingerie and other products targeting women (to replace expatriate men) has been a failure so far.." [more]

Fourth Saudi Airlift Relief Plane Leaves for Tajikistan [Feb 22]
"In implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to provide urgent relief aid to afflicted people in Tajikistan and a grant of $ 10 million as a result of severe cold and snow, the fourth Saudi airlift relief plane left Riyadh Airbase Airport for Tajikistan today. The plane carried 7.5 tons of relief materials including foodstuffs, blankets and rugs.." [more]

The Gulf States - Annual Report 2008 [Feb 22]
"The Gulf states are a pillar of US policy in the Middle East and in the present decade have moved towards political and economic liberalisation. The changes include the media, which is less restricted than before, but things have a long way to go.. ..The reforms begun in Saudi Arabia have had a good effect on both society and the media, according to many Saudi journalists. The royal family and religion still cannot be criticised, but the media’s margin for manoeuvre has significantly increased. Newspaper editors are still under pressure to avoid discussing the country’s international relations or national security. When 'mistakes' are made, they are usually encouraged to dismiss the journalists considered to be 'disrespectful' by the regime. Two journalists of the daily Al-Wakt in Bahrain were summoned by the authorities in January for referring to 'Bandargate,' a political scandal involving the royal family and regime officials that has been a forbidden topic since 2006.." [more]

Saudi Hip-Hop's Painful Birth [Feb 22]
"For many years, the members of the Saudi hip-hop group Dark2Men performed mostly in living rooms for their friends. They hid their pastime from relatives who view singing and dancing as shameful in this strict Muslim kingdom where concerts, theaters and movies are banned. But that all changed last month after the group auditioned for a hip-hop competition on MTV Arabia -- launched in November as the latest addition to the MTV network -- and became one of eight finalists from the Middle East.. ..In a kingdom where the Koran serves as the constitution, Dark2Men's rapid ascent from obscurity to the waiting room of pop fame has brought its three young members a mix of elation and misery.." [more]

Arabs and South Americans Want Energy Cooperation [Feb 22]
"Arab and South American governments are prepared to join forces in the energy sector. The theme deserved several paragraphs in the Buenos Aires Declaration, the document published at the end of the meeting of foreign ministers of both regions, which ended yesterday (21) in the Argentine capital.. ..During the meeting it was agreed that the next summit of heads of state of both regions should take place in the second half of this year in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The meeting in Buenos Aires included representatives of the 34 Arab and South American nations, many of them ministers, including Saudi Foreign Minister and prince Saud Al-Faisal, the secretary general at the League of Arab States, Amr Mussa, and the minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil, Celso Amorim.." [more]

Saudi Mulls Prudent Steps to Tame Inflation [Feb 22]
"Saudi Arabia, which pegs its currency to the dollar, said it will act with prudence when considering what measures to take to tackle inflation. The inflation surged to a record in December on higher rent and food costs. Saudi Arabia will 'deal with the matter with wisdom and prudence, and not surrender to superficially easy solutions,' Saudi central bank governor Hamad Al Sayyari said yesterday. 'Easy solutions can be catastrophic in the long term,'.. ..Saudi Arabia has held back from revaluing its currency or dropping the dollar peg that forces it to track the US in lowering interest rates to maintain the relative value of its riyal. Whilst the US economy is slowing, Saudi Arabia's is surging on a five-fold increase in oil prices during the last six years, causing bottlenecks and accelerated price rises. 'Many commentators blame the exchange rate and speak as if the matter is simple, as if de-pegging the riyal's link to the dollar would solve the problem of inflation,' Al Sayyari said. 'The truth is that the subject is far more complicated than that ... the impact of the exchange on local prices is limited.'.." [more]

Saudi Officials: Lebanon Crisis Putting at Risk Arab Summit in Damascus [Feb 21]
"Lebanon's political crisis has further damaged relations between Damascus and Riyadh, putting at risk next month's Arab summit in Damascus, Arab officials in Riyadh warned on Thursday. 'There is a crisis in ties with the Syrian government, with Lebanon the main reason,' a Saudi official told AFP. "Damascus has not joined in efforts, including the Arab initiative, to elect a consensus president" in Lebanon.. ..The Arab League proposal calls for the election of army chief General Michel Suleiman as consensus president, followed by the formation of a national unity government in which no single party has veto power, and a new electoral law.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Says Arabs Likely to Reconsider Mideast Peace Process [Feb 21]
"Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that Arab states would reconsider their stance if Israel continued its inaction of implementing the Annapolis deal reached last year. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, who was attending a South America-Arab foreign ministers meeting in the Argentine capital, said Arab countries have taken active actions to support the Mideast peace process in a bid to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace with Israel. However, the Arab world would scale back support for the Annapolis deal if Israel continued its settlement expansion in the West Bank.." [more]

Poly Proceeding With Partnership With Saudi College Despite Human Rights Concerns [Feb 21]
"Cal Poly is moving ahead with a multimillion-dollar partnership with a Saudi Arabian college, even as the plan has drawn ire from some professors and others because of that nation’s human rights record. Critics of the proposed collaboration — for which Cal Poly would get $6 million to help design new engineering programs abroad — say that qualified local faculty members could be shut out because of discriminatory Saudi policies.. ..But in discussions on campus and with The Tribune, Cal Poly officials deny that any bias would take place in the five-year partnership with University College of Jubail, a city on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. 'There is no intention on our part to exclude anybody,' said Bill Durgin, Cal Poly’s provost. 'Anybody who wants to participate will have the opportunity to do so.' Under the program, about a dozen Cal Poly faculty members would design curriculum, laboratories and admission requirements, among other duties. They would also help hire and train Saudi instructors.." [more]

Aramco Allots $45b for Expansion [Feb 21]
"Saudi Aramco announced on Wednesday that $45 billion has been allocated to carry out the company's expansion plan, adding that it would increase oil output to 12 million barrels a day next year from the current 9.6 mbd. The expansion plan calls for incorporation of five new oil production mega projects representing an increase in crude oil production capacity by 3 million barrels per day. Aramco said the cost that does include the company's joint projects in the area of refining and petrochemical processing which are valued at about $35 billion. These projects are the largest in Aramco's history and include Al-Kharasaniyah project which has a capacity of 500,000 barrels per day, Al-Shaibah project with a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day, Al-Naim, which will produce 100,000 barrels per day, Khurais, at 1.2 million barrels per day and Manifa, at 900,000 barrels per day.." [more]

Saudi Women Will Not Be Flight Attendants [Feb 21]
"Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA), the kingdom's national carrier, has ruled out any plans to hire Saudi women as flight attendants, ending a long controversy about employing Saudi women on-board its fleet. The national carrier said that such jobs are inconsistent with Saudi society. At the same time, SAA said that it is planning to hire Saudi women at ticket sales centres adding this will begin initially at the airline's headquarters in Jeddah.. ..In 2006 SAA announced that it intended to recruit more women in line with the government's policy to increase job opportunities for Saudi women, while respecting religious teachings.." [more]

Education Fair Shuts Out Women [Feb 21]
"Twelve Australian universities are being showcased to the Saudi public in a three-city tour. Around 1,200 Saudis have visited the exhibition, which was held in Al-Khobar and Riyadh.. ..While 1,200 visited the university fair so far, women were excluded from the event. 'Women are not allowed, security guards at the Marriott Hotel told Saudi women interested in attending the fair. After being turned back by security guards, around a dozen young Saudi women gathered at the lobby of the Marriott hotel where the event was taking place. 'Due to our limited budget, we couldn't open a separate section for female visitors,' Nimrawi told Saudi Gazette. 'We try to attend to their needs in the lobby of the hotel.' However, this didn't play well with some of the female visitors.." [more]

Women Driving Is Not in Conflict With Religion: Scholars [Feb 21]
"A well-regarded Saudi religious scholar said that there is nothing in Islamic law that bans women from driving and that the fatwas issued in this regard are based on individual judgments. 'In principle women driving is permitted in Islam,' said Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a member of the Kingdom’s Council of Senior Islamic Scholars. The ban, he said, has to do with the social complications rather than the act itself.. ..Fawzeyah Al-Oyouni, a woman’s rights and human rights activist, said that most people agree that Islam doesn’t forbid women from driving. The problem, she says, is that the government isn’t moving fast enough to implement the necessary actions to open the way for a smooth transition toward allowing women to drive. The Saudi government has pointed out that there is no law that states women cannot drive.." [more]

Inflation Jumps Above 6% in 5 Saudi Cities [Feb 21]
"Consumer prices in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and four other cities topped 6 percent in the fourth quarter, growing faster than the average of 16 cities, as food, rent and utility costs surged, official data showed. Saudi Arabia’s dollar peg means its ability to fight inflation — which hit a record 6.5 percent in December — is limited because it has to mirror US interest rates at a time when the United States is lowering them to ward off recession.. ..Inflation last year averaged 4.1 percent, a 12-year high. Average inflation in the prior five years was just 0.8 percent. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, pegs its currency to the dollar, which declined almost 11 percent last year against the euro.." [more]

King OKs Rail Link Between Holy Cities [Feb 21]
"Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered the implementation of the Makkah-Jeddah-Madinah railway project using Saudi local funds, Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry announced yesterday. He said the royal directive would speed up the implementation of the project known as Makkah-Madinah Rail Link (MMRL), which is estimated to cost SR20 billion ($5.33 billion) and bring about revolutionary changes in the transportation of pilgrims between the two holy cities.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Confident of Meeting Expansion Target [Feb 20]
"Top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia is confident it will reach a target to lift crude oil output capacity, a
top executive from the country's state oil firm said on Monday. Saudi Arabia holds the world's largest oil reserves and is expanding supply capacity to meet rising world demand at a time when higher costs are leading to delays and cancellations across the oil and gas industry. State oil firm Saudi Aramco aims to lift supply capacity to 12 million barrels per day, enough to meet 14 per cent of current world demand, by the end of 2009.." [more]

Saudi Muttawa Hits Back on Arrest of Businesswoman [Feb 20]
"A Saudi Arabian commission hit back yesterday at critics of their arrest of a businesswoman in a Starbucks cafe for mixing with a male colleague, threatening to sue a journalist. The powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice charged the Saudi woman was making suspicious gestures while in the man's company and broke the law on several counts.. ..the 5,000-strong Muttawa accused Yara of violating both the law and Islamic tenets by flying unaccompanied from Jeddah to Riyadh and sitting alone with an unrelated man in a public place in a section reserved for families. Muttawa said its members went to the coffee shop after receiving information that the woman did not have her head covered and was wearing make-up.." [more]

KSA to Recruit Cuban Doctors [Feb 20]
"The Ministry of Health is reportedly planning to recruit senior doctors from Cuba because of difficulties in recruiting from countries that have been traditionally supplying qualified medical staff to Saudi Arabia. Dr. Obied Al-Obied, undersecretary at the Ministry of Health for Planning and Development, revealed to Al-Madina Arabic daily the Cuba option. The ministry has been mainly recruiting doctors from Arab countries like Egypt, Sudan, Tunis and Syria in addition to some other Islamic countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh and also from friendly countries such as India. In the past few years, however, the ministry had been facing some difficulties in recruiting doctors because of both stiff international competition and improvement of the standard of living in these countries.." [more]

US Visas From Dhahran Starting May [Feb 20]
"At the US Consulate’s Presidents’ Day reception on Monday evening, US Ambassador Ford M. Fraker announced that the US Consulate in Dhahran will open for full visa services from May 3.. ..'I am extremely pleased we are opening full non-immigrant visa services in Dhahran,' Fraker said. 'This action demonstrates the high value the United States places on our relationship with Saudi Arabia and the historical importance of the Eastern Province to American and Saudi friendship. We expect that this step will facilitate business and tourism and will allow greater numbers of Saudi students to study in the United States.'.." [more]

Saudi Bribery Cases Surge, Despite Crackdown [Feb 20]
"Corruption and bribery cases continue to increase in Saudi Arabia, despite legislative efforts to fight the practice.. ..Saudi anti-corruption laws stipulate severe punishment against those who receive bribes, stating that employees who accept gifts or promises to perform any duties face 10 years imprisonment or fines of up to one million riyals ($267,000). The government report follows the 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published in September by anti-corruption coalition Transparency International, which placed Saudi Arabia as the most corrupt Gulf country with a score of 3.4.." [more]

IPO Attracts More Than Five Million Investors [Feb 20]
"The initial public offer of shares in Saudi Arabia’s newest cellular licensee, Saudi Zain, attracted more than five million investors and was 151% oversubscribed. 5.05 million investors purchased 952 million shares worth a total of SAR9.52billion (USD2.5 billion), reported Arab News. Saudi Zain (originally known as Saudi MTC) won an auction for Saudi Arabia's third national mobile licence in March 2007, beating off competition from the likes of Orascom Telecom (Egypt), MTN (South Africa), Turkcell (Turkey), Oger Telecom (UAE), Reliance (India), Bharti (India), MTNL (India) and Digicel (Jamaica) with its winning bid of SAR22.91 billion (USD6.11 billion).." [more]

Oil Price Surges to More Than $101 a Barrel [Feb 20]
"Oil prices have surged to more than $101 after fears that Opec nations will reduce output. In New York, light sweet crude oil finished trading on Tuesday at $101.01 a barrel, a rise of $4.51 on the day. Opec producers are due to meet on March 5 but analysts are predicting they will cut oil production because of the slowdown in the US economy.." [more]

Saudi To Hold First Official Film Contest in May [Feb 19]
"Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia, where movie theatres are banned, will hold its first official film festival
in May, a newspaper reported Tuesday. There have been smaller and informal movie screenings in recent years but the contest, to be underwritten by the government, will mark the first time film critics from the region will be invited to take part, the Arab News said. The planned annual event will start on May 20 and is organised by a literary club based in the eastern city of Dammam and the Saudi Society of Arts and Culture, the English-language paper said. Quoting poet Ahmad al-Mulla, a board member of the Dammam Literary Club, the paper said the five-day contest will feature Saudi and other Gulf and Arab movies of various genres.." [more]

Cabinet Condemns Israel for Aborting Chance for Peace [Feb 19]
"The Council of Ministers on Monday said Israel was aborting any chance for peace by announcing its plans to go ahead and build new settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The Council reiterated its condemnation of Israel's continued military escalation and aggression against the Palestinians, and its ceaseless killing of innocent people. The Council noted in particular Israel's aggression against Al-Breij Camp in the heart of the Gaza Strip, which destroyed lives and property, SPA said. King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, presided over the session Monday afternoon at his residence in Rawdhat Khuraim. The Council appealed to the United States and the international community to stop the continuing Israeli aggression and give a push to the Middle East peace process.." [more]

Cabinet Ratifies UN Protocol on Illicit Weapons [Feb 19]
"Saudi Arabia yesterday ratified the UN protocol against illicit manufacturing of, and trafficking in,
firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. A meeting of the Council of Ministers, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, made the decision to ratify the firearms protocol. Countries that ratify the protocol must adopt a series of crime control measures in order to prevent illegal manufacturing of, or trafficking in, firearms on the basis of the protocol requirements.. ..The objective of the protocol is to promote, facilitate and strengthen cooperation among states in preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit manufacturing of, and trafficking in, firearms, their parts and components and ammunition.." [more]

Virtue Commission Defends Arrest of Businesswoman [Feb 19]
"The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice yesterday defended its action against the Jeddah-based businesswoman Yara earlier this month, saying she violated Saudi regulations and Islamic law. 'The Ministry of Labor does not approve mixing of men and women at work places. So it’s both a violation of the country’s law and the Shariah,' the commission said in a statement carried by Sabq.org Internet portal. In its first reaction to the arrest of Yara, a mother of three, in Riyadh on Feb. 4 by its officials, the commission also said that it reserved the right to take legal action against columnist Abdullah Al-Alami for accusing its officials of abducting the woman.. ..There was public outcry in the Kingdom and around the globe at the highhandedness of the commission members.." [more]

Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg to Form Business Forum [Feb 19]
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg will soon form a business council to promote bilateral trade between the two countries, Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy, chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Arab News yesterday, following his talks with Prince Guillaume, crown prince of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg who is currently visiting the Kingdom. The prince, who is leading a 30-member trade delegation including Jeannot KRECKE, minister of economy and foreign trade, met a number of key Saudi officials during his visit.." [more]

Saudi Ministry Admits Some Imams Lack Qualifications [Feb 19]
"An official at the Saudi ministry of Islamic affairs ruled out accusations that prayer imams and preachers in Saudi Arabia are not concerned in their sermons with the daily social life of citizens. Dr Tawfeeq Al Sudairy, undersecretary of the Saudi ministry of Islamic affairs, described as 'individual behaviour and not a phenomena' the use of mosques' Friday sermons for promoting certain ideologies.. ..Meanwhile, the Ministry has admitted that some of its mosques imams (prayer leaders) and preachers lack qualifications that enable them to promote the role of mosques.." [more]

Saudi or Expat, We Want Qualified Staff [Feb 19]
"Difficulties in obtaining visas for foreign workers and finding qualified Saudi personnel are the main
problems businesswomen here face. They addressed their problems to Deputy Minister of Labor Dr. Abdulwahed Al-Hameed during a closed circuit meeting at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Monday morning. "I have applied 10 times in the past two years for visas for interior designers and decorators without any results," said Daliyah Al-Get. Women with businesses in education and training complained of the legislation that prohibits them from recruiting trainers from abroad. 'We are not permitted to employ from abroad'.. ..'There are not enough qualified Saudi women in the market to fill our needs,' she said. 'Yes, there are many graduates but they lack experience.' Huda Al-Jeraisy, RCCI member who owns a computer-training institute, agreed. 'The problem is that we do not have Saudi females graduating with bachelors in Computer Science,' she said. 'They all have diplomas which does not meet the Ministry's requirements for holding such positions.' The
businesswomen suggested that they be allowed to employ expatriate women who are in the Kingdom as dependents - under their husbands' sponsorship and not on job visas.." [more]

Saudis to Hire Over 2 Million Domestic Workers in 10 Years [Feb 19]
"Experts estimate that during the next 10 years Saudi Arabia will recruit more than two million domestic servants to work in different parts of the country, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper reported yesterday. Walid Al-Suwaidan, director of the Recruiting Offices Committee in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh, said that the Saudi labor market would receive two million domestic servants of various nationalities over the next 10 years. The annual figure is expected to between 250,000 and 300,000.. ..He called on people to give up hiring unnecessary domestic helpers and those who hire maids purely for prestige not to do so. Many families recruit maids from abroad without any actual need for them.." [more]

Italy to Help Establish Biomedical Institute [Feb 19]
"Saudi Arabia and Italy have set out a new vision for bilateral relations in the field of education and culture following the launch of a joint initiative to help 300 Saudi students enroll in Italian institutions this year.'A total of 150 students will go to Milan, which has emerged as a premier destination for international students,' Mayor of Milan Letizia Moratti said here yesterday. She pointed out that the Kingdom would also attain a world-class level facility in the form of a biomedical institute following an agreement signed by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and a top oncology institute in Milan.." [more]

Saudi Arabia Advises Citizens Not to Visit Lebanon [Feb 18]
"Saudi Arabia, a key backer of Sunni Muslims in Lebanon, advised its citizens on Monday not to travel there because of a deteriorating political and security situation. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is a major backer of the Sunni-led government in Lebanon which is locked in a political battle with an opposition movement led by Shi'ite group Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria.. ..Diplomats and political analysts in Riyadh saw the Saudi announcement as a possible signal of more civil strife to come in Lebanon. 'They could see a real possibility of the situation getting out of control,' a senior diplomat told Reuters. Political analyst Khaled al-Dakhil said: 'Perhaps they have intelligence information that something is going to happen or they think the negotiations taking place now on presidential crisis are going nowhere. They are in a position to know.'.." [more]

Saudi Aramco Confident of Oil Expansion Goal [Feb 18]
"Top world oil exporter Saudi Arabia is confident it will reach a target to lift crude oil output capacity, a
top executive from the country's state oil firm said on Monday.. ..'We're pressing ahead and we are very comfortable, we're very confident," Khalid al-Buainain, Senior Vice President Refining, Marketing and International, told Reuters on the sidelines of a London conference. "We will reach it.' Aramco is confident it will reach the goal despite one major project coming on stream later than expected.. ..An official at Aramco had said in January the giant field, previously scheduled to begin pumping at the end of last year, would come onstream in the first quarter of this year.." [more]

Saudi Arabia: New Boycott Against Danish Goods After Cartoon Row [Feb 18]
"A new campaign has begun in Saudi Arabia calling for a boycott of Danish products, after the fresh publication of 12 controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, reported the Arab daily al-Watan. 'We will carry out a new boycott,' said the president of Arab entrepreneurs, Mohammed Abidat. 'It is imperative for Arab and Muslim tradespeople and shopkeepers to boycott Danish products,'.. ..On 12 February 2008, Danish police arrested five people in connection with a planned attack to kill the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who drew the original images of the prophet Mohammed in September 2005.." [more]

Saudi Draft Law to Curb Family Violence [Feb 18]
"A draft on a by-law to protect women and children against sexual, psychological and physical abuse will be finished next week, Saudi Minister of Social Affairs Abdul Mohsen Al Akkas has announced. The study by the Experts Commission of the Council of Ministers came after reports by Saudi and foreign human rights groups. The minister told reporters on Saturday evening that the new law was a qualitative move to eliminate domestic violence. 'What makes the ministry prepare this draft law is that there are cases of violence not only against wives but against children too,'.." [more]

New Saudi Measures May Cost Govt SR66 Billion [Feb 18]
" Saudi Arabia has announced its second public-sector wage increase in the course of two years. The first rise (15 percent) was instituted in 2005, following a 20-year pay freeze. It is estimated that this 2005 pay rise will have cost the government SR65 billion ($17.3 billion) by October 2008. This latest move follows public-sector rises of 15 percent in Bahrain and Oman during 2007, whilst the UAE announced a massive 70 percent increase. Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), governments have become attuned to growing calls for higher salaries to combat the rising cost of living.." [more]

Saudi King May Miss Syria Arab Summit Over Lebanon [Feb 17]
"Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is unlikely to attend the Arab League's annual summit in Syria next month unless a political deadlock in Lebanon is resolved, diplomats and analysts said on Sunday. Other Arab leaders may follow suit, potentially spoiling a chance for Damascus to shore up its regional standing in the face of U.S. pressure against it as a 'rogue state'. 'What we have heard is that if there is no president in Lebanon, King Abdullah and (Egyptian leader) Hosni Mubarak will not go,' said a senior diplomat in Riyadh.. ..'Saudi Arabia wants to persuade Russia to tell the Syrians to stand back and allow a president to be elected'.." [more]

Al Jazeera Calls Media Penalties a Risk to Freedom [Feb 17]
"Al Jazeera, the satellite television company based in Qatar, has reacted angrily to the adopting of a charter by the Arab League that authorizes member governments to penalize broadcasters that offend the religious or political authorities. The charter is 'a risk to the freedom of expression in the Arab world,' Al Jazeera said in a statement issued Friday. 'Some of the language contained within the charter is ambiguous and could be interpreted to actively hinder independent reporting from the region.' The measure calls on broadcasters to air only shows that 'conform with the religious and ethical values of Arab society and take account of its family structure.' It calls on governments to 'withdraw, freeze or not renew the work permits of media which break the regulations.'.." [more]

First Saudi Relief Plane Leaves for Tajikistan [Feb 17]
"In line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the Republic of Tajikistan, which has recently suffered from the wave of the cold weather and snow, in addition to a $10 million grant, the first Saudi relief plane left this morning for Tajikistan. The plane was carrying 10500 Kilogram of relief assistance including blankets, carpets and foodstuffs.." [more]

Reprinting of Mohammed Cartoon Condemned [Feb 17]
"The Saudi-based Muslim World League on Sunday condemned the decision by Danish newspapers to reprint a controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed but also urged Muslims not to overreact. The organisation, which represents Muslim associations worldwide, expressed its "deep consternation" and denounced 'the obstinacy in offending Islam and its Prophet', a statement on the official Saudi SPA news agency said. It also warned that reprinting the controversial cartoon would lead to more hatred and urged Denmark to act to stop the insults against the Prophet.." [more]

Shoura to Discuss Major Issues With Al-Assaf [Feb 17]
"Three hot issues — revaluation of Saudi riyal against the US dollar, rising inflation and a GCC common currency — will be the focus of today’s discussion between the 150-member Shoura Council and Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf. Dr. Osama Abu Gharara, deputy chairman of the Financial Committee at the Shoura Council, said the discussions would also deal with the Kingdom’s financial and monetary policies and its efforts to contain inflation. 'So far we have not seen any solution to control inflation,' Gharara told Al-Eqtisadiah business daily.." [more]

Albania, Saudi Arabia First to Recognize Kosovo? [Feb 17]
"Beta says an analysis shows Kosovo's unilateral declaration will first be recognized by some Islamic
countries. The news agency has had insight into the document, put together 'by some EU countries', that says the province's independence declaration, rejected by Serbia, will be recognized in "three waves". Albania, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and some other Muslim countries will lead the way, the report says. This will be followed by Austria, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and, the document speculates, France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy. The United States is also likely to recognize Kosovo very soon.." [more]

UK Powerless Over Saudi Threats [Feb 17]
"The UK government was powerless to resist threats from Saudi Arabia which forced it to drop a BAE corruption probe, a court heard Friday. Lawyers for the Serious Fraud Office said the ‘grave’ and ‘imminent’ threat to British national security was so great the office had no option but to close its two year investigation into the Al-Yamamah arms deal, UK media reported.. ..A lawyer for the groups said the government had not denied that Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who allegedly received $1 billion in secret payments from BAE, had in July 2006 threatened to withdraw a contract for Typhoon fighter jets if the inquiry was not dropped. The $8.8 billion deal for 72 Typhoon jets was eventually sealed in September 2007.." [more]

First Gulf Investment Forum Explores Gulf Common Market [Feb 17]
"The organizers of the First Gulf Investment Forum (FGIF) in GCC States noted that the variety of discussions in the eight working sessions of the forum, reflected different types of investments and financial trends in GCC states. They also illustrated the different experiences of the speakers at the Forum, they added. This variety, they said, will directly contribute to achieving the desired goals of the forum, which is the first of its kind after the establishment of the Gulf Common Market at the beginning of 2008.." [more]

Saudi Riyal Revaluation May Curb Inflation [Feb 17]
"Revaluing the Saudi currency against the dollar could help tackle inflation at a near record peak, but
severing the link to the dollar would not be a solution, a Saudi councillor was quoted as saying on Sunday. Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, which advises the king, is scheduled to meet with the finance minister and central bank governor on Sunday to discuss ways to fight inflation.. ..The deputy governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Mohammed al-Jasser, said last month it would take a 'precipitous' decline in the dollar for Saudi Arabia to consider revaluing the riyal. Saudi policymakers have repeatedly said the largest Arab economy would not sever its dollar link. 'I don't think that dropping the peg is a magical solution to curb inflation as there are neighbouring countries that changed the peg and their inflation reached record highs,'.." [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.
< Read More About SUSRIS >