SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.11.12 EDITION

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.10.12 EDITION

The image of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah launching the first phase of the university and higher education city projects on an iPad in a ceremony last week perhaps speaks more than the proverbial 1,000 words. Educators believe the time is ripe for the full-fledged …

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.9.12 EDITION
Saudis Had Key Role in Stopping Al-Qaeda Plot: Experts: MSN
5.8.12
The US administration said the plan was disrupted at an early stage but left key questions about the case unanswered, including where the bomb was recovered. Counterterrorism officials, however, said the plot was clearly the work of AQAP, suggesting the same bombmaker, Ibrahim Hassan Taleh Al-Asiri, who was behind previous attacks had designed the explosive. “The device has the hallmarks of previous AQAP bombs” that were used in a failed assassination attempt on Saudi’s top counterterrorism official in 2009 and in the failed 2009 Christmas Day bombing, said a senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ABC News reported that a spy linked to the CIA and other intelligence services infiltrated AQAP and managed to bring the bomb out of the country to Saudi Arabia, a staunch ally in Washington’s fight against Al-Qaeda.
BOMB PLOTTER WAS U.S. INFORMER: The supposed bomber at the center of a foiled plot to bring down a jetliner was actually a double agent who funneled vital information to U.S. and Arab intelligence agencies, according to officials, marking an apparently successful infiltration of al Qaeda’s most dangerous branch, the WSJ reports. CIA UNRAVELED BOMB PLOT FROM WITHIN: The Saudi intelligence service played a particularly important role in penetrating al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen and recovering the explosive device, according to officials, who described an elaborate espionage operation in which the CIA tracked the bomb’s movements for weeks and then killed suspected plotters in a drone strike after the device was seized, the Washington Post reports.Saudi Says Producers Pumping Enough To Deal With Iran Sanctions: REUTERS
Osamu Tsukimori | 5.9.12
Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Wednesday oil markets would remain well supplied even after fresh international sanctions against Iran take effect, as global crude oversupply is already as much as 1.5 million barrels per day. U.S. and European Union sanctions on Iran’s oil exports take effect in June and July, and are aimed at stemming the flow of petrodollars to Tehran to force it to halt a nuclear program the West suspects is intended to produce weapons.

Petchem Projects Lead Saudi Industrialization Drive: ARAB NEWS
5.9.12
The Saudi project market continues to thrive. Latest data from Meed put the value of projects “planned or underway” at $745 billion in mid-April, around 13 percent higher than a year earlier. These figures need to be treated with some caution: The topline number is some 30 percent larger than the nominal size of the entire economy ($580 billion), while the number of “planned” projects that might actually be rolled out is far from clear. Yet the trend is undeniably positive. The main drivers of project activity this year are likely to be utilities and petrochemicals. For the former, the Saudi Electricity Company is committed to at least one Independent Power Project (IPP) a year as it seeks to keep on top of domestic power demand that is growing by around 7-8 percent. This figure could well climb in the years to come as Saudi Arabia’s industrial development expands and deepens.

Mortgage Law Can Help Ease Housing Crunch: Saleh Kamel: ARAB NEWS
Nadim Al-Hamidi | 5.9.12
In an exclusive interview with Arab News at his JCCI office, Saleh Kamel opened up his mind to share his candid and outspoken views on a number of issues, as well as his areas of concern. He had also shed light on his deep-rooted and longtime association with Arab News, describing it as the best Saudi English language newspaper. He praised Arab News for its professionalism as well as for its outspokenness on almost all local, regional and international issues. Kamel spoke about his initiatives to launch the SR100 million endowment fund at JCCI, $11 billion Islamic bank based in Doha, and SR100 million company for generating employment for Saudis, in addition to a series of measures aimed at addressing the Kingdom’s unemployment problem. While noting that there are 1.2 million unemployed Saudis, he emphasized that effective utilization of Zakat revenues would do a lot in addressing the unemployment problem.

Tasnee Gets $1.36 Bln Islamic Loan For New Factories: REUTERS
5.8.12
National Industrialization Co (Tasnee) and Sahara Petrochemical Co have agreed a 5.09 billion riyal ($1.36 billion) loan with nine local banks to fund development of three new factories. The 16-year syndicated loan will finance investment in a new complex producing acrylic acid derivatives, the Saudi Arabian petrochemical producers said on Tuesday. Operations at Saudi Acrylic Monomer Company, Saudi Acrylic Acid Co and Saudi Superabsorbent Polymers Co in Jubail Industrial City on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, are scheduled to start in the first quarter of next year, they said. The project is a joint venture with Dow Chemical Co and Evonik.

Siemens To Build $160 Million Gas Turbine Plant In Saudi Arabia: ZAWYA DOW JONES
Ellen Knickmeyer | 5.8.12
German engineering conglomerate Siemens AG (SIE.XE) is building a 600 million Saudi riyals ($160 million) gas-turbine plant in the industrial city of Dammam to cater to the kingdom’s growing market. The factory, due for completion in late 2013, will have the capacity to produce up to 20 turbines a year in the initial phase, as much as Saudi Arabia would need each year under its current electricity expansion targets, Arja Talakar, chief executive of Siemens Saudi Arabia, told Zawya Dow Jones on Tuesday.

Alstom Delivers 1.2GW Power Plant To Saudi: TRADE ARABIA
5.8.12
Located on the Red Sea coast 100 km south of Jeddah, Shoaiba III is part of the enormous Shoaiba facility, which now generates a total of 5.6 GW to the Saudi grid from its fourteen units. Not just the largest power plant in the Kingdom but also the biggest in the whole region, Shoaiba has become known as ‘the Giant of the Middle East’. An Alstom-led consortium, with strong support from locally-based contractor Saudi Archirodon executed the three-stage Shoaiba project on a turnkey basis, with the company designing, supplying, installing and commissioning all aspects of the complex. The first contract was signed in 1998, and the initial phase of work on Shoaiba I was completed in August 2002 with three units entering commercial operation a total of 107 days ahead of schedule. An impressive series of similar achievements followed with all of the project’s stages – Shoaiba I, II and III – delivered ahead of schedule, and twelve out of fourteen units completed early.

Health Ministry Using Social Media To Push Hygiene Slogan: ARAB NEWS
5.9.12
The Ministry of Health is using social media such as Facebook and Twitter this week to promote the global annual “Clean Your Hands” campaign that kicked off in the Kingdom on Saturday. An official from the ministry’s health education department told Arab News yesterday that his department is handling the campaign throughout the Kingdom. Extensive arrangements have been made by the department to hold a scientific session today for medics and paramedics on the significance of the day.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Calls For Improvement Of Hajj Services: ARABIAN BUSINESS
Sara Anabtawi | 5.9.12
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Naif has called for the need to improve Hajj services as the Gulf state prepares to host millions of worshippers to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Creating additional space for pilgrims in Mina, expanding the Mashair Railway, facilitating Hajj visas for people outside the kingdom, and restructuring foreign media delegations, were all cited as key issues by the Supreme Hajj Committee, Arab News reported.

Saudi Fair Addresses Energy Needs: ARAB NEWS
5.9.12
Deputy Minister of Electricity, Dr. Saleh Al-Awaji, inaugurated the Saudi Energy 2012 — The 15th International Show for Electricity, Lighting, Power Generation, Water Technology, and HVAC for Saudi Arabia at the Riyadh Exhibition Center yesterday.

Saudi’s Prince’s Rotana To Move To Bahrain: GOOGLE NEWS
AFP | 5.9.12
Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has signed agreements with Bahrain to move his Rotana news and entertainment company from Cairo to the protest-hit Gulf state, the official BNA agency said on Wednesday. The move comes as Prince Alwaleed plans to launch 24-hour news channel, Alarab in the first half of 2013 to compete with Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya and the newly-launched Sky News Arabia satellite news channels.  ALWALEED’S ALARAB NETWORK TO FOCUS ON SAUDI, GULF: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Alarab station, which will join the ranks of Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and the newly launched Sky News Arabia, will start broadcasting in about a year from now, focusing primarily on Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, the venture’s general manager Jamal Khashoggi told Arabian Business, Arabian Business reports.

Cabinet Lauds King’s Handling Of Egypt Crisis: ARAB NEWS
5.9.12
The Council of Ministers yesterday commended Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his handling of the recent crisis between Saudi Arabia and Egypt and foiling the efforts of those who try to undermine Saudi-Egyptian ties. The Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by King Abdullah, praised the noble stand expressed by the Egyptian parliamentary and Shoura delegation toward the Kingdom, its government and people, reflecting the depth and strength of their relations.

IRAQ: OIL INDUSTRY EXPERIENCES NEW BOOM
Over the past four decades, Iraq’s oil production has traced the path of a roller coaster, propelled upward by geysers of crude and dragged downward by the weight of war and sanctions. In the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraqi output has failed to achieve the heights it reached under Saddam Hussein — until now, Ben Van Heuvelen (Washington Post) reports.

ENERGY: OPEC REASSERTS INFLUENCE
OPEC is regaining its clout by successfully weighing in to talk down oil prices.
Suggestions Tuesday by the Saudi oil minister, Ali Naimi, that prices were still too high and that OPEC might discuss a higher production ceiling at its next meeting in June helped prices slide further, the WSJ reports. Mr. Naimi’s price comments echoed the head of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, who last Thursday spoke against high prices for oil futures.

EGYPT: LOOKING AHEAD TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
With the Egyptian presidential elections scheduled to take place in less than three weeks, the attention of the media and policy-makers has once again turned toward Cairo’s fractious political landscape. Even after nearly a dozen presidential candidates were disqualified for various reasons, by the last count there are still at least another 13 candidates in the race. Of them, two candidates Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, the Islamist candidate, and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa are seen to be the most viable. While much can change in the weeks to come, clearly these elections are bound to be consequential for Egypt’s anything-but-assured democratic transition and for the region as a whole, MEPC writes.

SYRIA: CONFLICT SENDS RIPPLES ACROSS LONG-CALM FRONTIER WITH ISRAEL
Israeli officials, who for months were reluctant to discuss the fate of a hostile Syrian regime with which they have a long-held truce, are increasingly calling for its ouster. The same is true in the towns perched on a snow-streaked mountain visible from here, where most residents are members of the Druze religious sect who identify themselves as Syrian and where the conflict is carving deep new divisions, pitting cousin against cousin, Karin Bruillard (Washington Post) reports. ENVOY PINS HOPES ON SHAKY CEASEFIRE: Kofi Annan, the United Nations envoy to Syria, gave a pessimistic assessment yesterday, warning that the country was on the brink of civil war and that the UN observer mission “is the only remaining chance to stabilize the country,” Ariel Zirulnick reports.

ALGERIA: LEFT BEHIND BY ARAB SPRING, VOTERS GO TO POLLS
as Algeria goes to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament, the most striking thing about North Africa’s largest country is what hasn’t happened, rather than what has, the Guardian reports. METEOR SITE IN ALGERIA: Astronauts on board the International Space Station snapped this picture of the Ouarkziz Impact Crater in northwestern Algeria, the site of a meteor crash that occurred less than 70 million years ago, during the time when dinosaurs still inhabited the Earth. A stream channel that cuts through the rim of the crater formed following the impact the crater is about 3.5 kilometers across, the Atlantic writes.

LIBYA: MISSILES ON THE LOOSE
Whenever the CIA uncovers a new plot overseas, like al-Qaeda’s latest scheme to blow up civilian aircraft using advanced, hard-to-detect explosives, people breathe a sigh of relief. But this is a multifront war, and almost by definition, the attack that gets you is the one you didn’t see coming. For the past few months, I’ve been hearing private warnings about another threat to commercial planes — namely, the spread of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles from Libya after the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi’s regime, writes David Ignatius (Washington Post).

ASIA: CHINA BUYING OIL FROM IRAN WITH YUAN
China is buying crude oil from Iran using its currency the yuan, an Iranian diplomat has said.
Oil transactions are usually settled in dollars but US sanctions make it difficult for Iran to accept payments in the US currency.
Iran is using the revenue to buy goods and services from China, Mohammed Reza Fayyad, Iran’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, confirmed, BBC reports. CHINA EXPELS AL JAZEERA: Al Jazeera, the satellite broadcasting network, was forced by the Chinese authorities to close its China news operations of its English-language channel on Monday, the first such action in almost 14 years and the strongest sign yet of fraying relations between the ruling Communist Party and the overseas journalists who cover it, NYT reports.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.8.12 EDITION

KSA Says Should Aim For 41 GW Solar By 2032: ARABIAN BUSINESS

5.8.12

The King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) – set up to advise on the energy mix – has concluded the kingdom should try to build nearly 41 GW of solar capacity, enough to meet a third of expected peak power demand in 2032, while a sixth of installed capacity should come from nuclear and about half from oil and gas. “I’m confident Saudi Arabia will approve a diversified energy mix this year,” Khalid al-Sulaiman, vice president for renewable energy at KACARE, told Reuters after a presentation outlining KACARE’s recommendation to the Saudi government.

The Brotherhood Goes To Saudi: EGYPT INDEPENDANT

Sultan Al-Qassemi | 5.6.12

Unlikely circumstances came together in the past few days to mend ties between Saudi Arabia and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the rise of the Brotherhood in Egypt, relations between the two states stagnated before spiraling following the arrest in Saudi Arabia of an Egyptian human rights lawyer, Ahmed al-Gizawy. The charges against him are rather ambiguous. The official Saudi narrative indicates he is charged with drug smuggling, while other sources, including the defendant’s family, claim he was initially arrested for defaming the Saudi monarch. The Saudi ambassador to Egypt was withdrawn following angry protests in front of the Saudi Embassy in Cairo, and a “citizens’ delegation” led by the Muslim Brotherhood was quickly formed to visit Saudi Arabia and contain the situation. Even though Gizawy remains in Saudi custody and the future of his detention is unknown, the mission for which the Egyptian delegation was formed was a major success for the Brotherhood. The visit succeeded in securing the return of the Saudi ambassador, and more importantly for the Brotherhood, the visit broke the ice between it and the Arab state most skeptical of its rise.

Consumer Lending In Saudi Arabia Increases 5%: ARABIAN BUSINESS

Massoud Derhally | 5.7.12

Bank loans in Saudi Arabia increased 5 percent in the fourth quarter of last year from the previous three months to SAR 242 billion ($64 billion), Arab News reported, citing  a Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency report. Credit card debt in the kingdom fell 3.7 percent to SAR 7.7 billion, the Jeddah-based newspaper reported. The government is trying to expand small and medium-scale enterprise lending as it vies to meet demand for housing and job creation.

S&P Affirms Saudi Arabia’s Ratings: REUTERS

5.8.12

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at ‘AA-/A-1+’. The outlook is stable. The transfer & convertibility (T&C) assessment for Saudi Arabia is unchanged at ‘AA+’.

Legal Reform: Creeping Along: CROSSROADS ARABIA

John Burgess | 5.7.12

Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reform its legal system continue to progress, step by step. Arab News reports that the Shariah courts are likely to be the next target of codification. The issue has been a tendentious one, with some judges seeing it as an affront to their dignity and an attack on their powers. Nevertheless, the awkward fact of different courts imposing different sentences for identical behavior needs to be addressed. As the article notes, too, an important part of any justice system is permitting people who might end up before a judge to have some idea of what is criminal and what punishments they might expect. At present, there’s far too great a measure of randomness for actual justice to be found.

Saudi’s Naimi Says Kingdom Pumping 10 Mln Bpd: REUTERS

5.8.12

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is pumping around 10 million barrels per day (bpd) and is storing 80 million barrels to meet any sudden disruption in supplies, Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Tuesday. Worries of a supply disruption from the Middle East due to escalating tensions between the West and Iran over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme have pushed Brent prices 20 percent higher since the start of the year to a record of over $128 in March.

Qaeda Plot to Attack Plane Foiled, U.S. Officials Say: NEW YORK TIMES

Scott Shane and Eric Schmitt | 5.7.12

The Central Intelligence Agency, working closely with foreign partners, thwarted a plot by the branch of Al Qaeda in Yemen to smuggle an experimental bomb aboard an airliner bound for the United States, intelligence officials said on Monday. TIP CAME FROM SAUDI ARABIAN OFFICIALS: U.S. intelligence agents thwarted the plot two weeks ago after receiving a tip from Saudi Arabia, a source familiar with the operation said Tuesday. Authorities have said airline passengers were never in danger and that the would-be bomber no longer poses a threat, CNN reports. BOMB PLOT SHOWS NEW LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION, LAWMAKER SAYS: Investigators were studying an explosive device Tuesday that they say terrorists in Yemen crafted to slip past airport metal detectors and onto an airplane bound for the United States, CNN reports. 

Japan to Seek Stable Oil Supply from Saudi Arabia: REUTERS

5.7.12

Japan’s Trade Minister Yukio Edano said on Tuesday he would ask for Saudi Arabia’s continued support to help Japan secure a stable oil supply when he meets with Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi later in the day. “In general, Saudi Arabia has provided the greatest cooperation over many years in regards to a stable crude oil supply. I want to thank him for that and ask for continued cooperation,” Edano told a news conference. Japan has cut its crude imports from Iran amid tighter Western sanctions aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear program.

Saudi-Egyptian Crisis Fabricated, Says Saudi Ambassador to Cairo: AL-ARABIYA

5.8.12

The recent crisis between Saudi Arabia and Egypt over the arrest of an Egyptian lawyer for drug possession was fabricated, Saudi ambassador to Cairo Ahmed Abdul Aziz Qattan said, stressing that it will not affect future ties between the two countries. “This incident cannot in any way be compared to the 1979 crisis when diplomatic ties were severed,” Qattan told Al Arabiya, in reference to a rift between both countries over Egypt’s signing of the peace treaty with Israel during the rule of late president Anwar Sadat. According to Qattan, the problem started after the wife of lawyer Ahmed al-Gizawi, who was arrested at the Jeddah Airport, fabricated a story about different reasons for his detention turning the issue into a diplomatic standoff.

Citizens Hail Gigantic Leap in Higher Education: ARAB NEWS

5.8.12

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has strongly lauded the unlimited support by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to higher education in the Kingdom in general and in Makkah province in particular. The king recently inaugurated a project to construct a number of university colleges and student campuses at the tune of SR 81.5 billion.

Working Saudi Women Can Make Great Impact: Herfy CEO Al-Saied: ARAB NEWS

Diana Al Jasem | 5.8.12

Water shortage, oil depletion, and rapidly increasing population are among the major challenges facing Saudi Arabia, according to Ahmed Al-Saied, CEO of Herfy Food Services Company. If overlooked or neglected these problems could cause immense harm to the society with a burgeoning youth, Al-Saied says in an exclusive interview with Arab News. However, he says, he has immense faith in the country’s youth. He wants them to be proud of what God has given – natural resources, huge country and the most valuable Islamic cities in the world – Makkah and Madinah. A Riyadh-born science graduate in economics and political science, Al-Saied is the co-owner, CEO and chairman of Herfy Food Services Co., which he founded in 1980. In 2010 Herfy became a  public company and has since been trading in the Saudi stock market.

Saudis Build World’s First-Ever Underwater Mosque: EMIRATES 24|7

5.8.12

A group of private Saudi divers said they had built what they described as the first underwater mosque in history and that they performed prayers inside it just after it was completed, according to a newspaper. The divers used massive plastic pipes filled with sand to construct the symbolic mosque under the water off the northwestern town of Tabuk close to the border with Jordan, Al Madina said.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed Weighs New Investments, Handelsblatt Says: BLOOMBERG

Tony Czuczka | 5.8.12

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is negotiating three major projects as he seeks a return on investment of at least 20 percent to 25 percent, Handelsblatt reported, citing an interview. The projects are in Saudi Arabia, the region and international, the German newspaper quoted Alwaleed as saying in comments published today. He declined to elaborate, according to the interview.

Van Eck Files For Saudi Arabia ETFs: ZACK’S

Eric Durham | 5.7.12

Van Eck, the surging ETF issuer best known for its commodity and country specific products, looks to be at it again in the Middle East space. The company currently has several ETFs targeting the region, including ones that are focused on Egypt (EGPT) and the broad region via the Gulf States Index ETF (MES). Now, Van Eck appears to be expanding further into the Middle East into one of the more controversial and well-known nations in the region, Saudi Arabia.

L&T’s Overseas JV Bags Saudi Chemical’s Contract: ECONOMIC TIMES

5.8.12

Engineering major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) today said its overseas joint venture firm Larsen & Toubro ATCO Saudia has bagged a procure and construction contract from Sadara Chemical Company in Saudi Arabia. Sadara Chemical, a joint venture of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and the Dow Chemical Company (Dow), has awarded the contract for procurement and construction of solution polyethylene and specialty elastomers package in Al-Jubail Industrial City II in Saudi Arabia, where it is constructing a world scale chemical complex, L&T said in a statement.

ISRAEL: IN SURPRISE MOVE, UNITY GOVERNMENT UNVEILED

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a revamped coalition government on Tuesday, forming a broad alliance with the chief opposition party that could free his hand to take action on peace with the Palestinians and decide whether to attack Iran, CBS News reports.

SYRIA: UN CHIEF SAYS VIOLENCE UNACCEPTABLE

International envoy Kofi Annan will brief the United Nations Security Council on the Syrian crisis Tuesday, a day after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the situation has become one of the “most serious and gravest concerns of the international community,” CNN reports.

IRAN: YOUNG IRANIANS CONFRONT A CONSTRICTED FUTURE

Iran’s huge group of post-revolution young adults — 70 percent of the country’s population of 74 million is under 35 — calls itself the “burned generation,” because they feel they lost out on the natural evolution of life. While their parents managed to find jobs, marry and buy houses, this generation’s ambitions have been boxed in by the political decisions of Iran’s leaders and the foreign pressures that followed. Things have been particularly difficult since 2005, when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power and Iran’s nuclear stance hardened, bringing international sanctions and isolation as a large portion of Iranians were starting their adult lives. Instead of personal growth, politics has become central to their lives. “Every topic me and my friends discuss, whether it’s the latest movie, a trip or our future, ends up with politics,” said Samaneh, 27, who lives with her parents and did not want her family name used out of fear of retribution. “Here our lives are decided by those in power. Our options are more and more limited.”

JORDAN: GROWING DISCONTENT OVER PACE OF REFORM

That one of the most overt challenges yet to the authority of Jordan’s king took the form of a song-and-dance routine speaks to the restraint with which the Arab Spring has unfolded here over the past 16 months. The identity of the participants and the words they sang, immortalized in a video posted on YouTube, underscored just how dangerous the discontent pulsing through this little kingdom could become, Liz Sly (Washington Post) reports.

EGYPT: THE ORIENTALIST CONNECTOR

As world attention is still riveted with the ‘Arab Spring’, how is cultural dialogue between East and West faring? With a monograph of his collection due to be published this year, Shafik Gabr speaks to Juliet Highet about the significance of the Orientalists on the Arab world today, Juliet Highet (the Majalla) reports.

PAKSTIAN: CLINTON URGES GOVERNMENT TO DO MORE TO FIGHT TERRORISTS

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Pakistan to do more in the fight against global terrorism Tuesday, saying that the latest plot in Yemen shows that extremists continue to devise more “perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people,” CNN reports.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.7.12 EDITION

OPEC Says Supply Ample, Speculation Driving Price: PEAK OIL NEWS

5.5.12

Oil supply will be more than sufficient to meet demand this year and beyond, OPEC’s Secretary General said on Thursday, but added the price of fuel is being driven higher by speculation. “There has been no shortage of oil in the market. Producers have been able to meet consumer needs,” Abdullah al-Badri told an energy conference. “We also see this as being the case for the rest of 2012 and the foreseeable future.” Oil prices surged in March to $128 a barrel, the highest level since 2008, because of concern about possible supply shortages. Prices have since fallen back and Brent crude was trading around $118 on Thursday. “Today the price continues to be driven by excessive speculation,” Badri said. OPEC at a meeting in December set a target to produce 30 million barrels per day, settling an argument which broke out in 2011 after Iran and other members opposed a Saudi-led plan to raise OPEC’s production ceiling.

Saudi Telecom to reach 500,000 homes with fiber in 2012: GULF BASE

5.7.12

Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) aims to connect 500,000 homes in the Kingdom with optical fiber for high-speed broadband, but a lack of spectrum is limiting the adoption of next-generation mobile services, a top executive said. Saudi Arabia’s 26.5 million people had 1.95 million fixed broadband subscriptions at the end of 2011, according to the telecoms regulator, while of these only 18,500 are high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FFTH) connections, Informa Telecoms and Media estimates. “With FTTH, we’re looking to pass 500,000 homes by the end of this year and go up to 2 million in 2013,” Jameel Al-Molhem, Saudi Telecom chief executive for Saudi Arabia, told a conference in Dubai. Slumping margins on conventional voice calls have prompted STC and Mobily and Zain Saudi to bet on soaring demand for broadband to bolster income. That strategy seems to be working — STC’s first-quarter profit rose 60 percent, while its mobile broadband revenue was up 145 percent, Bahrain’s Securities & Investment Co. (SICO) wrote in a note. Potential further growth is huge, with only 41 percent of Saudis using the Internet at the end of 2010, according the International Telecommunications Union’s most recent data. Analysts say this relatively low penetration, which is barely half that of the UAE, is partly due to a lack of fixed-line infrastructure in the vast kingdom that is more than twice the size of France and Germany combined.

Saudi Arabia Is The Most Important Market For Gulf Air, Says CEO Samer Majali: ARAB NEWS

Siraj Wahab | 5.7.12

Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Samer Majali is highly affable, articulate and always a delight to interview. What sets him apart from others is that he is modest, transparent and clearheaded. Seldom does he dodge a difficult question. His penetrating articulation comes from his total focus on the job at hand: that of reviving the fortunes of Bahrain’s national airline.

Following Words with Actions: CROSSROADS ARABIA

John Burgess | 5.4.12

Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice got a new President back in January. He promised then to insure that the members of the organization would ‘prevent vice without committing vice’ and that mistakes would not go unpunished. He’s living up to his word. Asharq Alawsat reports that Sheikh Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh has suspended two members, at half-pay, for being overly assertive in their quest to quell wrong-doing.

Saudi Women Carve Out Niche For Themselves In Medical Profession: ARAB NEWS

Abdulateef Al-Mulhim | 5.5.12

When the university was established in 1975, it had two campuses. Dammam campus was secondary. The main campus was in Hofuf (Al-Hassa). The two campuses started operating in the academic year 1974/75 and were officially inaugurated by King Khaled on May 24, 1977. The university’s name was King Faisal University. At that time Dammam campus had two colleges. One was in the field of medicine and medical sciences and the other was architecture and planning. It had three centers — English language, computer sciences and publication and translation. Later on, enrollment numbers reached tens of thousands. The Ministry of Higher Education then separated the two campuses and the Dammam campus became the University of Dammam in 2009. Now the University of Dammam covers six cities in the Eastern Province, including Dammam, Jubail, Khafji, Khobar, Nu’Airiya and Qateef. The university now has 24 colleges, 123 departments, 1,414 faculty members and about 25,000 students. To the surprise of many people, Saudi young women have the lion’s share of the number of seats in the field of medicine.

Saudi Arabia Renews Syria Travel Warning: AHRAM ONLINE

AFP | 5.7.12

Saudi Arabia on Sunday renewed a warning to its citizens to leave Syria and not to travel to the country, hit by over a year of deadly unrest. “Due to the continuing deterioration of the security situation in Syria, the foreign ministry renews its warning to all citizens from travelling to Syria,” the ministry said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency.

Saudi Non-Oil Private Sector Growth Jumps To 9-Mth High: ARAB TIMES

5.6.12

Growth in business activity in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector jumped to a nine-month high in April, boosted by strong output and new orders, a survey of over 400 private companies published on Saturday showed. The SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index, which measures activity in the manufacturing and services sectors, rose to 60.42 in April from 58.73 in March. The seasonally adjusted index stayed well above the 50-point mark distinguishing growth from contraction. New order growth was the highest since June 2011, at 70.13 points in April against 66.87 in March.

‘Mighty Saudi Economy Getting Stronger’: GULF NEWS

Jasim Ali | 5.7.12

Numerous indications point to the steady growth of the Saudi economy, thereby further strengthening the global position of the kingdoms gross domestic product GDP. These factors include relatively high oil prices, solid oil output, and strong spending.To be sure, nominal or market prices of Saudi Arabias GDP amounted to $577 billion Dh2 trillion in 2011, or number 20 worldwide. This is an exceptional achievement by virtue of placing Saudi GDP ahead of several European economies including those of Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Norway and Austria, to name a few. Undisputedly, Saudi Arabias GDP is the largest in the Arab world. This partly explains the fact that the kingdom is the sole Arab country in the G20, in turn comprising the largest economies in the world.

The Real Challenge Facing Saudi Arabia: ARAB NEWS

Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser | 5.7.12

Faced with the rising threat of a nuclear Iran, Saudi Arabia astutely took advantage of the Arab Spring to undermine this Persian dream enveloped in the name of Islam. The most important strategic step was to try and undermine Iran’s alliance with Syria.  Unfortunately, however, Iran knew (with all due respect to Shiite Muslims everywhere) how to exploit many Shiite followers in order to export the Iranian revolution to other Arab countries. So, Saudi Arabia, as the leading Sunni Muslim country, has had to deal with this Iranian threat.

BAE Systems Near $800 Mln Saudi Hawk Deal: REUTERS

5.7.12

BAE Systems is close to sealing a 500 million pounds ($808 million) deal to sell up to 30 Hawk trainer aircraft to Saudi Arabia, the Sunday Times reported. The sale would provide some welcome relief for the defence giant, which is battling against shrinking defence budgets in Europe and America.

Saudi Arabia Promises To Keep Helping Egypt: GULF NEWS

Zawya Dow Jones | 5.7.12

Riyadh Saudi Arabian finance minister Ebrahim Al Assaf confirmed Saturday that the kingdom will proceed with an aid package for Egypt despite the recent political dispute between the two countries. “We are taking procedures to execute the aid package,” Al Assaf said, in the highest-level confirmation to date that the aid would go ahead. OPINION: ARAB NATIONS NEED ONE ANOTHER: Both Saudi Arabia and Egypt are two key countries in the Arab world and have played a major role in Middle East history and politics. An individual’s act was behind the latest row between the two countries. The individual and those behind him should have been held accountable, not the country as a whole, as the dispute affected bilateral relations, Reem Al-Harmi (Gulf Times) writes.

UK, Korean Firms Picked For Rabigh Project: ARAB NEWS

Reuters | 5.7.12

Saudi Aramco and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical have issued letters of intent to at least two contractors who submitted the lowest bids to expand a petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, moving a step closer to a decision on whether to proceed with the major project, industry sources said. British company Petrofac and South Korea’s GS Engineering and Construction were picked among contractors to be part of building the second phase of the already operational complex in Rabigh on the Red Sea coast of the world’s largest oil exporter.

Saudi Arabia: Abolish Terrorism Court: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

4.27.12

Saudi Arabia should abolish the Specialized Criminal Court, set up in 2008 to try terrorism cases, but increasingly used to try peaceful dissidents and rights activists on politicized charges and in proceedings that violate the right to a fair trial, Human Rights Watch said today. In April, it sentenced two people to prison for their peaceful activism, and the trials of at least four others are ongoing, in violation of their rights to freedom of expression. “Trying Saudi political activists as terrorists merely because they question abuses of government power demonstrates the lengths the Saudi government will go to suppress dissent,” said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The trial of peaceful reformers in a terrorism court underlines the political nature of this court.”

Ostrich Speeds Down Busy Saudi Arabian Road: DIGITAL SPY

5.6.12

An ostrich has been filmed running along a busy road in Saudi Arabia. The bird is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm, and was caught on camera by a local resident inside their car as the animal runs alongside the other vehicles.

IRAN: 9.5% OF OIL CONTRACTS MAY BE LOST ASIAN BUYERS CUT IMPORTS

Iran is poised to lose at least 192,000 barrels a day of crude-supply contracts, or about 9.5 percent of its global exports, as Asian buyers curb purchases amid western sanctions targeting the nation’s oil trade, Bloomberg reports.

Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) and Essar Oil Ltd., India’s biggest buyers of Iranian crude, and China International United Petroleum & Chemical Co. have reduced or plan to cut purchases from the Islamic Republic by as much as 15 percent. China and India are Iran’s largest customers. FRENCH ELECTION COULD CHANGE NATIONAL TONE TOWARD IRAN: The elephant in the room in the French election was foreign affairs. Rarely did the debate veer further than the European Union and its current travails; given the priority status that France’s chronic domestic concerns have, that was almost inevitable.

Whether Sarkozy and his advisers have missed a trick remains to be seen. However, under Sarkozy’s stewardship, France’s foreign policy has been expansive, some might say adventurist, a key feature of his presidency and his vision of a globally influential nation. Who wins on Sunday will doubtlessly affect France’s overseas image, Al-Monitor reports.

EGYPT: $662 MILLION OF T-BILLS OFFERED AS SAUDI AID NEARS ARRIVAL

Egypt will offer 4 billion Egyptian pounds ($662 million) of three- and nine-month treasury bills as Saudi Arabia said it would this month start “implementing” an aid package agreed on almost a year ago, Ahmed A. Namatalla (Bloomberg) reports. MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GAINS IN RECENT OPINION POLL: Support for the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate almost doubled in an opinion poll published in Al- Ahram newspaper two weeks before Egypt’s presidential election, while the two longstanding front-runners ceded ground, Bloomberg reports.

ARABIAN GULF: WHAT IS IN A NAME? GOOGLE MAPS STAYS NEUTRAL IN PERSIAN/ARABIAN GULF NAMING DISPUTE

Iranian Netizens are expressing anger over Google Maps’ decision to leave the body of water between Saudi Arabia and Iran nameless.

Iran and the Arab Gulf states disagree over what to call the Gulf between them: The former say it is the Persian Gulf, and the latter say it is the Arabian Gulf.

A Google representative told the BBC the company does not want to take a political stance on the issue. The rep could not recall any other geographic feature that Google has refrained from naming, the BBC reported, IBT writes.

TURKEY: RELATIONS WITH IRAQ DETERIORATE WITH ACCUSATIONS OF SECTARIANISM

Turkey’s dreams of regional hegemony are driving it into an ever-more antagonistic relationship with Iraq, where Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s policies are threatening the country’s fragile federalism, Henri Barkey (Al-Monitor) reports.

UAE: ONCE UPON A TIME IN DUBAI

Today, Dubai is known as a gleaming, glittering cosmopolitan oasis, crowned by the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. But it was not long ago that the city was as familiar with camels and dhows as it is now with Ferraris and indoor ski slopes. The regional oil boom changed everything: As the Gulf states found themselves flush with trillions in petrodollars, the tiny emirate positioned itself as a financial entrepot and regional hub for construction and tourism, Foreign Policy writes, in a slideshow. HORMUZ PIPELINE NEARLY COMPLETE: Initially operating at a rate of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), the pipeline should offer the Gulf producer an alternative route out of the narrow strait which Iran has threatened to block as western pressure to limit its oil revenues has intensified, Kipp Report reports.

SYRIA: ELECTIONS HELD BUT VIOLENCE RAGES

Syrians voted in a parliamentary election on Monday touted by authorities as a milestone of political reform but dismissed by the opposition as a facade while people are killed every day in an anti-government uprising.

Violence persisted across the country between forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels fighting to end four decades of dynastic rule by his family, Reuters reports.

ARAB SPRING: PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS PUSHED TO TEST FREE SPEECH LIMITS AFTER ARAB SPRING

Yousef Shayeb, 37, a Palestinian journalist from Ramallah, published an article in a Jordanian newspaper this year charging officials at the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Paris with corruption and espionage. In an interview here last week, he said that he had imagined people might thank him for his exposé. Instead, he spent eight days in a Palestinian Authority jail, Isabel Kershner (NYT) writes.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.4.12 EDITION

Saudi’s Vela to Send Large Volumes of Oil to US Again In May: WALL STREET JOURNAL

5.4.12

Saudi Arabia’s state shipping company, Vela, will transport large volumes of oil to the U.S. again this month, repeating a trend that began in March, but prior to that was very unusual, shipbrokers told Dow Jones Newswires Friday.

Aramco To Train 2 Million Saudis By 2020: ARAB NEWS

Arab News | 5.4.12

Highlighting a need for change in the way the Kingdom approaches education, Khalid Al-Falih, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, announced the company’s launching of a youth enrichment program that will see two million young Saudis receive critical training by 2020 and encourage young people to create a bright future. “It is my firm belief that education is the only way,” Al-Falih said.

Journey Of A Lifetime: HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Wardah Khalid | 5.3.12

To say that I was excited to be in the presence of such history would be an understatement. I had been looking forward to this trip for months and was absolutely beside myself. My purpose was to travel with my mother to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah, a mini version of the annual Hajj pilgrimage millions of Muslims make each year to Mecca. The historic city of Medina was the first stop on the journey before we continued on to Mecca for Umrah.

Universities Play Key Role In Kingdom’s Transition To Knowledge Economy: ARAB NEWS

5.2.12

Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari yesterday highlighted the role of Saudi universities in transforming the Kingdom into a knowledge economy and training young Saudi men and women and developing their various skills and capabilities. Addressing the third scientific conference of higher education students in the Kingdom, which is being held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, he commended the quality of research projects presented by Saudi students at the conference.

2012 Completion Date For First Phase Of UAE To Saudi Arabia Rail Network: WORLD ARCHITECTURE NEWS

5.4.12

The first phase of a 266km railway network across the United Arab Emirates will complete by the end of 2012 it has been confirmed. Etihad Rail unveiled the design of its new locomotives and said that the three trains will take their first journey by the end of the year, transporting 22,000 tonnes of granulated sulphur daily from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais.

U.S. Supports Saudi Arabia’s Clean Energy Goals: IIP DIGITAL

IIP Digital | Louise Fenner | 4.20.12

Nicole Lamb-Hale, assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services, led a trade delegation to Riyadh and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, April 14–18 that included representatives of 13 U.S. clean energy companies, as well as officials from the Ex-Im Bank and the Department of Energy. “We fully support Saudi Arabia’s desire to be a regional renewable energy and efficiency leader,” Lamb-Hale said during round-table discussions in Al Khobar April 17. One of the companies in the trade delegation was First Solar, based in Arizona, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the United States (and second-largest in the world, according to the research company PVinsights). There were several other companies specializing in solar energy, energy efficiency, green building, grid modernization and smart grid technologies. The U.S. delegates met with senior Saudi government officials and business people.

Saudi Arabia Orders Ambassador To Return To Egypt After Diplomatic Spat: AL ARABIYA

5.4.12

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz ordered on Friday the return of the kingdom’s ambassador to Egypt and the reopening of the mission after it was shut last week in the wake of angry protests, state news agency SPA said. The king “instructed the kingdom’s ambassador to Cairo to resume his post on Sunday, and ordered the reopening of the embassy and the consulates in Alexandria and Suez,” SPA reported, quoting an unnamed official.

Saudi Telecom To Reach 500,000 Homes With Fiber In 2012: ARAB NEWS

5.4.12

Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) aims to connect 500,000 homes in the Kingdom with optical fiber for high-speed broadband, but a lack of spectrum is limiting the adoption of next-generation mobile services, a top executive said. Saudi Arabia’s 26.5 million people had 1.95 million fixed broadband subscriptions at the end of 2011, according to the telecoms regulator, while of these only 18,500 are high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FFTH) connections, Informa Telecoms and Media estimates.

Saudia Had 5.72 Million Passengers in First Quarter, Watan Says: BLOOMBERG

Glen Carey | 5.4.12

Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia, flew 5.72 million passengers in the first quarter of 2012 compared with 4.55 million a year earlier, al-Watan said, citing a report from the national carrier.

Shoura Reviews Performance Of Govt Agencies: ARAB NEWS

MD Rasooldeen | 5.4.12

The Shoura Council on Monday held wide-ranging discussions on annual reports presented by two ministries and governmental organizations. The session was chaired by the council’s Deputy Speaker Muhammed Amin Jaafri. The reports tabled included that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Saudi Fund For Development (SFD) and the Saudi Post Corporation (SPC).

Friction Grows Between Iran, Saudi Arabia: EURASIA REVIEW

5.4.12

Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef told a meeting of GCC interior ministers in Riyadh: “Any harm that comes across any of our countries is harm that touches us all.” As protests in Bahrain are re-emerging after one year, Arab states are renewing their accusations that Iran is fomenting the unrest. Bahrain has a Shiite majority but is ruled by the Sunni house of Al-Khalifa. Last year, the government brought in Saudi and UAE troops to quell the unrest. While Iran condemned the foreign intervention in Bahrain, it has consistently maintained that it’s had no hand in the Saudi protests. Nayef also touched on the recently revived disputes over the three Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb.

Saudi Arabia’s First Ever Hip-Hop Radio Show: ARAB NEWS

Rima Al-Mukhtar | 5.3.12

“Laish Hip-Hop” is Arabic for “Why Hip-Hop.” It is a radio show that educates people about hip-hop music and discusses all related issues in Saudi Arabia and the world in general. The show is a big hit with thousands of Saudi youngsters following. Launched in June 2011, the show runs for an hour and talks about Arabic hip-hop. Big Hass is a 32-year-old Saudi who started this show after being in the hip-hop scene since 2009 as a blogger hosting the blog Re-Volt Radio. “I’ve started this blog because I was sick of what FM Radios was playing on their stations, repeating the same old songs over and over,” he said. “At one time I was thinking why don’t we have interesting music on our FM radio and I felt bad, so I tried to investigate and I had a dream of having my own FM show,” he added.

Emirates Set To Boost Services To Saudi Arabia: CHICAGO TRIBUNE

5.3.12

Saudi Arabia will receive a 12 per cent boost in Emirates services this year, as the airline ramps up its commitment to the Kingdom. Jeddah and Riyadh will benefit from the increased services, with a total of 1722 additional seats, in each direction, per week between Emirates’ hub in Dubai and the Kingdom, up almost 12 per cent from the current 15,140 seats per week. The added capacity will result in an extra four weekly services to Jeddah and three weekly flights to Riyadh. The new services to Jeddah will come into effect from June 1 and to Riyadh from August 1.

AL-QAEDA: IN LETTERS, BIN LADEN WORRIED ABOUT AL-QAEDA’S IMAGE

During his last months holed up in a villa in Pakistan, one of the concerns on Osama bin Laden’s mind was image control: Al-Qaida’s branches and allies were making the terror network look bad in the eyes of the Islamic world, AP reports.  BIN LADEN’S TRAVEL METHODS REVEALED: One of the 17 letters seized during the 2011 U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound and published Thursday reveals the lengths the al-Qaida chief went to keep himself and his family hidden and sheds light on how they apparently managed to remain undetected for so long while moving around Pakistan, MSNBC reports. VISITING BIN LADEN’S LAIR: “We climbed the stairs to the third floor, where Osama bin Laden died early in the morning of May 2, 2011. I stepped into the bedroom where he was killed and looked up at the ceiling, where you could still see the patterns of blood that had spurted from bin Laden’s head when the bullet fired by a U.S. Navy SEAL tore through the terrorist leader’s face. The height of the room was low for someone as tall as bin Laden, who was 6 foot 4. Outside the bedroom was a small terrace surrounded by a high wall. Overlooking the enclosed terrace were large and now broken plate glass windows that would have provided a lot of light for bin Laden during the day,” Peter Bergen (CNN) writes.

IRAN: INDIA CUTS BACK ON IMPORTS FROM IRAN

India’s top two importers of crude oil from Iran plan to reduce shipments by at least 15% this financial year, people with knowledge of the move said, in an important victory for the U.S.-led sanctions effort against Tehran, Rakesh Sharma and Santanu Choudhury (WSJ) report. IRAN VOTES IN PRIMARY RUNOFF: Iranians cast their ballots at polling stations across the country Friday in a second round of runoff elections to decide 65 remaining seats in the 290-seat Majlis, or parliament. Images broadcast live on Iranian state TV showed lines of voters waiting at polling stations. In Tehran, voters cast ballots for 25 seats, LAT reports.

BAHRAIN: KING ENACTS PARLIAMENTARY REFORMS
Bahrain’s king ratified constitutional reforms on Thursday that the government hopes will help end a year of protests, but the main opposition party denounced them as inadequate and said the struggle for democratic reforms would continue, Chicago Tribune reports.

SYRIA: FORCES KILL TEENAGER IN ANOTHER ALEPPO ATTACK

Syrian forces opened fire on thousands of protesters in Aleppo Friday, killing a teenager, after a raid on dormitories at the city’s main university killed four students and forced the closure of the state-run school, Zeina Karam (CSM) reports.

EGYPT: FRESH CLASHES OUTSIDE OF MINISTRY

Clashes between protesters and security forces have been taking place near Egypt’s defence ministry in Cairo. The protesters ignored a warning not to approach the ministry building and threw rocks. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas. Calls to join the demonstration have also been broadcast in Tahrir Square, BBC reports.

RUSSIA: DOUBLE BLAST IN VOLATILE REGION KILLS 13, WOUNDS MANY OTHERS

At least 13 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a double bombing at a police station in Russia’s tumultuous North Caucasus region late Thursday night, officials said, a stark reminder of the challenges facing Vladimir V. Putin in the region as he prepares to take over the presidency next week, New York Times reports.

PAKISTAN: SUICIDE BOMBING IN PAKISTAN MARKET KILLS 20

A Taliban suicide bombing in a Pakistani market close to the Afghan border killed 20 people Friday, officials said, a day after the U.S. released letters seized from Osama bin Laden’s compound that criticized Pakistani militants for killing too many civilians, AP reports.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.3.12 EDITION
Gulf Union Vital To Meet Threats: Crown Prince: CHIGAGO TRIBUTE
5.2.12
“I am emphasizing the Kingdom’s position that it denounces the unacceptable practice of Iran, which deprived UAE of its legitimate rights over three of its islands,” Crown Prince Naif added. “Saudi Arabia and other GCC states would stand united in supporting the UAE and Bahrain in safeguarding their sovereignty and stability. We consider security of these states as the security of the entire GCC states,” said the crown prince.

Counting The Cost Of Row With Saudi Arabia: GULF NEWS
Ramadhan Al-Sherbini | 5.3.12
Around two million Egyptians are working in Saudi Arabia, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of Egyptian expatriates abroad, according to non-official figures. “The continuation of this tension will heavily damage our business,” said Ahmad Mokhtar, the manager of a recruitment agency in Cairo. “The entry visa freeze to Saudi Arabia means that hundreds of companies like ours will not be able to process labour contracts. This will result in heavy losses,” he added.

Universities Play Key Role In Kingdom’s Transition To Knowledge Economy: ARAB NEWS
5.2.12
Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari yesterday highlighted the role of Saudi universities in transforming the Kingdom into a knowledge economy and training young Saudi men and women and developing their various skills and capabilities. Addressing the third scientific conference of higher education students in the Kingdom, which is being held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, he commended the quality of research projects presented by Saudi students at the conference.

Minister Backs Plan For Sports In Schools: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Arab News | 5.3.12
Prince Faisal bin Abdullah considers the emergence of a national strategy for the development of school sports an achievement of the dream he had when he became minister. The minister of education made the remark while addressing the concluding session on the draft national school sports strategy under the title “The Partners Meet,” which was held in Riyadh yesterday in the presence of Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, a number of officials from the ministries and the General Presidency for Youth Welfare.

Saudi Women Flaunt Artistic Talent: ARAB NEWS
Fouzia Khan | 5.3.12
The art exhibition of Saudi artists Hiyam Al-Khurdy and Mariyam Sudayri were organized at Hilton Hotel under the auspices of Princess Najla Bint Saud bin Abdulaziz. The art exhibition was held for a day for artists to showcase their work in cooperation with an event management company. Princess Najla expressed joy over the unique artwork of the artists. BODY PIERCING TREND RISES AMONG SAUDI WOMEN: Several trends seen as imported from Western cultures have invaded Saudi Arabia and encouraged women to seek change through them. While clothes and accessories seem like the most traditional influences, piercing is the latest and most outrageous fashion among Saudi women, Al Arabiya reports.

Saudis Held Captive In Lebanon Back Home: ARAB NEWS
Walaa Hawari | 5.3.12
Two Saudi nationals, who were abducted and tortured in Lebanon, arrived at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam aboard Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Beirut last night. The two were rescued by the Lebanese security forces, who worked “in conjunction” with the Saudi Embassy in Beirut last Wednesday after being in captivity in an apartment for eight days.

Saudi To Invest US$53bn In Aviation Sector: ARABIAN BUSINESS
Sara Anabtawi | 5.3.12
Saudi Arabia plans to invest SAR200bn (US$53.33bn) in its aviation sector over the next five years, it has been reported. According to Arab News, the spending is in order to meet the demands of increasing air traffic in the kingdom due to a fast-growing population and economic development. The report did not give any specific information on how the sum would be allocated to certain projects and when, but there is currently major work ongoing in the country’s air transport industry, including the expansion of Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport and Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport.

Saudi Arabia And Egypt: Interests At The Time Of “Revolution”: AL ARABIYA
Adel Al-Toraifi | 5.3.12
The recent attack on the Saudi Embassy is not the first of its kind; there has been an atmosphere of tension and intimidation over the past year, but the vandalism that the embassy and its consulates were subjected to, the abuse directed towards the Saudi leadership, and the defamation campaigns and insults that accompanied the incident on some Egyptian media channels and on social networking websites were all grossly excessive. The Saudis had to choose between accepting the abuse launched by some – I do not say all – towards the Saudi leadership and people, or responding firmly to it, even though this would impact upon bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Prince and the Ayatollah: NEW YORK TIMES
Ed Husain | 5.1.12
Bahrain is a tiny island nation of 600,000 citizens, with a Parliament of only 40 members, and it cannot be understood if looked at in isolation. For one thing, it stands at the forefront of a regional cold war. Saudi Arabia lies to the west, connected by a 25-kilometer causeway built jointly by the Saudis and Bahrainis. To the east, across the waters of the Gulf, lies Iran. Both Tehran and Riyadh have major stakes in Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia Slams Iran Attitude on Gulf Islands as ‘Unacceptable’: AL ARABIYA
Reuters | 5.3.12
Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz has described as “unacceptable” Iran’s attitude towards three islands under its control which Gulf Cooperation Council member UAE claims it owns, a report said. “I reiterate the kingdom’s condemnation to the unacceptable attitude of neighboring Iran that continues to ignore the legitimate right of the United Arab Emirates over its three occupied islands,” said Prince Nayef, who is also Saudi Arabia’s interior minister.

Saudi Press Enjoys Considerable Freedom, Says Journalists’ Group: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Arab News | 5.3.12
Saudi Journalists Association (SJA) has underscored the remarkable progress achieved by the Saudi press during the past 50 years. “The Saudi electronic media space is open without restrictions and journalists deal with many sensitive issues with courage,” it said.

UAE: ISLAMIST ACTIVIST DETAINED
Security agents detained a rights activist Sunday in the northern United Arab Emirates as part of an apparent widening crackdown on perceived opposition figures, a family member and a watchdog group said. The detention is the second in less than a week in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah and reflects stepped up pressures by UAE authorities on Islamist groups, social media activists and others considered to be potential foes of the country’s network of ruling clans, AP/Washington Post reports.

ISRAEL: ACTIVIST, MARATHON RUNNER WITH LONG DISTANCE GOAL FOR PALESTINIAN FREEDOM
Sari Bashi, the 37-year-old founder of the human rights organization Gisha that fights for freedom of movement for Palestinians, belongs in this last category. She thinks about, oh, the usual random stuff, from her nephews to the situation in Syria to what she is going to eat when she is done. But more often than not, her mind eventually finds itself wandering to a particular recurring theme of her life – that of boundaries, Danna Harman (Haaretz) writes.  Like, for example, the 1.7 million Palestinians who live in Gaza, most of whom, due to Israeli travel restrictions, are barred from leaving their 360 square kilometer strip to go to the West Bank, Israel or further afield, whether it be for work, study, seeing relatives, going to the hospital or most any other reason.MILITARY TO MONITOR SOCIAL NETWORKS: Israel’s military launched a new system this week to monitor information on the Internet, the chief military censor said on Tuesday, Sefi Krupsky (Haaretz) writes. 1000 PALESTINIAN OLIVE TREES UPROOTED: Israel said Monday it has ordered Palestinian villagers to uproot 1,000 olive trees planted in an area of the West Bank under Israeli control and declared a nature reserve, AFP reports.

BAHRAIN: PROTESTS BROKEN UP, CALLS TO FREE PRISONERS
Riot police firing tear gas and stun grenades routed protesters in Bahrain’s capital on Tuesday as the government came under mounting international pressure to release jailed leaders of last year’s uprising, Aamer Mohammed (Reuters) writes.

SYRIA: FORCES RAID COLLEGE DORMS
Syrian activists say government forces have raided college dorms and killed at least four people after an anti-government protest in Aleppo, as U.N. monitors renewed efforts to assess a frayed cease-fire, VOA reports.

EGYPT: MILITARY BACKS TRANSITION, BUT 11 KILLED IN CLASHES
Egypt’s military may hand over power to a civilian authority in the next three weeks should a presidential vote be decided in the first round, a spokesman for the armed forces chief of staff said Wednesday, CNN reports.

AFGHANISTAN: FACT SHEET – THE US-AFGHANISTAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
A White House Press release provides a statement and full document on the agreement signed between Obama and Karzai this week.  In May 2010, in Washington, DC, President Obama and President Karzai committed our two countries to negotiate and conclude a strategic partnership that would provide a framework for our future relationship.  On May 1, 2012, President Obama and President Karzai signed the Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America. The Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) is a legally binding executive agreement, undertaken between two sovereign nations.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>

SAUDIGROK Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
/Provided as a service from the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC/

5.2.12 EDITION

USTR: Saudi Continues to Protect Intellectual Property Rights:  OFFICE OF THE COMMERCIAL ATTACHÉ, EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA

Gregory Schlachter | 5.1.12

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Monday released the 2012 Special 301 Report reviewing the intellectual property protection policies of foreign nations.  Saudi Arabia is not named on the “Watch List” again this year and has not been since a successful Out-of-Cycle Review in 2009 to resolve IP issues in cooperation with the USTR. The 2012 Report lists 40 trading partners of the U.S. including thirteen countries which comprise the “Priority Watch List.”  The USTR found these nations to have significant violations or weaknesses regarding intellectual property protection and enforcement in areas including copyright violations, internet piracy, and counterfeiting.  The goal of the list is to encourage offending nations to work with the USTR and other U.S. government organizations to address these issues and increase global intellectual property awareness. Saudi Arabia is committed to actively protect intellectual property rights and promote enforcement standards in line with the Kingdom’s ascension to the World Trade Organization in 2005 and the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Trade and Investment Framework Agreement signed in 2003.  These standards foster increased trade and investment in the private sector and stronger ties between governments.   A robust intellectual property protection environment is a strong incentive to attract foreign direct investment, and internationally recognized policies protect the interests of Saudi companies conducting business abroad.  The Kingdom will continue to work in close cooperation with the USTR to uphold its commitments and adapt to evolving challenges facing global trade

To read the full 2012 Special 301 Report from the USTR, click here.

Saudi to Invest $300m in Power Grid Links: TRADE ARABIA

5.2.12

Saudi Arabia will invest up to $300 million in projects that will link the kingdom’s new economic cities to the national power grid, said the organisers of an upcoming energy-infrastructure show in Riyadh. Saudi Energy 2012, the 15th international show for electricity, lighting, power generation, water technology and HVAC for Saudi Arabia, will take place from May 7 to 11 at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center.

Saudi Heritage Expo Moves to US: ARAB NEWS

5.2.12

The Roads of Arabia Exhibition, which highlights the Kingdom’s marvelous heritage, will now move to the US after it completed a 64-day show at the Pergamon Museum in the German city of Berlin. It is expected to be displayed at five museums in the US within a period of two years, beginning from the end of this year, said a statement issued by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). More than 160,000 people have visited the exhibition in Berlin, which was jointly opened by SCTA chief Prince Sultan bin Salman and Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit. The exhibition contains about 400 antiquities collected from the National Museum in Riyadh, King Saud University Museum, King Abdul Aziz Foundation and a number of other museums in the Kingdom. The pieces cover the history of the Kingdom from the Stone Age to the present time.

Saudi Consumer Spending Up: SAUDI GAZETTE

5.2.12

Saudi Arabia’s economy remained healthy, Jadwa Investment said Tuesday in its monthly chart-based review of the Kingdom’s latest economic and stock market data. It said indicators of consumer spending picked up. Year-on-year comparisons were affected by the public-sector bonus awarded in March 2011, though spending was still higher than one-year earlier. Bank lending to the private sector remained on an upward trend in March. Services and commerce have been the largest recipients of new lending so far this year.

Al-Amoudi To Set Up First Tire Factory In Kingdom: ARAB NEWS

5.2.12

The plant will manufacture tubeless pneumatic tires for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Mohammed Abdullah Baraqabah Al-Amoudi, Al-Muwakaba director general and board vice chairman, said the plant was expected to produce 1,800,000 of world-class tires. He added that the manufacturing will be according to the latest world-class technologies applied in tire manufacturing – well-known BCT technology – used in the international standards tire manufacturing. He stressed that the tires would be manufactured as per the European ECE standards and American DOT standards as well as comply with the codes and standards specified by Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO). Abdullah Al-Amoudi added that the project primarily aimed at meeting the needs of the Saudi market and then the rest of the GCC markets and North Africa. According to Abdullah Al-Amoudi, the project has a 34-month completion schedule with commercial production expected to commence by 2015.

Saudi Euromoney Focus On Alternative Funding: TRADE ARABIA

5.1.12

Experts from the public and private sector will discuss how funding, from sources other than those from the government, may be obtained for Saudi companies and projects at the upcoming Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference in Riyadh. This year’s conference will be held at Al Faisaliah Hotel on May 22 and 23 in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Finance. “Sukuk can foster economic development In Saudi Arabia. Companies start to turn to the Sukuk market to fill the funding gap. Although important progress has been made in Sukuk issuance, the active names have tended to be large companies – led by GACA, Sabic and Saudi Electricity Company – as cost considerations and illiquid secondary markets have deterred others,” said Richard Banks, director of Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference.

Riyadh Airport To Triple Capacity After Expansion: ARAB NEWS

5.2.12

The capacity of Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport is expected to triple when expansion work that is set to begin in November will be completed in three years, senior officials of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) said here yesterday. GACA Vice President Faisal Al-Sugair said preliminary studies and design work for the development and expansion of the Riyadh airport have been completed and the construction work will begin soon. Opening the first specialized conference and exhibition on aviation services and logistic support at airports at the Jeddah Conferences and Events Center, Al-Sugair also disclosed GACA’s plans to implement mega development projects in the near future to further expand its network of 28 airports that handle about 54.5 million passengers a year.

Egypt And Saudi Arabia: Ties In The Remaking: AHRAM ONLINE

Dina Ezzat | 5.2.12

“If you think that Egypt is in any way comfortable with the current fallout with Saudi Arabia, then you are much mistaken; this is the last thing we want, and it is actually something we are trying to rectify,” said an Egyptian diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous. According to this diplomat, the fallout between the two leading Arab states over the arrest of an Egyptian citizen, Ahmed El-Gizawi, upon his arrival in Saudi Arabia last month on a confused set of charges, is something that both countries would have not wanted to happen.

Gulf Considers Political Union to Handle Iran and Arab Spring: IRAN PRIMER

Caroline Crouch | 5.1.12

It is very unlikely that the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE or Oman would give up any real sovereign power, even if they agreed to a federation.  The most likely “constitutional” change would be a coordinating foreign and defense policy committee, with an eye (by the Saudis) to replicating the European Union experiment of a “common foreign and defense policy” and a single representative (like Lady Ashton, but it would be a man) of that policy. But the EU has had its own problems here, and the GCC would too.  Each state has a bilateral relationship with its most important security partner, the United States, and that would not change.  Qatar’s leaders are unlikely to give up their regional ambitions and submerge them in a Saudi-led effort for long.  Right now, all the GCC states are basically on the same page — worried about Iran, supportive of regime change in Syria, looking for a soft landing in Yemen.  But that might not last forever.  OPINION: SAUDIS WOULDN’T GAIN MUCH FROM A UNION WITH BAHRAIN:  Una Galani (Reuters) writes that, “Saudi Arabia’s call for Gulf nations to combine into a single entity appears to lay the ground for some kind of union with Bahrain. King Abdullah first highlighted the security issues facing the region when its leaders met in December – nine months after the kingdom sent tanks to tame a pro-democracy movement in Bahrain. Speculation is now swirling about how the relationship between the strongest and weakest members of the six-nation bloc could evolve, ahead of a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council this week. The old idea of a Gulf union has taken on a new meaning after the Arab uprisings. Saudi Arabia hasn’t given any details on what it envisions beyond the existing cooperation on security and selected financial issues. But the six Gulf countries won’t easily set aside their political differences just to please each other. And plans for a Gulf monetary union, loosely based on the European model, appear to be stuck following the intention of the UAE and Oman to opt out. “

Banque Saudi Fransi Eyes Debut Dollar Sukuk: AL ARABIYA

5.2.12

Banque Saudi Fransi, the kingdom’s fifth biggest bank by market capitalization, plans to issue its first dollar-denominated Islamic bond, or sukuk, depending on market conditions, and has picked banks to arrange investor meetings. The lender has picked Citi, Deutsche Bank and Credit Agricole to arrange global roadshows starting in the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 7, the banks said. The same banks are arrangers and dealers on the company’s recently-established $2 billion sukuk program.

BAE Systems Profit Growth Hinges On Saudi Jet Deal: BAE SYSTEMS

5.2.12

British defence group BAE Systems said its chances of delivering profit growth in 2012 hinged on talks to finalise a fighter jet deal with Saudi Arabia, in a year marked by tight government defence budgets. “Whilst little sales growth can be expected for the group in 2012 in the current market conditions, modest growth in underlying earnings per share is anticipated, assuming a satisfactory conclusion to Salam negotiations (with Saudi Arabia) in 2012,” BAE, Europe’s biggest defence contractor, said on Wednesday.

MSCI and Saudi Arabia: Friends Again: FINANCIAL TIMES

Robin Wigglesworth | 5.1.12

After a discreet but damaging spat over licensing that saw Saudi Arabia fall out of MSCI’s indices in 2009, the Middle East’s largest economy and the world’s most influential emerging markets index provider appear to have kissed and made up. MSCI said on Monday that it will reintroduce its Saudi Arabia Domestic Indices and related regional indices – such as the MSCI Arabian Markets – in June, a move that some hope could signal another move by Saudi Arabia to ease foreign investor access to its bourse, the largest and most liquid in the Arab world. Making no mention of the undignified scrap of yesteryear, MSCI and the Tadawul, Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, put out a joint statement on Monday celebrating the rapprochement

Sukuk Can Foster Economic Development In Saudi Arabia: CPI FINANCIAL

Isla MacFarlane | 5.1.12

“Sukuk can foster economic development In Saudi Arabia. Companies start to turn to the Sukuk market to fill the funding gap. Although important progress has been made in Sukuk issuance, the active names have tended to be large companies – led by GACA, SABIC and Saudi Electricity Company – as cost considerations and illiquid secondary markets have deterred others,” said Richard Banks, Director of Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference. “Furthermore, companies still need to turn to the dollar market if they want to be attractive to international funds. Companies also want to attract greater equity investment in order to fund growth. One way to do this is to open Tadawul to direct foreign participation.”

Royal Treatment In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia (Part 2): ARAMCO EXPATS

Tyler Swartz | 5.1.12

On my fourth day in Saudi Arabia, our group took a military plane to visit Mada’in Saleh, a pre-Islamic archaeological site of an ancient civilization whose people created dwellings and tombs by carving full-size rooms out of massive rock outcroppings. Deplaning after the two-hour flight on a cargo plane used by the Saudi Royal Air Force, my eyes adjusted to the intense brightness outside and settled onto my first sight of Arabian desert skyline. The view was a cross between New Mexico and the moon. As we drove in an air-conditioned tour bus supplied by a local hotel, we passed rock structures that made the inspiration behind the Sphinx seem obvious. I was seeing faces in mountainsides that had been shaped by millennia of wind erosion.

Saudi Billionaire Alwaleed Sells Yet Another Hotel: The Four Seasons Toronto: FORBES

Kerry A. Dolan | 5.1.12

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal can check off one more hotel sale in a growing list this year. His Saudi-listed Kingdom Holding Co. announced Monday that it is selling the Four Seasons Toronto for roughly $145 million ($142.5 million in Canadian dollars). The announcement did not say who the buyer is or what Kingdom’s original purchase price was. Alwaleed issued a rather perfunctory comment with the statement, saying, “These transactions mark yet another step for Kingdom Holding Co. towards the realization of the value of its investments.”

Committee Studying Sports Clubs For Women: SAUDI GAZETTE

5.1.12

The government has set up a ministerial committee to consider allowing and regulating women’s sports clubs, a senior official has said. Abdullah Al-Zamil from the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, the top Saudi sporting body, was quoted by local media as saying that the committee was formed to end the “chaos” surrounding women’s sports clubs which are unregulated.

Trial Of New Group Of Terrorists Begins: ARAB NEWS

Bloomberg via Md Al-Sulami | 5.1.12

A special Riyadh criminal court on Sunday began trying 66 Saudis and a Jordanian accused of joining a terrorist cell in the Kingdom under the leadership of Fahd Al-Juwair.

So far 12 defendants have appeared before the court — six during its first session on Sunday and six during a hearing yesterday. The list of charges against the defendants included adhering to Takfiri (describing others as infidels) ideology which is against the Qur’an and Sunna, communicating with Al-Qaeda, hiding terrorists, acquiring arms, ammunition and explosives, financing terrorist operations, providing PR support to terrorists, training on the manufacturing of explosives, disobeying the ruler and fighting in Iraq under the leadership of Jordanian Abu Musaab Al-Zarqawi.

ISRAEL: US TRYING TO PUT OFF WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS PROBE

The Obama administration is trying to delay the establishment of a panel appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. U.S. Middle East envoy David Hale met in Geneva last week with UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay and asked her not to advance the matter in the near future, Barak Ravid (Haaretz) reports.

ISRAEL: WINDS OF CHANGE

Such recent statements by Israel’s former and current security chiefs show how seriously Netanyahu’s views are being challenged and how impatient many Israelis are for change, argues Patrick Seale (Middle East Online).

AFGHANSTIAN: PRESIDENT OBAMA, KARZAI SIGN HISTORIC ACCORD

US President Barack Obama has signed a strategic agreement with Afghan leader Hamid Karzai on a previously unannounced visit to Afghanistan. The 10-year accord outlines military and civil ties between the countries after the end of Nato’s mission in Afghanistan in 2014, BBC reports. EXPLOSIONS ROCK KABUL: The Afghan capital Kabul was hit by at least five explosions on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people. The attacks, claimed by the Taliban, came shortly after US President Obama’s surprise visit to sign a strategic agreement, RT reports. ANALYSIS: TRIP WILL NOT CHANGE FEELINGS TOWARD WAR: People are sick of the war in Afghanistan. President Obama’s trip won’t change that. While the incumbent does clearly get credit from the American public for authorizing the mission to kill bin Laden, support for the broader war against Afghanistan is at its low ebb, Chris Cilizza (The Fix – Washington Post) reports.

EGYPT: UN OFFERS EGYPT HELP TO BROKER RETURN OF FUGITIVES, ASSETS

The United Nations has offered to help broker the return of Egyptian fugitives as well as assets that were spirited out of the country after last year’s uprising. The global body is aware of the internal pressures the Egyptian government is under to recover assets, a UN official told Ahram Online.

TURKEY: FIRST FULLY CIVILIAN CONSTITUTION FORTHCOMING

A parliamentary committee in Turkey is due to start work on the country’s first fully civilian constitution. The aim is to draft a simpler and more democratic charter to replace the existing constitution, which was drawn up under military rule 30 years ago, BBC reports.

IRAN: PENTAGON IS PLANNING ‘CONTINGENCY’

The U.S. military is discussing significant changes in its war plans to adhere to President Obama’s new strategic guidance that downplays preparing for conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and counts on allies to provide additional troops, Rowan Scarborough (Washington Times) reports.

War planning for Iran is now the most pressing scenario, or what the Pentagon calls a contingency.

/The daily news is provided as a service of the Saudi-US Trade Group, Washington, DC. Visit www.SUSTG.org for more information and to get a free email subscription to the News Review./</h4></div>