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

2.3.12 EDITION

The Saudi Industrial Property Authority – Modon: SUSRIS

2/2/12

This week Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the new Minister of Commerce and Industry, in his role as Chairman of Modon’s Board of Directors, signed contracts valued at $186 million for electrical infrastructure at five of Saudi Arabia’s industrial cities. Newly named Director General Saleh Al-Rasheed told Arab News that Modon’s next project will focus on the completion of services and infrastructure, so that the existing industrial cities that are under development become integrated services cities.

Saudi Leads Online Jobs Boom With 56% Growth: ARABIAN BUSINESS

Andy Sambidge | 2/3/12

Saudi Arabia has posted 56 percent growth in online job opportunities over the past year, while Oman saw a 12 percent decline, according to the Monster Employment Index.

Invest in Saudi Arabia: MARKETWATCH

2/3/12

Saudi Arabia is further opening its investment markets to foreigners — and the word is: buy.

With strong fundamentals, little to no debt, and effective dividends, Saudi companies are compelling investment opportunities. But that’s not all. Saudi Arabia is going big into the solar and water industries — and there will be myriad ways to capitalize on making the kingdom more sustainable.

Fairs Make Job Search Easier: ARAB NEWS

Reuters | 2/3/12

In a cavernous exhibition hall on the outskirts of Riyadh, dozens of young Saudi women stroll between corporate booths in search of jobs. Each has completed a 3-1/2 hour aptitude test that gives her scores for 10 behavioral characteristics and two types of cognitive ability. The results are shown to as many as 81 potential employers which schedule job interviews using a centralized, online system.  It is Women’s Day at the first of a series of job fairs launched by the Saudi government this year to find employment for its citizens. In coming months the scheme aims to arrange interviews for 15,000 men and women out of 100,000 applicants, holding similar fairs in the cities of Jeddah and Dammam.

Hyatt Soon to Dominate High-End Hotels in Saudi Arabia: MARKET WATCH

1/2/12

Hyatt Announces Plans for Three New Hotels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Agreements for Park Hyatt Riyadh, Grand Hyatt Jeddah, and Hyatt Regency Jeddah Bring Total to Six Hotels under Development in Saudi Arabia.

Saudis Set to Tap Fuel Oil Boom with Latest Pricing for Crude: BLOOMBERG

2/3/12

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is poised to raise the price of its lowest-quality crude to the most in almost two years relative to the top grade as it benefits from the rising cost of shipping fuel.

Saudi Contribution to IMF Faces Tough Sell: GULF NEWS

2/3/12

International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde faces a tough but not impossible sell when she visits Saudi Arabia today to discuss a contribution from the oil-rich kingdom to the IMF’s $500 billion (Dh1.83 trillion) fundraising effort to fight the European debt crisis.

Saudi Arabia: USCIRF Urges Release of Prisoners: U.S. COMMISSION ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

2/2/12

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today called for the immediate release of 35 Ethiopian Christians who have been detained by Saudi Arabian police since December 15, allegedly for participating in a private religious gathering.

System Will Link GCC to Manpower-Exporting States: ARAB NEWS

Md Rasooldeen | 2/3/12

Prospective Gulf workers’ medical reports issued from 11 manpower exporting countries will be linked electronically to the GCC health ministers’ secretariat and to countries in the region.

Saudi Arabia Tanker Load Capacity Gains 22%, Ship Data Show: BLOOMBERG

Rob Sheridan | 2/3/12

The carrying capacity of oil tankers that docked at Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia’s biggest crude-loading port, gained 22 percent in the latest week, according to ship- tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Are Men Afraid Of Women’s Success?: SAUDI GAZETTE

2/3/12

We all agree that women have proved themselves in fields such as education despite the many obstacles they encounter. One of the main obstacles is being deprived of their rights to continue education or work. It is generally accepted that it is the male authority which tries to deprive women of these rights.

IRAN: U.S. OFFICIALS CONCERNED BY ISRAEL STATEMENTS ON IRAN THREAT, POSSIBLE STRIKE

Israeli leaders on Thursday delivered one of the bluntest warnings to date of possible airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites, adding to the anxiety in Western capitals that a surprise attack by Israel could spark a broader military conflict in the Middle East.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, speaking at a security forum attended by some of Israel’s top intelligence and military leaders, declared that time was running out for stopping Iran’s nuclear advance, as the country’s uranium facilities disappear into newly constructed mountain bunkers, Joel Greenberg and Joby Warrick (Washington Post) report. IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER THREATENS RETALIATION AGAINST ATTACK: The supreme leader of Iran vowed on Friday to retaliate over oil sanctions and threats of military action by the West to stop Iran’s nuclear program, warning that the United States in particular would face severe damage to its interests if any strike were carried out against its nuclear sites, J. David Goodman (NYT) reports. EFFORT TO REBRAND ARAB SPRING BACKFIRES IN IRAN: It was meant to be a crowning moment in which Iran put its own Islamic stamp on the Arab Spring. More than a thousand young activists were flown here earlier this week (at government expense) for a conference on “the Islamic Awakening,” Tehran’s effort to rebrand the popular Arab uprisings of the past year, Robert F. Worth (NYT) writes.

EGYPT: PROTESTS ESCALATE AFTER DEADLY RIOT
Violent clashes reignited in Egypt on Friday between police and protesters angered by reports of inadequate security at a soccer match that devolved into a riot this week, leaving 79 people dead, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (CNN) reports. AFTERMATH: WHERE TO PIN BLAME? Many of Egypt’s liberal youth activists quickly pinned the blame on a military-orchestrated conspiracy. “SCAF [the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces] is trying to manipulate people into begging for the reinstatement of the Emergency Law again,” activist Ahmad Aggour tweeted hours after the violence erupted on national news. Others questioned how a police force so notorious for its use of brutality against protesters — and in securing government buildings — had proved unable to stop a rampage in a soccer stadium, Abigail Hauslohner (TIME) writes.  TWO AMERICANS KIDNAPPED: Bedouin gunmen intercepted a tourist minivan and snatched two female American tourists and their Egyptian guide at gunpoint Friday near St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula, the region’s security chief said, CBS news reports.

SYRIA: US ‘CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC’ OF STRONG SUPPORT FOR NEW UN RESOLUTION ON SYRIA

A senior State Department official said Friday the U.S. is “cautiously optimistic” of strong support for a new U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the violence in Syria and calling for a political transition in the country, AP/Washington Post reports. EMBOLDENED REBELS TEAR AT ASSADS POWER: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad looks increasingly cornered, his authority seriously wounded by rebel raids at the gates of Damascus and his ability to wield superior firepower complicated by political constraints, Reuters reports. ‘FINISH HIM’: Daniel Bynum (Foreign Policy) writes: Without international intervention, there’s a good chance that Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, could still rule for years.

UNITED STATES: ECONOMIC RECOVERY GAINS STEAM WITH UNEMPLOYMENT AT 3-YEAR LOW

The United States economy gained momentum in January, adding 243,000 jobs, the second straight month of better-than-expected gains. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3percent, giving a cause for optimism as the economy shapes up as the central issue in the presidential election. The Labor Department’s monthly snapshot of the job market uses a different survey, of households rather than employers, to calculate the unemployment rate, Motoko Rich (NYT) reports.

KUWAIT: ISLAMIST GAINS AT EXPENSE OF WOMEN AND LIBERALS

Kuwait has become the fourth Arab country in as many months to see overwhelming gains for Islamists and dismal losses for liberals in parliamentary elections, Gulf News reports.

ISRAEL: UN CHIEF URGES ISRAEL TO HALT SETTLEMENTS

Israel must halt settlement building and present detailed proposals for a border with a future Palestinian state, visiting U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday, as he tried to persuade the Palestinians to continue low-level meetings with Israel that the international community hopes will evolve into serious negotiations, CBS news 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/

2.2.12 EDITION

Saudi Economy: Jadwa February 2012 Chartbook: SUSRIS

2/1/12

The Jadwa Investment firm in Riyadh introduced the “Saudi Chartbook” to provide a quick, chart-based briefing on the key developments and trends in the Saudi economy and stock market. SUSRIS is pleased to provide the summary from the February Saudi Chartbook and a link to the complete report, rich with illuminating charts and graphs. SUSRIS thanks Jadwa Investment’s Chief Economist, Brad Bourland, Head of Research, Paul Gamble and Associate Research Director Gasim Abdulkarim, for providing this insightful report for your consideration.

Saudi Economy Expected To Grow 3.8% in 2012: ARAB NEWS

2/1/12

Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, forecasts a 3.8 percent growth in Saudi GDP in 2012, backed by public sector spending, even as the global economy continues to lose momentum. With the oil sector remaining the main source of revenue for the Kingdom, the price of oil is forecast to remain at above $100 per barrel.

Saudi Arabia May Seek IMF Sway In Exchange For Riches: ARABIAN BUSINESS

Bloomberg | 2/2/12

Saudi Arabia, which has more than $500bn in foreign assets, may demand a greater share of voting rights at the International Monetary Fund in exchange for providing the lender with more money.

Tribalism in the Arabian Peninsula: A Family Affair: JADALIYYA

Sultan Al-Qassemi | 2/2/12

Across the Arabian Peninsula and stretching well into North Africa and Sudan, there is a common bond, perhaps only behind religion and language in importance, that binds Arabic language speakers together. Museums across the Gulf proudly display lineage maps illustrating the family trees of ruling members, linking them through lines and photos from bygone centuries up to the current leader. Major financial institutions in Dubai and Bahrain display in their offices large-scale maps detailing prominent ruling family members of the Gulf States and their marital, government, and business affiliations. Tribalism in modern day Arabia is alive and well. In this article, I highlight recent developments to illustrate how those in power in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula use tribalism, and how, sometimes, it is used against them.

Saudi Gold Miner Adds Shine of Different Hue: THE NATIONAL

Hadeel Al Sayegh | 2/2/12

The Saudi mining company Ma’aden yesterday started operations at its Ras Al Khair plant to produce diammonium phosphate. The US$5.6 billion phosphate project is fully operational and the plant, which is 90km north of Jubail in the Eastern Province, will gradually increase its production to its designed capacity of 3 million tonnes a year, the state-run producer said in a filing to the Saudi bourse yesterday.

Saudi Energy Investment at $141b in 5 Years Biggest In MENA Region: SAUDI GAZETTE

2/2/12

Saudi Arabia remained the dominant energy investor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with an estimated $141 billion during 2012-2016, data from the Dammam-based Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (Apicorp), an affiliate of the 10-nation Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, showed.

Kuwait-Saudi Dorra Gas Work Seen Starting In June: REUTERS

2/2/12

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are pushing ahead with plans to develop the undisputed part of the offshore Dorra gas field with the front-end engineering and design (FEED) work expected to be completed by June, industry sources said.

Fujitsu Commences Smart Community Development in Saudi Arabia: PRESS RELEASE

2/2/12

Fujitsu signs a MOU with Saudi Arabia as Part of an Overseas Infrastructure Export Initiative of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Saudi-Japanese Forum to Open New Horizons: ARAB NEWS

2/2/12

More than 200 prominent businessmen and senior officials of public and private companies and organizations from Saudi Arabia and Japan are participating in the Saudi Japanese Economic Forum that began in Tokyo on Tuesday evening. Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah is heading the Saudi delegation taking part in the event, which is discussing various aspects of bilateral business cooperation between the two major trade partners in Asia.

New Saudi Metro to Ease Haj Traffic: GULF NEWS

Aya Lowe | 2/2/12

Saudi Arabia’s new metro system will ease traffic congestion during the annual Haj pilgrimage, a top official has said. The Haramain High Speed Rail project, which is under construction, will be a 449.2km high-speed inter-city system linking Madinah and Makkah.

Saudi Equity Market Cap Surges To SR1.30 Trillion: ARAB NEWS

2/1/12

The Saudi stock market showed a positive march in January after falling over 3 percent in 2011.

Collaboration Forum Set For Saudi Arabia: UPI

2/1/12

A forum to promote collaboration and partnerships between Saudi Arabian industry and Lockheed Martin has been conducted in Riyadh. The forum, which was last Sunday and Monday, featured speakers such as Lockheed Martin President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Kubasik and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith.

Saudi, Abu Dhabi Osps Awaited: EMIRATES 24|7

Reuters | 2/2/12

The Middle East crude market awaited the Saudi Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (Adnoc) official crude selling prices (OSP) to gauge the direction of trade for the new month.

EGYPT: EGYPTIANS INCENSED AFTER 74 DIE IN SOCCER TRAGEDY

Egyptians incensed by the deaths of 74 people in clashes at a soccer stadium staged protests on Thursday as fans and politicians accused the ruling generals of failing to prevent the deadliest incident since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, Reuters reports. MANY BLAME MILITARY FOR MELEE: The riot on Wednesday night refocused attention on the failure of the transitional government to re-establish a sense of order and stability in the streets and threatened to provoke a new crisis for Egypt’s halting political transition. The deadliest soccer riot anywhere in more than 15 years, the melee also illuminated the potential for savagery among the organized groups of die-hard fans known here as ultras who have added a volatile element to the street protests since Mr. Mubarak’s exit, David D. Kirkpatrick (NYT) reports. MARKET PLUNGES: Egypt’s benchmark stock index fell over 2 percent Thursday, paring an earlier plunge stemming from deadly soccer riots the night before that left 74 dead and rekindled fears of fresh instability akin to the unrest that has battered the country and its economy in the year since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, Tarek El-Tablawy (ABC) reports. PORT SAID OFFICIALS SACKED: Senior officials in the Egyptian city of Port Said and the Egyptian football association have been sacked in the wake of riots on Wednesday in which at least 74 people were killed, BBC reports.

BAHRAIN: NATION BOILS LEADING UP TO ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PROTESTS

A year ago this month, Bahrain’s majority Shiites took inspiration from the Arab Spring to sharpen long-standing grievances against the Sunni monarchy, accused by Shiites of relegating them to second-class status in the Western-allied nation. Within days of the first protest march, Bahrain was sliding into a crisis that would bring more than two months of martial law, more than 40 deaths, hundreds of arrests and ongoing clashes so disruptive that the U.S. Embassy last month relocated workers into safe haven neighborhoods, Reem Khalifa and Brian Murphy (Boston Globe) report.

AFGHANISTAN: PANETTA SETS TIMETABLE OF 2013 FOR END OF COMBAT MISSION

The secretary general of NATO echoed Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on Thursday and said that the United States and its allies would step back from a combat role in Afghanistan in mid-2013, leaving Afghan forces in the lead to defend their own country, Elisabeth Bumiller (NYT) reports. TALIBAN RETURN SEEN AS UNLIKELY: Among the snippets in a secret NATO report detailing the hopes of jailed Taliban militants to retake Afghanistan was news the Islamist movement had set up telephone hotlines for Afghans to report anonymously on failures of its shadow government, Rob Taylor (Reuters) reports.

SYRIA: ANNIVERARY OF HOMS MASSACRE MARKED

Syrian security forces fanned out in Hama on Thursday as protesters splashed red paint symbolizing blood in the streets to mark the 30th anniversary of a notorious massacre carried out by President Bashar Assad’s father and predecessor, Fox News reports. TREATY WILL PUT PRESSURE ON SYRIA: Even a watered-down U.N. Security Council resolution will put pressure on the Syrian government, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby told CNN Thursday, ahead of renewed talks at the United Nations, CNN reports.

ISRAEL: SUSPECTED SITES REMAIN VULNERABLE, DEPUTY PM SAYS

Israel’s deputy prime minister says Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons sites remain vulnerable to possible military strikes, suggesting that underground bunkers do not offer sufficient protection, AP reports. ISRAEL SAYS IRAN HAS MATERIAL FOR 4 ATOMIC WEAPONS: Israel estimated on Thursday that Iran could make four atomic bombs by further enriching uranium it has already stockpiled, and could produce its first within a year of deciding to build one, Reuters reports.

PALESTINE: CITIZENS TRY TO BLOCK UN CHIEF FROM ENTERING GAZA, THROW SHOES

Palestinians tried to block the U.N. chief from entering the Gaza Strip and flung shoes at his armored convoy on Thursday, the second day of Ban Ki-moon’s mission to the region to keep informal peace talks alive, MSNBC/AP reports.

PAKISTAN: COURT TO CHARGE GILANI WITH CONTEMPT

Pakistan’s Supreme Court is to charge Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with contempt for failing to reopen corruption cases against the president, BBC 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>

Editor’s Note:

The agenda for the 2nd US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Atlanta was not all business. There was ample opportunity for discussions of diplomacy and foreign relations, especially the official ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia.  One such instance was the joint appearance of Ambassadors from each country at the dinner following the first full day of the Forum.  For the Saudi side the Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Adel Al-Jubeir, was not available for the Forum so his spot was ably filled by the Saudi Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Abdullah Al-Mouallimi.  He began his remarks with a humorous jab at the all too serious subject of charges against Iranian officials concerning a plot to kill Mr. Al-Jubeir.  Mr. Al-Mouallimi mentions the case in his comments about Iran further in his remarks.  We are providing a video excerpt from his press briefing at the United Nations about this topic from November 18, 2011 to provide background and context.  Mr. Al-Mouallimi’s presentation on several subjects of interest to Saudi policymakers was followed by remarks from United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith.  His presentation is provided in a separate SUSRIS item. [Link]

The 2nd US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Atlanta was an unparalleled gathering of ministers and senior government officials and corporate and civic leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United States designed to increase understanding and business interactions between the two nations. The one thousand plus attendees, including over two hundred from Saudi Arabia, participated in the many well-organized panels and breakout sessions covering a broad range of high interest topics. The Forum was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and organized by the: Committee for International Trade (CIT); the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council; and the Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG).

You can find much more about the 2011 Forum at the SUSRIS Special Section. [Link]

***

Ambassador Abdullah Y. Al-Mouallimi: Your Highness, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, Ambassador Smith, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: it gives me great pleasure to be with you this evening standing in for my friend and colleague, Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Washington. I told Adel that I would be happy to fill in for him anytime, anywhere, but when it comes to assassination plots, you’re on your own. Fair deal?  [Laughter and applause]

Having listened to some of the presentations today and yesterday, I feel that you all have had a pretty good dose of Saudi Arabia: its economy, business opportunities, health and education experience, and even some music last night. So I thought I would take you to some of the international issues affecting our region, and attracting the attention of our two nations in the weeks and months ahead.

HE Saudi Ambassador to the UN Abdullah Al-Mouallimi

Time is short, and we want to pace ourselves to Saudi “standard time,” which achieved for Saudi Arabia in two generations what others took centuries to do, Ambassador Smith. Therefore, I will limit myself to three fundamental issues: the Arab-Israeli conflict, relations with Iran, and turmoil in the Arab world.

Let me start with the Arab-Israeli conflict, which appears to be at a dangerous standstill. We have all followed Palestinian attempts to gain recognition and admission to the United Nations. Unfortunately, these efforts have been and continue to be frustrated, mainly by American objections. Our American friends say that the current standstill must be resolved through negotiations. The fact is that we have had no shortage of negotiations. Over the past two decades we’ve had them all, all kinds: secret negotiations, open negotiations, direct and indirect negotiations, proximity talks, grand conferences, you name it, and even private retreats in Camp David, Sharm el Sheikh, and other exotic locations. If anything, we’ve had too much negotiation.

Why have we achieved so little? Very simply because Israel wants to have its cake and eat it too.

Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories, expand unlawful settlements, impose a blockade on Gaza, turning it into a one and a half million people’s prison, and then they say let’s talk while I keep doing all of that. That doesn’t work anymore. Israel would be well advised to use its overwhelming power to defend a just and lasting peace, rather than to enforce an unsustainable occupation. Israel would be well advised to turn the treaties it signed with President Mubarak and King Hussein into real peace with the peoples of the region. Israel would be well advised to accept the Arab Peace Plan, first introduced by King Abdullah, and later adopted by all Arab countries. A plan that extends a hand of peace and recognition to the state of Israel in return for an end to the occupation and prompt implementation of the two-state solution.

And the United States would be well advised not to frustrate Palestinian ambitions for self-determination and independence, a right that has been recognized by all countries of the world, including the United States itself. Instead of vetoing Palestinian membership in the United Nations, the United States should help Israel adapt to the realities of the 21st century and the new Middle East, and help end the very last occupation in the world, that of Palestine.

Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Al-Mouallimi and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Let me now turn to Iran. And let me say at the beginning that we respect Iran as a neighbor and a major force in our region. We recognize its proud history and great civilization, and believe that Iran should have a leading place and play a constructive role as a member of the civilized community of nations.

We also acknowledge Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for civilian purposes under the appropriate guidance of the relevant international organizations. But we reject Iranian attempts to exercise hegemony in the region, and we reject Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, from Lebanon to Yemen, and from Syria to Bahrain, and beyond. And we reject Iran’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. We also deplore Iranian terrorist plots, including the latest ones aimed at the Saudi Ambassador in Washington, and the Saudi Ambassador in Bahrain.

This is why we introduced a United Nations General Assembly Resolution that condemned these plots, called upon Iran to cooperate with the investigation, and hand over culprits to justice. This resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority of 106 to 9. We continue to extend our hand of friendship, peace, and dialogue to Iran. We hope that the voice of wisdom will prevail, and that Iran will desist from its current course of reckless, fruitless, and ultimately dangerous behavior.

Finally, I will address the current turmoil in the Arab world. You may have noticed that I did not use the term “Arab Spring.” Spring carries with it images of blossoming roses, refreshing breeze, and everlasting sunshine. Unfortunately, the events in the Arab world have been far from this beautiful image. Let us hope and pray that this turmoil will bring about positive change and stability in all countries of the region.

Saudi Arabia has followed closely the events in the Arab world. We maintain a position of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. When the peoples of Tunisia and Egypt brought about a regime change, we respected their will, and rushed to provide massive economic assistance to help overcome the difficulties faced in both countries.

In Yemen and in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia responded to the calls of leaders and provided strategic, economic, and political assistance. Along with our partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, we restored stability to Bahrain, protected it from external threats, and thereby gave its people an opportunity to find through dialogue and reconciliation a way forward from the crisis.

In Yemen, the GCC initiative was instrumental in getting all parties to sign a comprehensive agreement that allows for a peaceful transition towards a more democratic and representative system of government. In Libya, the GCC states were the first to call for a no-fly zone, thereby preventing Colonel Kaddafi from executing his threat to massacre the people of Benghazi “Zenga Zenga” as he said, or street by street.

In Syria, King Abdullah was the first to break the wall of silence in the Arab world about that country’s continuing tragedy. Saudi Arabia is still working through the Arab League to find a peaceful political solution that would protect the Syrian peoples’ aspirations for liberty and prosperity. As you can see, our plate has been full, and I would say thank God for Saudi Arabia.

Many people ask “will” the Arab Spring reach Saudi Arabia? And some ask more bluntly “when” will the Arab Spring reach Saudi Arabia? My answer is simple. We have had our spring. In 2005, and upon his accession to the throne, King Abdullah gave a comprehensive speech to the Shura Council in which he outlined his vision for wide-ranging reform in the Kingdom.

In 2009, two years before the turmoil in the Arab world began, King Abdullah gave a speech at the Arab Summit in Kuwait in which he urged Arab leaders to undertake major reforms, politically, economically, and socially. He told the summit that business as usual was not sustainable, and that the leaders should initiate reform before having it forced upon them.

Since 2005, King Abdullah has implemented his agenda for reform in the economy, education, judiciary, women rights, and expanded public participation in managing their affairs of state. In 2011, King Abdullah responded to popular demands for providing housing facilities, introducing unemployment benefits, creating more job opportunities, especially for women, and establishing a new agency for combating corruption.

Saudi Arabia might not have developed its democratic institutions to Western standards, but it is a country where citizens feel they have a voice, where hope for a better future for them and their children flourishes, where dignity is protected, and economic opportunity abounds. If that is not spring, I don’t know what is.

Thank you very much.

A presentation by U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James B. Smith followed. [Link Here]

***

Related Items:

• US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum 2011 – Atlanta – SUSRIS Special Section
• US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum 2010 – Chicago – SUSRIS Special Section
• US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum – Home Page
• Business Forum: Ambassadors Exchange Views – The American Side – SUSRIS – Feb 1, 2012

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

2.1.12 EDITION

Saudi Arabia Cautious On Possible Afghan Talks: REUTERS

Angus McDowall | 1/31/12

Saudi Arabia is reluctant to host talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban without concessions from the Islamist movement including renouncing its ties to al Qaeda, sources in Riyadh and Kabul said on Tuesday. TALIBAN DENIES TALKS: The Afghan Taliban have denied planning to hold preliminary peace talks with representatives from the Afghan government in Saudi Arabia. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said media reports about an upcoming meeting in the kingdom were “not true,” BBC reports.

Top US Spy Warns Saudi Plot Shows Iran Willing To Attack The US On Its Own Soil: THE HILL

Jordy Yager | 1/31/12

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned a Senate panel that a 2011 plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, which U.S. officials say was hatched in Iran, indicates that Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his government are willing to launch attacks in the United States.

CIA Chief Says Appears Saudi Oil “Ramping Up”: REUTERS

1/31/12

Saudi Arabia’s oil production appears to be “ramping up” and can fill some of the demand shortfalls caused by sanctions on Iranian exports, CIA Director David Petraeus said on Tuesday.

US Ambassador Hosts Art Exhibition: ARAB NEWS

Abdul Hannan Tago  | 2/1/12

US Ambassador to Riyadh James B. Smith and his wife Dr. Janet Breslin-Smith hosted on Sunday night at their Riyadh residence the “ART in Embassies” exhibition dubbed “Connecting Families,” which was attended by media and both Saudi and American artists.

“Pearl Diving In the Gulf – 1938″ – Part 2 of Video Series “Distant Arabia”: ARAMCO EXPATS

1/31/12

Part 2 of the 12 part Distant Arabia video series courtesy of Selwa Press. The majority of the film clips posted on the Selwa Video You Tube channel are comprised of films taken in Saudi Arabia between 1937 and 1940 by Tom Barger, Les Snyder and Jerry Harriss. They are among the few moving pictures that record that critical and brief moment in the country’s history when an ancient pastoral way of life was coming to an abrupt end, to be replaced by an industrial society. Many of the Bedouin depicted had never seen an automobile let alone a movie camera before these men arrived. The herds of camels, once the lifeblood of Bedouin life, would become irrelevant. The dhows of the Gulf replaced by motor launches, the date oases, the very anchor of the Al Hasa economy, would become all but insignificant. All that remains of those days are these flickering images from a time before oil.

Saudi Mulls Labour, Financial, Legal Reforms: KHALEEJ TIMES

2/1/12

In a cavernous exhibition hall on the outskirts of Riyadh, dozens of young Saudi women, clad in full-length black abayas and veils, stroll between corporate booths in search of jobs.

Each has completed a 3-1/2 hour aptitude test that gives her scores for 10 behavioral characteristics and two types of cognitive ability. The results are shown to as many as 81 potential employers which schedule job interviews using a centralized, online system.

Saudi Arabia Nominates Al-Moneef as Next OPEC Head, Reuters Says: BLOOMBERG

Ayesha Daya | 2/1/12

Saudi Arabia has nominated Majid al- Moneef to become the next secretary-general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Reuters reported, citing an unidentified Gulf official.

Lockheed Martin Hosts Industry Collaboration Forum in Saudi Arabia: PRESS RELEASE

Lockheed Martin held its first Industry Collaboration Forum Jan. 29-30 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, launching an effort geared toward strengthening relationships with local industry and creating opportunities for new partnerships.

ABB Wins $250 Million Power Orders In Saudi Arabia: NASDAQ

2/1/12

Electrical engineering company ABB Ltd Wednesday said it has won orders worth more than $250 million from the Saudi Electricity Company (5110.SA) to construct new substations and reinforce existing ones in the country to address its growing demand for electricity.

Saudi Claims To Hack Syria President’s Email: EMIRATES 24|7

2/1/12

A hacker based out of Saudi Arabia, identified as Salman Al Anzi, claims to have hacked the private email account of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, Saudi-based Arabic newspaper Al Madina reported. The hacker also claimed to have hacked into several Syrian ministries, including the Ministry of Information.

IRAN: UN NUKE INSPECTORS HAIL ‘GOOD’ TALKS WITH IRAN

The leader of a United Nations nuclear inspection team said Wednesday that their visit to Iran had been a “good trip,” and announced plans to revisit Tehran “in the very near future.”

The remarks by mission leader Herman Nackaerts indicated some progress on the team’s quest to wrest information from Iran about allegations that it is secretly working on an atomic arms program, MSNBC reports. OPINION: WEANING INDIAN OFF IRAN: How should India respond to U.S.-led efforts to halt Iran’s suspected rogue nuclear weapons program? An India that uses its oil purchases and diplomatic clout to create breathing room for Iran risks scuppering the notion New Delhi has benefited from for more than a decade: that India’s rise is beneficial to the West, WSJ reports.  CHINA LOOKS BOTH WAYS ON IRAN OIL: China’s response to calls from the West to join an oil embargo penalizing Iran for its nuclear program so far has been to choose the middle course typical of its non-interfering foreign policy of the last 30 years – denouncing sanctions on one hand yet working to protect its national interests on many fronts, Al Jazeera reports.

AFGHANISTAN: TALIBAN POISED TO TAKE BACK COUNTRY AFTER NATO LEAVES, THE US MILITARY SAYS

The U.S. military said in a secret report that the Taliban, backed by Pakistan, are set to retake control of Afghanistan after NATO-led forces withdraw, raising the prospect of a major failure of Western policy after a costly war, Hamid Shalizi and Mirwais Harooni (Reuters) reports.

SYRIA: PRESSURE AT UN ON RUSSIA AFTER REFUSAL TO CONDEMN SYRIA

The battle over Syria moved to the United Nations on Tuesday with Western powers and much of the Arab world confronting Russia and its allies in the Security Council over their refusal to condemn the Syrian government for its violent suppression of popular protests, Neil Macfarquhar (NYT) reports. WHY NO WORLD UPROAR?: Grainy videos depict the violence that has killed at least 6,000 Syrians, but the prospects for international intervention appear dim. Is the world inured to the ubiquitous images? CSM reports.

EUROPE: LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE BOMB PLOT ADMITTED BY FOUR MEN

Four men inspired by al-Qaeda have admitted planning to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange, BBC reports.

ISRAEL: NETANYAHU WINS LIKUD CHAIRMANSHIP

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was victorious in the Likud Party chairmanship race, though his only challenger garnered about 24 percent of the vote, JTA reports.

PAKISTAN: ANTHRAX SENT TO PREMIER’S OFFICE

A university professor sent a packet containing anthrax to the office of Pakistan’s prime minister in October last year, his spokesman said Wednesday, an incident that will fuel security concerns in a country that is home to top al-Qaida leaders and other extremists, the AP reports.

TURKEY: WARNINGS FOR EUROPE OVER MOUNTING RACISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned of rising racism and Islamophobia in Europe as he once again denounced a recent French bill outlawing denial of Armenian genocide, the Daily Star 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/

1.31.12 EDITION

Connecting Interest With Business Opportunity: A Conversation With Khaled Al-Seif: SUSRIS

1/30/12

The 2nd US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Atlanta last month brought together a high level delegation of over 200 Saudi officials and business people with over 1000 Americans to explore the $1 trillion-plus commercial openings available in the coming decade in the Kingdom. The response to the Forum – and what it means for American investment and partnerships in Saudi Arabia – was something distinguished businessman Khaled Al-Seif has been working to see for years. Since at least as far back as 2005, when he helped lead a multi-city trade mission to Atlanta, he has been a steadfast champion of the business-to-business relationship between Saudis and Americans.

Saudis Push Young People, Including Women, Into Jobs: WALL STREET JOURNAL

1/31/12

With eyes darting over racks of sales items, 28-year-old Haya Murzouq worked the counter at her new job at one of Riyadh’s busier lingerie boutiques in December. With one hand, she checked a tag for a female customer. With the other, the Saudi woman hoisted the trailing end of her black head scarf over her face, draping it for modesty as she spotted male customers.

Few mall shoppers gave the shop a second glance, and a passing patrol of Saudi religious police didn’t bother to stop in, but Ms. Murzouq and her co-workers, all of whom are Saudi women, are doing things long unseen in the capital and much of the rest of the kingdom: staking out sales racks and scrubbing shop floors for all to see. JOBS FOR WOMEN NOW A CONCERN: Women in the western workplace sometimes complain of the glass ceiling. In Saudi Arabia it is often a glass wall that separates them from the men. So it should not have been surprising that the most interesting question to be posed to the kingdom’s labour minister at an international gathering of global business leaders in Riyadh last week came from behind such a glass wall, The National reports.

An Oil Minister, Plugging Renewables?: NEW YORK TIMES

Clifford Krauss | ‘Green’ Blog | 1/30/12

When you think of proponents of green energy, the Saudi oil minister may not be the first person who comes to mind. But in a speech on Monday in London, Ali al-Naimi, the minister from OPEC’s leading member nation, had a lot to say about renewable energy and global warming.

Saudi Bourse at Six-Month High; Egypt’s Index Ends Rally: BUSINESS RECORDER

1/31/12

The Saudi bourse hit a six-month high in active trading on Monday after a state-run fund said it would buy more shares, while Egyptian stocks snapped their rally ahead of talks on political transition.

Net Profitability for Saudi Firms Increases to SR94.8bn: ARAB NEWS

1/31/12

Profitability for the Saudi market in 2011 showed strong growth with market net income up 22 percent to SR94.8 billion from SR78.1 billion in 2010, NCB Capital, Saudi Arabia’s leading wealth manager, has said in a new report.

Zain Careers Beckon Saudi Youth: ARAB NEWS

1/31/12

Zain Saudi Arabia, ranked “excellent” in the Nitaqat scheme, has revealed plans to attract more talented Saudi nationals.

Saudi Tribalism Lingers For Kingdom’s Settled Bedouin: ARABIAN BUSINESS

1/31/12

The kingdom’s Bedouin might have forsaken a desert lifestyle that brought more hardship than riches, but their tribal identity retains a lingering influence in modern Saudi life and one that some Saudis believe may be enjoying a revival. 

Saudi Arabia Issues Oil-Supply Assurance: THE DAILY STAR

Reuters | 1/31/12

Saudi Arabia can meet any future world oil shortages thanks to massive investment, and its rising gas output will mean crude exports will not be affected by booming domestic energy demand, Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said Monday.

Growing tension between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program has led to fears of a disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East Gulf.

Saudi Officials Walk Out in Protest at Iran Comments, Mehr Says: BLOOMBERG

1/31/12

A Saudi Arabian delegation walked out of a conference in protest after a former Iranian parliament speaker criticized the kingdom’s policies, the state-run Mehr news agency reported without citing anyone.

Saudis Want Swap For Imprisoned Royals: UPI

1/30/12

Saudi Arabia is seeking a prisoner swap for six Saudis, including three royal family members, reported to be on death row in Iraq, officials said.

Twitter Is A Platform For Lies: Saudi Grand Mufti: EMIRATES 24|7

1/29/12

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti (religious chief) has launched a virulent attack on the social networking site Twitter, saying it has become a platform for promoting lies, newspapers in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Sunday.

Banks Probe Hacked Credit Cards: SAUDI GAZETTE

1/31/12

Customers at some local banks have withdrawn their money and closed their accounts in the wake of reports that hackers have accessed some credit card accounts. Banks have now employed teams of information technology experts to close the loopholes in their systems.

Saudi Docs Sue U Of Ottawa For $100M: CANADA NEWS

Kelly Roche | 1/31/12

Three doctors from Saudi Arabia are suing the University of Ottawa and several of its officials for more than $100 million.

Saudi Arabia: A Kingdom On The Move: THE DRUM

Ben Rich | 1/31/12

Saudi Arabia. The name evokes a visceral reaction in many people, conjuring visions of oppressed women swathed in black, hedonistic princes gliding across suntanned dune landscapes in cherry red Ferraris and a society subjected to a an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam, Wahhabism, by a cynical Monarchy and a corrupt clerical establishment.

Indeed, the Western media has long promoted this view of the Kingdom and its occupants; an approach that has been reinvigorated in recent times by the various revolutions sparked across the Middle East.  There is incontestable truth in each of these images, but there is also a tendency towards simplicity in their presentation and an almost obsessive focus upon them as wholly descriptive of the Saudi experience.  This obscures the important cases of grass roots liberalisation occurring within the Kingdom on a daily basis, many of which are encouraged by the current ruler, King Abdullah.

AFGHANISTAN: AFGHAN OFFICIALS CONSIDER OWN TALKS WITH TALIBAN

Concerned that it is being left out of potential peace talks between the United States and the Taliban, the Afghan government is pushing to open its own direct negotiations with the insurgent group in Saudi Arabia, Afghan officials said on Monday, NYT reports. TALIBAN, US BEGINS TALKS WITH QATAR: Afghan Taliban negotiators are meeting with U.S. officials in Qatar for a series of discussions aimed at building trust between the two sides ahead of the upcoming peace talks, VOA reports.

SYRIA: DRAFT RESOLUTION TO UN CALLS FOR SYRIA’S ASSAD TO STEP DOWN

A draft resolution on Syria to be presented to the UN security council calls on President Bashar al-Assad to step aside or face “further measures” in 15 days’ time, but it stresses that any punitive measures would be peaceful, The Guardian reports.  LANDIS SAYS ASSAD WILL LAST: Audie Cornish talks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He says the Assad regime is likely to hang on far longer than anyone could have predicted when the uprising began last March, NPR reports. RUSSIA OPPOSES: Much of the attention focused on Russia, which stoutly opposes an Arab League proposal, backed by Western and Arab diplomats, that calls for Mr. Assad to cede power as part of a transition to democracy, NYT reports.

YEMEN: DRONE STRIKE KILLS 13

At least 13 people have been killed in air strikes on militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in southern Yemen, residents and officials say, BBC reports.

UNITED STATES: OBAMA OFFERS DEFENSE OF DRONE STRIKES: President Obama offered a vigorous defense of using unmanned aircraft to kill Al Qaeda operatives and other militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas and, in the process, officially acknowledged the highly classified CIA drone program that U.S. officials had refused to discuss in public until now.

RELIGION: CITING ATTACKS, CHRISTIANS FEAR LOSING FREEDOMS IN ARAB SPRING

The Arab Spring uprisings that have toppled secular dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa have unleashed long-suppressed freedoms that have allowed Islamic parties to gain a share of political power they have been denied for decades. Their rise is creating near-panic among ancient Christian communities that dot the Muslim world and predate Islam by centuries, USA Today reports.

PAKISTAN: CLASHES KILL 50

Pakistani officials say at least 50 people have been killed in fighting between the military and Taliban in the country’s northwest, VOA reports.

ISRAEL: UN LEADER CALLS FOR GOODWILL GESTURES FROM ISRAEL

UN leader Ban Ki-moon called on Tuesday for “goodwill gestures” by Israel to encourage the Palestinians to revive the Middle East peace process, ahead of talks with leaders from the two sides, AFP 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/

1.30.12 EDITION

Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank Eyes Bigger Role: ARABIAN BUSINESS

Reuters | 1/29/12

Saudi Arabia’s central bank will play a bigger role in the supervision of the country’s financial sector as the kingdom weighs opening up its stock market to direct investments by foreigners.

Saudi Bourse Opening To Boost Foreign Share of Stocks, RBS Says: BLOOMBERG

Arif Sharif | 1/30/12

Foreign investors’ share of trades on Saudi Arabia’s stock market, the Arab world’s biggest, may increase fivefold in two years after the bourse allows direct purchases, a banker at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc said. SAUDI ARABIA’S CENBANK, CMA TO COORDINATE SUPERVISION: Saudi Arabia’s central bank will play a bigger role in the supervision of the country’s financial sector as the kingdom weighs opening up its stock market to direct investments by foreigners, Business Recorder reports.

Saudi Arabia to Remain Reliable Supplier of Crude Oil to Markets: PLATTS

1/30/12

Saudi Arabia’s growing domestic energy consumption will have no impact on Saudi oil exports “now or in the future” and the kingdom will continue to be a reliable supplier of oil to world markets with capacity to handle future supply shortages, Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said Monday.

Nitaqat Generates 300,000 Jobs: ARAB NEWS

1/28/12

The Nitaqat Saudization program was instrumental in generating more than 300,000 job opportunities in the private sector, according to Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, director general of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).

Saudi Arabian Inflation to Average 4.3% This Year, Al Rajhi Says: BLOOMBERG

Wael Mahdi | 1/29/12

Saudi Arabian inflation will average 4.3 percent this year as global commodity prices fall, Al Rajhi Capital, the investment arm of the country’s largest lender by market value, said today in an e-mailed report.

Economic Imperatives – Prince Turki: SUSRIS

William Ryan | 1/29/12

This week the 6th Annual Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh addressed the theme, “The Entrepreneurship Imperative.” Organized by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the GCM2012 featured a keynote address by Prince Turki Al Faisal on the second day of the three day event.  In his remarks he touched on entrepreneurship including the implications of risk and failure and a comprehensive examination of the Saudi and global economic environments.

Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey To the Heart of Islam: INDEPENDENT

Arifa Akbar | 1/30/12

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam at the British Museum attempts to distil a spiritual experience into an art exhibition. Arifa Akbar, who has travelled to Mecca, is impressed.

Afghan govt, Taliban to hold talks in Saudi Arabia: Diplomat: PAKISTAN TRIBUNE

1/30/12

Afghan government officials and representatives of the country’s former Taliban rulers are to hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia, a Riyadh-based Afghan diplomat said on Monday.

Report: Saudi Women Will Be Allowed To Attend Soccer Matches In 2014 In New Stadium: WASHINGTON POST

1/28/12

A government-run Saudi Arabian newspaper reports that for the first time in the conservative Muslim country, women will be allowed to attend soccer matches in one of the country’s stadiums.

Charity Begins At Home For Saudi Arabia: FINANCIAL TIMES

Roula Khalaf | 1/30/12

Executives from around the world descended on Riyadh last week, days before they moved on to the main January event in Davos. Saudi Arabia’s annual Global Competitiveness Forum has become a necessary stop for those hoping to cash in on an economy flush with oil revenues at a time of financial turmoil in the west.

Saudi Warns Of Mideast Nuclear Race: ASHARQ ALAWSAT

1/26/12

An influential member of the Saudi royal family warned Wednesday that unless the Middle East becomes a nuclear weapon-free zone, a nuclear arms race is inevitable and could include his own country, Iraq, Egypt and even Turkey. Prince Turki Al Faisal said the five permanent U.N. Security Council members should guarantee a nuclear security umbrella for Mideast countries that join a nuclear-free zone — and impose “military sanctions” against countries seen to be developing nuclear weapons.

Saudi Shura Council Asks to Oversee Aramco Income, Riyadh Says: BLOOMBERG

Wael Mahdi | 1/30/12

Saudi Arabia’s consultative body, the Shura Council, voted yesterday seek the right to oversee and review the income and activities of Saudi Arabian Oil Co., al- Riyadh newspaper said, citing members of the council.

Aramco to Host CSR Forum on Feb. 1: ARAB NEWS

1/30/12

Saudi Aramco will host and organize the first corporate social responsibility (CSR) forum in Dhahran on Wednesday.

Kingdom, Iraq Not To Execute Each Other’s Prisoners: ARAB NEWS

1/28/12

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have agreed in principle to put on hold execution of prisoners on death row in the two countries for at least two months until a final agreement to swap prisoners is reached.

OBG Report Focuses On Saudi Developments: TRADE ARABIA

1/30/12

The massive investment Saudi Arabia is making in major developments across the sectors of its economy, including housing, transport and oil refinery projects, is given wide-ranging coverage in a new report published by Oxford Business Group (OBG).

IRAN: WILL ISRAEL REALLY ATTACK IRAN?

The real answer is no, they will not. But you would never figure that out by reading the New York Times. The sensationalist article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine (Jan. 29) adds to the hysteria surrounding U.S. and Israeli relations with Iran. Ronen Bergman, a columnist with the leading Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, concludes that Israel will probably attack Iran this year, Gary Sick (Gary’s Choices) writes. GROWING ELITE OPPOSITION TO STRIKE IRAN: Like the imminent prospect of one’s hanging, to paraphrase the 18th century British essayist Dr (Samuel) Johnson, the suddenly looming possibility of war can concentrate the mind wonderfully. If that aphorism didn’t apply in the run-up to the United States invasion of Iraq nearly 10 years ago, it appears to be the case now for key sectors of the US foreign-policy elite – notably, liberal hawks who supported the Iraq war – with regard to the sharp rise in tensions between Iran and both the US and Israel earlier this month, Jim Lobe (Asia Times) writes. ATTACK COULD CAUSE GREAT RECESSION: This week renowned economist Nouriel Roubini told the Associated Press that a military conflict with Iran could lead to a global recession. Roubini was interviewed at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jasmin Ramsey (Lobelog) writes.

SYRIA: ASSAD TROOPS FIGHT BACK AGAINST SYRIA REBELS

Street battles raged at the gates of the Syrian capital on Monday as President Bashar al-Assad’s troops sought to consolidate their grip on suburbs that rebel fighters had taken only a few miles from the center of government power, Reuters reports.  END OF OBSERVER MISSION OPENS DOOR TO MORE CONFLICTS: Just a day after the Arab League suspended its monitoring mission to Syria, the nation has erupted into what some observers have called the “fiercest violence” in months, CSM reports. EU LEADERS PRESS FOR UN RESOLUTION ON SYRIA: British and French foreign ministers say they are heading to New York to press for a United Nations resolution aimed at halting Syria’s violent crackdown, USA Today reports.

IRAQ: SUNNI-BACKED LAWMAKERS END PARLIAMENT BAN

An official with Iraq’s Sunni-backed political alliance says its leaders have decided to end a parliament boycott, but the bloc’s ministers will stay away from Cabinet meetings to protest arrests and prosecution of Sunni officials, Asharq Alawsat reports. DOZENS KILLED IN ATTACK ON FUNERAL PROCESSION: Dozens of people were killed and wounded when a suicide car bomber attacked a funeral procession in Baghdad on Friday, days after an al Qaeda-linked insurgent group warned it would step up its fight against Iraq’s government, security forces and Shiite majority, WSJ reports.

AFGHANISTAN: ANOTHER TIFF BETWEEN US, KARZAI?

News of the meeting in Saudi Arabia comes weeks after the Taliban agreed to open an office in Qatar and has raised some concern that Karzai could create the appearance of a disjointed negotiation effort that could undermine peace efforts and threaten relations between the Afghans and the West, Tom A Peter (CSM) writes. AFGHANISTAN TO PRESS PAKISTAN FOR ACCESS: Afghanistan will press Pakistan for access to Taliban leaders during a one-day visit to Kabul by Pakistan’s foreign minister, with Afghan officials hoping to ease cross-border strains and lay the ground for peace negotiations with the insurgents, Reuters reports.

EGYPT: CONSENSUS UNLIKELY ON EARLY POWER TRANSFER

The head of Egypt’s Islamist Nour party, whose bloc came second in parliamentary elections, said he doubts political groups will united behind calls for the ruling generals to cede power earlier than a June deadline, Bloomberg reports.

PALESTINE: PA SUSPENDS PLANS TO RAISE TAXES

The Palestinian Authority announced on Sunday it was suspending plans to raise income tax that have sparked widespread protests but said it was still seeking ways to cut costs in 2012 to plug a gap resulting from lower-than-expected foreign aid revenues, Reuters reports. LEADER OF HAMAS MAKES RARE TRIP TO JORDAN: Khaled Meshal, the leader of Hamas, made a rare and pointedly low-key visit to Jordan on Sunday, days after Hamas officials signaled that he had effectively abandoned the group’s base in Damascus, the Syrian capital, Stephen Farrell (NYT) reports.

EUROPE: EXTREMIST JAILED FOR PLANNING ATTACKS ON NEWSPAPER

Two men accused of plotting to attack a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad have been found guilty in the first convictions under Norway’s anti-terror laws, The Guardian 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/

1.27.12 EDITION

Obama: U.S. ‘Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas’: US NEWS

1/27/12

President Obama called America the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas” Thursday and said the country should start using natural gas to power more cars and trucks.

Boeing hails Saudi deal amid $1.4bn Q4 profit:  ARABIAN BUSINESS

Andy Sambidge | 1/27/12

US plane maker Boeing has highlighted a $29.4bn agreement to deliver fighter jets to Saudi Arabia as one of its key deals of 2011.

DAVOS: Saudi Finance Minister Sees GDP At 6.8% In 2012: WALL STREET JOURNAL

1/26/12

Saudi Arabia’s economy, the largest in the Arab world, is likely to maintain its gross domestic product growth rate of 6.8% this year due to the kingdom’s expansionary budget, which will play a vital role in supporting the economy, the nation’s finance minister said Thursday. OIL MARKET SUPPLY ADEQUATE: Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf said on Thursday that supply to global oil markets was “adequate” and that he was comfortable with oil prices at their current level at DAVOS, Arab News reports.

New Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Tawfiq al-Rabiah Active in New Role: ARABIANOMICS

Lucien Zeigler | 1/27/12

His Excellency Tawfiq al-Rabiah, the recently appointed Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry has been active in his new role with the Saudi Government. Minister al-Rabiah, who was appointed to the position in December of 2011, has already led delegations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to India and Geneva, and has met with US Trade Representative Ron Malone.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki Calls Reform ‘Work in Progress’: BLOOMBERG

1/26/12

Saudi Arabian modernization is “a work in progress” and the country needs to expand education and employment for its youth as it diversifies the economy, Prince Turki Al-Faisal said.

Saudi to Recognize Syrian National Council: KHALEEJ TIMES

AFP | 1/27/12

Saudi Arabia will recognize the Syrian National Council as the “official representative” of the Syrian people, a senior member of the opposition group said in remarks published on Friday.

Expo On Rare Arabian Relics Opens In Berlin: SAUDI GAZETTE

1/27/12

Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), and Klaus Wowereit, Berlin Mayor, opened here Wednesday the Exhibition entitled “The Saudi Archeological Masterpieces through the Ages”.

Mighty Wins Coveted Contract With Saudi Arabia: AFTERMARKETNEWS.COM

1/27/12

Top executives from Mighty Distributing System of America (Mighty Auto Parts) recently returned from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they signed a Master Distributorship Agreement with Petromin Corp., which is headquartered there.

ISRAEL: WORLD PRESSES ON ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS TO EXTEND EXPLORATORY TALKS

The International community urged Israel and the Palestinians to keep their exploratory Jordanian- sponsored meetings after the Palestinians announced that the time- out for these talks had finished on Thursday, a well-informed Palestinians source said, Xinhua reports.

SYRIA: RUSSIA CRITICIZES ARAB-WESTERN DRAFT RESOLUTION

Russia says it cannot support the current version of a joint Arab-Western draft U.N. resolution on Syria because it “does not take into account” Moscow’s positions on how to end the 10-month-old political crisis, VOA reports.

IRAN: LEADERS MULLING PRE-EMPTIVE EMBARGO

Iran said Thursday it was considering pre-empting a European Union oil embargo and called on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to intervene against a Saudi pledge to fill the supply gap, as its strongest response to date to the EU ban drove oil prices higher, Wall Street Journal reports.

IRAQ: SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 31

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive-filled taxi near a funeral procession in Baghdad on Friday, killing 31 people in the latest attack in a Shi’ite neighborhood amid rising violence since an Iraqi political crisis erupted in December, Reuters reports. AL QAEDA LEADER GUNNED DOWN: A senior leader of Awakening Council group in Iraq was shot dead in western Baghdad by unidentified gunmen, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on Wednesday, Xinhua reports.

BAHRAIN: THE CULTURAL PEARL IN THE GULF

Bahrain is the only island state in the Middle East and the smallest Gulf member. We have heard a lot about Bahrain recently, but where is it exactly? Bahrain is actually a chain of 33 islands in the Arabian Gulf and is situated between Saudi Arabia’s east coast and Qatar peninsula. Bahrain is the largest of the islands and is about 48 km long, ETurboNews writes, in a summary of the country’s travel sector.

ISLAM: NYPD USED ANTI-MUSLIM TRAINING VIDEO

The New York Police Department is in hot water for showing some 1,400 of its officers a film during their training that depicts American Muslims as covert extremists, a controversial decision and one that directly contradicts previous statements by NYPD officials that greatly understated their use of the feature-length film, Abby Olheiser (Slate) writes.

PAKISTAN: MILITARY ACADEMY ATTACKED NEAR BIN LADEN HOUSE

The attack damaged a wall of the training centre but no-one was hurt, according to local officials and police, Telegraph reports.

OIL: CHINA, UAE DITCH DOLLAR, WILL USE YUAN FOR TRADE: REPORT

The US dollar is fast losing out its reserve currency status with China aggressively replacing the dollar with the Yuan as a currency for bi-lateral trade. The latest is an agreement signed between the China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will use the Yuan for oil trade, Commodity Online reports.

OPINION: WHAT SHELDON’S MONEY BUYS

It is safe to say that without multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s help the chances of Newt Gingrich becoming the Republican nominee for president would be zero — and consequently the race itself, going into Florida at the moment, would not be the competitive, drag-out fight it has become. Adelson, the hotel and casino magnate, has kept Gingrich alive, first through an infusion of $5 million into a super PAC, which allowed the former speaker to defend himself against attacks by Mitt Romney and led to Gingrich’s thumping victory in South Carolina. And now we know that Adelson’s wife, Miriam, has committed another $5 million to the cause of Newt, writes Gal Beckerman (Jewish Daily Forward).

/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/

1.26.12 EDITION

Saudi Arabia Issues Its First Sovereign Islamic Bond: NEW YORK TIMES

Sara Hamdan | 1/25/12

Saudi Arabia issued its first government-backed Islamic bond this week, for its aviation agency, setting a benchmark for pricing of conventional and Islamic bond issues this year because of its size. At 15 billion riyals, or $4 billion, it was the largest Islamic bond, or sukuk, ever issued within the kingdom. The sukuk, guaranteed by the Saudi Ministry of Finance, was oversubscribed three times, and the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation will use the proceeds to finance the expansion of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jidda, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh.

Al-Rabiah Starts Discussions In Trade Policy Review Meeting In Geneva: ARAB NEWS

1/26/12

Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah began detailed discussions on the Kingdom’s Trade Policy Review at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on Wednesday. Al-Rabiah is heading the Saudi delegation participating in the policy review meetings. U.S. STATEMENT ON THE TRADE POLICY REVIEW OF SAUDI ARABIA:  Participating in Saudi Arabia’s first Trade Policy Review since the Kingdom joined the WTO in 2005, Ambassador Michael Punke, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. Permanent Representative to the WTO, provides an overview of the U.S.-Saudi trade relationship.

AP Interview: Saudi Warns Of Mideast Nuclear Race: BOSTON GLOBE

AP | 1/25/12

An influential member of the Saudi royal family warned Wednesday that unless the Middle East becomes a nuclear weapon-free zone, a nuclear arms race is inevitable and could include his own country, Iraq, Egypt and even Turkey. Prince Turki Al Faisal said the five permanent U.N. Security Council members should guarantee a nuclear security umbrella for Mideast countries that join a nuclear-free zone — and impose “military sanctions’’ against countries seen to be developing nuclear weapons.

Jerusalem Concerned: Saudi Air Force To Outnumber Israel’s Advanced US Jet Fleet: DEBKA FILE

1/25/12

With its latest acquisitions from Washington and Europe, the Saudi Air Force will have more fighter-bombers of more advanced models that the Israeli Air Force. Deep concern over this was recently relayed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

Saudi Aramco Moves Ahead With $7 Billion Jazan Plant, MEED Says: BLOOMBERG

Ayesha Daya | 1/26/12

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. will invite contractors this month to prequalify to bid to build the $7 billion Jazan refinery in the Red Sea province, the Middle East Economic Digest reported, citing contractors it didn’t identify. The plant will have a 400,000 barrel-a-day capacity.

Saudi Oil 30-Year Output High Amid Gulf Tensions: SUSRIS BLOG

William Ryan | 1/24/12

Saudi Arabia’s monthly crude oil production jumped 7.3% in November topping 10.04 million barrels per day, a 30-year high mark, according to data compiled by JODI. The output numbers “came with an increase in exports and a decrease in domestic consumption,” according to Bloomberg Television’s Lara Setrakian who added, “it reflects OPEC as a whole.”

Saudi Hospital Wins Global Recognition for IT: TRADE ARABIA

1/25/12

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh and Jeddah has achieved Stage 6 on the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM), which scores hospitals on the use of IT. CLEVELAND CLINIC TRAINING PROVIDERS IN SAUDI ARABIA: Cleveland Clinic has signed an affiliation agreement with professional managed healthcare company Healthcare Development Holding Co. to provide medical education and training to healthcare providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reports Fierce Healthcare.

Nine Held in Qatif as Police Raid Hide-Out: ARAB NEWS

1/25/12

Police have arrested nine suspects involved in recent shoot-outs with security patrols in the Qatif governorate in the Eastern Province.

Kingdom Wants Prisoner Swap Accord With Iraq: ARAB NEWS

1/26/12

Saudi Arabia has asked Iraq to sign a bilateral agreement to exchange prisoners, local Arabic daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported Wednesday, quoting an official source at the Iraqi Embassy in Riyadh.

Entrepreneurs, Saudi Arabia and Mobile Apps: YBI

Andrew Davenport | 1/26/12

For me, a first time attendee and speaker at the annual Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, it has been a fascinating event with real insights into entrepreneurship in the Middle East. While having a strong international (mostly US) flavor, it was established by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority as an unashamed attempt to bring a profile and focus to attempts to raise the competitiveness of this resource rich middle income economy.

Academic Partner to Support SAGIA’s ‘Entrepreneurship Village’: ARAB NEWS

1/25/12

The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) launched a new initiative – dubbed the “Entrepreneurship Village” – on the final day of the Sixth Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh.

Abraaj May Invest in Egyptian, Saudi Arabian Companies: BUSINESSWEEK

1/25/12

Abraaj Capital Ltd., the Middle East’s biggest private-equity company, is in “advanced stages” of investing $20 million in small and medium-sized Egyptian companies and is also targeting investments in Saudi Arabia.

SOMALIA: U.S. SPECIAL FORCES FREE TWO AMERICAN HOSTAGES IN RAID

U.S. special operations forces swooped into Somalia on Wednesday and rescued two hostage aid workers after killing their nine kidnappers, a rare and daring raid in the Horn of Africa nation to free foreign captives. American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and Poul Hagen Thisted, 60, of Denmark, humanitarian aid workers for a Danish demining group, were rescued three months after they were kidnapped on October 25 in the town of Galkayo in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region of the Horn of Africa country, Reuters reports.

UNITED STATES: THE FUTURE OF MILITARY: MORE DRONES, FEWER TROOPS

The Pentagon plans to expand its global network of drones and special-operations bases in a fundamental realignment meant to project U.S. power even as it cuts back conventional forces.

The plan, to be unveiled by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday and in budget documents next month, calls for a 30% increase in the U.S. fleet of armed unmanned aircraft in the coming years, defense officials said. It also foresees the deployment of more special-operations teams at a growing number of small “lily pad” bases across the globe where they can mentor local allies and launch missions, the Wall Street Journal reports.

EGYPT: COUNTRY BARS SAM LAHOOD FROM LEAVING

Officials of the group, the International Republican Institute, said the Egyptian authorities had blocked its Cairo chief, Sam LaHood, from boarding a flight at the airport several days ago. His father is Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary and a former Republican congressman from Illinois. Officials of the group said Egyptian legal authorities told them four others, including two other Americans, had been barred from travel outside the country as well. COUNTRY PROTESTERS PLAN SIT IN UNTIL ARMY LEAVES: Egyptian youths camped out on Thursday in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and vowed to stay put until the army hands power to civilians, a day after a mass demonstration marked a year since an uprising which brought down Hosni Mubarak, Arab News reports.

PAKISTAN: CLOSURE OF SUPPLY ROUTES COSTS US 6 TIMES MORE PER ROUTE

The U.S. is paying six times as much to send war supplies to troops in Afghanistan through alternate routes after Pakistan’s punitive decision in November to close border crossings to NATO convoys, the Associated Press has learned. ‘NEW NORMAL UNCLEAR’ FOR US AND PAK: With Pakistani disapproval of U.S. leadership soaring to an all-time high of 85% last year, hopes for achieving some normalcy between the nations appear somewhat grim. But Gallup data also show a sizable percentage of Pakistanis (43%) believe it is very important for Western and Muslim societies to get along — suggesting this hope is not completely dead, Gallup reports.

TURKEY: GCC-TURKEY MEET WILL BOLSTER TIES

Prince Saud Al-Faisal, foreign minister, will co-chair the ministerial meeting between the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Turkey in Istanbul on Saturday, Arab News reports.

QATAR: RESEARCHERS FIND POTENTIAL NEW OVARIAN CANCER TREATMENT

A medical college in Qatar said that its researchers have made a possible breakthrough in the way ovarian cancer is treated, Gulf News reports.

ENERGY: IN STATE OF THE UNION, A GOOD START

The very fact that energy played a prominent role in the president’s framing of key measures to help build an “America built to last” is important and correct. Affordable and reliable energy has always been a staple of American economic growth and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. With all of the other issues plaguing government right now, energy could easily have been downgraded to a lesser priority, but it wasn’t, CSIS writes.

OPINION: HOW THE ARAB SPRING CAN SAVE SYRIA

The Arab League observer mission to Syria—sent under an agreement with the Syrian government to withdraw forces from the cities, release all political prisoners and allow monitors and journalists free movement throughout the country—has utterly failed and should not be extended, Kate Seelye (National Interest) 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/

1.25.11 EDITION

Saudi Oil Can Replace Large Part of Iranian Exports, EIU Says: BLOOMBERG

1/25/12

Saudi Arabia has enough spare crude capacity to replace much of the heavy oil exported by Iran, which faces a European Union import ban, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Saudi IT Market To Hit $5bn by 2015: TRADE ARABIA

1/25/12

Saudi Arabia’s lucrative IT sector – currently the biggest in the Gulf region – is expected to grow into a $4.9 billion market by 2015, said experts ahead of a major information and communications technologies (ICT) event in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, UAE Lead The World In Consumption Of Water: AL ARABIYA

1/23/12

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates consume more water per capita than the global average, according to new report which claimed that Gulf residents “disregard the consequences of their water usage.”

Gulf Monitors Leave Syria, League Seeks U.N. Support: REUTERS

1/25/12

Observers from Gulf Arab states left Syria on Wednesday after their governments said they were “certain the bloodshed and killing of innocents would continue,” and the Arab League pursued U.N. support for a plan to end President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

Saudi Prince: Why Iran Won’t Shut Strait of Hormuz: CNN

1/25/12

In the halls of the GCF, executives expressed deep concerns about potential conflict with Iran and the impact such a move would have. As he does with some of his investments, Prince Alwaleed took a contrarian view. “I don’t believe war is inevitable,” he said. “I don’t believe the Strait of Hormuz will ever be closed because Iran knows this is suicide.”

Saudi Artists Test Limits Of Expression In Rare Show: REUTERS

1/25/12

In addressing last year’s political turmoil through his work, the Saudi artist is testing the boundaries of self expression in a kingdom where direct criticism of the authorities is not tolerated, cinema and theatre are banned and art and media are censored.

Saudi Police Chief Raises Hope Of Social Freedoms: AFP

Mohammed Hawari | 1/24/12

The appointment of a moderate to head the feared Saudi religious police has raised hopes that a more lenient force will ease draconian social constraints in the kingdom, but human rights activists remain skeptical.

Saudi King Calls Hariri to Check on His Health: DAILY STAR

1/24/12

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri received Tuesday a call from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to check on his health after the surgery he underwent at the American hospital in Paris, according to a statement released by Hariri’s press office.

Porsche Saudi Arabia, Mobil 1 Renew Links: ARAB NEWS

1/24/12

Following a successful relationship for many years, the renewal contract for the strategic partnership between Samaco, the dealer of Porsche cars in Saudi Arabia, and the Arabian Petroleum Supply Company Ltd., (Apsco), dealer and producer of Mobil 1 lubricants, was signed at a special event.

In New York Dailies, Three Very Different Rape Trials: ATLANTIC WIRE

Adam Martin | 1/24/12

Three New York daily newspapers carrying three different accounts of the rape trial of a Saudi prince’s friend on Monday posted stories so varied you’d be forgiven if you didn’t realize they were all about the same thing. The New York Post, the New York Daily News, and The New York Times all covered the testimony of a woman who says 60-year-old Mustapha Ouanes, a member of the traveling entourage of an unnamed Saudi prince, raped her in the Plaza Hotel in January 2010. The student says Ouanes had sex with her while she was unconscious in his hotel room, having passed out after a night of drinking. Ouanes says the sex was consensual, and that he’s the victim of a shakedown because of his ties to Saudi royalty.

*MORE NEWS AND COMMENTARY FROM THE REGION AND BEYOND*

IRAQ: NEWT, MITT AND REPUBLICANS FORGET IRAQ MISTAKE IN PUSH FOR WAR WITH IRAN

Gingrich, Romney and Santorum pushed for the Iraq War. Now the media should make them explain what they’ve learned from being wrong and why we should trust their eagerness to bomb Iran, writes Peter Beinart (Daily Beast) in an analysis.

IRAN: CAN EUROPE’S BOYCOTT SINK IRAN?

Although a European boycott of Iranian oil will increase the cost of doing business for Iran, will hurt the Iranian public, and is already harming the value of the Iranian currency, it is highly unlikely to cut Iran off from exporting to the world market or to put so much pressure on the government that it will change its policies, Juan Cole (CNN) writes.

UNITED STATES: OBAMA DELIVERS STATE OF THE UNION

By using his State of the Union speech to draw sharp contrasts with Republicans on such high-profile issues as taxes and the housing market, President Obama opened an election-year debate on the role of government that could be more intense than any in decades, writes the LAT in a news analysis.

EGYPT: IN POLL, EGYPTIANS EXPECT TRANSFER OF POWER

As Egyptians mark the first anniversary of the revolution that toppled their last president, 82% believe that the military will relinquish power to a civilian government after they elect their next president, a Gallup poll finds. TAHRIR SQUARE PACKED: Thousands of Egyptians flooded into Tahrir Square, the center of Egypt’s revolt, on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of a revolution that began on this date in 2011, Leila Fadel (WaPo) reports.

AFGHANISTAN: THE AFGHAN WAR, CAUSE AND EFFECT

More than half of Americans want the U.S. to pull its remaining 90,000 troops out of Afghanistan “as soon as possible,” according to a Pew survey released Monday. That continues a sharp reversal that has existed since last summer. It’s interesting to compare the two lines in the Pew chart with the U.S. casualty toll detailed in a new Congressional Research Service report, also released Monday, by Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Secrecy Project (you pay for them, but Congress won’t let you see them, so Aftergood gets them somehow and posts them for taxpayers). MENTAL TRAUMA TAKES HUGE TOLL: The intensity of the shock experienced by people as their lives change in an instant was captured in a powerful image by AFP Kabul photographer Massoud Hossaini, who was at the shrine when the explosion happened. His photograph showing a girl dressed in green screaming in horror, surrounded by dead and wounded relatives, featured on newspaper front-pages around the world and has become one of the emblematic images of the Afghan war, AFP reports.

YEMEN: CLASHES KILL 6

Fresh clashes in southern Yemen have killed six al-Qaida militants and injured 10 soldiers, military officials said Wednesday, AP reports.

SUDAN: SPECIAL FORCES FREE 2 HOSTAGES FROM SOMALI PIRATES

American commandos raced into Somalia early Wednesday and rescued two aid workers, an American woman and a Danish man, after a shootout with Somali pirates who had been holding them captive for months, NYT reports.

PALESTINE: POLICE HELP FREE WOMAN HELD FOR 9 YEARS IN ROOM BY FATHER

A Palestinian woman was imprisoned for nine years in a bathroom by her father, beaten, barely fed and only let out at night, a social worker and police said Monday, Gulf News reports.

She was given only a blanket, a radio, and a razor blade by her father, who encouraged her to kill herself, said the social worker, Hala Shreim.

/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/

1.24.12 EDITION

Investments are Engine of KSA’s Development: King Abdullah: SAUDI GAZETTE

1/24/12

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has stressed the need to increase investment opportunities in the Kingdom. Inaugurating the sixth Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF) in Riyadh on Saturday night, King Abdullah described investments as Saudi Arabia’s engine of development. The King’s inaugural address was delivered by Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry, at the Four Seasons Hotel at the Kingdom Tower.

Boeing Delivers Two 777-300ERs to Saudi Arabian Airlines: PRESS RELEASE

1/24/12

Boeing reached a major milestone with Saudi Arabian Airlines when it delivered the airline’s first two 777-300ERs (extended range), marking another step forward in Boeing’s historic and enduring relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Sees $66bn Worth of Projects Signed In 2011: ARABIAN BUSINESS

1/23/12

The total value of contracts awarded in Saudi Arabia reached $66bn in 2011, a six percent increase on the previous year, according to new research.

No Cash to West until KSA Given More Clout: ARAB NEWS

1/23/12

Big emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia, India and China will not aid the West in its financial crisis unless they are given more influence in running the global economy, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi ex-envoy to US and UK, said on Monday. “The financial crisis and great recession were born in the West, developed in the West yet hit hard throughout the world,” he said while addressing the Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF).

Why Won’t Saudi Arabia Write Down Its Laws?: FOREIGN POLICY

Nathan J. Brown | 1/23/12

In 2007 and 2009 Saudi King Abdullah capped a decade of legal and judicial reforms in his country by reorganizing the judiciary and ordering that Saudi Arabia follow the step that virtually all other states in the region did long ago by codifying its laws — committing to paper a comprehensive compendium of the operative laws in the kingdom. Since that date, however, his order has been neither challenged nor implemented. Why is codification of law seen as such a dramatic step in Saudi Arabia? And why does the king seem incapable of making it happen?

Will 2012 Be A Year of Opening for Saudi Arabia?: ARABIANOMICS

Lucien Zeigler | 1/23/12

The investment, aviation, and tourism sectors are all set for major changes to the status quo in 2012 after years of anticipation by foreigners to break into these lucrative markets in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the most significant and highly anticipated of these openings is in the opening of Saudi Arabia’s stock market.

Saudi Interior Ministry: Authorities Detain 9 Accused Of Instigating Riots In Shiite City: WASHINGTON POST

1/24/12

A Saudi official says police have detained nine men accused of instigating riots in the eastern city of Qatif, home to the country’s Shiite minority.

Saudi Cabinet Approves Expansion Of Oil, Gas Relations With China: SPA: PLATTS

1/24/12

The Saudi cabinet has mandated Oil Minister Ali Naimi to enter into negotiations with China in line with a protocol signed between the two sides to expand cooperation in the oil, gas and minerals sectors, official news agency SPA reported Monday.

Saudi to Introduce Bank Wage System for Expats: EMIRATES 24|7

1/24/12

Saudi Arabia will join the UAE in forcing its private sector employers to transfer salaries of their workers to banks to protect their rights and ensure they get their wages on time, newspapers said on Tuesday.

Hundreds Of Child Smugglers Nabbed: ARAB NEWS

1/24/12

A total of 448 people involved in smuggling children from Yemen to the Kingdom along the southern borders were caught last year, Al-Eqtisadiah reported Monday. The local daily was quoting the commander of the Saudi Border Guards Gen. Zameem Al-Sawwat.

50 Job Centers To Be Set Up For Women Soon: Labor Minister: ARAB NEWS

1/23/12

Labor Minister Adel Fakeih said on Monday his ministry plans to set up 50 job centers for Saudi women throughout the Kingdom to enable them to find employment opportunities in various sectors.

Cabinet Okays Pension For All GCC Citizens: SAUDI GAZETTE

1/24/12

The Council of Ministers has approved the Unified System for the Extension of Insurance Protection for all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens working in this country. The system provides pension coverage for GCC citizens in all member states.

IRAN: HOW TOUGH ARE THE SANCTIONS?

The sanctions, agreed upon yesterday in Brussels but not to be implemented until July, comes with possible unintended consequences ranging from oil market disarray at a time of economic crisis to further brinkmanship by the Islamic Republic. Yet some experts feel that the EU’s advertised toughness is less than meets the eye, and that the EU may have quietly kicked the can down the road, or at least left open the door for changes that could decrease pressure on Tehran, CSM writes.  NEGOTIATIONS CAN RESOLVE STANDOFF, IRAN SAYS: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said only negotiations and not sanctions can resolve the standoff over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Bloomberg reports. BACKGROUND: EU TRADE WITH IRAN:  Iran provides a notable, but not decisive, quantity of oil to the European Union. Of the 896 million barrels of crude imported to the 27 EU member states in the first quarter of 2011, just 4.4 per cent came from Iran, Monsters and Critics writes.

SYRIA: GULF ARAB STATES QUIT MISSION

Saudi Arabia’s Gulf allies joined Riyadh on Tuesday in pulling out of an Arab League monitoring team to Syria, risking the collapse of a mission whose presence has not halted more than 10 months of violence, Reuters reports. BASHAR’S RUSSIAN PALS: Bashar Assad is feeling lonely, though not yet lonely enough. First the Turks, Americans and Europeans de-friended him. Now formerly fraternal leaders at the Arab League want him deposed. The Syrian strongman’s forces have killed more than 5,400 people in 10 months and turned a peaceful protest movement into a virtual civil war. But he still has a few friends in low places, opines the Wall Street Journal.

UNITED STATES: OBAMA TO DELIVER STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH TONIGHT

President Barack Obama will pitch new initiatives on jobs, taxes and housing in an election-year State of the Union address on Tuesday, making a sweeping case for a second term, Reuters reports.

EGYPT: FIRST PARLIAMENT IN POST-MUBARAK ERA HELD

Egypt’s military rulers said they handed legislative powers to the country’s lower house of parliament on Monday — the first day the parliament convened since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster last year, CNN reports.

TURKEY: GENOCIDE LAW SUBJECT OF ROW WITH FRANCE

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan attacked the French parliament on Tuesday for passing a “discriminatory and racist” bill which makes it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide, Reuters reports.

LIBYA: GADDAFI LOYALISTS SEIZE TOWN

Moammar Gadhafi loyalists have seized control of a Libyan town and raised the ousted regime’s green flag, an official and commander said Tuesday, AP reports.

IRAQ: CAR BOMBS KILL 14

A wave of car bombings today hit the Iraq capital, killing 14 people and wounding more than 70 as violence surges in the country amid an escalating political crisis a month after the US military withdrawal, AP reports.

YEMEN: 750,000 CHILDREN MALNOURISHED

A year of Yemen’s turmoil has exacerbated the number of malnourished children under the age of five to around 750,000, UNICEF said Tuesday, appealing to the government and the international community to help develop the country’s infrastructure to tackle the problem, AP reports.

AFGHANISTAN: 16 INSURGENTS KILLED

Sixteen insurgents have been killed in a series of operations conducted by Afghan and NATO-led coalition forces over the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua 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>