SUSRIS Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Furore as Cleric Blasts Gender Segregation [Apr 14]
” When a venerable Saudi cleric in the holy city of Makkah challenges a central pillar of Saudi society, it is big news. That was the case when Shaikh Ahmad Al Gamdi recently declared that nothing in Islam banned men and women from mixing in public places like schools and offices. Supporters of the status quo responded harshly. Anyone who permits men and women to work or study together is an apostate and should be put to death unless he repents, said Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Barrak. Does Shaikh Barrak mean that King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz should be executed? Because it is the monarch who launched the country’s first coeducational university. Barrak has not answered that question. His website is now blocked by government censors. Saudi religious scholars for the first time in decades are openly debating a previously untouchable hallmark of Saudi society — its strictly enforced gender segregation..” [Complete Report]
King Abdullah Receives Mulroney, Al-Hakim [Apr 14]
“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here on Tuesday with former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who expressed his happiness over visiting the Kingdom. The talks were attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, deputy commander of the National Guard for executive affairs, and other officials. King Abdullah also received Ammar Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council in Iraq and discussed issues of mutual concern. Foreign Minister Prince Saud and Deputy Intelligence Chief Prince Abdul Aziz bin Bandar and other officials attended the meeting..” [Complete Report]
Kingdom to Fund Schools in Turkey [Apr 14]
“Saudi Arabia has announced it will fund the construction of 25 schools in e Turkey’s eastern province, which was jolted on March 8 by an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens of others. ‘On behalf of the Kingdom, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) will help build the schools in Turkey’s eastern province of Elazig,’ said an SFD statement released here on Tuesday. ‘The efforts are underway to assess damages and identify places for the schools in that country that would be constructed by the Kingdom,’ said the statement. The Saudi support to build these schools comes within the framework of growing relations between Riyadh and Ankara, especially in the fields of education, commerce and politics..” [Complete Report]
Foreign Firms Eye More Aramco Engineering Deals [Apr 14]
“Foreign engineering firms hope new partnerships with Saudi companies will increase their chances of winning deals from state oil giant Saudi Aramco, industry sources said on Tuesday. The partnerships should give domestic Saudi firms more access to Aramco’s larger projects, and increase the role of foreign firms in small and medium projects. Detailed preliminary engineering work for Aramco’s mega projects has so far been conducted by international firms outside of the world’s top oil exporter. ‘The front-end engineering and design (FEED) has never been done in-kingdom before. With the infusion of the technical capabilities of international companies, this will happen,’ a source from an international company said. ‘What used to be done outside the kingdom will be done here,’..” [Complete Report]
