SUSRIS Daily News – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Yemen Al Qaeda Video Announces a New Leader [May 28]
“A fugitive Saudi Arabian man, who was once detained at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo, was named as a senior member of Al Qaeda’s Yemen wing, according to a tape by the group shown on al Arabiya television on Friday.. ..Othman Ahmed al-Ghamdi, the 31-year-old man named as a leading Al Qaeda operative on Friday, had been added to a list of 85 most wanted people by Saudi Arabia 15 months ago, al-Arabiya said. He spent four years in Guantanamo prison after he was captured in Afghanistan. He was released in 2006..” [Complete Report]
Muslim Leaders Urged to Back Palestinians [May 28]
“A Saudi committee comprising influential scholars that is responsible for issuing fatwas has called on Muslim leaders to support Palestinians in their fight to stop the atrocities of Israel in their lands, the Saudi Press Agency has reported. ‘Muslim rulers should stand by their Palestinian brothers and help them in their efforts to prevent the Jews from carrying out their hostile acts and transgression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and to end the occupation,’ said the statement from the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Studies and Ifta.Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh chairs the permanent committee.. ..The committee called on Palestinians to end their differences and close ranks so that they are better equipped to counter Israeli aggression. Besides the Grand Mufti, the signatories to the statement are: Ahmad bin Ali Al-Mubaraki, Saleh bin Fouzan Al-Fouzan, Muhammad bin Hassan Al-Asheikh, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Khanin and Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Mutlaq..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Royalty Attends Opening of Multimillion-Dollar Kentucky Horse Park Exhibit [May 28]
“Lexington became an oasis of Arabian horse culture Thursday. Saudi royalty arrived to formally open a multimillion-dollar Kentucky Horse Park exhibit, A Gift from the Desert, with Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and first lady Jane Beshear. ‘Saudi Arabia and Kentucky are separated by half a globe but linked by a mutual fascination by the power, the grace and the beauty of the horse,’ Beshear said. The royal tour of the exhibit was broadcast live to Saudi television and covered by Arab media, whose members shot photo after photo of the delegation admiring everything from ancient petroglyphs to T.E. Lawrence’s gold-embroidered robe.. ..A former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States and the United Kingdom and Ireland, Prince Turki said the point of the exhibit is “to let people know who we are, where we come from, and that we do share values.” Princess Adila bint Abdullah, the daughter of Saudi ruler King Abdullah, also admired the effort it took to bring together works from 28 museums around the world..” [Complete Report]
Women Will Not Drive Cars in Saudi Arabia! [May 28]
“Repeated appeals to the official authorities in Saudi Arabia to put an end to the ban on women being allowed to drive have been to no avail. Women will not be sitting in the driver’s seat anytime soon, despite a huge number of text messages and emails calling for this by those who advocate women being permitted to drive. All campaigns to remedy this situation have failed.. ..Perhaps the mistake lies in the 40-year delay in issuing the decision recognizing a woman’s right to drive as back then this was neither an issue nor a demand however it gradually became a custom then a law. Despite this, today there are more than a few clerics who acknowledge the right of women to drive. There is also a growing proportion of society that supports this idea; however there is a large percentage of Saudi Arabians who are still concerned, scared, sceptical, and oppose change. The ban on women driving has become something of a symbol for them, and the government is attempting to take the middle path, as it does not want to impose change from above..” [Complete Report]
Saudi Society Blamed For Rising Unemployment Among Women [May 28]
“Saudi women who have recently graduated face long-term unemployment due to limited choice of careers available on the job market. In fact, the rate of unemployed Saudi women is increasing.. ..The Ministry of Labor, Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Human Resources Fund should not be blamed for this problem, says Dr. Aisha Netto, CEO of the Eye-to-Eye optical company and member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). ‘In Saudi Arabia, most job opportunities are available only for men. This increases the unemployment rate among Saudi women. Officials in governmental bodies are trying their best to create job opportunities for Saudi women. Unfortunately Saudi society still insists on objecting to these opportunities,’..” [Complete Report]
GE, Saudi University Launch Fuel Diversification Research Initiative [May 28]
“King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and GE today announced an agreement to establish a new fuel research center to be located on the University grounds in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The GE Energy Fuel Research Center will focus on furthering the understanding of alternative fuels produced in Saudi Arabia and identify ways to overcome technical barriers and promote the use and distribution of these fuels. The program is expected to further the region’s capabilities for maximizing the utilization of alternative fuels and increase fuel efficiency for power plant and refinery applications. Increasing power generation efficiency and decreasing fuel consumption are vital steps to promoting energy sustainability and supporting the Kingdom’s national development strategy..” [Complete Report]
Vietnam, Saudi Arabia Boost Trade and Investment Cooperation [May 28]
” Speeding up multi-faceted cooperation with Saudi Arabia, especially in oil and gas, agriculture, investment, trade and labour, is one of Vietnam’s priorities in its foreign policy towards the Middle East. The statement was made by the President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vu Tien Loc, at the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia Business Forum held in Hanoi on May 27. In the coming time, through the Inter-governmental Cooperation Committee, the two countries will create a favourable legal foundation for their businesses to expand trade and investment activities and increase information exchanges, Mr Loc said. The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Vietnam Salal Ahmed Sarhan and President of the Saudi Arabia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mahak Tolal A.Mirza, said the trade and investment cooperation between the two countries remains modest so a Saudi Arabian business delegation’s visit to Vietnam is expected to pave the way for enterprises of the two sides to explore each other’s potential and exchange views on bilateral cooperation in industry, trade and investment..” [Complete Report]
