Kingdom denies offering $150bn to buy Facebook
Published: Feb 28, 2011 23:18 Updated: Feb 28, 2011 23:18
JEDDAH: A Saudi official denied on Monday that the Kingdom had offered to give SR562.5 billion ($150 billion) to purchase Facebook.
The official, who requested anonymity, said the Kingdom had not made any offer to Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the famous social media.
“The report is totally baseless,” the official told the German news agency, DPA.
The report claimed that Saudi Arabia offered huge amounts to purchase Facebook because of its huge role in anti-government protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
It said the Kingdom is very upset with Zuckerberg for allowing the revolt to get out of control.
According to latest statistics provided by a specialized company, 2.3 million Saudis use Facebook, about eight percent of the Kingdom’s population. In Egypt their number has reached 3.4 million, while in Libya more than 150,000 use Facebook, Bahrain 220,000, Oman 160,000 and Tunisia 1.6 million.
Wael Ghonim, Google’s head of marketing in the Middle East, had played a big role in Egyptian anti-government protests by connecting people and organizing demonstrations through social media.
Comments
NISHTHAR IDROOS
Mar 1, 2011 11:40
Report abuseAHMAD BA'ALWI
Mar 1, 2011 11:48
Report abuseFLUTTER
Mar 1, 2011 12:04
Report abuseHASSAN RABBANI
Mar 1, 2011 12:15
Report abusenow one should wonder, was facebook designed to make just friends? or even create revolutions in countries?
One after the another, we will see new media tools which will inflict wounds in the Muslim world....
MUSSOKHATTAK
Mar 1, 2011 12:20
Report abuseWAYNE
Mar 1, 2011 16:13
Report abuseB BOOKS
Mar 1, 2011 16:14
Report abuseMOHAMMED
Mar 2, 2011 10:24
Report abuseRAHMAN
Mar 2, 2011 10:46
Report abuseABUABDULLA
Mar 2, 2011 11:04
Report abuseLOOK
Mar 2, 2011 11:30
Report abuseTERRY KING
Mar 2, 2011 11:41
Report abuseNo. Study what happened in Egypt. A very major complaint of the people was the lack of freedom of expression, and the unfair treatment and imprisonment of people who questioned the government.
Blocking "websites like Facebook" here in the Kingdom could CAUSE "such happenings" !
All governments need to respect the intelligence of their people and trust their ability to make up their own mind based on freely-available information.
SHEIKH MOUSSA DRAMMEH
Mar 3, 2011 15:43
Report abuseBy Allah, we don't need Facebook. There are a small group of Muslims in New York City, including me, that have been organizing to sponsor a gTLD DotHalal, and all they need is one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500, 000) to create something greater than Facebook. DotHalal will enable us all to have a pure online community absence of all unwanted contents. Please make this your contribution to the safety and dignity of all-Muslims and nonmuslims. Sukran!
DR. ZAF
Mar 3, 2011 19:22
Report abuseSHANIQUA
Mar 3, 2011 19:23
Report abuseYou are ignorant.