Kingdom denies offering $150bn to buy Facebook

By MUHAMMAD AL-SULAMI | ARAB NEWS

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

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I think Saudi Arabia has nothing to worry about the revolution spearheaded by social media. The people are pleased with the King and so are the average muslim. Islam is in safe hands and there is no trace of shirk,these are the most important issues. Any media social or otherwise will thrive where there is rampant injustice,chiefly injustice to Allah. Saudi need not have any qualms.

AHMAD BA'ALWI

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I like this mentality that if a problem exists the only solution is to throw money at it.

FLUTTER

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You have to know with all the rapid movements in the world in the past month, There obviously will be quick written reports sent out.. You cant be so niave as to beleive every single written word... Also some are one sided.. If you are not there, you dont know.. I read this that and the other on various news sites and am amazed at the blatent outright lies some journalists report.. But this goes with the territory.. It will happen.. Just read with an open mind.. For example.. Aramco state employees in SaudiArabia have NOT received any 15% pay raise this month as some announced in the news about state employees. All the Aramcoens Ive spoken with have no idea where this rumor came from. They have not as of yet received or been told of a pay raise for state employees, Unless by some reason the managers are keeping it a secret and surprise them in their paychecks next month.. Which is absurd, this isnt the way Aramco does business. All this has done is make the private sector think all the people are getting raises, so they have increased the price of their goods, which now is hurting us all cause we didnt get raises... The nusance of incorrect reporting effects us all negatively.. Please be careful....

HASSAN RABBANI

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Finally the Muslim world realizes how the western big economies are playing with our social and moral stability by using media tools like facebook and blogs!

now 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

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Seriously, why would this country buy Facebook. They can simple put Facebook in control list as they did with Orkut !!

WAYNE

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The money would be better spent buying CNN.

B BOOKS

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Saudi should block websites like Facebook to prevent such happenings. This is the best solution rather than throwing money to buy it. So many poor people can be helped with this money.

MOHAMMED

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In our beloved country, Saudi Arabia most of the public citizens and expats are ok, happy, proud, peaceful, secure, properous under current leadership. In our country womens are more secure, happy and peaceful than any where in the world, particulary in western countries, where crime against women is happening every 48 seconds. All the happenings in Arab country is a conspiracy by zionist and west to destroy and rule the richness of these countries. People should think clearly twice before getting trapped with face book, twitter, google etc, which is nothing but a device to influence the public to revolt against their elders, their culture, their religion and their leaders. I strongly suggest saudi authorities to bank or block facebook, google, twitter etc, which brings more harm to the public than bringing business or useful value. We have lived without these things for centuries and why not we through these addictions, which is introduced just few years ago. Dear brothers and sisters of arab and world community, think twice and dont just peered by western media which is 100% lies

RAHMAN

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I think Saudi Arabia have reasonable equipment and infrastructure for Its Radio and TV . Only they don't know how to use it ...look Al Jazeera , BBC, CNN.... Don't show webcam and boring things...properly use the those ..

ABUABDULLA

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@ HASSAN RABBANI...you really have third eye which is missing with facebook lovers. May Allah keep you stronger! Ameen

LOOK

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Seriously are these comments made by people at govt. pay check.

TERRY KING

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QUOTE: "Saudi should block websites like Facebook to prevent such happenings. "

No. 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

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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

By 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

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Freedom of expression is a god given right, therefore nobody on earthhas any right to supress this. There is nothing wrong with Facebook/Twitter etc, it depends hwo you use them. What happened in Egypt will not happen everywhere, they had real grievences. In relation tot he Kingdom and after having lived there, it is a peaceful and lovely place to live for families. You are able to do everything that normal people wish to do within the Islaimc lifestyle. therefore ' no problem'.

SHANIQUA

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@HASSAN RABBANI

You are ignorant.
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