JEDDAH: While officials would not say how many women are serving time behind bars in Saudi Arabia, according to the Kingdom’s chief warden, Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harithy, head of the Directorate General of Prisons, almost all women inmates are foreigners doing time for “moral” violations. These crimes are generally perceived to be sexual in nature, such as prostitution.
JEDDAH: Parents are angry that their children are asked by schools to purchase decorations for their classrooms and school playgrounds, something for which they are given extra marks.
JEDDAH: Mayor of Jeddah Hani Abu Ras recently discussed issues related to transportation and traffic with experts in the field at Jeddah Municipality.
RIYADH: The UK’s Prince Andrew will not be coming to Saudi Arabia next week, Arab News has been informed. He was due in the Kingdom in his capacity as Britain’s special trade representative, a post he has held since 2001.
For weeks since the contagious uprisings took to the streets and squares of many cities in the Arab world, we have been hearing rumors about protests and “Fridays of Rage,” we received calls from friends and heard some reports about demonstrations and protests in Riyadh and other cities in Saudi Arabia. When asked about these reports, our answer always was: “Where are you getting all these stories from?”
RIYADH: No decision has so far been made on where to establish the headquarters of a news channel that is owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and managed by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
JEDDAH: Hail police have launched an investigation after a number of unidentified people fired shots at several tow trucks in Hail’s industrial area on Friday.
JEDDAH: Sheikh Osama Khayyat, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, described calls for protests in the Kingdom as “devilish temptations” and urged people of faith to be aware of such calls.
QATIF: People living in villages always maintain good neighborly relations. In fact, villagers are renowned for the friendly way they interact with each other. City dwellers, on the contrary, live in neighborhoods where people are simply too busy to even say hello to each other.
JEDDAH: A black market for fake health insurance cards is flourishing across the Kingdom ever since health coverage has been made mandatory for processing residence permits for foreign workers, according to industry sources.
JEDDAH: Marriage counselors in the Kingdom reveal that most men are unwilling to seek counseling or psychiatric help as scores of women suffer in silence.
RIYADH: The women's wing of the Human Rights Commission recently met with women consultants at the Shoura Council to exchange views on social development issues. Social activist May Al-Issa, who was one of the consultants to attend the meeting, called on society to refrain from emphasizing women's issues and rights excessively, pointing out that it could alienate society further.
JEDDAH: A Saudi human rights activist is helping a Bangladeshi worker who was seriously injured in a traffic accident three months ago to get medical treatment.
RIYADH: Just three hours before the closing of the final day of the Riyadh International Book Fair, heavy rain and hailstones caused damage to many booths in the eastern part of the exhibition.
JEDDAH: All Saudis in Japan are safe and have not been affected by the earthquake, said Saudi Ambassador to Japan Abdulaziz A. Turkistani on Friday.
RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) is to work with the Saudi Post in holding a workshop on marketing heritage and handicraft products online.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has issued directives to speed up the effective implementation of Saudization in the private sector. In relation to this, I have some proposals.
MAKKAH: Governor of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will open an employment forum organized by the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Sunday.
JEDDAH: Thirteen Syrian pilgrims died and 16 others were injured in a road accident in Al-Jouf on Thursday. The pilgrims were on their way to Makkah to perform Umrah.
RIYADH: An alliance of Filipino migrants' groups has renewed its call on the Philippine government to repatriate some 1,050 stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are temporarily staying at a Jeddah deportation center and at the Al-Mina Haj Terminal.
JEDDAH/QATIF: There were conflicting sentiments during the day on Thursday, as foreign journalists chased reports of impending protests which on investigation appeared to be a nonevent, while numbers of nervous expatriates wanted to know what was going on.
JEDDAH: The blood-stained uniform of Capt. Khaled Mattar is a telling example of how sincere and dedicated he was while serving the national carrier over a span of 15 years.
JEDDAH: A number of ambassadors in Riyadh have challenged reports of instability in the Kingdom. Speaking to Delhi-based daily, Business Standard, India’s Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad said Indian business executives should have “no apprehensions” about the Kingdom.
RIYADH: In a major move to calm anti-government protests in Oman and Bahrain, the foreign ministers of the six nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) approved an SR75-billion aid package to create jobs and implement a range of development projects in the two Gulf states.
RIYADH: The Saudi government has disbursed more than SR1 billion among beneficiaries of social security over the last four days.
BEIRUT: Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah stressed the need for increased industrial production of plasma in the Arab world on Thursday.
JEDDAH: A 26-year-old Yemeni overstayer was recently arrested in Faisaliyah district in connection with the theft of SR60,000 worth of electronic devices from a warehouse, police said.
DAMMAM: Saudi citizens have expressed concern about the increasing number of foreign workers, particularly from South Asian countries, in Saudi Arabia and said this would have an adverse impact on job opportunities available for local youths.
JEDDAH: A Swedish woman has gone to the Makkah branch of the National Society for Human Rights to help her find accommodation and leave the country after her Palestinian husband divorced her and struck her off his iqama (residence permit), the NSHR told Arab News on Thursday.
RIYADH: Attorneys representing the defunct Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation criticized the US government for designating the Saudi-based charity as a “global terrorist organization” without spelling out the charges against it in 2004.
MADINAH: A conference examining the role of Arab universities in promoting religious moderation has concluded in Madinah calling for the establishment of national research centers to study the phenomenon of extremism, fanaticism and deviation among young people.
MAKKAH: Misbah Al-Arnaut, an expert in gold and jewelry business, has urged the authorities to allow the sale of 16-karat jewelry in the Kingdom to boost business in the sector.
RIYADH: When the Riyadh International Book Fair started five years ago or so it had very few foreign exhibitors. Not any more.
RIYADH: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said on Wednesday that lifting the ban on women’s driving would be a quick first step to reduce the Kingdom's dependence on millions of foreign workers.
RIYADH: Prince Fahd bin Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients launched a Renal Awareness and Education campaign in the capital Saturday to mark World Kidney Day in the Kingdom. World Kidney Day occurred three days ago, on March 10.
JEDDAH: Lina Taha completed secondary school and then acquired a diploma in English and French language. She then secured a diploma in IT and school management. Lina is ambitious and persistent.
RIYADH/JEDDAH/DAMMAM: It was a normal Friday yesterday across the Kingdom despite worries that the calls on Internet social sites for a “Day of Rage” might be heeded.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, meets with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Thursday night. They discussed a proposal to convene high-level council for peace and dialogue as part of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s initiative to promote understanding between followers of different faiths. (SPA)
RIYADH: Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif ordered a wounded Saudi soldier airlifted from the Eastern Province to the Interior Security Forces Hospital in Riyadh. Private Hamid Al-Qahtani of the Special Emergency Forces was injured and was admitted to the King Fahd Medical Complex in Dhahran recently.
JEDDAH: Minister of Haj Fouad Al-Farsy met on Thursday with a Pakistan Haj delegation headed by Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and discussed the arrangements for the forthcoming Haj.
JEDDAH: The role of the Pakistan Welfare Society in Jeddah, especially its efforts to hold free medical camps for the community in Jeddah, Makkah and Taif, was highlighted at its 5th annual function in LaSani restaurant hall.
JEDDAH: Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia would not allow any foreign intervention in its internal affairs. He also reiterated the Kingdom’s opposition to demonstrations, saying it would cause division and unrest in the country. He also emphasized the importance of national dialogue that covers all groups of people in the country, allowing them to present their viewpoints on various issues.
JEDDAH: Inefficient crew scheduling, reductions in time off and senior pilots losing salary increments have caused tensions within Saudi Arabian Airlines, airline sources say.
JEDDAH: The Arab League is studying all options, including one involving military action, to protect Libyan people and end the bloodbath in the country, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said on Wednesday.
RIYADH: Labor Minister Adel Fakieh has admitted there is corruption prevailing at some labor offices in various regions of the Kingdom and said that the imminent launching of e-services would be a major step in combating the problem.
RIYADH: A Filipino who recovered from a stroke while working in Riyadh was reunited with his family in the Philippines on Wednesday, according to Dionisio B. Tabuco Jr., president of Samahan ng mga Manggagawang Pilipino sa Gassim (Sampiga), a community group.
RIYADH: The Daraan family on Tuesday disowned Muhammad bin Maeed bin Badah Al-Dossari, a Saudi dissident living abroad, and vowed its support for the Kingdom’s ruling family.
JEDDAH: Although Saudi women are banned from playing sports in schools, sports clubs and universities, many of them are ardent soccer fans and support football clubs.
