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2010 Saudi Arabia archive
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| 2011 Archive – Saudi Arabia |
Saudi Arabia refuses to recognise new party despite efforts to advance reforms
Although the Kingdom is slowly liberalising, the authorities are not yet ready to formally approve political groups. The tense crisis in neighbouring Bahrain will not bolster their self-confidence in handling reform campaign pressures
Issue 895, 25 February 2011. more
The Manama-Riyadh relationship
The unrest in Bahrain has highlighted the importance of its relationship with giant Sunni neighbour Saudi Arabia, with King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa making a hasty visit to the Saudi capital on 23 February for talks with the senior leadership, possibly including the recently returned King Abdullah. He was met on arrival by governor Prince Salman Bin Abdelaziz.
Issue 895, 25 February 2011. more
Meetings with French prime minister
French prime minister François Fillon has been in the region for talks. While in Saudi Arabia, he discussed prospects for expanding defence and security co-operation as well as promoting education and trade development programmes.
Issue 895, 25 February 2011. more
Deadline missed in Al-Amoudi libel case
Ethiopian publisher and blogger Elias Kifle has failed to meet a deadline for filing a defence in the libel case brought by Ethiopian-Saudi investor Mohammed Al-Amoudi.
Issue 895, 25 February 2011. more
Youth unemployment poses key challenge to Saudi government and society
Protests across the Arab world have highlighted problems related to the ‘youth bulge’. Young Saudis, often well educated and media savvy, face poor job prospects, gender segregation and constraints on freedom of expression
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Jeddah floods: potential trigger for unrest?
In November 2009, more than 500 people were killed in devastating floods in Jeddah and there was considerable damage to the city’s failing infrastructure. As floods ravaged the city, videos and commentary were uploaded to YouTube before the government had time to issue an official statement.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Jeddah floods leadership
After Jeddah’s most recent devastating floods, King Abdullah, who is currently in Morocco, gave orders for assistance, but it was interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz who was on the scene as head of the flood investigative committee.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Meetings with international dignitaries
Interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz in early February held talks with CIA director Leon Panetta.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Marriages and funerals
Prince Turki Bin Bandar Bin Saud married a daughter of Nazih Bin Abdelaziz Al-Quarayni in Riyadh. Turki is from the Mishari branch of the family.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Tribal mediation
Prince Turki, a son of Sudeiri Seven member Talal, has been in the news after reconciling families from the Kingdom’s largest tribe, the Dawasir, at his palace.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
SocGen vs Saad: Al-Sanea default trial delayed
Judge agrees to postponement after defendants claim Cayman Islands case has hindered preparations
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Egypt tensions spread as Saudis quash ‘Abdullah is dead’ rumour
Confronted yet again by damaging rumours, Saudi sources moved quickly to quash a 10 February report that King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz was seriously ill or was dead, apparently having suffered a heart attack after a heated telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama.
Issue 894, 11 February 2011. more
Abdullah returns to Morocco
King Abdullah travelled to Morocco on 22 January to continue his recuperation from medical treatment. The King was met at Casablanca airport by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. It has been almost two months since the octogenarian monarch left Saudi Arabia for spinal surgery in the US (GSN 890/1).
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Crown Prince Sultan remains in public eye
During King Abdullah’s absence for medical treatment abroad (and the absence of other senior princes and ministers accompanying him), Crown Prince Sultan has remained in the public eye by chairing cabinet sessions and holding meetings
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
High-profile wedding
Prince Abdelaziz Bin Fahd Bin Abdelaziz has been spending time with King Abdullah in New York, but returned to Riyadh for his high-profile 23 December wedding to a daughter of Prince Faisal Bin Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz.
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Comments on women drivers
Princess Rima Bint Bandar Bin Sultan, granddaughter of Crown Prince Sultan, has said that women should be allowed to drive.
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Company shows quick recovery after the global financial crisis
Even Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal felt the effects of the global downturn. But 2010 profits show that his 95%-owned KHC is back on track despite warnings of over-valuation
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Al-Amoudi files libel claim in UK
Ethiopian-Saudi investor Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi has filed a libel claim in the UK’s high court against Ethiopian publisher and blogger Elias Kifle.
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Frailty of senior princes heightens speculation over Saudi leadership
When Saudi-watchers get together, conversation will soon turn to questions that can become an obsession: who will be the next Saudi monarch, who will succeed him and when will this happen? The onset of illness associated with old age cannot help the governance of an increasingly complex state with a largely youthful population, even if modern medicine can postpone further decline. Thus, there is an upsurge in speculation when senior leaders leave the country or disappear into their palaces for treatment, rest or recuperation.
Issue 893, 28 January 2011. more
Senior Al-Saud still absent abroad, huge 2011 budget announced
Risk management report, Issue 892, 17 January 2011. more
| 2010 Archive – Saudi Arabia |
Prince Saud’s Arab army plans
Foreign minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal proposed a Nato-backed Arab army to destroy the Iranian-backed Hizbollah movement in Lebanon in 2008, according to leaked US diplomatic documents.
Issue 891, 10 December 2010. more
Sanea case to proceed in Cayman Islands
A Cayman Islands court of appeal has allowed a fraud claim against Kuwaiti businessman Maan Al-Sanea to go ahead
Issue 891, 10 December 2010. more
All eyes on Kingdom as Abdullah’s absence sparks speculation on circles of power and influence
King Abdullah’s medical treatment in the US and the return home of ageing princes Sultan and Salman have pushed the issue of succession to the fore – as the state news agency does its best to reassure observers
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
‘US should rely on Saudi oil’
In a speech at Houston’s Rice University in mid-November, former Saudi ambassador to London and Washington Prince Turki Al-Faisal said the Deepwater Horizon accident should prompt the US to rethink “costly and risky drilling plans” and rely instead on imports from countries such as Saudi Arabia, which remain safe sources of crude.
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Serious concerns over Hajj
There remain serious concerns over the annual Hajj pilgrimage, with several issues needing to be resolved despite the billions of dollars already invested in the event, said Mecca governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal in mid-November.
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Sang’s aviation orders
The Defence Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) notified US Congress in October of a possible foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia worth some $60bn.
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
US in $71m Javelin missile sale
The US is to sell 150 FGM-148 Javelin guided missiles and parts to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth some $71m.
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Saudi-Egypt power grid due on line by 2013
Water and electricity minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen has said that construction of a power grid linking Saudi Arabia and Egypt will be complete in 2013
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Post-financial crisis environment has put GCC risk under a harsher spotlight
The effects of the global downturn on Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have forced traders, financiers and insurers to assess GCC credit and political risk more closely. And some firms are expanding their GCC teams to do so
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Huge opportunities, but views affected by corporate defaults
Insurers’ perceptions of Saudi credit risk is improving. According to Euler Hermes’ Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) risk management director Mahan Bolourchi, “there has been a positive change in our perception of the risks.
Issue 890, 26 November 2010. more
Crown Prince Sultan's meetings with Hariri and Hamad
Crown Prince Sultan, who is in Morocco, held talks on 3 November with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
Issue 889, 12 November 2010. more
GCC meeting in Kuwait
Interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz was in Kuwait for the 29th meeting of Gulf Co-operation Council interior ministers.
Issue 889, 12 November 2010. more
IOCs continue Empty Quarter gas search despite dry holes
The Saudi authorities have convinced all four foreign ventures to continue drilling for gas in the Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) until at least 2012, despite mainly disappointing results from the 26 wells drilled so far
Issue 889, 12 November 2010. more
New media raises difficult unemployment questions for Saudi Arabia
The recently appointed labour minister Adel Fakieh received global media coverage when he used his Facebook page to invite suggestions for tackling Saudi Arabia’s unemployment problem.
Issue 889, 12 November 2010. more
King Abdullah attempts to mediate in Iraqi politics, real estate demand is high
Risk management report, Issue 889, 12 November 2010. more
Bandar is back
After nearly two years out of the limelight, former Saudi ambassador to Washington Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Al-Saud made a high-profile return to the Kingdom in mid-October.
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Washington confirms arms deal
Assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Andrew Shapiro has confirmed that the Obama administration has asked Congress to approve a $60bn arms deal with the Kingdom (GSN 886/6).
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Swedes call for changes to weapons export law
Swedish arms manufacturers’ exports to Gulf states have been criticised after a string of deals by defence giant Saab.
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Spain seeks tank contract
The Spanish government is hoping to sign a E3bn ($4.2bn) contract with Saudi Arabia for the sale of up to 270 Leopard 2E tanks, Spanish daily El País reported on 25 October.
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Two Riyadh weddings
On 15 October, Prince Saud Bin Faisal Bin Fahd (of the Al-Farhan branch) married Jawahir, a daughter of Prince Abdelaziz Bin Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz (of the Al-Turki line) in Riyadh.
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Anti-corruption committee
Mecca governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal has issued directives for the formation of a committee to combat administrative corruption.
Issue 888, 29 October 2010. more
Markets look for leadership to overcome fallout from Al-Gosaibi/Al-Sanea dispute
The fallout from the dispute between two major Saudi business families continues to concern creditors, regional banks and international monetary authorities. Conventional wisdom has it that issues surrounding the Al-Gosaibi/Maan Al-Sanea defaults will be resolved by the authorities. But the Saudi system’s slow public response to the situation was undermining confidence even before international courts got involved.
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
US opens banking investigation
The House Financial Services Committee hearing A Review of Current and Evolving Trends in Terrorism Financing took place on 28 September. Among the four witnesses was Eric Lewis, a partner in Washington-based law firm Baach Robinson Lewis, who is representing Ahmed Hamad Al-Gosaibi and Brothers (AHAB).
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
Al-Ghurair leads the charge in New York
Allegations about Maan Al-Sanea were first made in the New York Supreme Court in a counter-claim after Ahmed Hamad Al-Gosaibi and Brothers (AHAB) was sued by the UAE-based Mashreq Bank, owned by the Al-Ghurair family, which claimed it was owed $225m in foreign exchange transactions by the Gosaibis.
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
Diplomatic meetings
King Abdullah and former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi held talks in Riyadh on 10 October, where they “reviewed the current situation in Iraq”, according to state media.
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
AL-Saud marriages
On 3 October, interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz oversaw the Riyadh wedding of Prince Faisal Bin Saud Bin Abdullah Al-Faisal to his granddaughter, a daughter of Saudi ambassador to Spain Prince Saud Bin Nayef Bin Abdelaziz.
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
Trade and security meetings
Assistant defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz has resumed a busy schedule of meetings. On 13 October, he held talks with Canadian international trade minister Peter Van Loan, signing an investment protection treaty.
Issue 887, 15 October 2010. more
Abdullah ‘still floating trial balloons’
King Abdullah’s five years in power have given Saudis more freedom but civil rights remain vulnerable to political change, according to the latest report from US-based Human Rights Watch.
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
Conventional answers only partly explain why reform often fails in KSA
“My Kingdom will survive only in so far as it remains a country of difficult access, where the foreigner will have no other aim with his task fulfilled, but to get out.”
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
Questions asked over KBS’ lower profile
Saudi assistant defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz did not maintain his usual high public profile during the summer holiday/Ramadan period, and was not mentioned in dispatches as attending any of the meetings connected to the late September visit of British defence secretary Liam Fox
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
King Abdullah's US/Canadian security meetings
King Abdullah and interior minister Prince Nayef have held talks with key US and Canadian security officials, including US deputy national security adviser for homeland security and counter-terrorism John Brennan, who last visited in September (GSN 860/7).
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
Mirqin Bin Abdelaziz in Pakistan
General Intelligence Directorate head Prince Miqrin Bin Abdelaziz is due in Pakistan for talks with senior leaders, including Pakistan Muslim League head Nawaz Sharif.
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
New reports talk up banking sector, not everyone convinced
A number of new reports on Saudi banks point to a system that is stable and growing, reflecting the sector’s resilience and strong financial fundamentals in the face of challenging operating conditions, as Moody’s Investors Service put it. Some players who talked to GSN were less upbeat, pointing to slow-moving business and a continued hangover from the crisis that built up over the Saad and Al-Gosaibi groups’ failure – a crisis that quietly continues to affect business across the region.
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
Saudi bank appointments
Merrill Lynch Saudi Arabia has appointed Motashar Almurshed as chief executive.
Issue 886, 1 October 2010. more
Saudi succession speculation resurfaces as Sultan leaves the Kingdom
The rumour mills are grinding again after Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz left the Kingdom on 28 August for what the state Saudi Press Agency described as a “private holiday”. Sultan has returned to his palace in Morocco, where he spent much of his time in 2009 convalescing from treatment.
Issue 884, 3 September 2010. more
Pay rise for military
The Kingdom is to increase army pay, following military engagement in Yemen and a rise in the cost of living.
Issue 884, 3 September 2010. more
Domestic business
King Abdullah in late August held talks with interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz and the governors of the Kingdom’s 13 regions.
Issue 884, 3 September 2010. more
Gulf mourns deaths of leading old-school liberals
Two prominent Gulf figures died in August – Saudi Arabia’s labour minister, former diplomat and poet Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Kuwaiti author and academic Ahmed Al-Baghdadi
Issue 883, 27 August 2010. more
Prince Sultan taken ill
Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz is being treated at the King Faisal Hospital in Jeddah, where he was taken after falling ill on 7 August, according to Saudi sources.
Issue 883, 27 August 2010. more
First Ex-Im Bank direct loan
The Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved its first direct loan to the Kingdom.
Issue 883, 27 August 2010. more
Economic diversification the priority, social reform moves slowly
Risk management report
Issue 883, 27 August 2010. more
Protests and debate reflect increasing freedoms in Abdullah’s Kingdom
Political reform still looks far off – and few yet dare to discuss it openly. But almost everything else is on the agenda as Saudis push the limits of their freedom for argument and the Kingdom prepares to celebrate King Abdullah’s five years in power
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Mira attempts to demonstrate support for more radical options
A test of the more tolerant mood in Saudi Arabia will come with the government’s response to the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (Mira)’s new campaign to show it has genuine popular support for more radical political reform.
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Abdullah on the move in attempt to defuse tribunal tensions
The Saudi monarch started a four-nation tour on 28 July aimed at strengthening inter-Arab relations. The King flew from his summer residence in Casablanca for the first leg of the mission, to Cairo, for talks with ailing Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Fox and Morin lose Saudi meetings
British defence minister Liam Fox’s planned three-day visit to Saudi Arabia in late July was called off at the last minute because no senior Saudi government official was around to meet him.
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Border deal
The Saudi-Kuwaiti technical committee for border demarcation has signed a contract for New Zealand’s NZ Aerial Mapping to carry out the demarcation.
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Defence procurement
Sikorsky gets MoI helicopter contract; Raytheon contract to deliver missiles to SANG; Potential $30m deal with US
Issue 882, 30 July 2010. more
Special court head removed
Al-Watan newspaper has reported that the authorities have removed the president and two other judges of the security court where trials are ongoing for hundreds of suspected Islamist militants.
Issue 881, 16 July 2010. more
King Abdullah cancels Paris trip
King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud has cancelled a mid-July trip to Paris, where he was due to open an exhibition on Arabian archaeology at the Musée du Louvre.
Issue 881, 16 July 2010. more
Oil industry fears policy shift
Comments in early July by King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz that oil production must be halted to leave resources for the next generation has provoked concern across the sector.
Issue 881, 16 July 2010. more
Bank Al-Jazira appoints new chief executive
Nabil Dawoud Al-Hoshan is the new chief executive of Bank Al-Jazira. He takes over from Ziad Tariq Aba Al-Khail.
Issue 881, 16 July 2010. more
Al-Qusayir’s arrest highlights role of wives and widows in Saudi terrorism campaign
There is always something new and surprising to learn about militancy in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Qaeda’s pledge to kidnap royals and foreigners has revealed interesting features of the evolving threat
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
King Abdullah makes rare trip overseas
King Abdullah left Saudi Arabia on 19 June for trips – including key talks with political leaders – to Morocco, Canada, the US and France. He travelled first to Casablanca – Morocco is a favourite of Saudi royals – and then to Toronto on 25 June to attend the G20 summit. He is being accompanied by a large delegation, said to number some 200.
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Why Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula failed in 2003
Thomas Hegghammer, the groundbreaking scholar of Saudi Islamism and a long-time friend of GSN, has released his long-awaited book, Jihad in Saudi Arabia*, preceding it with a pithy report on the same issue for the Combating Terrorism Centre at West Point in February 2010.
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Saudi Arabia/Yemen: Border controls
Marib governor Naji Abdelaziz Al-Zaidi in late June said that Yemen continues to work closely with Saudi security and intelligence on border controls. He said close co-operation was especially aimed at preventing Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula from using Marib’s desert area to cross the border.
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Ursula Brennan’s Riyadh visit
Ursula Brennan, second permanent under secretary at the UK’s Ministry of Defence, has been in Riyadh for meetings.
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Interior Minister's Haya comments
Interior minister and second deputy premier Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz has urged members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haya) to be more prudent and gentle in their dealings with people.
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Saudi Arabia leads way on project financing deals
A cluster of new financing facilities has raised well over $10bn, boosting the GCC’s project finance market
Issue 880, 2 July 2010. more
Campaign to free Al-Reshoudi could signal a major breakthrough for reform
Lawyers believe the long fight for the release of human rights activist Sheikh Suleiman Ibrahim Al-Reshoudi is putting down markers for change and liberalisation in the Kingdom
Issue 879, 18 June 2010. more
Turki Bin Abdelaziz denies allegations
Cairo-based Prince Turki Bin Abdelaziz on 14 June issued a denial through the Saudi Press Agency that he had advised the Al-Saud to relinquish the throne and flee the Kingdom.
Issue 879, 18 June 2010. more
Al-Ayish appointed RSAF commander
King Abdullah has appointed Major General Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Ayish as commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force.
Issue 879, 18 June 2010. more
Al-Qaeda threat to Al-Saud and Christians
A senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has called for supporters to kidnap Christians and Al-Saud members to secure the release of militants held in the Kingdom.
Issue 878, 4 June 2010. more
Saudi mediation cools tensions in Middle Gulf
Recent tensions between Manama and Doha are forecast to cool following reported mediation efforts by the Saudis. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad on 27 May rang Saudi King Abdullah to thank him for helping to appoint a new Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) head, a rotating post. Sheikh Hamad also rang Bahrain’s King Hamad to praise him for accepting the Saudi initiative. Qatari premier and foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani was in Riyadh for talks with King Abdullah on 21 May.
Issue 878, 4 June 2010. more
Napolitano talks on Yemen
Several senior Al-Saud members turned out to greet US homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano when she visited the Kingdom to hold talks with King Abdullah and interior minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz.
Issue 878, 4 June 2010. more
Prince Salman's Europe tour, Afghanistan comments
Riyadh governor Prince Salman has been in Europe for meetings in Norway and Germany. In Norway, he met King Harald, foreign affairs minister Jonas Gahr Store and prime minister Jens Stoltenberg. Following the visit, Riyadh announced it would start the process of setting up an embassy in Norway.
Issue 878, 4 June 2010. more
Turki Al-Faisal on Iraq and US policy
Iraqi concerns about their neighbours’ intensions towards their country may have been underlined by comments from former Saudi General Intelligence Department chief and ambassador to London and Washington Prince Turki Al-Faisal, who has accused Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki of trying to ‘hijack’ the results of the March general election.
Issue 877, 21 May 2010. more
Saudi Navy reshuffle
In early May King Abdullah issued a decree officially appointing Dakheel Allah Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Waqdani as commander of Naval Forces.
Issue 877, 21 May 2010. more
Economic diversification the priority, social reform moves slowly onwards
Risk Management report
Issue 877, 21 May 2010. more
Cheney’s surprise visit
Former US vice president Dick Cheney paid a brief visit to the Kingdom, causing surprise in the Arab media.
Issue 876, 7 May 2010. more
Gender segregation row rumbles on as clerics make their views clear
Controversy has erupted in Saudi Arabia over the position of Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, head of the Mecca branch of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. He first hit the headlines late last year after an interview in Okaz newspaper in which he spoke openly about ikhtilat, the mixing of unrelated men and women, reportedly saying that forbidding such mixing was unknown to early scholars.
Issue 876, 7 May 2010. more
Sharia codification plans divide Saudi clerics
The Council of Ulema has approved King Abdullah’s plans to codify sharia law, but Sahwa preachers are divided over an issue that could significantly reduce their power
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
Patriotic stance of Shia leader
Sheikh Hassan Al-Saffar, de facto leader of Saudi Arabia’s Shias, has in recent months made a special effort to position himself as a patriotic national loyalist, despite the Kingdom’s recent military intervention against Zaidi Shia Al-Houthi rebels in northern Yemen. This is some measure of the success of King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz’s efforts to co-opt the Shia, particularly the large community in oil-rich Eastern province, into his support base.
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
King Abdullah visits Bahrain
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia paid a two-day visit to Bahrain, his first since coming to the throne in 2005.
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
Iraqis descend on Riyadh
Senior Iraqi officials have descended on Riyadh in an attempt to secure support for a new government.
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
US helicopter weapons-targeting system
The US Department of Defence has awarded Lockheed Martin Corporation a $46.2m contract to produce advanced helicopter weapons-targeting systems for the Apache helicopter fleets of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Netherlands.
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
Nuclear no longer a dirty word as enthusiastic Gulf states line up to develop industry
The civil nuclear plans of GCC and neighbouring states point to a new assertiveness among Gulf economies, whose need to diversify energy sources is greater than the temptation to keep up with regional nuclear leaders Iran and Israel
Issue 875, 23 April 2010. more
Saudi-UAE naval clash over Dolphin pipeline points to brittle GCC relations
Both parties have yet to deny or confirm the incident, but a reported clash between Saudi and Emirati patrol boats has attracted much media attention and highlighted the potential for friction among GCC allies that has provoked renewed fears for Gulf security
Issue 874, 9 April 2010. more
Crown Prince Sultan: Out and about
In mid-March, Crown Prince Sultan toured the southern border region and inspected troops in Jizan. His large entourage included senior family members Bandar Bin Mohammed, Khalid Bin Fahd Bin Khalid, Khalid Bin Saad Bin Fahd (all of the Abdelrahman branch) and Sultan’s son Khalid.
Issue 874, 9 April 2010. more
$30m contract for Cubic
Cubic Corporation has won a contract worth more than $30m to supply small arms training systems to Saudi Arabia.
Issue 874, 9 April 2010. more
Behind veil of moderation, change edges forward
Opposition critics are exasperated by King Abdullah’s cautious tone, but significant reforms continue to advance
Issue 873, 19 March 2010. more
Security forces crackdown on literature
While the Riyadh book fair has attracted attention for all the right reasons, in a lesser-reported event, Saudi security confiscated the books of former literature professor and leading liberal Islamist Abdullah Al-Hamid.
Issue 873, 19 March 2010. more
Princess Sheikha: Funeral
Princess Sheikha Bint Abdelrahman Bin Faisal has died at the age of 95. She is thought to have been the eldest Al-Saud member.
Issue 873, 19 March 2010. more
Economy robust, but challenges remain, says Riyad Capital
The Saudi economy did better last year than most analysts expected, with the 2010 budget, the Kingdom’s largest, showing the government’s determination to support the economy through trying times, according to Riyad Capital’s latest Quarterly Saudi Economic Report.
Issue 873, 19 March 2010. more
Ernst & Young licence revoked
Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) has revoked Ernst & Young Saudi Arabia Consulting’s securities licence because of “several violations” of the Kingdom’s capital market law and implementing regulations.
Issue 873, 19 March 2010. more
US reports increase in violent crime against westerners in Saudi Arabia
A rise in crimes such as carjacking, mugging and harassment, and continued warnings of a possible terrorist attack as AQAP regroups, are testing the international security community
Issue 872, 5 March 2010. more
Kingdom pushing on with investment in projects, good growth forecast
Risk management report. Issue 872, 5 March 2010. more
Al-Khafji project launched in PNZ
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have launched the joint Al-Khafji offshore oil field development project in the Partitioned Neutral Zone (PNZ).
Issue 872, 5 March 2010. more
Yemen delegation
On 21 February, Crown Prince Sultan received a group of Yemeni tribal leaders. Two days later, he held talks with visiting Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in which he confirmed Saudi support for Yemen’s territorial integrity.
Issue 872, 5 March 2010. more
Doha powwow
Saudi Arabia continues to try to mend ties with Qatar, with further bilateral visits of senior leaders.
Issue 872, 5 March 2010. more
Aramco awarded Jizan refinery contract
State giant Saudi Aramco has been awarded the contract to build and finance a planned $10bn oil refinery at the Red Sea port of Jizan in the underdeveloped Jizan province on the Yemen border. The new 250,000-400,000 b/d refinery, part of the new Jazan Economic City, was intended to be Saudi Arabia’s first fully private sector-owned refinery.
Issue 871, 12 February 2010. more
New campaign group challenges Al-Saud
Islamist campaigners for constitutional reform have managed to sustain a permanent and openly declared organisation in the Kingdom for three months. Protests have usually consisted of one-off petitions or statements by groups of intellectuals, but the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) is maintaining a campaign presence through a series of statements and ‘letters to the King’ on its website www.ksaright.org
Issue 870, 29 January 2010.
more
Khalid bin Sultan: Ever prominent, Al-Abdullah alliance
Assistant defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan (KBS) continues to dominate the news, with almost daily press statements.
Issue 870, 29 January 2010. more
King Abdullah: Busy as usual
King Abdullah has held meetings with a range of foreign dignitaries, including visiting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Malaysian prime minister Mohammed Najib Bin Abdulrazak, Danish Crown Prince Frederik, Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi, Jordanian health minister Nayef Al-Fayez and US national security adviser James Jones.
Issue 870, 29 January 2010. more
Gulf states mediate in Palestinian-Israeli conflict
There have been a series of recent meetings between Gulf, Palestinian and US officials to try to restart talks on a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. White House national security adviser James Jones held talks with Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz and defence minister Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz on 12 January. He will also visit Israel and the Palestinian territories, and is due in the West Bank on 14 January to meet Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
Issue 869, 15 January 2010. more
Kingdom announces 2010 budget, with high spending on education and health
Risk management report, Issue 869, 15 January 2010. more
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