Saudi Arabia

Missed Opportunities and Bigger Challenges in Middle East in 2009

January 26, 2010 -- (Beirut) -- Middle East governments repressed efforts to promote human rights and backed away from bold reforms despite growing human rights challenges and promises to take action, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing the Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen country studies from its World Report 2010.

The 612-page report, the organization's 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights issues in more than 90 nations and territories worldwide, including 15 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.    » read more »

Dec. 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed a joint statement that allows for collaboration in lunar and asteroid science research. The partnership recognizes the Saudi Lunar and Near-Earth Object Science Center as an affiliate partner with the NASA Lunar Science Institute at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.    » read more »

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 17, 2009 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a contract by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) for a nationwide air traffic management system based upon cooperative surveillance.

The contract will extend air traffic control surveillance throughout the Kingdom. It will also enhance flight safety for the rapidly growing domestic airline sector and improve the efficiency of Saudi Arabia's air traffic management system.    » read more »

June 22 2009 -- Riyadh -- Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) today announced that Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia (MSSA) has launched equity trading on the KSA stock exchange, Tadawul. This new capability enables the Firm and its clients to trade cash equities and delivers the Firm's global market expertise to Saudi as well as GCC investors. The launch also enables MSSA to service international clients via swap contracts.

The new equity trading capability follows on the Firm's recent initiation of economic and equity strategy research coverage for Saudi Arabia.    » read more »

Jun. 18, 2009 -- Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company (SATORP) finalized the awarding plan for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts that constitute the thirteen different process packages of their Jubail joint venture refinery, following a meeting of the SATORP Board of Directors. The awarding of these contracts marks an important step in the execution of this 400,000 barrel per day world-class, full-conversion refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, which plans to be fully operational by the second half of 2013.    » read more »

15 June 2008 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Saudi Arabia will increase its oil production next month by 200,000 barrels a day.

Mr. Ban says he learned of the Saudi plan to raise oil output again from Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia already increased its oil production by 300,000 barrels a day this month, compared to May, to meet growing demand from customers. The additional increase would raise total Saudi production to nine-point-seven million barrels a day.

Mr. Ban was speaking after a visit to the Saudi city of Jeddah, where he met Saturday with Saudi King Abdullah. The U.N. chief says they discussed global concerns about the rising price of oil and its impact on the cost of food.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) sent the following letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, calling on her to condemn a recent ruling by a prominent Saudi cleric against two Saudi journalists for reporting what he considered heretical articles.

Barack Obama mural, Brooklyn: Photo by Erica (CC)

According to recent reports, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak issued a fatwa last month stating that two journalists should be put to death if they did not retract their articles. Last week, over 100 Arab rights groups also condemned the fatwa.    » read more »

January 15, 2008 -- THE PRESIDENT: I'm George W. Bush, President of the United States. Thank you all for joining us. Ambassador, thanks for setting this up. It's important for the President to hear thoughts, hopes, dreams, aspirations, concerns from folks that are out making a living. And I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to come and visit with me. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.    » read more »

15 January 2008 -- A group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives is renewing objections to any sale of sophisticated U.S. precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, 51 Democrats and one Republican have signed on so far to a resolution disapproving of the proposed transaction, which is part of a larger $20 billion military sale to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states aimed at countering threats from Iran.    » read more »

January 14, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) issued the following statement today after the Bush Administration announced that it would officially notify the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today of its intent to sell Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) to Saudi Arabia, as part of the much larger package of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates:    » read more »

14 January 2008 -- The Bush administration officially notified Congress Monday of its intention to sell sophisticated precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. The action, coinciding with President Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia, is part of a broader U.S. effort to bolster Gulf allies in the face of a more assertive Iran.

The Bush administration has already briefed Congress on its arms sales plans for Saudi Arabia. Monday's announcement sets in motion a 30-day period in which the House and Senate can block the plan with a joint resolution - action that appears highly unlikely.    » read more »

November 19, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent the following letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking her to address human rights developments in Saudi Arabia and condemn the recent sentencing of a Saudi rape victim to six months in jail and 200 lashes. Obama also asked Rice to include this case in this year's report on human rights that is currently being prepared by the State Department.

Below is a copy of the letter:

November 19, 2007

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
Department of State
2201 C Street NW    » read more »

20 November 2007 -- Saudi Arabia's national oil company, Aramco, now says a pipeline fire that erupted last Sunday killed 40 people, including six Saudis. Nine workers were hospitalized. Six have been treated and released.

Aramco says the blaze started early Sunday morning while workers were performing maintenance on a natural gas pipeline 30 kilometers from the Hawiyah gas plant.

The fire coincided with the OPEC summit taking place in the capital, Riyadh.

Officials say they have ruled out any possibility of the fire being part of a terrorist attack.    » read more »

20 November 2007 -- Saudi Arabia is defending a controversial court decision to sentence a victim of gang rape to 200 lashes and six months in prison.

The Kingdom's official news agency, the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday published a Justice Ministry statement reiterating that charges against the woman were proven and criticizing media coverage of the case.    » read more »

18 November 2007 -- Saudi Arabia's national oil company says a fire along a gas pipeline has killed 28 workers in the country's eastern province.

Aramco says the blaze started before dawn Sunday while workers were performing maintenance on a pipeline about 30 kilometers from the Hawiyah gas plant.

It says five of the dead were Aramco employees, while others were contract workers.

Aramco says the fire is under control and the company has taken all necessary steps to continue the normal supply of natural gas to its domestic network.

Source: VOA News