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In
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o
NEWS
· REGION
- AT
U.N., NO EASY ROAD TO A RESOLUTION
- RUMSFELD
ORDERS KEY UNITS TO GULF
- GULF
MINISTERS HOLD EMERGENCY TALKS ON IRAQ WAR
- 48-HOUR
DEADLINE FOR SADDAM: REPORT
- U.N.
INSPECTORS FAIL TO WIN KEY IRAQ CONCESSIONS
- KUWAIT
TO GET 'PENINSULA SHIELD' DEFENSE FORCE
- GCC
FORCE SET FOR KUWAIT
- GCC
FORCES WILL NOT ATTACK IRAQ: KHALED
- DEMOCRACY
IN IRAQ 'COULD RESHAPE REGION'
- THE
ARAB FUTURE
- PAN-ARAB
TV STATION BARRED FROM HAJJ
- RIVALRY
FOR EYES OF ARAB WORLD
- GEN.
FRANKS LEADING US TROOPS TO WAR
· BAHRAIN
- BAHRAINIS
STAGE DEMONSTRATION
- BDF
TO KUWAIT
- BAHRAIN
URGES CITIZENS NOT TO PANIC IF WAR BREAKS OUT
- BAHRAIN
TO STOP NEW VISAS FOR EXPATRIATES
· KUWAIT
- KUWAITIS
PREPARE FOR THE WORST
- MANY
U.S. CITIZENS IN KUWAIT WILL STAY
- KUWAIT
BUILDS UP ARSENAL, CONFIDENCE
- IN
KUWAIT, A REHEARSAL FOR WAR
- KUWAIT'S
LANDSCAPE OF TENTS AND TANKS
· OMAN
- VOTERS
TO SELECT 83 MAJLIS MEMBERS IN OCTOBER ELECTIONS
· QATAR
- OIC
CONFIRMS QATAR IS SEEKING TO HOLD EMERGENCY ISLAMIC
SUMMIT
- QATAR
TO BECOME TOP GAS-TO-LIQUIDS SUPPLIER
· SAUDI ARABIA
- SAUDIS
PLAN TO END U.S. PRESENCE - N.Y. TIMES
- QUESTIONS
OVER US TROOPS' SAUDI FUTURE
- PRO-QAEDA
OIL WORKERS A SABOTAGE RISK FOR SAUDIS
- FOREIGN
PILGRIMS AT RECORD HIGH
- FOURTEEN
KILLED IN HAJJ STAMPEDE
- WAR
FEAR STOPPING SAUDIS FROM TRAVELING ABROAD
- EDICT
FORBIDDING ATTACKS ON NON-MUSLIMS REASSURES EXPATS
- 90
WITH AL-QAEDA LINKS JAILED, SAYS PRINCE MOHAMMED
- AL-QAEDA
SUSPECTS ARRESTED, SAYS NAIF
- GUNMEN
FIRE AT BRITON WORKING IN SAUDI FIRM
- NATIONAL
PLAN UNVEILED TO FIGHT POVERTY
- SUSPECT'S
WIFE RETURNS TO KINGDOM SPARKING CRITICISM
- THE
RUSSIANS ARE COMING... AND IN A BIG WAY
- SAUDI
STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD
- EXPATS,
VISITORS TO BE FINGERPRINTED
- KINGDOM
HAS SIX MILLION SMOKERS; 20% FEMALES
· UAE
- ZAYED
CENTER TO DOCUMENT ISRAELI ACTS
- EMIRATES
MEDIA MAY GO REGIONAL
- SHEIKH
ZAYED ORDERS 1100 NEW HOUSES TO BE BUILT FOR
CITIZENS
o LINK OF THE WEEK -
ATLAS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
o GULFWIRE FLASHBACK
– OVER THREE YEARS OF GULFWIRE
o
BUSINESS & FINANCE NEWS
· REGION
- ENERGY
FUTURES – 02.07.03
- OIL
PRICES HIT TWO-YEAR HIGHS
- RIYADH
TO STEP UP CRUDE OUTPUT AS IRAQ FEARS RISE
- GULF'S
EXCESS GAS RESERVES TO HELP OFFSET DEPLETING CRUDE
- DOLPHIN
WILL BUY OMANI GAS
- FINANCING
COST IN GULF LIKELY TO REACH $66B IN 5 YEARS
· BAHRAIN
- CHAMBER
VOWS JOBS FOR SKILLED BAHRAINIS
- BAHRAINI
FISHERMEN URGED TO SHUN QATAR WATERS
· KUWAIT
- KUWAITI
BOURSE GOES ONLINE ... FIRST IN ARAB WORLD
· OMAN
- OMAN
GOVERNMENT TO FLOAT FIRM FOR SALALAH FREE ZONE
- MICROSOFT
INITIATIVES POINT TO IT REVOLUTION IN OMAN
· SAUDI ARABIA
- SAUDI
CASH RESERVES SURGE AS MORE CAPITAL RETURNS
- NO
FLIGHT OF FUNDS EXPECTED IF WAR BREAKS OUT: SAMA
- FIRMS
EYE STAKE IN SAUDI ARABIA'S V-SAT MARKET
- GSM
SUBSCRIBER BASE IN SAUDI ARABIA SET TO RISE
· UAE
- UAE
GDP SET TO EXPAND BY 3.1 PER CENT IN 2003 SAYS
REPORT
- E-CRIMES
DRAFT LAW SENT TO RULER'S COURT
- UAE
THIRD AMONG ARAB MANUFACTURERS
- DUBAI
INVESTMENTS PARK EXTENDS LEASE TO 99 YEARS
- UAE'S
NET PENETRATION TOP AMONG GCC STATES
- DUBAI
SET FOR A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT
- THURAYA
SUBSCRIBERS RISE TO 85,000
- GULF
AIR TO UPGRADE ABU DHABI OPERATIONS
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News
- Region
|
AT
U.N., NO EASY ROAD TO A RESOLUTION
"The Bush administration has made clear that it
expects to be at war with Iraq within the next
several weeks. But senior officials acknowledge they
have yet to determine how to get there with the
least amount of damage to its international
relations and the largest possible number of allies
on the front lines..." Complete
report...
RUMSFELD
ORDERS KEY UNITS TO GULF
"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed
orders yesterday sending the Army's 101st Airborne
Division and the USS Kitty Hawk, a fifth Navy
aircraft carrier, to the Persian Gulf… …There
are now more than 125,000 U.S. military personnel in
the region and that number is expected to increase
sharply by mid-February…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
BUILDUP
OF U.S. FORCES IN GULF IS DESIGNED FOR MAXIMUM
FLEXIBILITY - GWDigest Feb. 3, 2002
GULF
MINISTERS HOLD EMERGENCY TALKS ON IRAQ WAR
"Defense and foreign ministers of six
pro-Western Gulf Arab states met in Saudi Arabia on
[Feb. 8] for emergency talks on a possible U.S. war
on neighboring Iraq… …The six nations have
publicly rejected a war on Iraq but they host almost
all of the thousands of U.S. troops and weapons
being poured into the Gulf in preparation for a
possible attack…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
GCC
MINISTERS TO MEET ON IRAQ - GWDigest Feb. 3, 2002
48-HOUR
DEADLINE FOR SADDAM: REPORT
"The United States and Britain are drawing up
plans to give Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as
little as 48 hours to flee Baghdad or face war, as
part of a second UN resolution… …Such a
resolution could be put before the UN Security
Council by next weekend…" Complete
report…
U.N.
INSPECTORS FAIL TO WIN KEY IRAQ CONCESSIONS
"The top U.N. arms experts said [Feb. 9] that
they were unable to reach agreement with Saddam
Hussein's government on several key issues… …the
disclosure of significant new evidence about Iraq's
past weapons programs; safety guarantees from Iraq
for reconnaissance aircraft to aid in inspections;
and a high-level declaration criminalizing the
production of
nuclear, chemical or biological arms…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
POWELL
ACCUSES IRAQ OF UNDERMINING INSPECTORS - GWDigest
Feb. 3, 2002
KUWAIT
TO GET 'PENINSULA SHIELD' DEFENSE FORCE
"Defense and foreign ministers of six Gulf
states agreed [Feb. 8] to send a joint force to
Kuwait 'as soon as possible' to defend it against
any Iraqi
attack in the event of a US-led war on
Baghdad…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
FLAWS
DETECTED IN GCC JOINT MILITARY FORCE - May 13, 2002
GCC
FORCE SET FOR KUWAIT
"The Arab contingent is part of a Persian Gulf
regional force called Peninsula Shield, which was
ordered to Kuwait during a weekend meeting in Saudi
Arabia. The United Arab Emirates is sending 4,000
troops as well as
tanks, armored vehicles, a couple of ships and AH-64
Apache attack helicopters. Bahrain said it was
sending a frigate and ground troops. Kuwait's
defense minister, Jaber Mubarak Sabah, said he
expected the forces
to arrive in days. Other gulf countries,
notably Saudi Arabia, did not disclose whether their
soldiers would join the deployment. Some officials
in the region have discussed the possibility of an
Arab force that would move into Iraq to prevent an
all-American occupation after U.S. troops topple
President Saddam Hussein, but gulf officials
stressed that the troops being sent to Kuwait would
be there to defend a fellow Arab country..."
Complete
report...
GCC
FORCES WILL NOT ATTACK IRAQ: KHALED
"The Kingdom said [Feb. 11] that joint GCC
defense forces to be deployed in Kuwait will not
take part in any attack against Iraq, should there
be a fresh US-led war on Iraq... ...Following a
meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense
and foreign ministers on the Iraq crisis, Kuwait
announced on [Feb. 8] that its partners had accepted
its request for units
to be deployed from their joint defense force.
The GCC members — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — in 1986
created the common Peninsula Shield defense force
which is now stationed at Hafr Al-Baten in
northeastern Saudi Arabia..." Complete
report...
DEMOCRACY
IN IRAQ 'COULD RESHAPE REGION'
"United States Secretary of State Colin Powell
said on [Feb. 7] that the creation of a democratic
regime in Iraq 'could fundamentally reshape' the
Middle East and make it easier to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict… …His comments, to the Senate foreign
relations committee, appeared to mark a dramatic
shift in Washington diplomacy in the region, it has
traditionally been based on maintaining stability
rather than encouraging democracy…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
CHANGE
IN IRAQ MAY LEAD TO REFORMS IN GULF - GWDigest Feb.
3, 2002
CALL
TO PROMOTE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS - GWDigest Jan. 27,
2002
THE
ARAB FUTURE
"The future is about to begin in the Arab
world, and few people can describe it with more
clarity than Jordan's young foreign minister, Marwan
Muasher.
Political change is coming, Muasher believes, not
because America demands it but because ordinary
Arabs want it. The United States may try to
jump-start
the process soon by toppling Saddam Hussein from
power in Baghdad, but the forces at work are deeper
and more powerful than even the U.S. Army..." Complete
report...
PAN-ARAB
TV STATION BARRED FROM HAJJ
"Al-Jazeera pan-Arab satellite television, the
most popular station in the largely Arab Islamic
Middle East, said [Feb. 10] that Saudi authorities
had
barred it from covering the annual Muslim
pilgrimage… … attributed the Saudi decision to a
falling out between the kingdom and neighboring
Qatar over reports by the Qatari-based satellite
news channel that the kingdom found insulting to its
royal family…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
VIEWERS
SAY AL JAZEERA OBJECTIVE AND DARING - GWDigest Nov.
25, 2002
AL-RAYA:
SAUDI MEDIA WAR AGAINST AL-JAZEERA - GWDigest Nov.
11, 2002
CALL
TO BAN AL JAZEERA IN GULF STATES - GWDigest Oct. 14,
2002
RIVALRY
FOR EYES OF ARAB WORLD
"Arab journalists and investors are gearing up
to challenge the primacy of al-Jazeera, the
Qatar-based satellite TV channel… …The onset of
competition
in unbridled reporting marks one of the most
far-reaching changes in the Arab world over the past
decade…" Complete
report…
GEN.
FRANKS LEADING US TROOPS TO WAR
"The head of US Central Command — the man in
charge of commanding the US forces in the Gulf —
has been eating C-rations since 1965, when he
enlisted in the US Army as a private and started
working his way up through the
ranks... ...Now, as the commander in chief of
Central Command, Franks is in charge of US military
operations for 25 nations in Africa, Central Asia
and the Middle East — including Iraq and
Afghanistan..." Complete
report...
|
|
News
- Bahrain
|
BAHRAINIS
STAGE DEMONSTRATION
"Hundreds of Bahrainis staged a peaceful rally
[Feb. 7] demanding the prosecution of a former
security officer accused by local groups of human
rights abuses… …It attracted some 400 people,
many of them carrying Bahraini flags and banners
calling for the prosecution of former state security
Colonel Adel Flaifel, accused of torturing political
prisoners during Bahrain's turbulent years in the
mid-1990s..." Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
FLAIFEL
PROSECUTION DEMANDED - GWDigest Dec. 2, 2002
BDF
TO KUWAIT
"Bahrain troops will deploy to Kuwait 'in a few
days' but will not take part in any attack against
Iraq, should there be a fresh US-led assault to
topple
Saddam Hussein's regime, officials said [Feb. 11].
Kuwait's Defense Minister Shaikh Jaber Mubarak Al
Sabah said troops from Bahrain and the UAE would be
dispatched to Kuwait 'in a few days to safeguard the
country against any security repercussions that
might be witnessed in the area in the near
future...'" Complete
report...
BAHRAIN
URGES CITIZENS NOT TO PANIC IF WAR BREAKS OUT
"Bahraini officials yesterday said there was no
reason for citizens and expatriates to panic as the
kingdom was 'fully prepared' for any eventuality
should there be war… …Bahrain, home to the
American fifth fleet and a major U.S. non-NATO ally,
was a target of at least one Iraq missile during the
1991 Gulf war…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
BAHRAIN
PLANS WAR WARDENS - Jan. 27, 2003
BAHRAIN
TO STOP NEW VISAS FOR EXPATRIATES
"Bahrain will stop issuing or renewing work
permits for expatriates by 2005… …exceptions
will be allowed where there are not enough skilled
Bahrainis to fill certain positions… …The move
is intended to reduce unemployment among Bahrainis,
which stand at the GCC-high of 15 per cent…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
NEW
CLAMP ON VISA CHEATS - GWDigest Nov. 25, 2002
|
|
News
- Kuwait
|
KUWAITIS
PREPARE FOR THE WORST
"The Pentagon has been pouring U.S. troops into
Kuwait -- at least 45,000 are here -- with more
arriving daily. Kuwait faces the prospect of helping
to protect those troops from terror attacks and with
providing support for a U.S.-led war on Iraq…
...At least two Americans have been killed and four
others wounded in attacks over the last few months.
Kuwaitis were shocked
and the government acted." Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
TROOPS
OUT TO CALM NERVES IN KUWAIT - GWDigest Feb. 3, 2002
MANY
U.S. CITIZENS IN KUWAIT WILL STAY
"The U.S. State Department has already
authorized the voluntary evacuation of nonessential
embassy personnel and their families from Kuwait…
…Many foreigners in Kuwait have personal
connections to the country, or jobs that will not
allow them to leave… …most of the 80,000 U.S.
citizens in Kuwait have decided to stay…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
ANXIOUS
AMERICANS SET TO FLEE KUWAIT - GWDigest Feb. 3, 2002
KUWAIT
BUILDS UP ARSENAL, CONFIDENCE
"Twelve years and more than $12 billion ago,
the Kuwaiti military fled from the invading Iraqi
army without a fight… …In the dozen years since
U.S.
forces liberated it from Iraq, Kuwait has used its
main resource -- oil money -- to rearm and rebuild.
This tiny emirate, with 2.2 million inhabitants, has
become the world's biggest per capita spender on
defense…"
Complete
report…
IN
KUWAIT, A REHEARSAL FOR WAR
"The United States has more than 50,000 troops
in Kuwait to prepare for a southern thrust into Iraq
if President Bush gives the order. Tens of thousands
more are on the way. British forces have begun
arriving as well, and Australia has dispatched a
small detachment. Germany and the Czech Republic
have small units here to help respond to chemical,
biological or nuclear attacks..." Complete
report...
KUWAIT'S
LANDSCAPE OF TENTS AND TANKS
"The main Kuwaiti port bustles with ships
disgorging containers. The international airport and
nearby air base roar with the engines of transport
planes unloading column after column of soldiers.
The highways are jammed with troop convoys heading
to camps that did not exist weeks ago..."
Complete
report...
~~GulfWire Link~~
KUWAIT'S
NORTHERN HALF IS SET ASIDE FOR MILITARY - Feb. 3,
2003
|
|
News
- Oman
|
|
VOTERS
TO SELECT 83 MAJLIS MEMBERS IN OCTOBER ELECTIONS
"His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said's orders to
allow all citizens who are 21 years of age to
participate in the elections of Majlis Al Shura from
the coming fifth term election, came in
implementation of the royal policy of giving all
citizens of Oman the opportunity to take part in the
processes of nation-building and
development…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
OMAN
EDGES TOWARDS DEMOCRACY - Dec. 12, 2002
|
|
News
- Qatar
|
OIC
CONFIRMS QATAR IS SEEKING TO HOLD EMERGENCY ISLAMIC
SUMMIT
"The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)
confirmed [Feb. 13] that Qatar was seeking to hold
an emergency summit to discuss the Iraqi issue,
Kuwait's official KUNA news agency reported. The
organization, based in the Saudi Red Sea port city
of Jeddah, said in a statement that Qatari Foreign
Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabir al-Thani,
whose country holds the current chairmanship of the
OIC, had contacted the organization's Secretary
General Abdelouhed Belkziz in this regard..."
Complete
report...
QATAR
TO BECOME TOP GAS-TO-LIQUIDS SUPPLIER
"Qatar has set its eyes to become the biggest
producer of gas to liquids (GTL), as it pushes ahead
with mega projects, and the top LNG exporter in the
world… …the tiny OPEC producer has also embarked
on the Middle East's first GTL venture and said more
projects were planned given its mammoth gas
reserves…" Complete
report…
|
|
News
- Saudi Arabia
|
SAUDIS
PLAN TO END U.S. PRESENCE - N.Y. TIMES
"Saudi Arabia's leaders have decided to prepare
for an era of military disengagement from the United
States, to enact democratic reforms and rein in the
powerful conservative clergy… …Saudi officials
were quoted as saying the departure of U.S. soldiers
would set the stage for an announcement that Saudis
-- but probably not women, at least initially --
would begin electing
representatives to provincial assemblies and then to
a national assembly…" Complete
report…
SAUDIS
PLAN TO END U.S. PRESENCE
~~GulfWire Link~~
ARMY
CHIEF DENIES US TROOPS ASKED TO LEAVE - Jan. 28,
2002
U.S.
DOESN'T PLAN SAUDI WITHDRAWAL - Jan. 21, 2002
QUESTIONS
OVER US TROOPS' SAUDI FUTURE
"Saudi Arabia says a report suggesting it will
ask United States forces to leave after the Iraq
crisis is speculative… …If they are indeed
planning a dramatic change in the US-Saudi
relationship, the cautious Saudi princes are not yet
ready to say so publicly…" Complete
report…
PRO-QAEDA
OIL WORKERS A SABOTAGE RISK FOR SAUDIS
"The government of Saudi Arabia has increased
security around its oil fields and processing
centers after the discovery that employees of the
state-owned oil company sympathetic to Al Qaeda were
discussing sabotage plans late last summer, American
and Saudi officials say..." Complete
report...
~~GulfWire Link~~
SAUDI
ARABIA ARRESTS SUSPECTED BOMBERS LINKED TO AL-QAEDA
- Jun. 24, 2002
FOREIGN
PILGRIMS AT RECORD HIGH
"A record 1,431,012 foreign pilgrims are
performing Haj this year… … The figure showed a
six percent increase in the number of foreign
pilgrims this year compared to last year, when
1,350,451 arrived for the annual event…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
FEWER
US MUSLIMS ARRIVING FOR HAJ - GWDigest Feb. 3, 2003
FOURTEEN
KILLED IN HAJJ STAMPEDE
"At least 14 people have been killed and
several others injured in a stampede during the
annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, a Saudi official
has said. The official said the incident happened
during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual in
Mina, just outside Mecca." Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
KINGDOM
PLEDGES ALL EFFORTS TO ENSURE HAJ IS TROUBLE FREE -
GWDigest Jan. 27, 2003
WAR
FEAR STOPPING SAUDIS FROM TRAVELING ABROAD
"Travel agencies reported a 50 percent
reduction in the number of Saudis traveling abroad
this Eid because of the growing threat of a US-led
war against Iraq..." Complete
report...
EDICT
FORBIDDING ATTACKS ON NON-MUSLIMS REASSURES EXPATS
"Western expatriates have welcomed an edict
issued by the Kingdom's Council of Muslim Scholars
forbidding attacks anywhere in the world on
non-Muslims… …The edict comes in the wake of
advice given to Westerners by many embassies here to
prepare for a swift exit should the US go to war
against Iraq…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
MORE
EMBASSIES ADVISE EXPATS TO BE READY TO LEAVE -
GWDigest Feb. 3, 2003
90
WITH AL-QAEDA LINKS JAILED, SAYS PRINCE MOHAMMED
"The Kingdom has jailed around 90 people for
alleged links with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror
network and for fighting in Afghanistan… … they
were among some 250 people detained in the Kingdom
for possible terror links…" Complete
report…
AL-QAEDA
SUSPECTS ARRESTED, SAYS NAIF
"Police have arrested eight young Saudis in
connection with a shooting in Riyadh last month that
left a Kuwaiti onlooker dead and three Saudis —
including two security officers — wounded…
…some of the eight suspects are accused of having
links with Al-Qaeda…" Complete
report…
GUNMEN
FIRE AT BRITON WORKING IN SAUDI FIRM
"Unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Briton
working for a defense firm in Saudi Arabia this week
but he escaped with minor injuries from flying
glass… …The shooting comes at a time of
heightened anti-Western feeling in the Gulf region
and amid fears that any U.S.-led strike on Iraq
might prompt reprisals…" Complete
report…
NATIONAL
PLAN UNVEILED TO FIGHT POVERTY
"The Kingdom unveiled [Feb. 6] a 'national plan
to deal with poverty' and set up a special fund to
assist its poorer citizens… …A multidisciplinary
team has been set up to devise a 'national strategy'
to fight poverty… …it was given two years to
complete the plan and create a comprehensive
database on poverty…" Complete
report…
SUSPECT'S
WIFE RETURNS TO KINGDOM SPARKING CRITICISM
[GulfWire] The wife of a suspect held in connection
with Al Qaeda links returned to Saudi Arabia with
the assistance of the Saudi embassy in Washington
despite her being under grand jury subpoena
according to the
Washington Post on February 5. Mrs. Maha
Almarri and her five young children returned to the
Kingdom in November when, according to an embassy
attorney, it was believed there was no 'legal
impediment' to her departure, after a ten month
wait, since the grand jury had recessed.
However, Mrs. Almarri's departure has given new
ammunition to editorialists critical of
Saudi Arabia. The embassy responded in a press
release noting Saudi Arabia had formally assured the
United States she will be available to U.S.
authorities if further interviews are required.
The statement also noted that Mrs. Almarri, who
suffers from Graves disease, was never questioned
during the ten-month period she awaited contact from
the government.
According to the Washington Post Almarri's husband,
a Saudi native now a Qatari citizen, is charged with
lying to the FBI about phone calls he made to a
phone number in the UAE belonging to a suspected Al
Qaeda figure.
Related Material
SAUDIS
AIDED SUBPOENAED WOMAN'S TRIP OUT OF U.S.
STATEMENT
REGARDING SAUDI COOPERATION WITH FBI INVESTIGATION
[Feb. 5]
SAUDIS
OFFER INTERVIEW WITH WOMAN WHO LEFT U.S.
THE
RUSSIANS ARE COMING... AND IN A BIG WAY
"…It is all a far cry from the old Cold War
days when an impenetrable ideological wall kept the
world's two biggest oil producers firmly apart. The
wall started to crumble with the fall of Communism,
but even then issues like Chechnya kept them apart.
The ice finally started to break with the visit of
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal to Moscow
last April…" Complete
report…
SAUDI
STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD
"The undersecretary of the ministry of higher
education for cultural affairs… …has disclosed
that there are 15,516 male and female Saudi students
studying abroad…" Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
NO
PLANS TO STOP SENDING SAUDI STUDENTS TO US -
GWDigest Feb. 3, 2003
EXPATS,
VISITORS TO BE FINGERPRINTED
"Saudi Arabia is to start fingerprinting
expatriate workers and all visitors to the Kingdom
from the next Hijrah year… Complete
report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
NAIF
CONFIRMS KINGDOM WILL FINGERPRINT AMERICANS
KINGDOM
HAS SIX MILLION SMOKERS; 20% FEMALES
"Despite the great efforts made by the Kingdom
to fight smoking, local statistics show that there
are about six million smokers in the Kingdom, about
20 percent of them females… …the rate of smoking
in the Kingdom had
dropped in the last few years thanks to the decision
adopted by the council of ministers imposing fines
on those who would be found smoking in public places
and to the increase of custom duties on cigarettes
by 300 percent…" Complete
report…
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News
- UAE
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ZAYED
CENTER TO DOCUMENT ISRAELI ACTS
"The Zayed Centre for Coordination and
Follow-up is documenting, on a daily basis, the
Israeli crimes against the Palestinians since the
beginning of
Aqsa Intifada until now..." Complete
report...
~~GulfWire Link~~
MAKE
ISRAEL COMPLY, UAE URGES UN - GWDigest Nov. 11, 2002
EMIRATES
MEDIA MAY GO REGIONAL
"There is a possibility that Abu Dhabi-based
Emirates Media may start regional broadcasting
services in Arabic and English… …The diversified
group operates two English radio stations in the
UAE, and three Arabic FM stations…" Complete
report…
SHEIKH
ZAYED ORDERS 1100 NEW HOUSES TO BE BUILT FOR
CITIZENS
"President H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan today ordered 1100 new residential houses to
be built for the UAE citizens in Al Ain city. Sheikh
Tahnoubn bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler's
Representative in the Eastern Region and Deputy
Chairman of the Executive Council, said that Sheikh
Zayed gave the order during his current visit to the
Eastern Region and as part of his great concern and
keen desire to provide comfortable housing to all
citizens and to secure extra income for them through
the distribution of farms..." Complete
report...
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Link
of the Week
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ATLAS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
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GulfWire
Flashback - 3 Years of GW
|
| <<ONE
YEAR AGO – FROM GULFWIRE DIGEST (#133) WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 4, 2002>>
PRINCE
SAYS WIND OF CHANGE MUST RISE IN RIYADH
Prince Talal bin Abdelaziz… …thinks that if the
kingdom is to integrate itself in the modern world
it needs a gradual political evolution…
…"We need movement because the world is
changing and the world around us is changing. Kuwait
has elections, Qatar has communal elections, there's
change in Bahrain, Oman, Yemen"…
<<TWO
YEARS AGO – FROM GULFWIRE DIGEST (#83) WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 5, 2001>>
GULFWIRE
TALKS WITH SAUDI ARABIAN CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH
"One of the first things I would like to tell
you is that I support whatever is in U.S. interests.
That is because whatever is in the interest of the
U.S. is also in the interest of Saudi Arabia."
So started a one-hour
meeting with H.R.H. Crown Prince Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz, First Deputy Premier and Commander of the
Saudi Arabian National Guard.
<<THREE
YEARS AGO – FROM GULFWIRE DIGEST (#31) WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 7, 2000>>
UAE
EXCHANGE LAW SIGNED
President Shaikh Zaid Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan approved
the formation of a stock exchange regulatory agency
clearing the way for stock markets to open in Dubai
and Abu Dhabi this year...
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Business
News - Region
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[GulfWire]
ENERGY FUTURES – 02.07.03
Light Crude (NYM)
$35.12 bbl UP from $33.50
bbl on 01.31.03
Brent Crude (IPE)
$31.99 bbl UP from $31.10
bbl on 01.31.03
Heating Oil (NYM)
$1.0957 gal UP from $.932
gal on 01.31.03
Natural Gas (NYM)
$6.043 mmbtu UP from $5.60
mmbtu on 01.31.03
Unleaded Gas (NYM) $1.067
gal UP from $.968
gal on 01.31.03
Source: CNNfn
ENERGY
INFO RESOURCE
DOE/EIA
COUNTRY ANALYSIS BRIEFS
OIL
PRICES HIT TWO-YEAR HIGHS
"The price of oil has shot up again after US
President George W. Bush said 'the game is over' for
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein… …Prices could be
further under pressure as oil market data has shown
that US consumption of Iraqi oil jumped 24% in
January to cover the shortfall in Venezuelan
supplies…" Complete
report…
Also:
WORRIES
OVER IRAQ KEEP OIL PRICES NEAR 27-MONTH HIGHS
RIYADH
TO STEP UP CRUDE OUTPUT AS IRAQ FEARS RISE
"Saudi Arabia has told its customers it is
raising oil exports again, taking crude supplies to
two-year highs as Riyadh seeks to prevent high
prices ballooning even further should war break out
in Iraq. The kingdom, Opec's only member with enough
spare capacity to fully replace a disruption of
Iraqi exports, told term crude oil customers it will
increase supplies by around two to five percentage
points next month, traders said..." Complete
report...
GULF'S
EXCESS GAS RESERVES TO HELP OFFSET DEPLETING CRUDE
"Gulf Arab states control nearly a sixth of the
world's recoverable natural gas reserves and this
will help them offset depleting crude oil resources
and build a massive industrial base away from
volatile oil earnings… …Proven oil reserves
peaked at 466 billion barrels, including around
261.5 billion barrels in Saudi Arabia and 97.8
billion barrels in the UAE. They were estimated at
96.5 billion barrels in Kuwait, 5.6 billion in Oman,
4.5 billion in Qatar and 200 million in
Bahrain…" Complete
report…
DOLPHIN
WILL BUY OMANI GAS
"Dolphin Energy Limited (DEL) has announced the
signature of key contractual gas purchase and sales
agreements… …covering the purchase of Omani
natural
gas from 4th Quarter 2003, and onward sale of this
gas to the Fujairah customer… …DEL is currently
constructing a 182 kilometer, 24-inch pipeline
which will link Al Ain with Fujairah, on the UAE
East Coast, in the 4th Quarter of 2003…"
Complete report… Part
1 / Part
2
DOLPHIN
SIGNS GAS AGREEMENTS
FINANCING
COST IN GULF LIKELY TO REACH $66B IN 5 YEARS
"Project funding needs are rising in the Gulf
and according to estimates the financing cost for
large projects in the region is expected to reach
$66
billion in the next five years… …Saudi Arabia is
leading the financing programs and would need an
estimated $23.1 billion. Qatar follows with $14.2
billion, UAE comes next with a need for $14.4
billion, Kuwait $9.4 billion, Oman $5.1 billion and
Bahrain $1.6 billion…" Complete report… Part
1 / Part
2
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Business
News - Bahrain
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CHAMBER
VOWS JOBS FOR SKILLED BAHRAINIS
"Give us Bahrainis with the right skills and
we'll employ them, is the message to the government
from business leaders. But don't force us to take
people who are not up to the job, they said [Feb.
10]..." Complete
report...
~~GulfWire Link~~
DECENT
JOBS PLEDGE FOR BAHRAIN'S UNEMPLOYED - Feb. 3, 2003
BAHRAINI
FISHERMEN URGED TO SHUN QATAR WATERS
"Fishermen are being warned to stay well away
from Qatari waters for their own well-being.
Fisheries and Marine Resources director Jassim Al
Qaseer admitted that many Bahrain fishermen have
been entering Qatari waters for a long time despite
being warned not to..." Complete
report...
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Business
News - Kuwait
|
KUWAITI
BOURSE GOES ONLINE ... FIRST IN ARAB WORLD
"The Kuwait Stock Exchange started operating
online stock trading February 8. This service if
offered in Arabic and is the first of its kind.
The new service has the capacity to promote the
Kuwait Stock Exchange to the outside world and lure
in foreign capital."
Source: KUNA
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Business
News - Oman
|
OMAN
GOVERNMENT TO FLOAT FIRM FOR SALALAH FREE ZONE
"The Omani government has decided to float a
100 percent owned company to promote the Salalah
Free Zone (SFZ) project… …The SFZ project has
remained a non-starter since the Omani Government,
SPS and U.S.-based Hillwood signed a memorandum of
understanding in 2000…" Complete
report…
MICROSOFT
INITIATIVES POINT TO IT REVOLUTION IN OMAN
"Oman's association with the world's largest
software company — Microsoft Corporation — is
pointing to an information technology (IT)
revolution in the country… …Microsoft is
continuously exploring the possibilities of bringing
in further advanced technologies for government and
private sectors in Oman…" Complete
report…
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Business
News - Saudi Arabia
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SAUDI
CASH RESERVES SURGE AS MORE CAPITAL RETURNS
"Strong oil prices have sharply boosted Saudi
Arabia's international cash reserves amidst
continuing capital return although the world's oil
superpower remains reeling under heavy public debt
and relatively slow
growth… …Total liquid foreign exchange reserves
of Saudi Arabia, excluding gold, shot up to $21.4
billion by the end of November, a 22 per cent
increase over the same period of the year
before…" Complete
report…
NO
FLIGHT OF FUNDS EXPECTED IF WAR BREAKS OUT: SAMA
"The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) has
said that it does not expect any flight of funds
from banks as a result of a possible US-led war on
Iraq…" Complete
report…
FIRMS
EYE STAKE IN SAUDI ARABIA'S V-SAT MARKET
"At least 25 companies, both regional and
international, have thrown their hats into the ring
for a part in Saudi Arabia's V-Sat (for very small
aperture satellite terminal) market, which is now
being opened up… …The calling of terms of
reference for the V-Sat contracts represents a key
milestone in Saudi Arabia's gradual reforms of its
telecom market…" Complete
report…
GSM
SUBSCRIBER BASE IN SAUDI ARABIA SET TO RISE
"With another tariff cut coming on April 1, the
Saudi GSM market is set to witness another
exponential increase in subscriber numbers… …By
end 2002, the GSM subscriber base had grown to five
million plus, with monthly additions at an average
300,000…" Complete
report…
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Business
News - UAE
|
UAE
GDP SET TO EXPAND BY 3.1 PER CENT IN 2003 SAYS
REPORT
"The UAE's economy will likely pick up this
year and extend that trend in 2004 as it will
produce more oil, and higher government spending
will stimulate non-oil sectors and encourage the
private sector to pump more
investment…" Complete
report…
E-CRIMES
DRAFT LAW SENT TO RULER'S COURT
"The draft of the second part of Dubai's e-laws
- the Electronic Crimes Law - has been sent to the
Ruler's Court prior to being passed into law…
…It deals with penalties to be imposed for crimes
committed via the Internet…" Complete
report…
UAE
THIRD AMONG ARAB MANUFACTURERS
"The UAE has become the third largest
manufacturer in the Arab world after Egypt and Saudi
Arabia. "There are 2,000 industrial units in
the country, predominantly involved in the
manufacture of building materials, equipment and
machinery, auto spare parts, chemicals, paper and
metals…" Complete
report…
DUBAI
INVESTMENTS PARK EXTENDS LEASE TO 99 YEARS
"The Dubai Government has raised the 30-year
lease-hold period granted for the Dubai Investments
Park (DIP) up to 99 years... ...the more than
trebling of the lease period, which is in line with
the new trend here, is bound to invite increased
interests to Dubai Investments Park, from foreign
investors. DIP, which has completed its first phase,
currently accommodates
45 companies, a number which is expected to touch 60
by the end of the year..." Complete
report...
UAE'S
NET PENETRATION TOP AMONG GCC STATES
"Dubai is on course to offer most government
services online by 2005… … 'We have put in place
an ambitious plan that will see Dubai e-Government
working very closely with all involved departments
to provide advanced online services to consumers,
complete with e-payment and single sign in
facilities and inter-departmental
integration…'" Complete
report…
DUBAI
SET FOR A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT
Investors are expected to respond favorably to
Dubai's first appearance in capital markets this
month. Advisers to the government are in the
final stages of preparing the documentation of a
$410 million bond to be issued later this month.
Dubai's will be the second bond issue by a Gulf
state this year following last month's $500m
offering by Bahrain. Officially, Dubai will use the
money from its bond issue to help finance the costs
of the IMF/World Bank meetings, which are expected
to bring about 20,000 officials, bankers and their
staffs to the emirate. However, according to several
local bankers, the government also needs the money
to cover the soaring costs of expansion and for
general expenditure.
Source: Financial Times
THURAYA
SUBSCRIBERS RISE TO 85,000
"Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company
has reported a surge in subscriber numbers this year
with January seeing a virtual doubling of the
service subscription rate. The increase last month
brought the total number of customers to
85,000…" Complete report… Part
1 / Part
2
GULF
AIR TO UPGRADE ABU DHABI OPERATIONS
"Gulf Air is preparing an extensive upgrade of
its hub operations in Abu Dhabi, details of which
are still being fleshed out. The highly ambitious
plan is part of a three-year restructuring program,
launched from January 1, to revive the fortunes of
one of the region's premier carriers, according to a
report in Gulf News..." Complete
report...
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