In This Issue

Thanks to everyone who helped to make the 12th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference such a success.
Strengthening Arab-US Relations: What is Required? Sept. 7-8, 2003 Washington, DC

O   Link Of The Week - Access GCC
O   GulfWire Flashback - Over Four Years Of GulfWire
O   Business & Finance News
  ·   Region
      - Energy Futures - 09.12.03
      - OPEC Quotas Talk Premature: UAE Oil Minister
      - Iraq To Boost Exports To 1M BPD By October
      - International Conference On Islamic Economics And Finance
      - Arab Investment Conference Opens On September 13
      - UAE To Represent Interest Of 13 Arab States At Meeting
      - Analysis-Gulf Economic Reforms Struggle Despite Oil Bonanza
      - Gulf Air Board Satisfied With Rescue Plan
      - Arab Stock Markets Provide Profitable Diversification Channels For            
        Investors
  ·   Bahrain
      - Bahrain To Host Tourism Meeting
  ·   Kuwait
      - KSE Closes Week At New High
  ·   Oman
      - Oman Plans $200M Gas Pipeline
      - Petroleum Development Oman Seeks To Boost Oil Output
      - Discover Oman Fair To Open On Sept. 25
      - Nurses Recruitment
  ·   Qatar
      - Atar Airways Inks $736M Deal
  ·   Saudi Arabia
      - Riyadh Set To Hold WTO Talks With Washington
      - Russia Expects $60B Saudi Investment
      - Kingdom Not To Charge Foreign Pilgrims For Health Services
      - Rome Conference To Discuss Saudi Investment Climate
      - BAE Denies Allegations Of £20M Saudi Slush Fund
  ·   UAE
      - UAE Opens Banking Sector To Foreign Firms
      - Major Institutions Willing To Sponsor Arab Media Summit
      - UK Travel Trade Mission To The UAE 
      - UAE Labor Force Doubles In A Decade
      - Sharjah Firm In $1.2B Deal For Export Of Russian Oil To Europe
      - Airlink Between Dubai And China Strengthened
      - UAE To Implement Basel II Accord 
      - Ministry Bans Import Of Live Animals, Farm Materials

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News - Region

GCC STATES URGE PALESTINIAN GROUPS TO UNITE
"The Gulf Cooperation Council [Sep 8] called on the Palestinians to close ranks and unite… …the Arab bloc's foreign ministers said in a statement closing a two-day meeting here [Jeddah]. The declaration blamed Israel's 'policy of violence, assassinations and invasion of cities' for the worsening situation in the territories…" Complete report…

ARAB LEAGUE BACKS IRAQ COUNCIL
"The Arab League will allow a delegation from Iraq's governing council to take up the country's seat at the organization's ministerial meeting, which starts [Sep 9]… …The decision is widely seen as crucial to winning regional acceptance for Baghdad's interim US-appointed government…" Complete report…
Also:
NEIGHBORS ACCEPT IRAQ'S NEW COUNCIL

POWELL HEADS TO KUWAIT AND BAGHDAD AFTER GENEVA TALKS ON IRAQ
"US Secretary of State Colin Powell headed to Kuwait and Baghdad after holding talks in Geneva on [Sep 13] with foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on the future of Iraq… … The US State Department did not specify when Powell was due to arrive in Iraq. US officials usually announce their plans to travel to Iraq at the last moment for security reasons…" Complete report…

IAEA CITES IRAN ON URANIUM WORK
"Inspectors for the United Nations recently concluded that Iran has attempted to produce highly enriched uranium without properly disclosing it, which would be a serious violation of its nuclear nonproliferation agreements… …Director General Mohamed El Baradei urged Iran 'to show proactive and accelerated cooperation, and to demonstrate full transparency by providing the Agency with a complete and accurate declaration of all its nuclear activities.'…" Complete report…

ATOMIC BOARD GIVES IRAN OCT. 31 DEADLINE
"The U.N. atomic agency board on [Sep 12] gave Iran until Oct. 31 to disprove suspicions about its nuclear program, setting the stage for possible U.N. Security Council action if it doesn't comply… …Iranian officials had repeatedly warned that imposing a deadline would aggravate nuclear tensions…" Complete report…

BAHRAIN CALLS FOR MUSLIM UNITY, OVERCOMING RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE
"Representatives of seven Muslim sects will meet in Bahrain later this month to discuss means of 'consolidating the unity of the nation,'… …The Muslim Sects Rapprochement Conference will take place from September 20 to 22…" Complete report…

IN MIDEAST, NEW WAYS TO TELL U.S. SIDE OF THE STORY
"Nabeel Khoury takes the heat in one of the toughest political jobs in Baghdad: defending America in the Arab media. 'It's a struggle, it's a fight, but it's one I enjoy,' Khoury, 53, said in a telephone interview from Baghdad. The Lebanese-born political science professor turned diplomat served as a consul general in Casablanca, Morocco, before being pulled into the epicenter of the U.S. effort to counter anti-Americanism in the Muslim world…" Complete report…

News - Bahrain

"WHO" BACKS KEY HEALTH SERVICES
"Bahrain is to get $300,000 assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) for developing preventive care programs and other health services in the next two years… …'The thrust will be on the control of non-communicable diseases, including hereditary blood diseases. "Special attention will be given to school health services, reproductive health services and health system performance assessment'"… Complete report…

TERROR FUNDS CLAMP PROBED
"Combating money laundering and terrorist financing came under the spotlight at an international meeting attended by the Bahrain Monetary Agency (BMA). Other international issues, such as customer due diligence for banks, were also discussed at the annual meeting of the Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS), held in Mauritius… …The OGBS was formed in 1980 to help promote the setting and implementation of international standards relevant to cross-border banking supervision…" Complete report…

News - Kuwait

                                             News - Oman

News - Saudi Arabia

FEATURE-SAUDI MIRED IN WORST MILITANCY CRISIS YET
"A decade ago, young Saudi militants were attacking small-scale targets in a crusade against immorality. Today they're attacking the Saudi state itself… …While these ideas are not new in the Arab world, first emerging in Egypt in the 1960s, they are novel to Saudi Arabia, where strict Islamic codes at home and lavish funding for Islamic causes abroad have kept militants from turning on the House of Saud…" Complete report…

SAUDI CLERICS HIT MORE RIGHTS FOR WOMEN
"Prominent Saudi clerics and academics warned [Sep 10] against calls for equality and increased rights for women, saying such efforts aim to make Muslim women more like 'infidel' Western types… …The statement said equality between men and women is not possible under Islam…" Complete report…

SAUDI SOUGHT BY FBI WANTED IN HOMELAND
"One of the Saudi men the FBI has linked to possible terror threats against America also appears on a Saudi list of militants connected to the May suicide bombings in Riyadh… …Al-Qahtani appears on the Saudi list of 19 alleged militants wanted after police discovered a weapons cache near the capital, Riyadh, in May, a week before the May 12 bombings that killed 25 people and nine attackers…" Complete report…

REPORT RELATIVES WHO HAVE GONE MISSING, SAUDIS TOLD
"The Ministry of the Interior [Sep 8] urged Saudis to report any missing relatives in a bid to stop young people in the Kingdom from being recruited by Islamist militants… …'The government is keen to protect its citizens and sons from being misled by suspicious groups seeking to drive them to crime and to distance them from their Islamic and moral upbringing,' the ministry said in a statement…" Complete report…

KINGDOM WANTS INTERNATIONAL FORCE FOR PALESTINE
"Saudi Arabia [Sep 8] called for an international peacekeeping force to maintain security in the occupied Palestinian territories… …The Council of Ministers, which met here under the chairmanship of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd, denounced Israeli policies that ignored its obligations under the Middle East peace road map…" Complete report…

ISRAEL'S PILOT CLAIMS 'BASELESS AND UNTRUE'
"Saudi Arabia [Sep. 10] dismissed as 'baseless and untrue' an accusation made by the Israeli chief of staff, Gen. Moshe Yaalon, that Al-Qaeda tried to recruit a Saudi pilot for a major suicide attack against Israel… …Yaalon has been quoted as saying that the Al-Qaeda terrorist network had wanted to recruit a Saudi pilot to launch an attack in Israel from the Saudi military base of Tabuk…" Complete report…

GUARDS FOIL ASSAULT ON SAUDI MINISTER IN CAIRO
"Security guards thwarted an attempt by two Libyan youths to assault Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal [Sep 8] at his hotel in Cairo… …Saudi Arabia, a long-time U.S. ally, has angered some Arabs by letting U.S. forces use bases in the desert kingdom, home to Islam's two holiest shrines…" Complete report…
Also:
SAUD ATTACKERS FACE TRIAL

SAUDI GUARDS SHOOT DEAD YEMENI SMUGGLERS
"Border guards in Jizan shot dead two Yemeni smugglers after they illegally crossed the border into Saudi territory… …Saudi authorities report the capture of thousands of infiltrators and smugglers and seizure of large quantities of drugs and weapons every year along the 1,800-kilometer border with Yemen…" Complete report…

7 SAUDI TERROR SUSPECTS HELD IN YEMEN
"Yemeni police have arrested seven Saudi nationals wanted by the Kingdom on charges of belonging to extremist organizations… …The two neighbors, who share a 1,800-kilometer-long border, have been intensifying joint security efforts in recent years…" Complete report…

PANEL KEEPING REPORT ON SAUDIS A SECRET
"Rejecting a request from other senators and the Saudi government, leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee said they would not seek to declassify a secret section of a report dealing with foreign support for the Sept. 11 hijackers… …In their letter, they said they based their decision on their own review of the documents and a Sept. 4 closed-door hearing with FBI Director Robert Mueller and CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin…" Complete report…

SAUDI AMBASSADOR RESPONDS TO NEWSWEEK ARTICLE
"The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia issued the following statement:    
Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek magazine have once again shown their anti-Saudi bias in an article posted on the magazine's website titled 'The Saudi-Al Qaeda Connection'…" Complete report…

SAUDI-RUSSIAN RAPPROCHEMENT: U.S. SHOULD BEWARE
"The Bush Administration needs to monitor a new geopolitical shift that is taking place following the visit of de-facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah to Russia on September 1-2. Moscow and Riyadh, old rivals, now claim to have found a common agenda, which spans oil, terrorism, and arms sales… …As Moscow and Riyadh discover their newfound common agenda, and pursue cooperation, the Bush Administration should remember the old adage: countries do not have permanent friends. They only have permanent interests…" Complete report…

OTTAWA SEEKS PROBE INTO SAMPSON ALLEGATIONS
"Canada has told Saudi Arabia it wants 'an open and transparent' investigation into allegations that Canadian William Sampson was tortured in a Saudi jail. Ambassador Mohammed R. Al-Hussaini was called in [Sep. 12] for a formal meeting with John McNee, a senior Foreign Affairs official, and told that Canada takes the allegations very seriously…" Complete report…

KINGDOM DENOUNCES ISRAELI MOVE TO EXILE ARAFAT
"Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal said [Sep 13] that the Kingdom was extremely distressed by Israel's threat to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat… …The prince also said Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, telephoned the US administration to express his concerns over the potential dangers of Israel's decision…" Complete report…

NO SAUDIA PILOTS BARRED FROM US'
"A source at Saudi Arabian Airlines has said the information in a Sept. 11 New York Times article saying that five Saudi pilots from the national carrier were barred from flying to the United States is 'dated, and occurred over a year ago.'… …But the New York Times reported a Bush administration official as saying that the five pilots were barred when their names turned up in July after US counter terrorism teams did new background checks on some 6,000 foreign pilots who fly for dozens of international airlines in and out of the US…" Complete report…

KFSH TO SET UP COLD BLOOD BANK
"The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) plans to establish a cold blood bank unit for supplying stem cells used in the treatment of leukemia, immune deficiency and other genetic disorders among Saudi patients… …The proposed facility at KFSH, the only one in the Middle East, will be set up in collaboration with Ministry of Health hospitals…" Complete report…

FOREIGNERS CAN SET UP REMOTE AREA HOSPITALS
"Foreign investors can establish hospitals and clinics in the Kingdom's remote areas, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has said, denying reports that the health sector had been kept off-limits to foreign investment… …he insisted that such foreign investments should be in areas designated by the ministry, where specialized health services are required…" Complete report…

TALAL WANTS COMPULSORY PREMARITAL TESTS
"Prince Talal ibn Abdul Aziz, president of the Arab Gulf Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), [Sep. 10] called for compulsory premarital testing for congenital blood diseases… …A study on congenital blood diseases submitted to the Council of Ministers in 2002 concluded that 1.5 million Saudis had or were carriers of inherited blood diseases…" Complete report…

POLITICAL REFORM ESSENTIAL FOR SAUDI ARABIA, SAYS PRINCE TALAL
"It is time for Saudi Arabia to curtail its religious establishment and institute reforms to survive political problems including terrorism; a Saudi royal said this week… …Prince Talal, a philanthropist who runs the Arabian Gulf Fund, said tackling poverty, transparency and unemployment were central to reform…" Complete report…

HEALTH SYMPOSIUM
"In a move to promote better medical care in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is to host the first International Hospital Federation Symposium from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2003…" Complete report…

KINGDOM TO TAKE PART IN ITALY CRIME MEET
"Minister of Justice Dr. Abdullah Al-Shaikh will lead a Saudi delegation to an international conference on organized crime, slated for Sept. 15 to 19 in Italy… …The Kingdom ratified the UN Convention on combating organized crime in December last year…" Complete report…

News - UAE

CYBER CRIME LAW COULD BE ADDED TO UAE PENAL CODE
"Planned revisions to the UAE penal code could, for the first time, include offenses related to cyber crimes… …The Federal Government had, last year, passed an important legislation related to infringements on copyright, patents and trademarks… …Dubai Internet City has come out with two major sets of e-laws, including one related to transactions on the Web. It is currently working on those related to dispute resolution…" Complete report…                  

Link of the Week

ACCESS GCC

"This Portal is designed and developed to cover the day-to-day living in Gulf Co-operation Council States (GCC) covering Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. The Portal covers general topics of interest from Shopping, Restaurants, Night-clubs to Finance with special sections for Teens and Kidz. Our readers are of all age groups, extending from Local citizens of the GCC states to expatriates living in this region or intending to visit."

GulfWire Flashback - 4 Years of GWD

<ONE YEAR AGO>>
GULFWIRE DIGEST (#163) WEEK OF SEP 9, 2002

SAUDIS SIGNAL SUPPORT FOR U.N.-ENDORSED ACTION AGAINST IRAQ
"Saudi Arabia's foreign minister signaled [September 14] that his country would be willing to allow its territory and facilities to be used for military action against Iraq -- but only if such action is backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution..." 

<<TWO YEARS AGO>>
GULFWIRE DIGEST (#113) WEEK OF SEP 10, 2001

IRAQ HAILS ATTACK ON US
The entire world - almost - has reacted with horror to the news of Tuesday's terrorist attacks against the United States - the entire world except for Iraq…

<<THREE YEARS AGO>>
GULFWIRE DIGEST (#63) WEEK OF SEP 18, 2000

KINGDOM SIGNS CONVENTION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN
At the United Nations building in New York today, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz signed the convention on elimination of all kinds of discrimination against women.

<<FOUR YEARS AGO>>
GULFWIRE DIGEST (#10) WEEK OF SEP 13, 1999

GULF ISLAND TENSIONS
UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah, in Jeddah Friday for a meeting of GCC foreign ministers, criticized Iran for consolidating its occupation of the three UAE islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs by conducting air and naval exercises in the area.

Business News - Region

[GulfWire] ENERGY FUTURES - 09.12.03
Light Crude (NYM) $28.40 bbl DOWN from $28.88 bbl on 09.05.03
Brent Crude (IPE) $26.37 bbl DOWN from $26.95 bbl on 09.05.03
Heating Oil (NYM) $.748 gal DOWN from $.7599 gal on 09.05.03
Natural Gas (NYM) $4.78 mmbtu UP from $4.771 mmbtu on 09.05.03
Unleaded Gas (NYM) $.845 gal DOWN from $.8615 gal on 09.05.03 
Source: CNNfn:

The Best Energy Resource in the World:
Country Analysis Briefs
by DOE/EIA       

OPEC QUOTAS TALK PREMATURE: UAE OIL MINISTER
"The United Arab Emirates oil minister on [Sep 8] described as 'premature' suggestions the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will not change its output ceiling when it meets later this month… …'The Emirates as an oil producer relies heavily on its oil revenues and it's necessary that there are fair (oil) prices to maintain the state's income level,' he said…" Complete report…

IRAQ TO BOOST EXPORTS TO 1M BPD BY OCTOBER
"Iraq is planning to increase its oil export to one million barrels per day by October 2003 and hope to raise it further to its OPEC share of 3 million barrels per day by end of March 2004… …Currently, the oil exports of Iraq is at 900,000 bpd…" Complete report…

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ISLAMIC ECONOMICS AND FINANCE
"…Fifth International Conference on Islamic Economics and Finance… under the theme, 'Sustainable Development and Islamic Finance in Muslim Countries'… will be held from 7th to 9th October 2003 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Bahrain…" Complete report…

ARAB INVESTMENT CONFERENCE OPENS ON SEPTEMBER 13
"Top Arab officials including four industry ministers and Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa will attend an international conference on promoting Arab industrial investment on the sidelines of an Arab industrial exhibition which opens [in Jeddah on Sep 13]… …the two-day conference was aimed at promoting transfer of technology and attracting investment to boost industrial development…" Complete report…

UAE TO REPRESENT INTEREST OF 13 ARAB STATES AT MEETING
"Finance and Industry will represent 13 Arab countries during the meeting of IMF's monetary and financial committee on September 21. The countries being represented are Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, Maldives and the UAE. A number of important issues will be discussed at the meeting, including prospects for the global economy, the current situation in international financial markets, crisis-prevention mechanisms and lowering poverty levels…" Complete report…

ANALYSIS-GULF ECONOMIC REFORMS STRUGGLE DESPITE OIL BONANZA
"The coffers of Gulf Arab states brim with petrodollars, but policymakers seem unable to take the political risk of bold reform to shake up their ailing economies… …Reforms often discussed include offloading state stakes in firms to boost the private sector, diversifying sources of income by levying income tax -- now limited to a small religious tax -- and slashing subsidies. Cutting red tape and legal reforms are also needed to encourage investment…" Complete report…

GULF AIR BOARD SATISFIED WITH RESCUE PLAN
"The Board of Directors of Gulf Air on [Sep 10] expressed satisfaction with the initial results of the three-year plan to pull the airline out of its financial crisis… …After approving the next stages of the plan, the board chairman said despite the challenges of the last eight months, the airline will soon meet the objective of reducing the deficit by 50 per cent to 20 million dinars…" Complete report…

ARAB STOCK MARKETS PROVIDE PROFITABLE DIVERSIFICATION CHANNELS FOR INVESTORS
"…several Arab stock markets did quite well in the past three years, especially those of Jordan and the Gulf countries. So far this year, the stock markets of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have all recorded impressive performances with the major indices up by 80 percent, 74 percent , 65 percent, 31 percent, 27 percent and 18 percent respectively, on top of their strong performance in 2002…"  Complete report…

   

Business News - Bahrain

Business News - Kuwait

Business News - Oman

PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN SEEKS TO BOOST OIL OUTPUT
"State-controlled Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is intensifying its efforts to reverse crude oil production decline to meet its target of producing 800,000 barrels a day by 2007…"  Complete report…

DISCOVER OMAN FAIR TO OPEN ON SEPT. 25
"Oman's First Adventure & Tourism Exhibition - Discover Oman - is gearing up for a good start on September 25…" Complete report…

NURSES RECRUITMENT
"Recruitment of nurses for the western countries, especially from the Gulf region, should only be done ethically under the codes of the International Council for Nursing (ICN), feels a top official with the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Oman… …rate of nursing staff leaving services in Oman is about 12 percent annually for the last three years. With 7,000 nurses working with the Ministry of Health, over 500 expatriate nurses quit every year…" Complete report…

Business News - Qatar

Business News - Saudi Arabia

RUSSIA EXPECTS $60B SAUDI INVESTMENT
"Russia expects Saudi investments worth $60 billion (SR225 billion) for new projects, Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper reported [Sep 9] quoting a Russian diplomat in Riyadh… … The official said the Kingdom had pledged $60 billion in joint investment projects to develop Russia's economic sectors. The Russians expect that the Saudis will channel part of their huge deposits in America and other international markets to projects in Russia. Economic analysts have estimated Saudi funds abroad at between $600 billion and $800 billion…" Complete report…

KINGDOM NOT TO CHARGE FOREIGN PILGRIMS FOR HEALTH SERVICES
"The Health Ministry [Sep 7] denied press reports that the Kingdom was planning to introduce cooperative health insurance for foreign pilgrims… …The government has established hospitals and health centers in Makkah and Madinah as well as in the Haj sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa to provide free health services to more than two million pilgrims every year…" Complete report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
SAUDI TO CHARGE PILGRIMS FOR HEALTH SERVICES - GWD September 8, 2003

BAE DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF £20M SAUDI SLUSH FUND
"BAE Systems, Europe's biggest defense contractor, [Sep 11] stonewalled questions about an alleged £20 million slush fund it reportedly set up to bribe Saudi Arabian officials in return for lucrative business contracts…" Complete report…

Business News - UAE

MAJOR INSTITUTIONS WILLING TO SPONSOR ARAB MEDIA SUMMIT
"The Dubai Press Club [Sep 7] announced seven major institutions that have volunteered to sponsor the Arab Media Summit 2003 on October 7-8. 
The seven partners are BBC World, Al Hayat Newspaper, Abu Dhabi TV, Khaleej Times, Emirates airline, Dubai Media City and Al Khaleej Newspaper…" Complete report…
~~GulfWire Link~~
ARAB MEDIA SUMMIT TO BRING ARABS, WEST CLOSER - GWD July 14, 2003

UK TRAVEL TRADE MISSION TO THE UAE
"A ten-strong travel trade delegation from Britain is visiting United Arab Emirates… …Business from Middle East to the UK this summer has been very much encouraging with some key Middle East airlines opening new destination in the UK and increasing their frequencies to certain British destinations…" Complete report…

UAE LABOR FORCE DOUBLES IN A DECADE
"The working population in the UAE has more than doubled in the last ten years, increasing by 109 percent between 1993-2002. It grew at an average rate of 7.5 per cent per year due to considerable expansion in non-oil economy… …services sectors overwhelmingly account for the workforce demand. Three-fourth of the working population is engaged in the tertiary services sector…" Complete report…

SHARJAH FIRM IN $1.2B DEAL FOR EXPORT OF RUSSIAN OIL TO EUROPE
"A $1.2 billion contract was signed [Sep. 9] between the Offices of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi and ADZ Trading Company for the purchase of crude oil and oil products from Russia. The joint venture deal envisages initial yearly export of 150,000 to 300,000 tons of this crude to European countries… …The contract is for five years…" Complete report…

AIRLINK BETWEEN DUBAI AND CHINA STRENGTHENED
"Air link between Dubai and China has recently been strengthened by China Southern Airlines, when its inaugural flight from Beijing… landed at the Dubai International Airport on [Sep 8]… … China Southern Airlines will operate one flight weekly on the Dubai - Beijing route…" Complete report…

UAE TO IMPLEMENT BASEL II ACCORD
"The UAE Central Bank announced [Sep 8] it would adopt the risk assessment mechanism next year to meet the requirements of the new Basel capital accord, known as Basel II, which will go into force in 2007… …The UAE's move came days before the annual meetings of the boards of governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund in Dubai, which both use the Basel committee on banking supervision standards in executing their projects…" Complete report…

MINISTRY BANS IMPORT OF LIVE ANIMALS, FARM MATERIALS
"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has imposed a ban on a range of imported agricultural materials and live animals, in a bid to prevent the spread of diseases in the country…" Complete report… 

Contact Info

Publisher: Dr. John Duke Anthony
Editor-in-Chief: Patrick W. Ryan
Deputy Editor: Connie R. Trisdale
Editorial Assistant: Margaret Philpot
Research Assistant: B.F. Hammock

Email: GulfWire@ArabiaLink.com
URL: http://www.ArabiaLink.com 

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AUSPC 2003 by P.Ryan
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