RIYADH-Growing concerns in the Gulf over depleting water resources have prompted Turkey to explore reviving an old scheme to export water to the Gulf. Studies suggest that water levels in Saudi Arabia have dropped dramatically. “We believe it would bring the two countries closer,” said Turkish Ambassador Ugur Dogan.
RIYADH, 29 March 2004 — A branch of India’s prestigious Delhi Public School (DPS) is planned for Riyadh. Addressing a press conference after the announcement at the Riyadh Palace Hotel, Dr. Ibrahim H. Al-Qauayid and Sultan Salman Al-Terais Al-Harbi, promoters of the project, said, “DPS Riyadh will be a world-class institution. The courses will include science, art, culture, heritage, environment and sports. The idea for the institution arose from a need to focus on educational excellence.”
RIYADH, 26 March 2003 — Saudi Arabia’s telephone revenues are expected to soar following a 25 percent increase in international calls since the war on Iraq broke out. National calls increased by 20 percent. A large number of expatriates and some Saudis have been calling their friends and relatives outside the Kingdom to assure them that they have not been affected by the war.
RIYADH/BURAIDAH, 23 March 2004 — Saudi Arabia yesterday denounced Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and called for international protection for Palestinians. “The Kingdom strongly condemns this criminal act, which flouts all international and humanitarian norms,” said a Cabinet statement.
Ireland, the current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, fully supports the Kingdom’s bid to join the WTO and is committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, according to Frank Fahey, Ireland’s minister of labor, trade and enterprise, who is on a short visit to the Kingdom.
RIYADH, 16 March 2004 — A team of 26 senior Saudi doctors together with more than 24 paramedics are to perform a rare operation to separate Filipino Siamese twins on March 20. This follows instructions from Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard. It is the eighth such operation to be conducted in Saudi Arabia and is likely to be broadcast live on the Net to millions of viewers.
RIYADH, 3 December 2004 — Seven people including three journalists, who were detained while covering the opening of the trial of three Saudi activists, were released from police custody Thursday. Two of the nine arrested Wednesday are still in detention for further questioning, according to journalists, who were allowed to leave Deira Police Station in Riyadh today after producing letters of introduction from their companies.
RIYADH – The offices of foreign airline say they have not been affected be the Saudization a 9 drive that has thrown the local travel industry into turmoil. But many of the city’s other travel outlets have either pulled down their shutters or are working with a skeleton Saudi staff on the front desk.
RIYADH, 8 March 2004 — A young Saudi motorist and two friends filled up his brand-new Toyota Camry at a gas station and sped away without paying. Another Saudi youth rammed the boot of a standing car, got down with three friends, snatched SR560 from the gas station attendant and sped away. In another incident, a group of hooligans were detained by the police on charges of drunk driving and beating workers at a gas station.