RIYADH, 7 November 2006 — Interior Minister Prince Naif will inaugurate here today a high-profile conference and exhibition featuring handicrafts, arts and tourism products from Islamic countries. This event, the first of its kind with a mandate by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to promote handicrafts and tourism products, is being supported by the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) and the Istanbul-based Research Center for Islamic History, Arts and Culture (IRCICA), an affiliate of OIC. A number of delegations from different OIC member states have already arrived in Riyadh.
RIYADH – Saudi Arabia is on track to run its eighth current account surplus in a row and the largest in its history at SR428.2 billion ($1141 billion), said a study conducted by Samba Financial Group obtained by Arab News yesterday. The Kingdom will earn a SR761 billion ($202.9 billion) in oil exports earnings this year, an all-time record, representing a 25-percent increase in oil earnings compared to last year.
RIYADH, 2 November 2006 — The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will discuss the possible expansion of their joint force called “Peninsula Shield” following a proposal made by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in this regard recently. “A meeting of senior GCC officials will be held in Abu Dhabi on Monday to review the proposal,” according to GCC general secretariat sources.