RIYADH- In a major boost to the Kingdom’s privatization plan, Saudi Arabian Airlines yesterday kicked off the long-awaited bidding process for a stake of up to 49 percent of its catering division. The catering division is one of Saudi’s five sectors that the company plans to privatize by the end of 2007 before floating a stake in its core transport business.
ISTANBUL, 11 August 2006 — Saudi Arabia and Turkey set out a new vision of economic relations yesterday during a business meeting here jointly chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul attended the meeting. King Abdullah and Erdogan pledged to remove all barriers and extend all support to businessmen of the two countries to boost trade and increase investment links.
ANKARA, 10 August 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah said yesterday that Israeli military aggression in Lebanon posed a big danger to world peace and urged world countries to adopt balanced and prudent policies, free of adventure, to reinforce global peace and stability. The king made the call during his talks Tuesday night with senior Turkish officials. “We work as you do for finding a fair solution for the Palestinian problem and to make the Middle East free from atomic weapons,” said King Abdullah, while referring to the need to strengthen the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and delegate this pan-Islamic body more powers.
ANKARA, 9 August 2006 — The volatile situation in the Middle East caused by Israel’s massive military campaign against Lebanon and Palestine figured prominently in talks between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Turkish President Ahmed Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan here yesterday. King Abdullah and President Sezer witnessed the signing of six landmark agreements to promote cooperation in political, economic, investment, transport and other areas. The signing ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace.
RIYADH – Two 18-month-old Indian twins, whose parents have been detained by police for their alleged involvement in the murder of a run-away Nepalese maid, are sick and have been crying to see their mother. Police arrested Roy Joseph and Biji Thomas three weeks ago. The twins are currently in Riyadh in the care of friends of their parents and are living on milk formula and baby feeds. “A group of friends and colleagues of the Indian couple have sought the intervention of the National Society for Human Rights in the case,” said John Thomas, a family friend.
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Abdul Aziz Khoja has left the country because of threats made against him. An Arab diplomat confirmed the news of Khoja’s departure but refused to elaborate. According to reports, Ambassador Khoja left Beirut on Aug. 17 after the Saudi Embassy had formally notified the Lebanese Foreign Ministry of a “threat of attack against the ambassador’s residence, his person, the embassy or other Saudi interests in Lebanon.”
RIYADH, 19 July 2006 — A Saudi retail giant, Al-Othaim Holding Company, has announced plans to open an additional 30 stores at a cost of billions of riyals within the next four years to take advantage of the growth in the retail sector. These stores including 10 supermalls to be opened by 2010 that will allegedly provide jobs to over 1,300 Saudi youths.
RIYADH, 7 July 2006 — An art exhibition focusing on the Kingdom’s desert life entitled “The collection of the Desert Dew” is currently under way in Riyadh. The second day of the three-day exhibition featuring some 114 high-value pieces of art by Dr. Nada Abdul Rahim Farhat drew a big crowd yesterday. The artist has portrayed desert life using an array of artistic talent.
RIYADH – More than 420 passengers were left stranded for nearly 27 hours at the King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) and later in a city hotel after their Air-India flight bound for Bombay was canceled on Wednesday evening. The ordeal of the angry passengers ended 5.30 p.m. yesterday, when an A-I flight carrying these passengers took off from KKIA for Bombay.
RIYADH – Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal will visit Tehran today to discuss a host of regional and international issues including Iran’s nuclear program, issues related to Iraq and the Middle East peace process, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said here yesterday.