RIYADH- The Arab Urban Development Institute in collaboration with the World Bank has launched a two- stage study on privatization of civic services in secondary cities of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

RIYADH -Saudi Arabia has announced plans to set up seven urban observatories to map out the future strategies of urban planning. The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs in cooperation with the Riyadh-based Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) will establish these observatories early next year.

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, will observe World AIDS Day on Friday. The move is primarily intended to generate public awareness about the life-threatening disease.

RIYADH -The Kingdom entered a new age of communications yesterday with the rollout of the Saudi Global star service network. Backed by a consortium of foreign companies, the Global star network combines the local GSM network operated by the Saudi Telecom with its own constellation of satellites to provide seamless communications worldwide, Mohab Joukhdar, a Saudi Global star official, said here yesterday.

RIYADH -A wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, has signed a letter of intent appointing Fluor Daniel Arabia Ltd. as the program management services contractor for its new petrochemical complex in Jubail Industrial City.

RIYADH- Saudi Arabia is experiencing great difficulties in airlifting the Palestinians, who have been seriously wounded by Israeli gunfire. Saudi officials have voiced deep concern over the problems created by the Israeli soldiers, who have hampered all plans for the evacuation team to airlift the injured Palestinians.

RIYADH - Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, will open a high-profile international energy forum on Friday to be hosted by the Saudi government. This three-day international event in Riyadh will bring together on one platform many oils producing and consuming countries besides several international organizations.

RIYADH- The citizens of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states will no longer need a visa to travel to Iran. The move is primarily intended to boost business and tourism relations between the Kingdom and Iran and to promote people-to-people contact.

RIYADH- South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will pay a week-long official visit to Saudi Arabia beginning Nov. 17 in renewed bid to forge closer relations between the two countries especially in the mining sector.

RIYADH/DAMMAM -The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is scaling new heights in the field of science and technology as it has been judged the premier institution for the studies in biology, informed Zaigham Khan, secretary of the AMU Old Boys Association, (AMUOBA).

RIYADH- The Shoura Council is currently discussing a comprehensive retirement plan for the female workforce of the Kingdom. The move will ensure added benefits to over 200.000 Saudi female employees, who have been employed in various sectors such as in health, education and information sectors.

RIYADH -A delegation of 20 Saudi teachers working for the ministry of education has left for Japan today under the "Youth Invitation Program" launched by the Japanese government. This month-long visit of the teachers is organized to promote cultural exchange between Saudi teachers and their Japanese counterparts.

RIYADH-Saudi Arabia will enact a new set of regulations called the national code for the handicapped, to govern the affairs of the growing number of handicapped people in the country. The new regulations, seeking to integrate disabled persons into the mainstream of Saudi society, have already been approved by the Shoura Council.

RIYADH - In a move to promote foreign languages and translation in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Abdullah H. Homiedan, professor of Applied Linguistics and dean of the College of Languages and Translation (COLT) at King Saud University, has proposed the formation of a national society for languages and translation.

RIYADH -Saudi Arabia has called on the World Trade Organization to lay down clear guidelines for the accession of WTO membership because the absence of clear accession rules is hampering the Kingdom's plans of joining the world trade body.

RIYADH - Governor of Riyadh Prince Salman will open a conference of the ministers of, higher education and scientific research from the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference here today.

RIYADH - A Shoura Council delegation led by its President Sheikh Muhammad ibn Jubair held talks in Manila yesterday with the Speaker of Philippine Congress, Manuel Villar on ways of strengthening cooperation.

RIYADH -The proposed establishment. of a GCC Human Rights Committee will top the agenda at a meeting of justice ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) here today.

RIYADH -Ministers of Commerce from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have decided to set up a Gulf technical committee to promote e-commerce and trade among member nations. This was announced here yesterday by Minister of Industry and Electricity Hashim Abdullah Yamani.

RIYADH - A series of arguments and power struggles that have been raging for months between parents of the International Indian School in Riyadh seemed finally to have settled down yesterday with the appointment of a new school principal. The new headteacher, Manzar Jamal Siddiqui, will start at the school toward the end of September.

RIYADH- Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, is set to hold far-reaching talks With the Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso, during a three-day official visit starting on Sept. 18. The talks will focus on a wide range of bilateral and international issues, including the Middle East peace process.

RIYADH -Dr. Abdullah Saleh Al- Obaid, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, and other Saudi scholars are among the 72 muftis and religious leaders representing Islam at an inter-faith summit which opened at the United Nations in New York on Monday.

RIYADH -Senior industry officials from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council have renewed their call for measures to encourage and protect national industries in the member states.

RIYADH- Auto manufacturers and dealers have a moral obligation to disclose details about the recall of vehicles for safety reasons, Paul Johnson, Middle East Director of the General Motors (GM), said here yesterday. He was reacting to an appeal by the Saudi National Traffic Safety Department to manufacturers to reveal any defects that could affect the safety of vehicles leading to the road accidents.

RIYADH - Saudi Arabia will participate in a major conference of English language teachers to be organized by the Association of Professors of English and Translation at Arab Universities on Aug. 28-30 in Jordan. This will be the first conference of its kind to be hosted by Amman to discuss the computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and translation in the Arab world.