Study launched on privatization of civic services in Arab cities

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.

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Seven centers planned to map out town planning strategy

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.

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Kingdom to mark World AIDS Day on Friday

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.

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Saudi Globalstar launches new satellite phone service

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.

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SABIC picks contractor for new plant

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.

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Kingdom's airlift of Palestinians hampered

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.

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Abdullah to open Riyadh energy forum

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.

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GCC nationals get visa-free entry to Iran

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.

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Kingdom and South Africa to forge closer mining ties

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.

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AMU scaling new heights in science and technology: Report

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).

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Shoura Council reviews new women's retirement plan

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.

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Teachers' delegation to visit Japan

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.

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National code for handicapped to be enacted

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.

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National language panel proposed

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.

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Kingdom likely to join WTO in January: Faqeeh

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.

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Islamic ministers to discuss problems of higher education

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.

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Sheikh Jubair holds talks with Philippine speaker

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.

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GCC ministers to discuss setting up of rights body

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.

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GCC sets up technical body for promoting e-commerce

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.

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Riyadh's Indian school gets new principal

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.

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Abdullah to visit Brazil from Sept. 18

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.

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Saudi scholars attending inter-faith summit at UN

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.

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GCC officials seek measures to protect regional industry

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.

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Car agents 'morally obliged' to disclose safety recalls

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.

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Saudi delegation to attend teachers' meet in Amman

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.

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Ghazanfar Ali Khan