General Electric Company (GE), the $173 billion diversified technology giant, will support Saudi Arabian Airline’s ambitious plan to launch overhaul services of engines, which will finally lead to the building of a new state-of-the art facility at the Jeddah-based king Abdul Aziz Airport within the next 18 months, Jaffrey R. Immelt, GE’s board chairman & chief executive officer, said here yesterday during a press conference.
RIYADH, 17 December 2007 — Municipal officials in Riyadh have instructed poultry sellers and restaurants not to sell ostrich meat following the discovery of bird flu among ostriches a couple of days ago. “Municipal inspectors are currently conducting raids on shops and dining outlets in Riyadh that sell ostrich birds and ostrich meat,” said Suliman Hamad Al-Buthi, chief of the Environmental Health Department at the municipality.
RIYADH,13 December 2007 — As part of an ambitious plan to enable Saudi nationals to own houses, a major Saudi financing company with a capital of SR2 billion has been launched. The company has started receiving applications from individuals interested in seeking loan facilities, announced Abdullatif Al-Shelash, managing director of the Saudi Home Loans Company (SHL), here yesterday.
RIYADH/ABHA, 26 November 2007 — Attempts to smuggle six truckloads of live birds into Riyadh during the last four days have been thwarted by the municipality. In the campaign against bird flu, the municipality also declared the city off-limits to vehicles carrying live birds. Several government agencies, including the ministries of agriculture and health, have intensified efforts to check the spread of the disease.
RIYADH, 23 October 2007 — Parents and relatives of Safia Asif, the 19-year-old student at the Pakistan International School, Riyadh, (PISR), who is recovering at a local hospital after allegedly being assaulted by teachers, have called on Saudi and Pakistani officials to ensure they are given justice. Safia’s supporters have called on the Riyadh governorate, local human rights groups and the Ministry of Education to look into the teenager’s case. “The governorate has already asked the police to ensure a fair investigation in this case,” said Imran Ali, Safia’s brother-in-law.
RIYADH, 18 October 2007 — Burglars are on the prowl again despite intensified security patrolling on the streets of the capital city as companies and businesses reopen following the Eid holiday. That isn’t to say the holidays have been crime-free; numerous cases of theft and snatchings were reported. Mohammad Ayaz, who works as a senior architect for Saudi Oger, lost cash and jewelry worth over SR45,000 in a case of theft recently.
RIYADH, 12 October 2006 — Carrefour opened its first hypermarket in the Eastern Province on Tuesday evening. “The new Carrefour Hypermarket in Alkhobar (at Rashid Mall), occupying a shopping space of 10,000 square meters, offers a huge range of world-class products at the lowest possible prices,” said Abdullah Al-Ahmed, Carrefour’s vice president for business development and public relations.
RIYADH, 11 October 2007 — In a major move to cut reliance on foreign workers, Al-Othaim Markets Co. (OMC) has announced plans to recruit 300 Saudi employees this year within the framework of an agreement signed by OMC and the government-owned Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). The OMC is also working with the General Organization for Technical Education & Vocational Training to hire trained Saudi manpower. Yousef Mohammed Al-Gafari, OMC’s company’s executive president, said here yesterday Othaim Group has already set up an academy to train Saudi graduates for free.
RIYADH, 7 October 2007 — The directors of the Pakistan International School, Riyadh, have announced that the school would bear all medical and ancillary expenses of Safia Asif until she recuperates from her fall. Nineteen-year-old Safia jumped from a second-story window at the school because of alleged prolonged psychological and physical harassment by one of the teachers. The teenager suffered a fracture of her collarbone, head injuries and bruises. The girl is currently recovering at the Central Shomaisi Hospital here.
RIYADH, 5 October 2007 — A 19-year-old student of Pakistan International School, Riyadh (PISR), was still fighting for her life yesterday at a local hospital after she attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the second floor of the school building on Saturday. It is believed that the girl, Safia Asif jumped due to harassment and coarse comments made by her teacher, who has since fled the country. Asif’s family also claim the teacher physically assaulted their daughter.