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.
RIYADH, 11 June 2006 — New Zealand has deported a pilot it believes was directly associated with one of the Sept. 11 hijackers in the United States. Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali was deported to Saudi Arabia on May 30, because he posed a security threat to that country and the people, New Zealand Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said yesterday.
RIYADH, 6 June 2006 — Saudi Arabia is among a group of seven countries experiencing a depletion of water resources because of climate change, which is also threatening its vast arid lands and deserts. “The deserts, however, can be used as a key resource if urgent action is taken to protect them on regional and global levels,” said a report released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
RIYADH – Yemen has renewed diplomatic efforts to join the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) something, which is to be at the top of the agenda when Yemeni officials meet Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, during his visit to Sanaa next week. Prince Sultan is scheduled to visit Yemen on May 31.
RIYADH- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks yesterday with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues. The talks, attended by Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, focused on regional issues such as the Iranian nuclear standoff, the situation in Iraq and the Middle East peace process.