FEATURES

• 2009-02-28

  Injured Nadal pulls out of Dubai tennis championship

  

  Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the US$2 million Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship with a knee injury.

• 2009-02-28

  Testimonies from Al-Qaeda Members Again Reveal Their Bankruptcy and Ridiculousness

• 2009-02-28

  Jordan and Canada sign nuclear cooperation agreement

  

  Jordan and Canada signed a nuclear cooperation agreement in Amman focused on generating electrical power. Canada will provide assistance needed to build reactors and desalinate seawater and share expertise on nuclear safety.

• 2009-02-28

  Yemen and France team up to fight piracy

  

  Yemen and France agreed to set up a strategic harbour on the coast of Yemen’s Perim Island that will be used by NATO’s naval fleet for anti-piracy operations in the region.

• 2009-02-28

  Syrian president sends message of reconciliation to Saudi monarch

  

  Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mualem delivered a letter from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to Saudi King Abdullah, the content of which has not been disclosed.

• 2009-02-27

  Major cabinet shake-up in Saudi Arabia

  

  Saudi King Abdullah implemented sweeping cabinet changes by replacing radicals at the Ministries of Education and Health with more moderate successors, and naming the country’s first female junior minister.

• 2009-02-27

  New Saudi Central Bank governor cuts interest rates and asks banks to loosen credit

  

  In his first days as governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Dr Mohamed Al-Jasser announced a half percent cut in the interest rate to encourage banks to ease their lending policies and increase the funding for local businesses.

• 2009-02-27

  UAE to acquire national telescope

  

  Abu Dhabi, working with the UAE’s telecommunications authority (TRA), hopes to become home to the Emirates’ national telescope, which could operational by 2013.

• 2009-02-27

  Al-Qaeda militant turns himself in to Saudi authorities

  

  Mohamed Al-Awfi, a leading member of Al-Qaeda in Yemen and a former inmate at Guantanamo Bay, has surrendered to Saudi authorities.

• 2009-02-27

  Egypt sending peacekeepers to the Congo

  

  The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has announced that 1,300 troops will be sent to the Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping force assigned to protect civilians. Civil war has taken the lives of...

• 2009-02-27

  Dubai issues US$20 billion in treasury bonds

  

  Dubai’s government launches a US$20 billion long-term bond programme subscribed by the UAE Central Bank.

• 2009-02-26

  Kuwait’s General Investment Authority reports that its sovereign wealth fund lost 15 percent last year

  

  Assets in Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund lost US$31 billion in value in 2008 owing largely to the collapse of the shares of U.S. banks in which the Fund invested.

• 2009-02-26

  French company to build solar power plant in Syria

  

  Syria announced that it signed several contracts in the industry and energy sectors, one with the French company Mann to build a solar power plant.

• 2009-02-26

  Iraq government grants pensions to former Iraqi army officers

  

  In an attempt to bolster national reconciliation, the Iraqi government is encouraging former army officers who served under Saddam Hussein and fled the country after the 2003 invasion to return for their pension payments or to re-enlist in the armed forces.

• 2009-02-26

  Bomb attacks on Lebanese Forces centres raise questions

  

  Lebanese Forces government representative Tony Karam condemns the miring of security in Lebanon by continued attacks and bombings against its centres.

• 2009-02-26

  Al-Qaeda co-founder launches fierce attack on Osama bin Laden

  

  In his new book “The Exposure of the Exoneration”, written from inside an Egyptian prison, Dr Fadl has launched a fierce attack on Al-Qaeda's ideology and the personal failings of Osama bin Laden and his Egyptian...

• 2009-02-26

  Yemeni ambassador tells Riyadh Yemeni territory will not be used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia

  

  Yemen and Saudi Arabia confirm security cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism.

• 2009-02-26

  Bomb kills dozens at Shiite funeral in Pakistan

  

  A suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral for a slain Shiite leader Feb. 20 in north-west Pakistan, killing 30 and wounding more than 60, police and witnesses said. Three others were killed in sectarian rioting sparked by the attack.

• 2009-02-26

  Egyptian authorities release opposition leader

  

  Egypt is abuzz with the news of the unexpected release on health grounds of Hezb El Ghadd leader Dr Ayman Nour.

• 2009-02-25

  The literary world mourns the death of acclaimed Sudanese novelist Tayeb Salih

  

  The renowned 80-year old Sudanese novelist died in a hospital in London where he had made his home. His long career spanned the world of creative writing from journalism to literature. One of his works is among the 100 most-important novels of the 20th century.

• 2009-02-25

  Jordan awaits handover of Abu Qatada from Britain

  

  Jordanians are intrigued by the prospect that Omar Othman, also known as Abu Qatada, may be repatriated as a result of a House of Lords ruling.

• 2009-02-25

  Baghdad to lift night-time curfew after six years

  

  The Iraqi government has announced its intention to lift Baghdad’s six-year curfew in mid-June when American forces begin withdrawing and Iraqi forces take full control of security in the city.

• 2009-02-25

  Natural gas discovered in Nile Delta

  

  Dana Gas has made a new gas discovery in Egypt’s Nile Delta with a potential capacity of 600 million cubic metres. Dana is the largest foreign investor in the Middle East specialising in natural gas exploration.

• 2009-02-25

  Foreign oil companies bid for Bahrain’s gas

  

  Despite the international economic crisis there is an ongoing need to extract oil and invest in natural gas in Bahrain.

• 2009-02-25

  Jordan recalls salmonella-tainted chocolate

  

  Jordan’s Food and Drug Administration has impounded chocolate bars imported from the U.S. and withdrawn approval for their import in a salmonella scare.

• 2009-02-23

  China to build railway linking holy cities in Saudi Arabia

  

  China Railway Company has won a $1.8 billion contract to build a railway linking Mecca with Saudi Arabia’s other holy cities.

• 2009-02-23

  Iraqi police capture top Al-Qaeda operative

  

  Iraqi police capture Saadi Naif Rakhit, a top Al-Qaeda operative charged with organising attacks and committing murder and theft.

• 2009-02-23

  Saudi Arabia looks for a successor to national team coach Nasser Al-Johar

  

  Observers expect that a foreign coach will replace Nasser Al-Johar who resigned earlier this month.

• 2009-02-23

  Assad welcomes U.S. readiness for dialogue and hopes U.S. ambassador to Damascus will soon return to Damascus

  

  Syrian president Al-Assad told a U.S. Congressional delegation that he hopes a new page can be turned in relations with Washington.

• 2009-02-21

  Egypt named top African football team for 2008

  

  Egypt took home four important awards at the African Football Confederation (CAF) annual awards ceremony last week, including club player of the year, coach of the year, team of the year and club team of the year.

• 2009-02-21

  Warhol work featured in Doha art auction

  

  The renowned 80-year old Sudanese novelist died in a hospital in London where he had made his home. His long career spanned the world of creative writing from journalism to literature. One of his works is among the 100 most-important novels of the 20th century.

• 2009-02-21

  Darfur negotiations progress in Qatar

  

  Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani said that a document dealing with Darfur peace talks will be signed in Doha

• 2009-02-21

  One infant dead, 13 injured because of ‘shampoo’ in Saudi Arabia

  

  King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah will sue the maker of Rolana shampoo after it sickened 14 infants, one of them fatally, at a Saudi hospital, which called on the Ministry of Health to take the product off the market.

• 2009-02-19

  Lebanon real estate market buoyant

  

  Experts say demand for property in Lebanese exceeds supply and prices are rising.

• 2009-02-19

  Arab football championship round-up: Al-Gharafa back in top spot

  

  Observers expect that a foreign coach will replace Nasser Al-Johar who resigned earlier this month.

• 2009-02-19

  Qatar joins West Asian Football Federation

  

  The Qatar Football Association announced that it has officially joined the West Asian Football Federation, which includes nine countries.

• 2009-02-19

  Terrorists flee Saudi Arabia

  

  Saudi authorities are hunting for 83 Saudis linked to Al-Qaeda after they sneaked out of Saudi Arabia either disguised by women’s or Western clothing or after undergoing cosmetic surgery to alter their features. The fugitives are suspected of planning new terrorist attacks.

• 2009-02-19

  Militant threats chill Pakistani entertainers

  

  As Taliban militants gain a stronger hold in the north-west region of Pakistan, they are imposing their view that music, singing and other arts are un-Islamic. Several entertainers have already been kidnapped or killed, while others have fled, quit or watched their work opportunities dwindle.

• 2009-02-18

  Jordanian government to adopt measures to counter global financial crisis

  

  The Jordanian government will implement a plan estimated to cost nearly US$226 million to revitalise the local economy and counter the effects of the global financial crisis, which is expected to cause a decline in...

• 2009-02-18

  Saudi World Cup dreams threatened

  

  Saudi Arabia lost to North Korea in round four of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

• 2009-02-17

  Lebanese President ends official visits to Emirates and Bahrain

  

  Bahrain opens an embassy in Beirut and the UAE donates Puma helicopters to Lebanon for immediate delivery.

• 2009-02-17

  Tomb containing 30 mummies discovered at Egyptian archaeological site

  

  Egyptian antiquities officials confirmed that a "storeroom" containing 30 mummies has been discovered in a burial ground dating back to 640 BC in an ancient necropolis in the Saqqara region. They said the discovery was "rare" and that 70 percent of Egyptian history remains buried beneath the sand.

• 2009-02-17

  Iraq Ministry of Education is working to improve conditions in the education sector

  

  The Iraqi Ministry of Education is working on the rehabilitation of the education sector in Iraq with new content in the curriculum to teach human rights and peaceful coexistence, and by sponsoring scholarships and research abroad.

• 2009-02-17

  Attack on Khatami foiled in Teheran

  

  Ten stick-wielding persons tried to assault former Iranian President Mohamed Khatami during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution with a mass rally at Azadi (Freedom) Square Feb. 10 in Tehran.

• 2009-02-16

  French President Sarkozy makes surprise visit to Iraq

  

  Sarkozy’s visit was the first by a French president since 2003 and intended to improve relations between Paris and Baghdad now that the sectarian violence that threatened the country’s unity has subsided.

• 2009-02-16

  Pakistan arrests 'main operator' in Mumbai attacks

  

  Pakistan acknowledged for the first time that the Mumbai terrorist attacks were launched from its shores and at least partly plotted on its soil, saying Feb. 12 that it had arrested most of the chief suspects including one described as "the main operator".

• 2009-02-16

  Iraqi Women’s Affairs Minister resigns

  

  Iraqi Women’s Affairs Minister Nawal Al-Samarai resigned saying the government did not grant her the necessary resources to improve the condition of women in the country.

• 2009-02-16

  Yemeni troops on high alert following threats from Al-Qaeda

  

  U.S. and Yemeni security forces are on a state of high alert after reports of increased activity by extremist groups. Security analysts say Al-Qaeda plans to set up a base there.

• 2009-02-16

  Kuwait creates rehab centre for Guantanamo returnees

  

  President Obama’s recent decision on closure of the Guantanamo detention facility has prompted many countries with nationals detained there to consider dealing with Guantanamo returnees and other extremists in the future.

• 2009-02-12

  A new independent daily newspaper is launched in Egypt

  

  has been published in Egypt. The new daily newspaper is independent, both politically and economically, and joins a number of Egyptian papers aiming for press objectivity and committed to journalistic principles often overlooked in national and partisan newspapers.

• 2009-02-12

  Iraqi-Kuwaiti talks held to resolve outstanding issues

  

  Iraq and Kuwait have agreed to move toward restoring relations and work to resolve outstanding issues between them that stretch back to the former Iraqi regime's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

• 2009-02-12

  Saudis issue ‘Most Wanted’ list

  

  Saudi Arabia has published the names of 85 expatriate extremists with outstanding arrest warrants issued against them. It has asked Interpol and governments to locate and arrest these suspects and hand them over to the Kingdom, where they can undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation programme.

• 2009-02-12

  Saudi Arabia needs 5,000 doctors

  

  Saudi Arabia needs 5,000 doctors to cover the medical personnel shortages at 43 new hospitals opening this year. Saudi medical schools graduate only 500 doctors a year.

• 2009-02-12

  Egypt denies bidding for 2022 World Cup

  

  The list of countries bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup now stands at 11 after Egypt categorically denied that it had put in a bid to host the 2022 World Cup. It would also not confirm its bid to stage the 2018 World Cup, to the great disappointment of Egyptian fans.

• 2009-02-11

  Nouri al-Maliki's party scores sweeping victory over rival Shi'ite Muslim groups; Al-Sadr to appeal election results

  

  Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's party scored a sweeping victory over rival Shi'ite Muslim groups in provincial elections as voters rewarded him for security gains and rejected other Shi'ite parties' overt religious leanings, according to results.

• 2009-02-11

  Kuwait names Tufegdzic national football team coach

  

  The Kuwaiti Football Federation has announced the appointment of Serbian Goran Tufegdzic to coach the national team in their preparation for the qualifiers of the Asia Cup Final in Qatar in 2011.

• 2009-02-11

  Football Association names Iraqi Adnan Hamad coach of Jordan national team

  

  The Jordan Football Association named Iraqi Adnan Hamad to succeed Portuguese Nelo Vingada as coach of its national team. Hamad is the first Iraqi coach to lead the team, which failed in its bid to reach the final round of the 2010 World Cup Asian qualifiers.

• 2009-02-11

  Wiretapping row escalates in Lebanon

  

  A dispute over wiretapping escalated after opposition parliament members accused Security Forces Information Branch of exceeding its authority.

• 2009-02-10

  First Middle East online university launched in Dubai

  

  Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has launched an online university bearing his name, the first of its kind in Dubai and in the Middle East.

• 2009-02-10

  Iraq issues US$5 billion in Treasury bonds, the first since the occupation

  

  Following up on plans announced last month, Iraq is to issue government bonds valued at US$5 billion guaranteed by its vast oil reserves.

• 2009-02-10

  Turkish president visits Saudi Arabia

  

  Turkish President Abdullah Gul made an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia accompanied by a number of Turkish ministers and businessmen.

• 2009-02-10

  Dubai International Poetry Festival attracts major poets

  

  The organising committee of the festival expects many poets for the festival next month who will present a fantastic poetry experience and interesting cultural journey to the audiences for the event.

• 2009-02-10

  Yemen wages war on Al-Qaeda

  

  Yemen deployed security forces along its border with Saudi Arabia to deal with infiltration by Al-Qaeda extremists.

• 2009-02-10

  Haras El Hodood win Egypt Cup for first time

  

  Haras el Hodood has taken home the Egypt Cup for the first time ever after winning a gripping penalty shootout against Anbi 4-1. Haras advanced to First Division status in 2001.

• 2009-02-09

  Al-Alami reach Emir Faisal Finals and other Arab league results

  

  This week’s top Arab league matches.

• 2009-02-09

  UN halts aid to Gaza citing Hamas disruption

  

  The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Feb. 6 that it has halted all aid shipments into the Gaza Strip due to interference by the ruling Hamas militant group.

• 2009-02-09

  Divers explore World War II English fighter plane on sea bottom off coast of Lebanon

  

  President of Lebanese Diver’s Association Mohammed Al-Sarji carried out a diving expedition to discover the secret of a fighter plane brought down over the Mediterranean during World War II.

• 2009-02-07

  Yemen calls on NGOs to help with human rights issues

  

  Yemeni Minister of Human Rights Huda Al-Ban called on NGOs to help improve the human rights situation in Yemen at the Jan. 31 conference on the subject .

• 2009-02-07

  Departure of foreign workers may hurt Emirates real estate market this year

  

  Bankers foresee further difficulties in the UAE’s real estate market this year and next, anticipating decline in home prices in Dubai as foreign workers lose jobs and depart.

• 2009-02-07

  Jordanian royal directive eases entry of Iraqis and bolsters bilateral trade

  

  The King of Jordan called on the government to make it easier for Iraqis to enter the country as an official Iraqi delegation visited Aqaba to discuss ways to ease the flow of Iraqi exports through the port.

• 2009-02-06

  First Iraqi ambassador to Syria in 28 years arrives in Damascus

  

  The Iraqi government has appointed Alaa Al-Jawadi as its ambassador in Damascus. Relations between the two countries were severed in 1980.

• 2009-02-06

  Hail Rally held as an independent race after Saudi refusal to allow women to drive in it

  

  Saudi organisers launch the Hail Rally amidst discontent after FIA eliminates it from the world championship because of Saudi Arabia’s refusal to allow women to drive in it.

• 2009-02-06

  Iraqis await results of local elections

  

  Security measures were lifted in the Iraqi capital and provincial centres as local elections ended with few incidents.

• 2009-02-06

  Saudi activist arrested for recruiting young Kuwaitis and Saudis for jihad

  

  In Kuwait, security authorities arrested a Saudi citizen for recruiting young Kuwaitis for jihad and sending them to Afghanistan and Iraq.

• 2009-02-05

  Qatar aims to host 2018 FIFA World Cup

  

  After failing in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics, Qatar hopes to become the first Arab state to host the FIFA World Cup finals by bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 tournament, a prospect that would fulfil dreams across the Middle East and North Africa where football passions run high.

• 2009-02-05

  Winners of Lebanese American University Students Choice Awards 2009 honoured at UNESCO Theatre awards ceremony

  

  Students at the Lebanese American University nominate 2009 Lebanese stars of the year in arts and media before honouring the winners at a UNESCO Theatre awards ceremony.

• 2009-02-05

  Lebanon’s Daily Star shut down because of financial problems; readers mourned its closing

  

  One of the most independent and widely read English-language newspapers in the region, Lebanon’s Daily Star, was shut down because of financial problems. The closure dismayed many in the Arab world who praised the paper's commitment to fairness and accuracy.

• 2009-02-05

  U.S. envoy to the Middle East has completed week-long listening tour

  

  New U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell arrived in Cairo on January 27 to strengthen relations between the U.S. and the Arab world. He spent the next week on a "listening tour" around the region, during which he visited Jerusalem, Ramallah, Amman and Riyadh.

• 2009-02-05

  Golf gains popularity in Dubai

  

  Saudi organisers launch the Hail Rally amidst discontent after FIA eliminates it from the world championship because of Saudi Arabia’s refusal to allow women to drive in it.

• 2009-02-04

  Egypt adopts policy to help combat women’s illiteracy

  

  The national programme to eradicate illiteracy in Egypt aims to achieve universal primary education, and to expand the Egyptian education system so it can fully absorb Egyptians not yet part of the educational system.

• 2009-02-04

  Gulf countries advised to turn to renewable energy sources

  

  Despite the start of two projects to generate solar energy in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, renewable energy initiatives are still rare in oil-rich Gulf states.

• 2009-02-03

  Lebanese TV station MTV to start broadcasting once again at the end of March

  

  The chairman of the board promises that the station will create a free voice for the silent majority of sects and political factions.

• 2009-02-03

  An increase in the education budget raises the literacy rate in Kuwait

  

  Kuwait’s Minister for Education says that the country’s literacy programme has been proven successful with a drop in illiteracy of 1.5 percent among males and 8.4 percent among females.

• 2009-02-03

  Lebanon’s A1GP World Cup of Motorsport team leaves New Zealand empty-handed

  

  Mechanical failure dogged the team in the Cup’s Sprint race, then bad luck prevented bright star Danny Morad from following up his strong showing in the test laps and claiming a top-ten finish for his country.

• 2009-02-03

  Bahrain called freer than other countries in the Middle East

  

  In its annual report on world freedom for 2008 prepared by internationally respected independent NGO Freedom House, Bahrain is considered relatively freer than other countries in the Middle East.

• 2009-02-02

  Iraq prepares to reopen its National Museum

  

  The Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that it will reopen the National Museum of Iraq on February 23, which has been closed to the public since the beginning of the U.S. invasion in 2003.

• 2009-02-02

  An exciting final round at the Qatar Masters golf tournament

  

  The Qatar Masters golf tournament, which offered US$2.5 million in prize money, attracted some of the world’s most famous golfers. This year’s champion is Spaniard Álvaro Quirós, who won a dramatic victory and the grand prize of $416,000.