Analysis | Saudi Arabia’s 2013 Budget – Jadwa

Source: SUSRIS  (Read full story)

Budgeted spending is at another all-time high in 2013, as the government continues with its program to upgrade the human and physical infrastructure and spurring economic growth. One highlight of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) budget announcement is the 18 percent jump in revenues. With no new initiatives announced, we think this is a sign that the government has maintained the less conservative approach with its oil price assumption since last year. For the second consecutive year, the Kingdom has budgeted for a surplus which set to reach SR9 billion this year (0.3 percent of expected GDP).

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Growing Strains for Muslim Brotherhood and Emirates

Source: The New York Times (Read full story)

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Officials in the emirates, which had close relations with Mr. Mubarak’s government, have leveled steady criticism at the Brotherhood, accusing it of “exporting” the revolution. Last year, the authorities there arrested 60 people whom they accused of belonging to a local Brotherhood-affiliated movement and of trying to establish an Islamic state.  On Tuesday, a newspaper in the emirates, Al Khaleej, reported that the authorities had arrested more than 10 members of an Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood cell.

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Member of parliament propose new one-vote electoral constituency bill

Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)

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But the problem lies with the rulings of the constitutional court, which is expected to issue its verdicts within a few months and it has not ruled out that the court may declare the Amiri decree unconstitutional, which would likely result in nullifying the election and scrapping the Assembly. The court is not however expected to scrap laws issued by the Assembly and any law passed amending the electoral law and the voting system before the court’s verdict may remain effective. The opposition had boycotted the election in protest against the single vote amendment, saying it will allow the government to manipulate the outcome of the election.

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21 Iranian intruders arrested

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

Alert members of the Saudi Coast Guard foiled an attempt of a group of Iranians to enter the Kingdom. They arrested 21 Iranian nationals on Wednesday who were trying to sneak into Saudi Arabia on two separate boats. Khaled Al-Arqubi, a spokesman for the Coast Guard Command in the Eastern Province, told Arab News yesterday that the naval patrol intercepted two Iranian boats in the Saudi territorial waters near an island called Harqous, located about 42 miles off Al-Khafji coast.

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GCC to invest more in telecom technology

Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)

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Regional governments now see broadband as essential infrastructure, therefore regulatory requirements on operators for high-speed service roll-out are likely to grow. Governments will view 4G/LTE and FttH as elements of their plans to deliver services to their citizens, as well as to enable operators to make money. Therefore, demands to drive roll-out plans that fit the broadest population spreads rather than the wealthiest areas will be part of government agenda. Similarly, the growth of social media and activism will heighten the focus of governments’ intelligence concerns on telecoms services and also drive more engagement with operators and their services.

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