Bahrain opposition to hold pro-democracy protest
Source: The Peninsula Qatar (Read full story)
Bahrain’s main opposition will hold a day of pro-democracy protests today despite a crackdown last week in which police used teargas and birdshot to disperse anti-government demonstrations. A statement issued by Bahrain’s largest opposition group, the Islamist al Wefaq Society, said that protests would continue to be held until the Bahraini people’s demands were met. “The demonstrations are to insist on a right that is clear and legitimate for the Bahraini people to move towards democratic transformation,” the statement said on Thursday. A tiny island state that hosts the US Fifth Fleet as a bulwark for US-aligned Gulf monarchies against Iran, Bahrain has suffered bouts of unrest since February 2011 when a Shi’ite-led uprising demanded the Al Khalifa dynasty give up power.
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Omani anti-pollution protest blocks industrial port
Source: Arabian Business (Read full story)
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Omani police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who blocked a port in the northern part of the Gulf Arab state, activists said on Thursday, saying they were protesting against industrial pollution that was a risk to health. The protests come less than a month after Sultan Qaboos, Oman’s ruler, pardoned those jailed for taking part in the 2011 anti-government protests, in a gesture to citizens worried about unemployment and inadequate pay. Oman was shaken by demonstrations in 2011, following the outbreak of Arab Spring protests in North Africa. Activists posted pictures of dozens of men and women in traditional Omani clothes standing with placards on a dirt road they said was outside the Sohar port in northern Oman.
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Growing youth population in Saudi offers economic potential
Source: Arab News (Read full story)
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Around 2 million new positions were created in the Kingdom between 2008 and 2012, but three quarters of these jobs were filled by non-Saudis, suggesting the local workforce needs to become more productive and competitive in the face of mounting competition from expatriate workers. The Saudi Arabian Government has recognized the importance of harnessing the potential of its young people through education. More than SR204 billion from the 2013 budget was channelled into education, a staggering 25 percent of the Government’s annual spending, and around 10 percent of its GDP. Saudi Arabia is now ranked as the world’s highest spending nation on education.
Such initiatives have had a positive impact on the learning outcomes of individuals in the country, with the literacy rate among adults currently standing at around 97 percent, according to World Bank data, up from 30 percent in 1970.…
UAE on target for power and water projects
Source: The National (Read full story)
The UAE is moving confidently towards the development of infrastructure, particularly electricity and water, to improve living standards and strengthen the foundations of the economy, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, told a federal Cabinet meeting last night. The Cabinet approved recommendations from the FNC on the Federal Authority for Electricity and Water, and several measures to improve the energy efficiency of lighting products. Ministers also approved changes to the boards of directors of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the Telecoms Regulatory Authority and the National Transport Authority.
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Drone operations part of Yemeni-USA anti-terrorism agreement: Hadi
Source: Yemen News Agency (Read full story)
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The drone operations – started since 2004 – are part of Yemen’s cooperation with the USA in the fight against al-Qaeda that has begun since that date, He said. Hadi said that resorting to the US drones is not a luxury, but because Yemen does not have such technology, stressing these operations are carried out when needed in the critical military tasks. The President addressing those who are surprisingly today shedding crocodile tears on Yemen’s sovereignty, wondering “Has not drone been struck before in Abyan, Hadramout, Marib and many other places?! They did so, only when drones reached some areas.” “The cooperation in the fight against terrorism was not a secret,” he said, revealing that the partnership agreement on fighting against terrorism was ratified by the Supreme Defense Council in 2001.He added that Yemen is participating in operations rooms in Djibouti and Bahrain.
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