Arab League intervention urged to end massacre
Source: Gulf Today (Read full story)
Israeli President Shimon Peres, delivering an historic address to the European Parliament, on Tuesday called for Arab League intervention in Syria “to stop the massacre.” “The Arab League can and should form a provisional government in Syria to stop the massacre, to prevent Syria from falling to pieces. The United Nations should support the Arab League to build an Arab force in blue helmets,” he said.
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UAE rejects extremism: Shaikh Mohammed
Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)
The UAE adopts an open, moderate and tolerant approach as a state and rejects extremism as being religiously and morally unacceptable, stated His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, while chairing a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The UAE Cabinet adopted a draft law for establishing an ‘International Centre for Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism’ or Hidaya with aims to set up a global platform that catalyses discussion and cooperation among countries of the world to confront extremism.
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Talks under way to set up “Arab Court for Human Rights”
Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and Nabil El Araby, Secretary-General of the Arab League, discussed in Manama last night, the King’s initiative on establishing “Arab Court for Human Rights”. King Hamad praised the Arab League’s interest to adopt the initiative that seeks to support human rights, and dignity, affirming the importance of polishing Arab people’s skills and capabilities that are the main pillar for Arab countries’ comprehensive development.
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Saudi government may drop plans for gender barrier in Shura Council
Source: The National (Read full story)
Saudi officials may consider dropping plans for a barrier separating men and the newly appointed women in the country’s top advisory body. News reports follow the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday for the first women in the ultraconservative kingdom’s Shura Council. There was no barrier during the event as the 30 women sat on one side of the chamber and the 130 men on the other.
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Atomic Kingdom: If Iran Builds the Bomb, Will Saudi Arabia Be Next?
Source: Center for New American Security (Read full story)
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We argue that the prospects of Saudi “reactive proliferation” are lower than the conventional wisdom suggests but that this should not reduce Washington’s commitment to preventing the emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran. It is widely assumed that Saudi Arabia would respond to Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons by embarking on a crash program to develop their own bomb or by illicitly receiving nuclear weapons from its close ally Pakistan. If these options were not available, most analysts believe that the Saudis would be successful in securing a nuclear umbrella from Islamabad, including the possible deployment of Pakistani nuclear weapons on Saudi soil.
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Secretary of State Kerry Set for Saudi Arabia Visit
Source: SUSRIS (Read full story)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will embark on his first trip abroad as America’s top diplomat on a wide-ranging itinerary to Europe and the Middle East for 11 days starting Sunday, February 23rd. The trip will include a visit to Saudi Arabia where he will have discussions with Saudi leaders and meet with GCC foreign ministers. Kerry was sworn in as the 68th Secretary of State following the departure of Hillary Clinton who completed four years in the post. He resigned his seat in the U.S. Senate, where he served 28 years, and as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to accept the appointment by President Barack Obama.
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Dh4.9b defence deals signed at IDEX2013
Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)
Nineteen defense contracts worth AED 4.9 billion were signed by the UAE Armed Forces with international and national contractors, Major General Obaid Al Ketbi, Chairman of the organizing committee for the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX2013) announced on Tuesday at the show’s daily press briefing. The largest of the contracts announced today is worth AED1.9 billion and sealed with the Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Centre (AMMROC) which will provide aircraft management, maintenance and repair services to the Armed Forces, according to Al-Ketbi.
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Analysis | Saudi Arabia Energy Profile Update – U.S. EIA
Source: SUSRIS (Read full story)
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Saudi Arabia is the largest oil consuming nation in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia consumed approximately 3 million barrels per day (bbl/d) of oil in 2012, almost double 2000 levels, because of strong industrial growth and subsidized prices. Contributing to this growth is rising direct burn of crude oil for power generation, which reaches 1 million bbl/d during summer months, and the use of natural gas liquids (NGL) for petrochemical production. Khalid al-Falih warned that domestic liquids demand was on a pace to reach over 8 million bbl/d (oil equivalent) by 2030 if there were no improvements in energy efficiency.
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