July 21, 2006

CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ ORDERS TO RUN EXTRA SAUDIA FLIGHTS TO SPEED UP THE EVACUATION OF SAUDIS FROM LEBANON THROUGH DAMASCUS. PRINCE SULTAN DONATES SR 5 MILLION TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND OF DAR AL-HEKMA. THE LAUNCH OF PRINCE SULTAN CAMPAIGN FOR PRIMARY CARE. THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA STRESSES THE DEEP RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND SAYS THE CROWN PRINCE'S VISIT TO FRANCE IS ANOTHER STEP ON THE PATH OF BILATERAL RELATIONS. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General ordered Saudi Arabian Airlines to run extra flights from Damascus to Riyadh and Jeddah to speed up the evacuation of Saudi nationals mostly holidaying in Lebanon. The Saudi Embassy in Beirut has advised all Saudi citizens in Lebanon to leave the country. The government has ordered Saudi Arabian Airlines to divert more planes to Damascus to facilitate the flood of Saudi nationals seeking to leave the region due to the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon. Daily flights to Damascus have been increased from two to five. Under the orders of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, additional flights are coming and going from the Damascus International Airport to Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, Director General of the Saudi Airlines Khaled Al-Melhem said. "The national carrier has taken all measures in cooperation with the Saudi Embassy in Beirut to facilitate the return of the Saudi tourists who want to come home to the Kingdom," the agency quoted Khaled Abdullah Al-Melhem, director general of Saudi Airlines. Al-Melhem said Saudia would run extra flights in addition to the two scheduled flights from Damascus to the Kingdom, free of charge for all Saudi nationals, as per Royal directives instructions, regardless of whether they have tickets or not. Al-Melhem said Tabuk and Qurayat Airports were in a state of high alert to fly extra flights if needed. He said a team from Saudia was working round the clock in Damascus and Beirut to assist Saudis come back home safe. In Beirut, the Saudi embassy called on Saudi nationals to leave Lebanon due to the worsening situation in the country. The embassy said it had completed travel arrangements for all Saudi nationals wishing to go to Damascus airport. He also said that about 1,200 Saudis returned home Thursday and Friday. "Saudi Airlines has made all the necessary arrangements to enable the smooth return of Saudis from Lebanon in conjunction with the Kingdom's embassy in Beirut, which is supervising the return of the Saudis to Damascus. The Saudi Embassy in Damascus is supervising the arrangement of their onward journey to the Kingdom," said Al-Melhem. "The Saudi authorities have also ordered the carrier to accept all Saudis with or without tickets, and without payment," the director general said. Saudi Airlines has also posted special work force at the Damascus airport on round-the-clock duty and at the Saudia offices in Syria and Lebanon on 18-hour duty in order to facilitate speedy airlifting of the all the citizens and to answer their queries. More aircraft are being requisitioned apart from sending additional staff to man three new operation centers in the Saudi Embassy in Damascus, Sham Hotel and the Saudia offices in Damascus. On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General has honoured donors of scholarships to Dar Al-Hekma college in Jeddah, when he received them at his office at the Ministry of Defence and Aviation. The Crown Prince handed over to them certificate of gratitude and announce his donation of SR 5 million to the Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz fund set up for the college. Crown Prince Sultan called on businessmen to do more in support of the college, and to help higher education. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the college of Engineering Zuhair Fayez delivered a speech in which he stressed that the founders are keen to achieve many targets atop of which ensuring high education to all students and stressed that the scholarship program that has been set up, has started with the 22 scholarships given on a yearly basis by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz. Meanwhile Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General chaired a meeting of the ministerial committee of administrative organization. The meeting was attended by Prince Naif bin abdulaziz, the Minister of Interior. The Crown Prince commended the great steps taken by the committee for the development of administrative works to keep abreast of the comprehensive progress in the kingdom in all fields, wishing the committee all success. The committee discussed topics on its agenda. Meantime the Prince Sultan campaign for primary medical care has started under the directives of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General. The campaign covers all areas in the Kingdom and is being implemented by the field hospital affiliated to the General administration for medical services in the armed forces. Brigadier Engineer Abdullah Ibn Abdul Maled Al Al-Sheikh, Director General of the medical field services said the health service department of the armed forces and the field hospital provides services to the citizens. The Director of the hospital said the hospital is a series of mobile vehicles for operations, emergencies, intensive care, and all other specialties. The hospital employs Saudis with cardio consultants for children and adults. The field hospital received more than 8000 patients within Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz project for health care. The Director of the hospital said that the clinics include Saudi doctors in different specializations, adding that the hospital writes reports on all medical cases, which can not be treated at the hospital in order to treat them in the armed forces hospitals. Brigadier Engineer Abdullah Ibn Abdul Maled Al Al-Sheikh said the campaign is very popular and will continue to serve the largest number of patients in the different areas of the Kingdom. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General received Albania's Ambassador-designate to the kingdom Ederim Banai. During the audience, they exchanged cordial talks and discussed topics of mutual concern. The audience was attended by a number of officials. In Riyadh French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Charles-Henri D'Aragon said on the eve of Bastille Day that the bilateral ties between France and the Kingdom are based on firm footing, "The foundation of these ties was laid at the historic meeting between President Charles de Gaulle and King Faisal during the mid '60s," said the envoy. "Since then, they have grown from strength to greater strength reflecting the Kingdom's stature in the Arab world and in the international community, not only as the world's largest oil producer but also for its balanced approach to international issues." D'Aragon said that France and Saudi Arabia have an identical approach on major issues and continue to hold frequent consultations on matters of mutual concern. "It's an ideal relationship politically which explains the basis of the frequent contacts between the leaderships of both the countries," he added. Relations between the two countries must remain active and "lively for mutual interests," he said. In April 2005, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz visited Paris when he was the Crown Prince. President Jacques Chirac reciprocated in March of this year where he became the first Western leader to address the Kingdom's non-elected consultative body, the Shoura Council and Crown Prince Sultan, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation, will begin a three-day tour to France at Chirac's invitation. During the visit, D'Aragon said Crown Prince Sultan is expected to meet high-ranking French officials, including Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie. "Such high-level visits will enliven the existing two-way relations," he said. While stressing on the major role played by the Kingdom in the international arena, D'Aragon said Saudi Arabia is successfully exercising its diplomacy to help maintain security and stability in the Middle East, especially in the Arab-Israeli conflict, Palestinian sovereignty, Iraq, and the recent nuclear problem in Iran. "France also appreciates the Kingdom's moderate role in stabilizing oil prices at a level that should not be prejudicial to the growth of the international economy," he added. In the area of culture and tourism, the ambassador pointed out that there is a remarkable increase in the number of Saudis visiting France. Around 25,000 visas were issued at the French Embassy and its consulate in Jeddah. "The increase in the number of visas indicates the growing interest of Saudis to visit France for business and leisure," he said. Last year, around 60 Saudi students were given scholarships to study medicine in French universities. This year, he said it has been increased to 80. The Eurogolfe Initiative, launched last year, had enabled Gulf students, particularly Saudis, to pursue higher studies in Arabic, French and English at the Institute of Political Studies of Paris. The Kingdom's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and liberalization of its trade policies have paved the way for new opportunities for foreign investors in the Kingdom, he said, pointing out that the existing French joint ventures have provided more than 20,000 job opportunities in the Kingdom. Last year, French imports from the Kingdom stood at 3.6 billion euros, while its exports to Saudi Arabia were valued at 1.65 billion during the same period. Main French exports include barley, perfumes, poultry meat, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment and clothing items and accessories. French imports consist mainly of crude oil and refined petroleum products, which make up for almost 95 percent of French imports from the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia remains the third largest oil supplier of France. Currently, France operates 60 joint ventures in the Kingdom including the latest additions of BNP Bank and the AGEF Insurance Company to its network. "We work closely with the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the SAGIA, in developing economic and commercial bilateral relations in the context of the ongoing liberalization of Saudi Arabia's economy and the outstanding progress of the Kingdom's public finances," said D'Aragon. In May, Total and Saudi Aramco agreed to form a joint venture company, with the two parties holding an ownership interest of 35 percent each subject to required regulatory approvals. The signatories are planning to offer up to 30-percent interest in the project to the Saudi public. According to the accord, Saudi Aramco will supply the project with 400,000 barrels per day of Arabian Heavy crude oil, while both will share the marketing of the refinery production. Ambassador Aragon hosted a reception at his residence to mark Bastille Day. French citizens in the Kingdom and members of the diplomatic corps, government officials and local businessmen participated in the celebrations. About 500 people gathered in the garden of the residence of France's consul general to watch on big screen televisions the Bastille Day festivities live from Paris. French Consul General in Jeddah Issa Marut welcomed the visitors and highlighted France's historic relationship with Saudi Arabia. France's relations with the Arab state precede the unification of the Kingdom in 1932. "The Consulate General of Jeddah was established 167 years ago in 1839 and France was among the first states to establish diplomatic relations, in 1926, with the Saudi state," said Marut. The ties between the two countries were further strengthened by the visit in March of French President Jacques Chirac. The consul general underscored his country's support for the dynamic social and economic changes occurring under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Marut pointed to French-Saudi projects as examples of an ongoing strong relationship, including contracts at the King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah, and educational exchanges at the university level in areas of law, medicine, engineering and archaeology. French Consul General France Issa Marut talked about the mission's various activities and the dynamic ties between France and Saudi Arabia. France's first diplomatic footprint in what is today the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established in Jeddah in 1839, which, Marut says, is demonstrative of France's longstanding relationship with the Kingdom. The French missions in the Kingdom is involved in various cooperative cultural and educational activities, but Marut says the most important involves economic ties and facilitating coordination between French and Saudi companies and other institutions. French defense contractors are currently courting Saudi Arabia. Marut also points to lucrative opportunities in business ties in the development of the Kingdom's new economic cities, such as the one in Rabigh. There are negotiations going on in managing airports, highways and restoring the historical buildings in the old city of Jeddah. In February a group of French contractors for airport support services visited Jeddah to discuss opportunities with Saudi officials from the King Abdul Aziz International Airport. Other exchanges included a recent trip by Saudis from Jeddah to tour Paris to discuss the French model of urban development. (Part of leftist Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe's popularity has come about through his urban development policies, such as efforts to develop of the outer ring of the city proper, urban bike lanes, and attempts to curb pollution and vehicular traffic.) It was the first trip to once the world's most cherished and beautiful cities for many of the Saudis. "They saw for themselves the French concept of cultural development in downtown Paris and in its tiny alleys," said Marut. Locally, Marut pointed to a French-language society in Jeddah and the Saudi-French Center in Jeddah that conducts language classes. The center opened a women's section for these courses in November 2005 and has an academic exchange program with the University of Lyon for translation certification for women. In an ongoing effort to promote French culture in the Kingdom, Jeddah's Effat College for women will also be opening a French department next year. King Abdul Aziz University and the French National Center for Distance Learning (CNED) also signed an agreement to implement the French model for this type of education in the university's College of Medicine. Saudi student enrolment in France is relatively low, however. There are currently only 210 college students studying in France, mainly in the areas of medicine, law and architecture. Marut points out that France is a secular country. Still, he says that one of the most important tasks of France's consulate in Jeddah is providing assistance to French Muslims when they undergo their pilgrimages. "After all, the Muslim population in France has reached approximately 5 million," said Marut. France's Foreign Ministry had produced a brochure in Arabic and French to inform and enlighten the pilgrimages about Hajj. This is something the Saudi government has been encouraging, considering many of the logistical and physical challenges of handling the world's largest regular gathering of people. "That shows the French government has care and interest in Hajj affairs," said Marut, who pointed out that during last Hajj 27,000 French Muslims undertook the pilgrimage. The consul operates an office in Makkah during Hajj in order to facilitate any issues French pilgrims may have.