RIYADH, 15 June 2007 — A new Saudi website launched in Riyadh has logged one million hits in a month of which 75 percent are from the Kingdom alone. Its founders say the site, www.saudiinfocus.com, which went online in April, is growing in success due to the high-demand information that it provides visitors.
“We highlight Saudi Arabia’s role in regional and national economies and societies. Particular emphasis is laid on current ongoing political debates. It also features commentary by a range of journalists, scholars and policymakers across the globe,” Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed, CEO of the website, told Arab News.
He added that the bold, freshly designed and user-friendly website represents a vast collection of news and articles on Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.
Al-Rasheed, who had earlier launched www.saudielection.com, said an online survey recently conducted by the website showed that of the 3,902 participants, 1,760 (45 percent) were in favor of voting rights for women, while 2,142 (55 percent) were in opposition. Similarly, 80 percent of participants said “no” in response to a question whether mayors should be allowed to be heads of the Municipal Council.
Al-Rasheed added that one of the suggestions on his website also drew a response from the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR). He said that the NSHR appreciated the idea that citizens, who provide authorities with information on terrorists, should be honored as “Ideal Citizens,” and that the concept be extended to expatriates, who could be honored in a similar fashion.
Other topics on the website cover a wide range of subjects — from business, marketing issues and investment to real estate, sports, Saudi culture and Information Technology.
Visitors to the website can also find a wealth of information on issues like health and family matters. There is also a column on family counseling providing tips on how to handle family issues. This feature, according to visitors, should be of interest to the public given the fact that there is a high rate of divorce in the Kingdom.
Articles on national and international issues add a new dimension to one’s understanding of such issues. In the Arabic section, there are Al-Rasheed’s interviews with prominent TV channels discussing various national issues.
