Saudi Press Roundup

Saudi-Egypt relations

CUSTODIAN of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi in Cairo on Friday, has told Arab and other friendly countries that Egypt needed their support to get out of the dark tunnel and play an important role in the comity of nations.
King Abdullah’s landmark visit to Cairo came at the height of Saudi Arabia’s moral and material support to Egypt since June 2013. The royal visit was aimed at sending a strong message to the world that Egypt is capable of implementing the roadmap it set out following the ouster of former President Muhammad Mursi.
Saudi Arabia stood firmly with Cairo against the United States and other countries that have read the June 30 revolution in a different way and questioned Egyptian people’s political knowledge.
There is no doubt that the efforts being made under the Kingdom’s leadership to restore peace and stability in Egypt would enable the Saudi-Egyptian alliance to bring about security and stability in the whole Arab world, which has been marred by chaos and confusion.
The alliance will also have its positive impact on the Syrian crisis and developments in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia is in need of Egypt’s longstanding diplomatic expertise to deal with various issues. At present the Saudi-Egyptian relations are much better than a year ago. The tie up between the two countries is significant in the light of the change in US policy and increasing Russian presence in the region.
By Ayman Al-Hammad, Al-Riyadh


ISIL is Iraq’s destroyer

THERE are some people who support the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with the hope that it would protect the interests of Sunnis. In reality, ISIL has not gained any foothold on the ground. The organization does not believe in nationalism like the Sunnis and considers it un-Islamic.
ISIL’s ideology is revolutionary like that of Hezbollah and does not believe in borders of countries. It also aims at destroying major Arab countries in the region as they believe that killing the renegade must be given priority than killing the infidel.
ISIL has revolted against everybody and continuing its march of success, making use of publicity and new recruits. ISIL is an enemy of Saudi Arabia and all other Arab and Muslim communities. The Kingdom has declared it a terrorist group and considers it as an Iranian project to attack Arab countries.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has clearly stated the Kingdom’s stand on ISIL and called it as a terrorist group that found its space in Iraq as a result of the sectarian policies of the present government in Baghdad. We should know that ISIL would not be the savior of Iraq, as some people wrongly thought, but its destroyer.
— By Mashari Al-Zayedi, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat

Education and job market

HUMAN resources play an important role in the development of countries and strengthening their competitive position. A country’s economic system, decision-making, general plans, consumer behavior and investment trends depend on the culture and education of its people.
Human resources do not mean just trained workers as is generally believed. It shows the culture of society toward productivity, respect of time and law and self-motivation to reach excellence.
We cannot achieve productivity without innovative thinking, hard work, better administration, technical skills and organizational culture based on education, openness and transparency.
Companies and departments must appoint qualified people to do specific works to achieve desired results. We often forget the principle of “right person in the right position” and apply the principle of “employment for the sake of employment” in order to reduce unemployment, and not to increase productivity.
An efficient employment plan demands establishment of advanced industries to help graduates get employed in high-tech jobs that would add value to the economy, strengthen the country’s ability to export and compete with others and develop the national economy.
— By Dr. Adnan bin Abdullah Alshiha, Al-Eqtisadiah

Cleaning workers in KSA

THE social media recently exchange a report with importance. A restaurant in Riyadh has been distributing breakfast every morning to cleaning workers in the city. The owner of this restaurant has been doing this noble work to get the pleasure and reward from Allah.
We have seen these cleaning workers standing at traffic points and in front of mosques to receive donations from philanthropists. This gives an impression that the government is not paying them good salary.
Actually the government spends large amounts on annual cleaning contracts but the contracting companies do not pay their workers good salaries to help them lead a decent life and this has created a new group of beggars in the country.
— By Mazen Abdul Razaq Balilah, Al-Madinah

Nahid’s murder and the media

BBC published a report on the murder of Saudi scholarship student Nahid Almanea in Colchester and said the killer had stabbed her several times. The British media did not publish the victim’s name in the beginning because of legal reasons. The media indicated that the murder could be because of racist feelings toward the victim’s Islamic dress.
The police released the woman’s relatives after Saudi Embassy officials intervened. The embassy deserves praise for its quick action. Most murder cases in western countries occur as a result of media reports that promote hate crimes and racist feelings against Muslims. A study has found that crimes caused by Islamophobia in Europe in 2002 were the result of statements of political leaders and work of media organizations.
Some media organizations demonize Islam and Muslims and link them with terrorism and violence. This has led to hate crimes against Muslims especially Gulf citizens. The Saudi ambassador in the UK should play a big role in allaying fears of Saudi scholarship students in the country. He should meet students to instill confidence and ensure their protection.
— By Majed Abdullah, Al-Sharq

Radio, Television Authority

SAUDI Arabia’s Radio and Television Authority requires radical changes after it has become an independent body. We hope Abdul Rahman Al-Hazza, president of the authority will work to strengthen the Kingdom’s media in tune with global media. We cannot blame the Kingdom’s specialty and traditions for the country’s poor media performance.
Most Saudis watch foreign television channels and radio stations as their programs cater to their needs and rise up to their expectations. Several studies have been conducted to know the requirements and trends of viewers and listeners and we have take effective steps to change the situation in light of those studies. There are about 7,000 employees under the Saudi radio and television authority. These people should be given intensive training to enhance their capabilities. It should take bold decisions to remove those officials who are unable to improve the organization as well as to recruit more capable and energetic people having innovative ideas.
The authority will not be able to convince advertisers by saying that it was following the old system because of the Kingdom’s specialty and traditions.
— By Qenan Al-Ghamdi, Makkah Newspaper