Saudi Press Roundup

A man of action
Prince Saud Al-Faisal diligently worked for the interests of the country as its foreign minister for over four decades. From 1975 to 2015, he carried concerns of his country patiently, tirelessly moving from one continent to another to attend meetings and negotiations full of unbearable and heated discussions.
For forty years, Prince Saud defended his country facing different problems. During his tenure as the foreign minister, Prince Saud was given a series of titles including “architect of foreign affairs,” “the man of difficult missions” and “dean of diplomats.”
The veteran diplomat served under four monarchs and enjoyed their confidence and satisfaction and managed to deal with difficult problems throughout his career, notably the Palestinian issue, the Lebanese civil war, the 1991 Gulf War, the so-called Arab Spring, the Syrian crisis and the Yemeni crisis. He always presented the Saudi and Arab case very strongly at all regional and international forums.
Prince Saud dealt with all issues with an utmost diplomatic sense and tenacity. His viewpoints were always very convincing because of his deep use of evidences, rich knowledge and his long experience. These qualities gave his arguments strength and credibility even in front of his opponents. Many of world leaders expressed their admiration of the Saudi diplomat.
One aspect of his courageous positions is that he used to face representatives of the big powers with sharp criticism and showed them their mistakes supported by evidences in a way they could not refute those arguments. This was strikingly demonstrated in Iraq-Iran negotiations when he talked about the West’s policy toward Iran and its plans to widen the sectarian divide in the region.
The Arab leaders always looked up to him for guidance. Bahraini Prime Minister says Prince Saud’s national stances had contributed to enhance the principles of diplomatic and political values.
He was also known with his effective and courageous positions in issues discussed within Arab and Islamic committees in which he was a member including Special Arabic Committee, Arab Solidarity Committee, Quds Committee, and Arab Tripartite Committee on Lebanon in addition to his decisive stances following the Sept. 11, 2001 incident in the US where a number of committees were formed, under his personal supervision, to refute conspiracies woven against the Kingdom and successfully, brought back Saudi-US relations to normal levels.
— By Ali Al-Khabti, Al-Watan

40 years of excellence
It was natural that the news of the death of Prince Saud Al-Faisal came as a thunderbolt to the Saudis. He was the one who ran and carried out their foreign policy for forty years, the country that passed mightiest regional wars and conspiracies, which have not yet subsided. Therefore, it was natural for the Saudis and other Arabs to feel saddened over the death of one of the best in the Arab politics who had captured TV screens and newspapers coverage worldwide to the degree that his absence may mean the absence of the whole Middle East from media.
Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell once said that Prince Saud equated Jewish lobby but even he was a Saudi lobby in the (US) Congress. Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein once said, “If I had a person like (Prince) Saud Al-Faisal, I would have dominated the whole world, when I fought with Iran, he made all the world stood by me, but when I entered Kuwait, he rallied the world against me.”
Prince Saud had a long-standing political profile in the era of the post-World War II, which witnessed emergence of new alliances and formation of new conflicts that changed the course of history for the interests of certain powers at the expense of others. It was imperative for us, and even others, to track his role accurately in the last 40 years where at least he spent two-third of that period in the skies on board planes, which preferred to remain stationed in his luxurious office in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The one who is expected to track his profile and his role in the Saudi foreign policy are those who served with him in the ministry and joined him in meeting and negotiations. He was the most active minister in the world in terms of performance.
— By Mohamed Al-Usaimi, Okaz

Restoration of hope
How can hope be restored to Yemen; the hope that could put an end to arrogance and oppression of Houthis and Saleh’s followers, bring back self-esteem and freedom to Yemeni people and totally stop use of weapons to terrorize citizens if they stand against any behavior not serving Yemen?
Weeks have passed since the start of the “Operation Decisive Storm” followed by “Restoration of Hope,” the latter being the last opportunity for coup plotters (Houthis) to save their faces and where Yemenis could restore their stability and security through understanding between the components of the Yemeni people whereby they could build the future of their country away from partisanship and dependence on foreign agenda.
The “Restoration of Hope” will remain a good project committed by Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries toward their sisterly country of Yemen. And if not attained peacefully, it will come about by war against those opposing it because peace, security, stability and building of modern Yemen are the legitimate rights of all Yemeni citizens. The Yemeni (political) decision cannot be usurped by a single Yemeni component, which stands against every initiative to protect Yemen from division, chaos and falling in the hands of Iran.
Two options are left for the Houthis and militia of Ali Abdullah Saleh: Either the continuation of the “Decisive Storm” until surrender and acceptance of the status quo, or exploitation of the “Restoration of Hope” and building of modern Yemen with the support of the GCC countries.
— By Khalid Al-Malik, Al-Jazira

A shared responsibility
The recent terror attacks in the Kingdom were deplorable and condemnable. However, in the wake of those attacks we noticed some very important and positive aspects of our society. Our leadership left no stone unturned to ensure speedy justice to the victims of those attacks and the masses stood as one entity. Saudis did not allow any kind of differences deter them from extending a helping hands to their brothers.
Both the incidents showed that the Saudi leadership is aware of its moral and humanitarian responsibilities toward the people of this country without any discrimination. All Saudis are equal before law and there is no difference between the citizens when it comes to their rights and government’s responsibilities.
However, certain elements tried to exploit the situation to their advantage but the leadership and citizens of the country effectively thwarted their attempts. It is heartening to note that anti-Saudi and anti-Arab forces miserably failed in dividing the Saudi society. It is a very positive aspect of our society and all-out efforts should be made to build on this trait.
These two terror attacks, however, call for more security measures for the protection of the country and its citizens. Security continues to remain the prime concern of the masses and the leaders of the Kingdom.
We are going through an important phase of our existence. In such situations, authorities and citizens should join hands to fight anti-social elements that are hell bent on destabilizing the country. We cannot just pass the buck to the authorities. We need joint efforts to fight the menace.
— By Ali Al-Muti, Al-Makkah

Effects of computer games
Electronic games have “invaded” most houses where their users have widely grown and become part of their daily lives. They have also attracted the attention of children thanks to their colors, adventures and imaginative nature, which were reflected in their behaviors and lives.
Electronic games are no longer restricted to children but have also become part of the lives of young adults.
During summer holidays, parents get confused on how their beloved children should spend holidays. There are various options. Some families very conveniently buy electronic games for their children and allow them to kill their time during their holidays. This is the main reason behind the hike in the sales of computer games during summer vacations.
Keeping in view the increasing popularity of electronic games, it has become very important to study the impact of these games on children and other users.
Many people think that computer games keep their children engaged and they remain indoors. A female teacher, a mother of four, says many electronic games help increase children’s cognitive skills and they become more aware about the latest technologies, which according to them is a positive aspect. The games, further, help children fill gap, as they get exposed to new ideas and provide “innocent” entertainment to children, she said. On the other hand, children who spend most of their time with smart devices without joining the natural environment of children lose their ability to express their emotions like other children. Their language skills also get affected; therefore, parents and educators should know that the intelligence of game children does not reflect true and absolute intelligence.
Studies have shown that a child’s intelligence is inversely proportional to his linguistic and emotional intelligence. The American Society of Pediatrics said that the time allowed for children to watch the TV screen is 60-90 minutes, including electronic games, especially during the first five years of a child’s life, the stage where a series of emotional, educational and behavioral skills begin to take shape.
— By Hussein Abu Rashid, Al-Madinah