RIYADH, 29 May 2006 — Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has said that modernization through reforms on a graduated scale stands the best chance of promoting stability and security in the region.
In his foreword to the first English issue of “Diplomat,” a magazine brought out by the Specialized Communications Co. belonging to the Saudi Research & Publishing Co., Prince Saud said: “We have to be — as actors in the world community — very realistic. Any modernization or reform will encounter resistance that will pull us in different directions. Our leaders realize that proper management of the dynamic tension that exists between change on one hand and conservatism on the other is the only way to move forward.”
The magazine, which represents the Foreign Ministry’s initiative to reach out to the international community, has a professional look both in terms of layout and content.
In his editorial, Dr. Saad ibn Abd Al-Rahman, director general of the Institute for Diplomatic Studies, explains that the idea in publishing the magazine in English was part of the attempt to interact with the diplomats and non-diplomats. It invites diplomats and others to contribute articles toward the broader goal of promoting international understanding.
The contributors in the maiden issue include Saudi Ambassador to Germany Usamah Al-Shubukshi and German Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Gerhard Enver Schroembgens. Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena deals with the elements of Saudi foreign policy. Professor Hasan Abdul-Ghani Abu-Ghudda pitches in with his contribution on the salient features of Islamic diplomacy.
There are also special interviews with Prince Turki ibn Muhammad ibn Saud Al-Kabeer on the Kingdom’s role in promoting a nuclear-free world. In an article on “Saudi Women and Society,” Muna Abu Sulayman talks about her role as Saudi Arabia’s first female UN goodwill ambassador.
Another article on the National Society for Human Rights discusses its activities in safeguarding human rights in different fields. Dr. Muflih Al-Qahtani, the vice president of NSHR, points out that since its inception, the organization has documented 6,000 cases of human rights violation. Of these 23 percent relate to imprisonment, while one percent concern sexual harassment.
