Saudi Press Roundup

Glorious day for Saudi women
As we celebrate the 85th National Day, we use the occasion to mention some achievements made by the Saudi women in higher education, which began in 1377H (1956), the year that witnessed the establishment of King Saud University.
Four years later, or in 1381, four female students were given chance to attend the university in the colleges of Arts and Administrative Sciences.
In less than half a century, the number of universities rose to 12 with enrolled students totaling 260,857, of which female students constituted 53 percent.
In 1399, the post-graduate program was opened in 37 different specialties where 7,568 and 1,549 male and female students were awarded master and Ph.D. degrees, respectively.
In view of government plans to support women to complete their higher education and take up positions, a number of educational facilities were opened including Prince Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, the university campus at King Saud University to accommodate 30,000 female students, King Abdullah City for female students in Imam Mohammed ibn Saud Islamic University (50,000), as well as more than 300 colleges and higher institutes for girls Kingdom-wide.
Female students represent more than 56.6 percent of the total university students and they capture more than 20 percent of scholarship program students but their number is poised to grow in the next coming years.
On the other hand, a UNESCO report in 2009 showed that Saudi women have achieved progress in the field of science and their rate of graduation, according to the report, outperformed the rates scored by the Western women.
Additionally, the global report on gender gap index for the year 2009 placed Saudi Arabia at the 25th rank globally. Based on data released by the Ministry of Higher Education, the number of female students in higher education stood at 60 percent in 2013 compared to total number of the students. Their number in scholarship program reached 27,500 in 2012 compared to 4,003 in the beginning of King Abdullah Scholarship Program.
— Suhaila Zain Al-Abdeen Hammad, Al-Madinah

Grand Eid
T he “Grand Eid” is the name for Eid Al-Adha in most Arab and Islamic countries. It is called “Grand” to distinguish it from Eid Al-Fitr as also to denote the longer period it enjoys — four days against one day for Eid Al-Fitr.
Some of the researchers attributed the naming mostly to the Prophet (peace be upon him) who called it “the day of slaughtering”, other scholars attributed the naming to the fact that Haj rituals are associated with it.
Additionally, Grand Eid is correlated with the Haj rituals where hundreds of thousands of Muslims come together from all parts of the globe in one place (Arafat) humbly asking Allah for mercy. All Muslims, men and women, young and old, with different languages, faces and races stand in one place and time, a situation not repeated anywhere except the sacred land of Allah in Makkah.
We, as Saudis among the Muslim peoples, are more inclined to feel the meaning of Haj associated with Eid Al-Adha, it is “Haj Eid’ as it is called locally and “Grand Eid” as commonly called in the Islamic and Arab countries.
— Salih Ziyad, Makkah Newspaper

National Day and Haj
The occasion of the 85th Saudi National Day this year synchronizes with the biggest gathering event in the world; that is Haj.
These years stand as evidence to show ability of the Kingdom to provide all possible assistance in facilitating Haj and minimizing any possible risks that may affect Haj performers and visitors.
The expansion projects and generous spending on the Two Holy Mosques is the evidence of care given by the leaders to services and projects aimed to serve Hajis which enhances the role of the Kingdom as a caretaker of the Two Holy Mosques. Despite all circumstances surrounding the security, intellectual and economic aspects, serving the Two Holy Mosques remains the key priority.
Looking at countries plagued with instability and multiple problems, we have to remember the noble policy on which our country was based from the era of the founder down to the current leaders, which was reflected in mega projects designed to serve pilgrims to make their rituals easy.
This imposes on us a duty to express our thanks for these blessings and obliges us to keep our country a beacon of guidance through care of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah and related sites in serving Hajis from the moment they arrive until their completion of their rituals easily and comfortably.
— Dr. Amir Al-Husaini, Al-Eqtisadiah

Salman, the decisive leader
REgardless of the results of the investigation, the development of mechanisms and methods of work in Haj season has not stopped and will not stop.”
This quote was part of an address made by King Salman in front of scholars and leaders of military sectors participating in Haj duties a few hours after the occurrence of stampede in Mina.
The address clearly denotes that the Kingdom never escapes from its responsibility and reposes confidence in security men whom the King addressed “this painful incident should not undermine the magnificent work undertaken by the security men in serving the guests of Allah.”
In the last 24 hours, King Salman appeared twice, in the first address he reiterated his confidence in the security men and the second one came in the context of his reception for Haj guests where he appreciated efforts of the political leaderships including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal toward serving Haj works. These addresses are important part of King Salman’s management of the stampede crisis, which occurred two days ago.
King Salman fully acknowledges the exerted efforts and responsibility borne by the Haj higher committee and other bodies joining the campaign who never spared time or effort in providing services to Hajis at the highest quality standards. King Salman’s addresses have come as a major source of encouragement to all those who are concerned with the security and services of Hajis. At the same time, they sent a blow to “those fishing in troubled waters.”
Between the king’s showing confidence in officials and his order to speed up investigation in the incident lies the “decisiveness equation.”
— Aiman Al-Hammad, Al-Riyadh

War and Haj
DESPITE the fact that Saudi Arabia is engaged in a war on Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, that engagement however has not affected its readiness to serve the millions of pilgrims.
Implementation of the remaining portion of the expansion projects in the Grand Mosque and holy sites will be completed this year, which will go a long way to alleviate difficulties for pilgrims, Umrah performers and those concerned with serving Hajis and increase capacity of the facilities in the following years.
The war costs — material or moral — have not deterred the Kingdom in carrying out its responsibilities of serving the Two Holy Mosques and the guests of Allah. On the other hand, exploiting Haj for political purposes has increased — more than any year in the past — as a result of the increased Iranian armed intervention in the Arab world and its declared ill-intentions against Arabian Gulf countries.
Since the outbreak of the Khomeini’s sectarian revolution, Tehran has remained an aggravating factor of terrorism and specialized in exporting terror to the Arab countries and instigating discord between components of their communities.
History documented this (hostile) attitude through audio-visual means in previous Haj seasons. But no doubt, Saudi security forces are fully prepared to confront any attempts (to destabilize the Kingdom) by the Iranian regime. Ironically, the “death to America” raised by the regime in Iran is just a slogan because “death to Arabs” is the original slogan for the Teheran rulers.
— Abdulaziz Al-Suwaid, Al-Hayat

Iranian hollow slogans
Neither Iranian revolution, nor its literature, has anything to do with the confrontation with the US or Israel. One who reads history will find the Iranian slogans like “Global Arrogance” and “Great Satan” as empty slogans.
Even after over four decades of the mullah regime, we did not see Iran in any conflict with the “Great Satan;” the interests of the two countries were not harmed in the region. Moreover, the mullah regime did not take one single step to apply its slogans. This was clearly demonstrated when Iranian President Hasan Rouhani on a CBS interview said that “death to America, death to Israel” slogans by the Iranians are mere slogans and not a declaration of war.
The chanting of such hollow slogans does not come as a fundamental pillar, but comes to employ it for political purposes. Accordingly, preparations to build Persian hotbeds in the Arab countries and division of their communities on sectarian basis and export of terrorism to these countries under the American umbrella and Zionist participation under the pretext of deterrence and resistance, come in accordance with rules of a new game.
We still remember what the Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi said a year ago on the subversive role of the Iranian regime against the people of the region including Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen.
Historical evidences prove that America and Israel had supported the Khomeini revolution. The engagement of the Persian mullahs in Iraq and Syria is not different from the Zionist occupation of Palestine, which stands as evidence of the fallacy of their slogans. Cooperation of Persian mullahs with American and Zionist entity against the national security of the Arab countries has become clearly visible.
Iran’s hollow words are their (American) game and are not a barrier to establish cooperation on issues like Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria thus coping with the old Persian ambition to seize as much large part of the world, especially the Arab countries.
— Saad bin Abdulqadir Al-Quwai, Al-Jazirah