Ain-Al-Yaqeen - March 26, 2004

		March 26, 2004

PRINCE TURKI AL-FAISAL LAUNCHES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THE EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE "DISCOVER THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA."
SAUDI ARABIA STRESSES IN THE 60TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE IN GENEVA THAT ISLAM IS A PIONEER IN THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
THE KINGDOM'S BELIEF IS TO CONTINUE THE REFORMS AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS WHICH EMERGE FROM THE NECESSITIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE SOCIETY AND NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEORIES AND IDEAS ENFORCED FROM ABROAD.
THE TOURISM SYMPOSIUM IN ABHA STRESSES THAT THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN THE KINGDOM IS FLOURISHING.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, inaugurated at the British National Museum in London an educational website on the internet.

The "Discover the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" website aims at introducing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its development to the British students.

The Ambassador said in his opening speech that the website will focus on the realities of the lives of Saudi nationals and will provide geographical, political and economic information on the Kingdom.

Prince Turki thanked all those who participated in establishing the web site, including consultants, technicians, education and media representatives, and particularly geography expert Mark Evans, who has taught English and geography in the Kingdom and Gulf states for over six years.

Mr Evans visited various parts of the Kingdom many times in order to become acquainted with the culture and customs of its people.

A number of Arab Ambassadors, academics, writers, and other important personalities attended the opening ceremony.

On the other hand a delegation from the Ministry of Higher Education visited London to explore opportunities for e-learning programs in Saudi Arabia.

Allan Smart, a representative of the British Council in the Kingdom, said the delegates would look at various aspects of e-education and distance learning programs in the UK to see what can be done to launch them through Saudi academic institutions.

Last year, over 15,500 Saudis were pursuing higher education abroad, according to Dr. Abdullah Al-Moajel, who is in charge of the cultural relations department at the Ministry of Higher Education.

Of the total enrollment for higher education abroad, 6,744 students went on government scholarships, while the remaining 8,772 students went at their own expense, according to a press statement.

Smart said the delegation would report back to Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khaled Ibn Mohammad Al-Anqari.

On the other hand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed that it's desire to continue reforms has emerged from the necessities of its society and not in accordance with theories enforced from abroad.

Saudi Arabia will not be dictated to by outside forces the United States or others on reforms, Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Turki ibn Muhammad told the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva yesterday.

In a statement rejecting demands for a speeding up of the reform process, primarily from the US and other Western countries, he said Riyadh would pursue reform based on the needs of Saudi society, and not on ideas and theories from outside.

There was no magic formula that would fit every circumstance, said the minister. He added that Saudi Arabia is keen to draw upon the experience and knowledge of others so long as they were not in opposition to Saudi principles and values.

This came in a speech delivered at the 60th session of the Human Rights Committee by Prince Dr. Turki Ibn Mohammad Ibn Saud Al-Kabeer, the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and Head of the International Organization Department.

"Despite international concerns about human rights, still there are some who try to feed extremism, racism, discrimination and ignore others' positive contributions to secure human rights," he said.

"They continue to publish misinformation about others and attack their histories, cultures and create wrong images through different types of the mass media organs," he added.

Prince Dr. Turki Ibn Mohammad noted in his speech before the 60th session of the Human Rights committee in Geneva that Islam is a pioneer in the preservation of human rights.

Prince Dr. Turki Ibn Mohammad noted that the Kingdom's desire to continue the reforms and development process is emerging from the necessities and the requirements of the society and not in accordance with theories and ideas enforced from abroad.

"The reform process can not be dictated by the outlook of others. Moreover, reforms are not ready-made prescriptions that the people can take. The reforms are fruits of development and ambitions resulting from the internal needs through the process of growth and progress," he added.

He noted that there will not be any harm in getting benefit from others' experiences as long as these experiences do not contravene with values and principles the people believe in and not threaten their national interests and goals.

"As our ambitions seek to achieve the best, therefore the reforms are not only limited to one aspect of life. It also covers all aspects of lives and will continue according to the needs and the requirements of the society and its internal and foreign commitments," he said.

He stressed that the reform process is based on developing the human resources including women element since the 60s.

Prince Turki also dismissed allegations of discrimination against women in Saudi society. Some 49 percent of the country's 4.3 million students are women, he pointed out. Women also occupy around a third of all public positions, he added.

"Nowadays, the figures speak for themselves, as 49 percent of the 4.3 million students in the general education are females. The number of female students in the secondary schools and universities is more than male students. More than a third of the government jobs are occupied by females. These figures are no different from the ones in the advanced countries," he added.

Prince Turki stressed that the Kingdom's interest in the human rights is not confined to the internal level, but it is also extended to the international level.

In this respect, he pointed out to the Kingdom's voluntarily contributions offered to the Commission of the Human Rights and other related bodies.

"At a time when the UN called for the allocation of 0.7 percent of each country's Gross National Product (GNP) for the foreign assistances, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has offered 4 percent of its GNP or $ 76 billion during the last 20 years or $3.7 billion annually -- which is the highest rate in the world at the level of GNP," Prince Dr. Turki Ibn Mohammad said.

He stressed that the reform and development can not be brought about unless an environment is built which is dominated by stability, security and peace. "However, the Middle East lacks all these elements in the present time, therefore the priority should be to achieve these important elements through solving the pending issues which are essential for the progress to achieve the reforms in the region and to avoid the absolute mandatory policy and instead to focus on cooperation to achieve the hopes of the region."

He said that the region is witnessing the continuous Israeli occupation and the violation of the Palestinian and Syrian human rights, noting that the Israeli violations of the human rights have been on the agenda of the conference since the previous meeting.

Prince Dr. Turki Ibn Mohammad said "We should not be disappointed by all these problems in order to achieve the noble goals of this committee and the Commission in a way to ensure the rights and justice as well as to avoid the double-standards and politicizing this important issue."

Prince Turki Ibn Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Kabeer, Assistant Deputy Minister for Political Affairs and Head of the International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, said despite the optimism concerning a better future for mankind, a bright future in which the principles of law would predominate and the cultures and traditions of peoples would be respected, experience indicated that it was hard to transform such dreams into realities.

Tremendous efforts had been made by the United Nations and its specialized agencies in past decades, which had been an important factor in promoting international cooperation and stability. Thus, the United Nations was urged to promote international relations based on the principles enshrined in its Charter.

The phenomenon of globalization was facing the world with immense challenges. By globalizing economics, large economies were sweeping away smaller ones; by globalizing culture and media, those of the major powers were overwhelming the cultures of developing countries; and by globalizing social life, extraneous traditions were penetrating indigenous ones. Globalization had even had an impact on democracy and human rights insofar as those claiming to be promoters of democracy and protectors of human rights were imposing different concepts and principles on societies without regard for the cultures and values that constituted the main source of their values, principles, and social fabrics. Consequently, the phenomenon needed to be adapted so that it became a tool reflecting rapprochement and natural cooperation among nations in order to achieve social justice, comprehensive development and equality between countries and expand the scope of joint action on issues such as security, peace, stability, and development throughout the world.

The threats and phenomena facing the world and requiring joint efforts included poverty, which had proliferated either due to environmental causes or as a result of the inability to confront challenges of international competition in various fields due to constantly increasing globalization. The accumulation of problems and concerns should not however frustrate the pursuit of the objectives and principles for which this Commission was created, and the post of the High Commissioner which was established in order to preserve these rights, ensure justice and avoid double standards and politicization of this important subject.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a Shoura member, criticized Washington's move to impose cultural or political styles on Arab countries. He said the move runs counter to the very principles of human rights. "Any reformatory act should come from the deep-rooted values of each society," he said.

Addressing a seminar attended by the heads and members of parliamentary human rights committees in Geneva, he called for global cooperation to fight terrorism, "which not only threatens material achievements, but also the human and ethical values advocated by various religions."

The issue of human rights has an ethical dimension. "Any country, even if it enjoys military, economic, scientific and strategic strength, has no right to undermine the rights of other countries or attack them under the pretext of protecting national, economic or strategic interests," he told the seminar organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Dr Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, member of the Cultural and Information Affairs Committee of the Saudi Shoura (consultative) Council, has underlined the importance of global cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Addressing the seminar of heads and members of parliamentary human rights committees, organized by the International Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dr Al-Ghamdi said terrorism does not only threaten material achievements, but also the human and ethical values advocated by various religions.

Drawing attention to the importance of taking into account special characteristics of various societies, Dr Al-Ghamdi criticized the phenomenon of imposing certain cultural or political styles, and said this phenomenon runs counter to the principles of human rights. 'Any reformatory act should be stemmed from the deep-rooted values of each society', he said.

Dr Al-Ghamdi pointed out that the issue of human rights has an ethical and not an ideological dimension.

'Any country, even if it enjoys military, economic, scientific and strategic strength, has no right to undermine the rights of other countries or to launch aggression against them under the pretext of protecting national, economic or strategic interests', he elaborated .

Dr Al-Ghamdi called for understanding religious and cultural values of other nations.

It is worth mentioning that the Saudi delegation to the seminar is led by Dr Zuheir Suba'ei, the member of the Islamic Affairs and Human Rights Committee at the Shoura.

Meanwhile Saudi Representative at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Abdul Wahab Abdul Salam Attar has said he hopes the peace process in the Middle East will enable the Palestinian people to gain their rights adding that the question of Palestine is still a major source of concern to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group during a meeting in Geneva by the commission on the right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien occupation and the state in Palestine and Arab occupied territories, Dr. Attar added that one had hoped that the resolutions adopted by the Commission on that Palestinian question would mitigate the horrific suffering to which the Palestinian people were subjected.

He stated that the Israeli occupation had deprived the people of Palestine of the most basic internationally recognized right to establish their independent State with Al Quds as their capital.

Dr. Attar said that the Wall that Israel was currently building was a separation Wall of racial segregation that further complicated the issue that had been extensively discussed in the Commission and other international fora for many decades.

He condemned the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, which was a violation of the rights of the Palestinian people, disregarding international norms, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Those violations had been aggravated by the building of a separation Wall, which was a real Wall of racial segregation, he noted adding it also had hindered the creation of a Palestinian State with Al Quds as its capital.

The peace initiative launched by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, in Beirut in 2002, and adopted by the Arab summit, showed that there existed a sincere will to resolve the conflict. Israel had so far rejected all peaceful initiatives to overcome the problem, which was deplorable, Dr. Attar said.

The "Wall" that Israel was currently building for purposes of racial segregation, on Palestinian land that was manifestly usurped by force, clearly illustrated not only the extent of the violations committed by Israel but also its expansionist intentions, he said.

The Wall was also further complicating the question that had been extensively discussed in the Commission and other international fora for many decades, he stated.

Israel was attempting to deprive the Palestinian people of their right to exercise self-determination and establish their independent State by implementing its unilateral segregation plan on the basis of the borders demarcated by the separation Wall, which was being built deep inside Palestinian territory, he said.

However, neither Israel's attempts to disregard UN resolutions and the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Conventions, nor its ongoing murder of innocent civilians, would induce the Palestinian people to relinquish their right to establish their sovereign independent State, he concluded.

On behalf of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Assir Region, Prince Faisal Ibn Khalid Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Governor of Assir Region and Chairman of the Tourism Promotion Committee, opened a symposium held under the theme "Tourism and Globalization", organized by the Tourism Higher Authority (THA) in cooperation with Abha-based Prince Sultan college for tourism and hotel sciences.

Prince Sultan Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Secretary General of the THA was also present at the opening ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, Prince Saud Ibn Khalid, Chairman of the Council of Trustees of the college, said the number of tourists in the world is expected to jump from 697 million to one billion by 2010, bringing to 12% tourism's contribution to the world national product. He said tourism is also expected to create more than 150 million jobs in the world by 2006.

The seminar on "Tourism and Globalization" began its deliberations in Abha.

It is organized by the Higher Tourism Commission in cooperation with Prince Sultan College for Tourism Sciences and Hotel Management. Addressing the seminar's inaugural session, Prince Bandar Ibn Saud Ibn Khaled, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Prince Sultan College for Tourism and Hotel Management, said the future of tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 'promising and bright'.

He highlighted the significant role being played by the Higher Tourism Commission in implementing projects of sustainable tourism.

On his part, Prince Sultan Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Secretary General of the Higher Tourism Commission, delivered a working paper on the impact of globalization on tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He pointed out that tourism and globalization have common grounds in the spheres of economy, culture, environment, data and information. 'We should never be afraid of the phenomenon of globalization; on the contrary we should open our doors wide for others so as to enable them to get acquainted with our country, values, behavior as well as our development and our way of Islamic life', he said. "Moreover, we give first priority to Saudi tourists and then look for non-Saudi tourists," he added.

Citing the tourism strategy, Prince Sultan Ibn Salman said tourism is an economic industry. "we have explored international experiences in the field of tourism in 45 countries."

Prince Sultan Ibn Salman pointed out that globalization has gained a position of status quo, and so it should never be viewed with an skeptical perspective, adding that 'globalizations is not entirely a good thing, and at the same time it is not entirely a bad thing'.

Prince Sultan Ibn Salman said globalization positively contributes to boosting local economies, diversification of economic sectors, and preservation of the national culture.

'So we must benefit from advantages of globalization and avoid its disadvantages', he noted.

A number of other working papers were delivered at the seminar. They included 'Tourism and Globalization', by Dr Abdul Aziz Daghsitani, the former member of the Shoura (consultative council); 'tourism And International Marketing,' by Eng. Abdullah Al-Juhani, the Director General of Publicity and Marketing Programs at the Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAA); 'the Psychological Impact Of Globalization On Tourism Marketing And Promotion,' by Dr Fayez Al-haj from King Khalid University; 'the Future Of Tourism In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia,' by Dr Mohammed Saadi from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals; and 'the Administrative And Information Dimensions Of Tourism Under Globalization' by Mohammed Mubarak, the Advisor at the Madinah-based King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex.

The Council of Ministers' approval of a national tourism development strategy is a historic decision that will lead to the emergence of an organized tourism sector within five years, says Prince Sultan Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT).

"We are speaking about 1.5 to 2.3 million jobs over the next 20 years," he said in an interview with the Arabic Daily "OKAZ."

"The government will be the main strategy implementation player in the first five years whereby the sector will be restructured with new rules to set up professional and commercial tourism businesses, forge new partnerships and launch tourism programs."

"The greatest challenge for us is the citizens who spend billions of riyals abroad yearly," he says. Some 4.5 million Saudi tourists vacation yearly and to encourage them to vacation within Saudi Arabia, extraordinary tourism programs will be developed, he says, for both the youth and the family.

"Heritage and cultural tourism and religious tourism will be the other areas of value-for-money growth."

Meanwhile the head of the Supreme Commission for Tourism dismissed a US media outcry over a notice on the commission's website saying Jews are banned from Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan Ibn Salman, Secretary General of the THA, said in a statement published in Arab News advice on the THA's website that the Kingdom banned Jews from entering the country was "blown out of all proportions" by US media seeking to portray the Kingdom as anti-Semitic.

He also said the website was an experimental site launched in Dubai last year and designed by a private company.

"The website was vetted out by the company's acting marketing director, who is British, and a marketing advisor, who is Australian. Unfortunately, the media consultant is based in New York. They put out a lot of information that was not true and also not part of the Kingdom's policy," the Prince said.

"The site could have said Hindus are not allowed. We could have said Muslims from a particular area are not allowed. The website did not conform to any of our standards and was therefore unauthorized," he said.

"It is all part of a smear campaign meant to tarnish Saudi Arabia's image," he added.

At a press conference at THA headquarters, Prince Sultan also announced that a system for issuing tourist visas would be ready soon. When completed, it would enable tourists to download application forms from the Internet at www.mas.gov.sa.

Prince Sultan said the THA was coordinating its approach with the ministries of interior and foreign affairs. "We will comply with a lot of security and other concerns of different ministries. All these concerns have been addressed. We are now waiting for the government's clearance. The whole idea is to make the visa policy hassle-free," he said. But he said the main thrust of the Kingdom's tourism drive was to encourage Saudis to travel inside the Kingdom. Currently, some 4.5 million Saudis travel abroad spending an estimated $8 billion a year overseas. At least part of this spending could be tempted back into domestic tourism, leading to the creation of 1.5 to 2.3 million jobs over the next 20 years.

The Kingdom's tourism policy envisages close partnership with the private sector in the funding of projects including construction of accommodation facilities in 10,000 tourism development areas.

The commission had also reached an agreement with the Ministry of Hajj to turn Umrah agencies into tour operators. "It is a major breakthrough that would allow Umrah establishments to also engage in promoting domestic tourism after they have been pre-qualified," he said.

The Saudization of travel agencies would also go ahead, he said. The government has fixed a two-year deadline for full Saudization of front desk jobs in travel agencies. Fifty percent Saudization should be achieved by the end of this year.