The Middle East articles from April 2003

The Middle East archives from April 2003

Comment.
April 1, 2003... In the cusp of war and with the eyes of the world focussed on Doha, what a pantomime the emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in March turned out to be. How the world's media enjoyed the `joke' when Iraqi and Kuwaiti...

After Saddam a post-war Iraq: some of the pressing issues the United States will be forced to confront when it topples the regime of Saddam Hussein. Given that some measure of death and destruction is inevitable in any conflict, what kind of state might be expected to emerge from the ashes? (Current Affairs).
April 1, 2003... While the world tried hard to find a peaceful exit for the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. to spare the Gulf region a devastating war, he remained defiant. A day after Hans Blix's report to the Security Council gave more momentum to the Anglo-US...

Report from Camp Freedom: the Hungarian camp being used to train Iraqi exiles for the Free Iraqi Forces. (Hungary).
April 1, 2003... This snow-covered corner of the Hungarian plain is perhaps as unlikely a location as any to find Iraqi exiles training to assist in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Yet Taszar airbase in southwest Hungary is now Camp Freedom, training base for...

OIC meet in Doha: mudslinging dominated the OIC conference in Qatar.(Organization of the Islamic Conference)
April 1, 2003... "And thou shall take refuge in the braid of unity that god hath dangled before all of thee." The Vice-Chairman of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, Izzat Ibrahim, Al Duri quoted this verse from the holy Koran as he began his speech to a...

US concern over `nuclear threat': as tension rises over the potential nuclear capabilities of Iraq and North Korea, US worries over nuclear developments in Iran have been less publicised. (Iran).
April 1, 2003... The Russian government is helping to construct the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the south west of Iran but Washington fears that the spread of civilian nuclear technology to one of President Bush's `axis of evil' countries could encourage...

Two steps forward, three steps back: the problems of a divided Cyprus will not go away despite a groundswell of public opinion, especially in the north, that the 29-year breech must now be healed. (Cyprus).
April 1, 2003... Harold Wilson once remarked that a week is a long time in politics. These days, on Cyprus's political scene, a week can seems like an eternity. As voters in the south headed off to the polls to elect a new president--replacing Glafcos...

Horses for courses: Israel has made some interesting modifications to its military hardware. (Current Affairs).
April 1, 2003... Last summer, the Israeli army unveiled the latest addition to its military might--the Merkava Mk 4 battle tank. Given the vast sums of money spent annually by Middle Eastern countries on military hardware, such news could be classed as...

The Kurds and the coming war: there appear to be some rather serious contradictions in Washington's grand plan. One of the most puzzling of these is the Kurdish question. (Current Affairs).
April 1, 2003... US confidence that it can turn the Middle East upside down by forcing `regime change' on Iraq and then remain in control of events is a perfect example of the optimism that distinguishes the New World from the old. But even at this point, there...

Save us from fair weather friends: much feted in Washington in 2002, when President Bush was looking for allies in his war on terror, Afghan President Hamid Karzai found US priorities had changed when he visited Washington last month. (Afghanistan).
April 1, 2003... As an honoured guest at President Bush's 2002 State of the Union address to Congress, President Hamid Karzai beamed proudly from a centre stage balcony seat in the hallowed chambers of America's hall of democracy. "Afghanistan is an enduring...

The polemics of peace: Hamas has shown it has the power to sustain violence but might its influence be used to attain peace? (Palestine).
April 1, 2003... In the 19th century, American gun manufacturer Colt produced a .45 millimetre handgun, which became affectionately known as the Peacemaker. An ironic title for a weapon designed to kill, perhaps, but cognisant of the fact that he who possesses...

Oman is different: celebrating the distinct character of the sultanate of Oman the country's centre for investment, promotion and export development boasts that "Oman is different." In reality Oman is unique. (Special Report).
April 1, 2003... The prospect of conflict in Iraq and what will follow it hangs like a spectre over the Gulf, as it does the rest of the world. Oman's Minister of Information Hamed Al Rashidi told The Middle East late last year that while hoping for the best,...

The monetary costs of a new Gulf War: the global economy will be rocked by soaring fuel prices, severe recession and market turmoil if the United States Iraqi policy backfires. (Gulf War).
April 1, 2003... The pending Iraqi conflict and the wider war against terrorism have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the US and by extension the global economy in the post 11 September environment. The Yom Kippur War (1973/74), the Iranian revolution...

IT services hold key to growth of Middle East technology sector.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * New figures for the year 2002 show European computer vendor Fujitsu-Siemens Computers (FSC) continued its drive into the Middle Eastern Information Technology (IT) market with an overall growth of 53% in 2002, recording the biggest gains in...

Change in the air: the Arab insurance industry is in turmoil torn between demands to maintain Islamic strictures on risk coverage, and pressure from the World Trade Organisation to open the potentially lucrative sector to global competition. At stake is the future shape of a multi-billion dollar industry. (Business & Finance).
April 1, 2003... At first, it seems a simple matter: You can buy most kinds of insurance in any Arab country, whether it is life insurance in Morocco, car insurance in Egypt, health insurance in Saudi Arabia, or commercial policies in the UAE. But the choices...

New hotel developments in Middle East total $15bn.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Major expansion in the Middle East hotel industry will see an estimated $15bn invested in up to 220 new hotel projects. The UAE leads the way with 67 new hotels planned within the next few years, followed by Egypt with 39, Saudi Arabia 22,...

Emaar's profits up 51%.(Emaar Properties)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Real estate developer Emaar Properties recorded annual profits of Dh 517m for 2002 compared to Dh 342m in 2001, a 51% growth. The financial results include the results of all its subsidiaries.

LG records 21% increase in Middle East turnover.(LG Electronics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * LG Electronics' turnover throughout the Middle East and Africa reached $1.15bn in 2002, 21% up on figures for 2001. LG's biggest selling regional markets last year were Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Surviving the global downturn: Moin A. Siddiqi reviews the performance of the region's banking institutions. (Arab Banking Report).
April 1, 2003... The major Arab banking groups recorded decent if not spectacular results in 2002 despite the global economic slowdown of the past two years, declining net interest income thanks to lower US interest rates and rising geopolitical uncertainties...

Sabic contracts Triconex for JUPC control systems development.(Jubail United Petrochemical)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Triconex, a supplier of products, systems and services for safety, has received contracts from Jubail United Petrochemicalof Saudi Arabia, to provide critical safety and turbomachinery control systems at the company's new Al-Jubail plant.

Libya and FAO collaborate on $21m food security project.(United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Agreements to finance agricultural projects in Sahelian and Saharan countries totalling more than $21 m were signed between Libya and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Turkish construction firm commissioned to build Wihdeh dam.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Turkey's Ozaltin Construction Company has been selected by the Jordanian government to build the long-delayed Wihdeh dam on the Yarmouk River. The $85m project will establish a 600-metre-long dam along the Jordanian-Syrian border.

NBD's net profits up 25%.(National Bank of Dubai)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The National Bank of Dubai recorded a 25% net profit increase in 2002 to Dh569m ($154.9m). As a result, earnings per share were Dh 5.24 compared to Dh 4.15 last year.

Higher oil prices drive strong liquidity growth in GCC.(Gulf Cooperation Council )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are earning an additional $246m a day as a result of higher oil prices, compared with February 2002. Higher oil prices are driving strong liquidity growth in GCC states for the second year running.

Turkish-Greek pipeline deal links Caspian producers to European markets.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The Turkish government has signed a $265m natural gas deal with Greece. The two sides have agreed to jointly construct a pipeline linking natural gas producers from the Caspian region with European Union states.

$80m BMA bond oversubscribed three times over.(Bahrain Monetary Agency)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * An $80m issue of Government Islamic leasing bonds, made by the Bahrain Monetary Agency, (BMA) has been oversubscribed by more than three times. On the bond's closing date, BMA had received tenders worth $255.8m for the issue of Ijara sukuk...

NGI posts 31% increase in net profit.(National General Insurance)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The Dubai-based National General Insurance (NGI), a leading provider of general and health insurance, has achieved a net profit of Dh8.97m ($2.44m,) in 2002 against Dh6.85m for the year 2001, representing a 31% increase.

Egypt's NSGB posts 16% net profit rise in 2002.(National Societe Generale Bank )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Egypt's third largest private bank, National Societe Generale Bank (NSBG) reported a net profit of 165.35m Egyptian pounds ([pounds sterling] E) ($30.09m), representing a 16.3% rise of the bank's 2001 bottom line, which stood at E142.10...

Q-Tel's revenues up 12% in 2002.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Qatar Telecom recorded a 12% revenue increase for the 12 months to end December 2002, from 153.7m Qatari Riyals (QR) in 2001 to QR 172m, representing the highest revenue increase of any previous year. Net Profit for the year rose to QR 956m...

Ericsson wins GSM expansion contract in Algeria.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Algerie Telecom has selected Sweden's Ericsson to install its second GSM network. The $162.3m contract will establish 700,000 lines, providing services to 12 of Algeria's 48 provinces

GCC e-Banking adoption rates over 40%.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * At the end of 2002 there were just under three million regular online banking users in the Middle East. While online banking in the region had been slow to take root, the number of banks providing online services has tripled in the past year....

Privatisation programme lumbers slowly on: Egypt's privatisation programme, initiated in 1991, aimed at the privatisation of over 300 public sector firms. Simon Brindle reports from Cairo on the achievements and impact of a decade of privatisation and the road ahead. (Egypt).
April 1, 2003... Following the revolution of 1952, the Egyptian government began to play a more active role in the country's economy. Beginning with the establishment of iron and steel, cement and construction companies and the nationalisation of the Suez Canal...

IFC invests $5m in Egyptian agriculture group.(International Finance Corporation )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * The International Finance Corporation will lend up to five million dollars to Egypt's Sekem Group to expand the production of organically produced pharmaceutical products, fruits, vegetables, and textiles.

ABB to upgrade Abu Dhabi water supply system.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Swiss technology group ABB has won a $27m order to provide electrical and control equipment for a project to increase Abu Dhabi's water supply. ABB will provide electrical systems and components for two pumping stations and a new water...

Ahead of market liberalisation, Batelco's net profit rises 9%.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * With mobile competitors just months away from entering the market and the potential for conflict in the region on the horizon, Bahrain's Telecommunications company (Batelco), returned a set of robust financial results. Batelco's total revenue...

Volvo and DaimlerChrysler Middle East car sales up in 2002.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Volvo Car Overseas recorded 22% additional registrations in 2002 compared to 2001 with 1,358 cars being sold in Gulf Cooperation Council markets. Last year's sales increase builds upon the 10% increase achieved in 2001 over 2000. ...

Saudi health care industry gets $6.19bn budget boost.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Health and social care was once again one of the largest beneficiaries of the 2003 Saudi Arabian state budget, receiving $6.19bn in funding. The industry records a growth of 3% per annum, a figure sure to rise as millions of foreign workers...

Rivers of Babylon: few Middle Eastern communities can boast a longer continuous pedigree than the Jews of Iraq. (Mosaic).
April 1, 2003... The very concept of Diaspora was probably born in Mesopotamia, or present day Iraq. For according to the Bible, in the winter of 597 BC the mighty Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Ancient Kingdom of Judah and transported their...

An artist signs off ... Adel Darwish says goodbye to friend and former colleague, the journalist and cartoonist Mahmoud Kahil. (Mosaic).
April 1, 2003... A few months before he won the Democratic Party nomination for the 1992 presidential election, Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas was given a cartoon that had been published in the Saudi daily Arab News a few days earlier. It depicted the...

The disappearing culture of the Imazighen: as Tunisia moves forward with its impressive programme of social and economic development, historians feel a vital part of the country's heritage is on the cusp of being lost forever. (Heritage).
April 1, 2003... Tunisia once belonged to the Berbers, but over 1,300 years after the Arab conquest of North Africa most of them have assimilated into Arab culture and barely 1% of the population of 10m still speaks the language or regards itself as Berber. In...

Iraq: a Report from the Inside.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Dilip Hiro published by Granta books ISBN price 7.99 [pounds sterling] paperback This book claims to tell you everything you need to know about Iraq today. George W. Bush could succeed where Osama bin Laden failed in provoking a clash...

The Middle East Enters the Twenty-First Century.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Edited by Robert O. Freedman published by the University Press of Florida ISBN 0 8130 2575 3 price $29.95 paperback Succinctly laying out the problems and prospects for the Middle East in the new century, this book analyses the impact of...

Yemen: Land and People.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Sarah Searight, with photographs by Jane Taylor Published by Pallas Athene ISBN 1 874329 82 7 price 19.99 [pounds sterling] paperback The aim of this account of Yemen is to introduce newcomers succinctly to the history and scenery of one...

Islam Explained.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Tahar Ben Jelloun published by The New Press ISBN 1 56584 781 4 price 9.95 [pounds sterling] hardback In this book, Tahar Ben Jelloun seeks to counter the cultural ignorance that has fuelled tension and warfare both before and after 11...

Jordan: a Hashemite Legacy.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Beverly Milton-Edwards and Peter Hinchcliffe published by Routledge ISBN 0 415 26726 9 price 50.00 [pounds sterling] hardback Jordan lies in the heartland of the Arab world. It is both geographically and demographically small, with...

Palestine and International Law: Essays on Politics and Economics.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Edited By Sanford R Silverburg Published by Mcfarland & Company, Inc ISBN 0 7864 1191 0 price 61.75 [pounds sterling] hardback Conflict in any of its forms is a regular component of human behavioural interaction, whether it occurs between...

The Other Israel.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... Edited by Roane Carey and Jonathan Shainin published by The New Press ISBN 1 56584 789 x price $22.95 hardback In the wake of the failed talks at Camp David and the outbreak of the second Intifada, Israel's frustrated citizens turned to...

Tinderbox: US Foreign Policy and the Roots of Terrorism.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Stephen Zunes published by Zed Books ISBN 184277 259 7 price 9.99 [pounds sterling] paperback This book explains the tragedy of US policy in the Middle East. Professor Zunes powerfully illustrates how the more the United States has...

Dr Kazuki Itaya from the World Bank. (The Last Word).
April 1, 2003... The failure of the peace process and Israel's destruction of the Palestinian economy have had a devastating effect on the population of the West Bank and Gaza. United Nations Relief and Works Agency commissioner general, Peter Hansen, said that...