The Middle East articles from August 2003

The Middle East archives from August 2003

Comment.(opposition to Iraq War)(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... They thought it was going to be easy but they couldn't have been more wrong. The popularity of US President George Bush has taken a hammering over Iraq and, as the death toll of American troops on active service there continues to rise, so the...

US extends 'imperial perimeter' in the Middle East: the Bush administration's conquest of Iraq, the first state of any significance to be occupied by the United States since World War II, places it firmly as a military force in the Middle East. (Current Affairs)(Cover Story).
August 1, 2003... The admission, presumably not accidental, by the Deputy Secretary of Defence, Paul Wolfowitz, that eradicating Saddam Hussein's illusory arsenal of weapons of mass destruction was not the real reason the Americans invaded Iraq in March is...

Iraq: a "quota" Council: the United States has announced the members of a new Iraqi governing council which aims to take account of all ethnic and religious divides. Miriam Shahin reports from Baghdad. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... Almost 50 years after Iraq rid itself of monarchical rule the Americans have imposed a Yugoslavian-style leadership that is likely to increase ethnic and religious divisions as it attempts to introduce democratic values and rules. ...

Kuwait: Kuwait goes to the polls: the Kuwaiti elections threw up some interesting candidates and a host of political conundrums. Adel Darwish reports from Kuwait City. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... When Kuwaitis went to the polls in July to elect their 10th parliament since independence from Britain in 1961, Dr Rola Dashti joined scores of other women to cast her vote in a 'shadow' poll organised by the Kuwaiti Journalists Association....

Afghanistan: the aftermath of regime change: Iraqis worried about the future of their country cannot be encouraged by what they see in Afghanistan, America's first effort at nation-building in the Islamic world. Eighteen months after regime change, Afghanistan is still teetering on the edge of collapse. Giles Trendle reports from Kabul. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... The destroyed ruin of the Russian cultural centre building in Kabul is home to some 140 families who have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries since the overthrow of the Taliban regime at the end of 2001. In the forecourt of...

Kurdistan: the wages of fear: Kurds are returning to their liberated villages but before normality is achieved millions of landmines will have to be cleared. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... "The war continues for us, our enemy left behind a different enemy when he left our territory", says the mayor of Chwarta, a small town north of Suleimania, in Iraqi Kurdistan. The "enemy" was Iraq and later Iran, and the "enemy they left...

Iraq: the Awdah threat: although the US war on Iraq was declared over by President Bush months ago there are new signs that forces resentful of the American presence in the country, the Awdah also known as 'The Return' are increasing the pressure and the anti-US violence. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... American soldiers are dying at the rate of one or two a day in Iraq and the US administration has been forced to acknowledged that it is engaged in an increasingly dangerous guerilla war. This admission comes some three months after President...

Israel: peace at a price: this interview speaks volumes about how Israeli 'officialdom' really feels and why peace will remain impossible for Palestinians to accept on such terms. If anything, the Israelis are strengthening Arafat's position by this intransigence. Larry Luxner reports from Washington. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... Israel's ambassador in Washington believes there can be peace between Israelis and Palestinians but the peace he advocates hinges on the Palestinians making no demands and the Israelis making no concessions. Is the Intifada over? Is peace...

Regional: securing the sea-lanes: the Arabian Sea has become a dangerous arena for Asian conflicts that could threaten oil routes. (Current Affairs).
August 1, 2003... With US forces firmly established in Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, and NATO moving ever eastwards towards Russia's western border, the Russian Navy and several of Moscow's strategic bombers were in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal...

Bush & Blair scramble for oil: despite protestations to the contrary, evidence is mounting that the US and Britain are resolved to push ahead with securing future oil supplies by any means. (Business & Finance).
August 1, 2003... Those two indefatigable allies in the invasion and conquest of Iraq, US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, may have succeeded in linking that conflict with "the war on terrorism,"--at least in the eyes of many...

Assad cautiously steps towards economic reform in Syria.(Syrian President Bashar Al Assad)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's gradual economic reform programme has taken on renewed vigour with the coming into force of several decrees, effectively easing state control over the country's stagnated economy.

US to provide Palestinians with $ 30m quick impact aid package.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The US Government has announced plans for the disbursement of a $30m Palestinian aid package through the United States Agency for International Development West Bank and Gaza Mission (USAID/WBG).

Tunisia's datacomm market on the verge of liberalisation.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Tunisia's datacomm sector, which is the most advanced in the Maghreb, is set for liberalisation in 2004. Moreover, a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) tender is ongoing which will result in ending Tunisie Telecom's VSAT monopoly. In 1991,...

Iraq to spend over $6bn on IT development.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Iraq is expected spend around 8% of its gross national product on ICT-related development projects annually between 2003 and 2008. This ratio will be fuelled by Iraq's need to re-build from scratch an infrastructure heavily damaged by the...

IT outsourcing new growth area for vendors in UAE market.(The United Arab Emirates)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The United Arab Emirates (UAE) outsourcing market is increasing sharply and will continue to enjoy a double-digit growth over the next few years. The overall value of the UAE IT services market reached $234.3m in 2002.

Riyad Bank posts SR875m profit for first half 2003.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Riyad Bank recorded a net profit of SR875m in the first half of 2003, an increase of 15% over last year. The return on equity grew from 18.24% to 19.87% and return on assets, from 2.26% to 2.57%.

Qatar establishing new connections: Dr Nasser Marafih, CEO of the Qatar Telecom Company (Qtel) explains why when other telecommunications companies shares have plummeted, since 2000 Qtel's are up 81% since 1999. (Interview).(Interview)
August 1, 2003... TME: 2002 proved an excellent year for Qtel how do you explain the company's strong performance? NM: Qtel is very focused on its business so actually it is not a surprise that we have achieved these results. We spend a great deal of time...

Turkey: privatisation programme hits snags: a row between the government and one of Turkey's leading business families looks like putting the progress of privatisation in peril. Jon Gorvett reports from Istanbul. (Business & Finance).
August 1, 2003... Turkey's privatisation campaign has never been exactly famous for its smooth running successes. Unfortunately, in this, the recent sell off of state petrochemicals giant Petkim has proved to be no exception. Falling foul of a major bout of...

EIB lends $16m for Moroccan port infrastructure.(European Investment Bank )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing $16m to Morocco for the repair and upgrading of breakwaters and quays at five of the country's ports: Tangiers, Larache, El Jadida, Essaouira and Sidi Ifni.

IMPCO forms joint venture with alternative fuels company in Egypt.(IMPCO Technologies, Inc)
August 1, 2003... * US-based IMPCO Technologies, Inc. has signed a joint venture agreement with Egyptian alternative fuels company AFG s.a.e. The joint venture, IMPCO Egypt s.a.e headquartered in Cairo, will focus on the development and sales of IMPCO product...

JKB posts 43% net profit increase in first half 2003.(Jordan Kuwait Bank)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Jordan Kuwait Bank reported net profits of $11.2m for the first half of 2003, a 43.%increase compared to the same period last year. The Bank posted 26.5% return on shareholders' equity and 2.49% return on assets.

Maghreb: hands across the Sahara: the Arab states of North Africa which, in modern times have traditionally looked chiefly towards the west for trading partners, are beginning to spread their nets somewhat wider. (Business & Finance).
August 1, 2003... At one time, the construction of a gas pipeline across the Sahara would have been considered the fantasy of a madman. Yet while the planned Trans Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) between Nigeria and Algeria may not actually come into being, the fact...

Saudi British Bank distributes $ 100m as gross interim dividend.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Board of the Saudi British Bank (SABB) announced the distribution of a net interim dividend of nine Saudi riyals per share after deduction of Zakat. The $100m as gross interim dividend represents an increase of 12.5% over the same period...

BMA cooperates with London Metal Exchange to promote Islamic financial transactions.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Bahrain Monetary Agency and the London Metal Exchange have entered into a cooperation agreement that will assist the BMA to develop contracts and documents that could be used by Islamic financial institutions for conducting transactions...

New $3m bid for MBSC.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * A group of Egyptian and foreign investors has appointed investment bank EFG-Hermes to advise it on the acquisition of up to 100%, with a minimum of 51%, of Misr Beni Suer Cement (MBSC) shares through a tender offer at a price of three dollars...

IFC invests $15m in Jordan's pharmaceutical sector.(International Finance Corporation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, signed an agreement to provide a $15m corporate loan to support the expansion of the Hikma Group, a Jordanian headquartered multinational pharmaceutical...

Massive superhighway projects fast-track foreign firms to Gulf.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * A new technique for line-marking roads, which saves time and is particularly environmentally friendly, is about to be introduced to the Middle East as the region prepares to spend billions of dollars on expressways and improved traffic...

Renewable power use to double as GCC faces $150bn energy bill.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Middle East and North African (MENA) countries, facing power generation bills that will top $150bn over the next 20 years in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) area alone, are increasingly investing in new and renewable energy sources to...

Middle East: a smoke-free Arabia? Long regarded as a smoker's heaven, the Middle East is finally facing up to the long-term costs of cigarette smoking. (Business & Finance).
August 1, 2003... From Casablanca to Dubai, Arab governments are beginning to adopt stringent new rules to limit and discourage cigarette smoking. It has not been an easy decision. Many of those governments earn vast profits from government tobacco monopolies....

Middle East consumers show preference for credit over cash.(Middle East Visa)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Middle East Visa transactions rose by 25% in the first quarter of 2003 to 11 m from 8.8m in the first quarter of 2002. For the total 12-month period ending 31 March, 2003, transactions totalled 186m compared to 140m for the same period in...

JKB posts 43% net profit increase in first half 2003.(Jordan Kuwait Bank)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Jordan Kuwait Bank reported net profits of $11.2m for the first half of 2003, a 43. 1% increase compared to the same period last year. The Bank posted 26.5% return on shareholders' equity and 2.49% return on assets.

Emirates Bank extends $63m loan to the Dubai Shipping Company.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Emirates Bank International has concluded a specialised shipping finance loan facility with the Dubai Shipping Company. The long-term loan will finance up to $63m of the cost of acquisition of two high specification double-hulled tankers.

Amiantit wins $50m water management contract in Romania.(Saudi Arabian Amiantit)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Saudi Arabian Amiantit is the leader of a consortium that has won the international tender for a water management project in Romania worth over SR180m. This project will be financed by a number of international institutions.

World Bank grants Morocco $25m loan for rural development.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * With the aim of fighting poverty in Morocco's drought-stricken and remote communities, the World Bank has signed a $25m loan to support the government of Morocco's recently adopted 2020 Rural Development Strategy.

Dubai Duty Free named fifth largest operation in the world.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Dubai Duty Free joined the industry big league when new statistics issued by Generation Group confirmed that the operation, which recorded sales of Dh1.1bn in 2002, is now the fifth largest duty free operation in the world in terms of...

SABIC's net profits up 29% in second quarter 2003.(Saudi Basic Industries Corporation )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation reported SR 179.4m ($478.4m) in net profits for the second quarter of 2003, compared to SR 139.6m in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 29%.

IFC makes first investment in Turkey's health sector.(International Finance Corportation)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The International Finance Corporation has signed an $11m loan agreement with the MESA Group to finance the construction and commissioning of a private hospital in Ankara. The total cost of the project is estimated at $45m.

US-Australian firm to bid for Iraqi oil infrastructure contracts.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Parsons Worley Team, a US-Australian venture will submit a proposal to the US Army Corps of Engineers to repair and restore Iraq's oil infrastructure. Parsons has been working continuously in the Middle East on oil and infrastructure...

Saudi Arabia: what future for the $25bn gas deal? The Saudi Gas Initiative, promulgated five years ago, the symbol of the kingdom's economic reform strategy aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into the non-oil economy, has collapsed. But the ambitious initiative now looks likely to survive in a different form. (Business & Finance).
August 1, 2003... The $25bn flagship project, brainchild of Crown Prince Abdullah, was conceived in August of 1998, when government finances were low, as oil prices fell to $10 a barrel. The underlying aims were to allow western energy giants to develop huge...

UAE: Thames Water flows to Gulf.(United Arab Emirates)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Thames Water, the world's third largest water business, has launched its first project in partnership with the government of Ajman and two other private sector developers in a contract spanning over 27 years. The deal sees Thames Water take a...

Libya acquires former Israeli stake in MIDOR.(Middle East Oil Refinery)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Libyan government has purchased the 39% formerly held by Israeli companies in Egypt's Middle East Oil Refinery for $430m. The Libyan government bought the shares from the state-owned National Bank of Egypt.

Technip-Coflexip wins subsea development contract for Egyptian offshore gas fields.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Technip-Coflexip has been awarded a Procurement, Installation and Commissioning (EPIC) contract worth about $300m for the subsea development of the Simian/Sienna gas fields offshore Egypt by the Burullus Gas Company.

ENOC starts work on $30m bulk liquid storage terminal in Djibouti.(Emirates National Oil and Dubai Ports International)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Work on phase one of a $30m bulk liquid storage terminal at the Djibouti port of Doraleh has been started by Emirates National Oil and Dubai Ports International. Dubai Ports will commission a study to design a $300m mega container port and...

Saudi firm signs $170m power plant contract.(Saudi Petrochemical Company)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Saudi Petrochemical Company (Sadaf) has signed a deal worth $170m for the construction of its own power generation plant. Sadaf, a joint venture between Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and Pecten Arabian Company, an affiliate...

Qatar: reaping the rewards of a gas bonanza: already the world's most buoyant economy, Qatar continues to go from strength to strength underpinned by the potential of its vast oil reserves. (BUsiness & Finance).
August 1, 2003... At one stage during the mid-1990s, the Qatari economic success story looked like being undermined by falling oil production and low world oil prices. Yet GDP rose rapidly during the years 1998-2000, putting the country back on track and...

GE wins $1bn engine and service deal from Emirates.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * GE Aircraft Engines and Emirates, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s national airline, have signed a combined spare engine sales and service programme agreement valued at $1bn. GE's engine and service contract will support Emirates new fleet of...

Jordan Tourism Board launches new sales drive across Gulf.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), the kingdom's official marketing organisation, has launched a new sales drive and communications campaign to promote Jordan as a leisure, business and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE)...

Gulf Air debuts self check-in kiosks in the Middle East.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... * Gulf Air has become the first Middle East airline to empower passengers to go through the check-in phase all by themselves and even assign their own seats. Through a combination of Amadeus and IBM technology, Gulf Air has introduced...

In the steps of the pharaohs: an exhibition celebrating the influences of the Ancient Egyptians on the modern day perfume industry is attracting international visitors to the French Provencal town of Grasse. Former president of the British Perfumers' Society, Rhona Wells, reveals how knowledge amassed in Egypt 5,000 years ago remains alive in the 21st century fragrance industry. (Mosaic).
August 1, 2003... Perfume, translated from the Latin per fumum (through smoke) has been in our lives for more than 5,000 years. Ancient civilisations believed that burning incense connected humans with deities in the heavens and was considered to be an act...

Dead Sea under threat: the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. The largest natural spa in the world--everybody can float in its salt and mineral rich waters--Aristotle praised its remarkable properties.
August 1, 2003... Dead Sea under threat: the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. The largest natural spa in the world--everybody can float in its salt and mineral rich waters--Aristotle praised its remarkable properties. Cleopatra extolled its medicinal and...

Cheaper water in the Middle East? (Mosaic).
August 1, 2003... According to Professor Tony Allan, a leading Middle East water expert and lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, great strides have been made in the desalination industry over the last two years. Once viewed as...

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By the journalists of Reuters published by Pearson Education and Reuters ISBN 0 13 100150 7 price 19.99 [pounds sterling] hardback After more than half a century of warfare and human suffering, a peace settlement in the Middle East appears...

Bush at War.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By Bob Woodward published by Pocket Books iSBN 0 7434 6107 x price 8.99 [pounds sterling] paperback Bob Woodward tells the behind-the-scenes story of how President George W. Bush and his top national security advisers led the US to war in...

Risky Business: Corruption, Fraud Terrorism and Other Threats to Global Business.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By Stuart Poole-Robb and Alan Bailey published by Kogan Page ISBN 0 7494 4031 7 price 16.99 [pounds sterling] paperback The terrorist outrages of 11 September 2001 and the rapid collapse of Enron both highlight the uncomfortable fact that...

Early the Future of Oil as a Source of Energy.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... Published by The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research iSBN 9948 00 009 9 price 18.99 [pounds sterling] What is the future of oil as a primary source of energy? This question assumes paramount importance not only for the oil...

Al Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By Jason Burke published by IB TAURIS ISBN 1.85043 396 8 price 18.95 [pounds sterling] hardback Al Qaeda is now the most over-used and misunderstood word in the media--a term imposed on a wide variety of Islamist groups by the FBI in the...

Persian Painting: Kalila and Dimna Manuscripts of the Late 14th Century.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By Bernard O'Kane published by IB TAURIS ISBN 1 86064 852 5 price 45.00 [pounds sterling] hardback Kalila and Dimna or The Fables of Bidpai is one of the literary gems of world culture, having been translated through the centuries...

Arafat: the Biography.(Book Review)
August 1, 2003... By Andrew Gowers and Tony Walker published by Virgin books iSBN 1 85227 924 9 price $25.00 hardback It is over 30 years since Yasser Arafat swept onto the world stage as leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, a machine gun in one...

An example to us all: the Iranian conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani left more behind than a contribution to medical science. (The Last Word).
August 1, 2003... While to friends and family who loved them the grief is still painful and sharp, to those of us who didn't know Ladan and Laleh Bijani, the deaths of the Iranian conjoined sisters in July are already slipping into historic memory. Yet the...