Tuesday, 24 April 2007
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
KIDNEY failure continues to increase as a phenomenon all over the world, and Saudi Arabia is no different. Almost 3,000 people in the Kingdom alone need a transplant of a healthy kidney in order to live.
However, a health official says a Fatwa (verdict) is needed that would allow doctors to use the body parts of dead patient or a brain dead one.
Faisal A. Shaheen, director-general of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, said that issuing such a decision would largely help the Kingdom's government reduce the long waiting list for kidney transplants.
He said that there are almost 450 confirmed brain dead cases in Saudi hospitals.
Issuing a Fatwa would provide as many as 450 hearts and livers in good enough shape for transplant. It could also provide 900 kidneys, more than a third of the current waiting list.
Currently, the Ministry of Health spends almost SR1 billion annually on renal patients inside its hospitals. Each patient costs the government almost SR100,000 a year.
"It will also help in putting an end to the accumulation of the cases inside Saudi hospitals that cost the country a huge amount of money and effort," he said.
The Saudi community lacks awareness of the importance of organ donation, Shaheen said.
In contrast, in the West doctors are even entitled to use the body parts of a deceased donor immediately after his death, without consulting the family, if he elects to become a donor.
There are three million donor cards in Saudi Arabia, but these cannot be used without family's permission of the deceased.
"Here, and according to Shariah, permission of close relatives should be obtained before the use of any body part," he said.
The Saudi Commission of Senior Ulama (scholars) recently permitted tissue and organ transplantation from both living donors and cadavers. The decision marked a new era in organ transplantation in the Kingdom; however, with no crystal-clear Fatwa urging people to donate, the decision has been interpreted in many different ways.
In October 2006, a law was passed in Saudi Arabia to allow and compensate unrelated donors. The government, in cooperation with Prince Fahd Bin Salman Charity, has decided to offer life-long benefits to the donors, including lifetime medical care.
The law aims at stopping Saudi citizens from traveling abroad to Asian countries such to receive organ transplants, which might make them victims of scams or expose them to a variety of health problems.
To regulate live unrelated organ donation without a commercial transaction, Shaheen said, Saudi Arabia formed a committee that meets with the unrelated living donor and interviews him at least three times to make sure that he is donating out of his conscience and with complete willingness - not out of poverty, need or pressure.
The law is now in its final stages, after having been approved by the cabinet. The final stage, he said, is the approval of the Health Service Council chaired by the Minister of Health.
"Our main concern is how to make this new agreement purely altruistic," Shaheen said.
If approved, the law is expected to provide at least 400 kidneys yearly, which will go a long way toward ending organ shortages in the Kingdom, he said.
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Report. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Not Much Expected from Arab Summit – Analysts
Friday, 23 March 2007
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
FAILURES of previous Arab summits appear to have dimmed the expectations from the Riyadh gathering of 22 Arab heads of state next week.
Despite their general optimism, many Saudi political analysts are not expecting much from the March 28-29 Arab League summit.
Hussein Shobokshi, a writer and a political analyst, said people are expecting a lot out of this summit especially that it comes at a critical moment when the Arab region is passing through tough times and the volume of foreign troops in the region is on the rise.
He does not expect any magic solutions. But he is optimistic considering the fact that the present situation necessitates at least coordination among Arab countries to overcome such crises.
Lebanon is the most important issue on the agenda of the summit. With Saudi efforts a solution is expected in Lebanon.
There are talks with Syria to come to a solution that brings together different factions in Lebanon and break the deadlock between the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority and the pro-Syrian opposition.
“Lebanon seems to be the most promising file among the suggested topics on the summit’s agenda,” he said.
The situation in Iraq, according to Shobokshi, is more complicated as foreign parties with different interests are involved.
“The situation is Iraq is more complicated simply because Iran and America are involved and they both are not attending the summit,” he said.
The involvement of those parties with their different interests as well as their influence would affect any positive outcome on Iraq, he said.
But, on the other hand, the intensified Saudi diplomacy has largely been effective in containing the Iranian influence in Iraq and Lebanon as well as Palestine.
Bringing the Iranians in and talking to them have reduced their influence in places where they seem to be getting stronger. People in Lebanon, for instance, seem to have less fear of a possible civil war.
The absence of Libya from the summit, Shobokshi said, will minimize the possibility of reaching an Arab-Arab solution to the Darfour crisis. Libya, he added, was a key player in the situation in Darfour and its absence will affect the attempts to reach a solution.
He noted no logical reason for Libya’s boycotting the summit other than its attempt to undermine the increasing weight and role that the Kingdom is gaining in the Arab and Islamic world.
Libya, though, he said, seems not to be the only country that does not want success from this summit.
United States prompted by Israel, he added, does not seem to be interested in any united Arab stand. However, he expects the Saudi initiative for Palestinian-Israeli peace may float again in this summit.
Hamad Al-Baheli, a writer and a political analyst, said the summit would not come up with absolute resolution to the present crises in the region but it would issue decisions that would bring Arab nations closer together and eliminate disputes among them.
“It would most probably pave the way for a future understanding of the position and role of each country in the region,” he said.
The success of the summit, he added, would be measured by its ability to contain the present disputes and to stop the situation form spinning out of control.
Moreover, he said, current events in the Arab arena required looking into effective solutions, and thus noted the importance of holding the summit at this time.
Though, he warned against exaggerations and great expectations that go beyond reaching an understanding and united stand on the international issues such as the Arab initiative.
The summit, he added, might define the way Sudan should deal with the United Nations and the role of Syria and Iran in both Iraq and Lebanon.
He did not note any significance in the change of the summit’s venue from Sharm El-Sheikh to Riyadh other than emphasizing the role played by the Saudi leadership. Having King Abdullah as chairman will further improve the odds for success, he said.
Anwar Ishqi, a political analyst, said several diplomatic efforts that preceded the summit would facilitate a solution to the present situation in the Middle East. He said it has helped in creating a better atmosphere for the summit.
Prior to the summit, King Abdullah held a series of meetings and made contacts with Arab leaders. He sponsored the Makkah Agreement that has led to the formation of the Palestinian unity government. He also held talks with Syria and Iran.
Arab diplomats in Saudi Arabia refused to do any guesswork. Until now, they keep to the obvious: the summit will address the situation in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, and will seek to promote closer Arab political and economic relations, with special attention to issues of development and reform.
The venue, the date and agenda of the annual Arab summit have always proven material for debate, speculation and controversy.
Whether this one would come up with something different or not is something that the coming week will answer.
By Sabria S. Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
FAILURES of previous Arab summits appear to have dimmed the expectations from the Riyadh gathering of 22 Arab heads of state next week.
Despite their general optimism, many Saudi political analysts are not expecting much from the March 28-29 Arab League summit.
Hussein Shobokshi, a writer and a political analyst, said people are expecting a lot out of this summit especially that it comes at a critical moment when the Arab region is passing through tough times and the volume of foreign troops in the region is on the rise.
He does not expect any magic solutions. But he is optimistic considering the fact that the present situation necessitates at least coordination among Arab countries to overcome such crises.
Lebanon is the most important issue on the agenda of the summit. With Saudi efforts a solution is expected in Lebanon.
There are talks with Syria to come to a solution that brings together different factions in Lebanon and break the deadlock between the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority and the pro-Syrian opposition.
“Lebanon seems to be the most promising file among the suggested topics on the summit’s agenda,” he said.
The situation in Iraq, according to Shobokshi, is more complicated as foreign parties with different interests are involved.
“The situation is Iraq is more complicated simply because Iran and America are involved and they both are not attending the summit,” he said.
The involvement of those parties with their different interests as well as their influence would affect any positive outcome on Iraq, he said.
But, on the other hand, the intensified Saudi diplomacy has largely been effective in containing the Iranian influence in Iraq and Lebanon as well as Palestine.
Bringing the Iranians in and talking to them have reduced their influence in places where they seem to be getting stronger. People in Lebanon, for instance, seem to have less fear of a possible civil war.
The absence of Libya from the summit, Shobokshi said, will minimize the possibility of reaching an Arab-Arab solution to the Darfour crisis. Libya, he added, was a key player in the situation in Darfour and its absence will affect the attempts to reach a solution.
He noted no logical reason for Libya’s boycotting the summit other than its attempt to undermine the increasing weight and role that the Kingdom is gaining in the Arab and Islamic world.
Libya, though, he said, seems not to be the only country that does not want success from this summit.
United States prompted by Israel, he added, does not seem to be interested in any united Arab stand. However, he expects the Saudi initiative for Palestinian-Israeli peace may float again in this summit.
Hamad Al-Baheli, a writer and a political analyst, said the summit would not come up with absolute resolution to the present crises in the region but it would issue decisions that would bring Arab nations closer together and eliminate disputes among them.
“It would most probably pave the way for a future understanding of the position and role of each country in the region,” he said.
The success of the summit, he added, would be measured by its ability to contain the present disputes and to stop the situation form spinning out of control.
Moreover, he said, current events in the Arab arena required looking into effective solutions, and thus noted the importance of holding the summit at this time.
Though, he warned against exaggerations and great expectations that go beyond reaching an understanding and united stand on the international issues such as the Arab initiative.
The summit, he added, might define the way Sudan should deal with the United Nations and the role of Syria and Iran in both Iraq and Lebanon.
He did not note any significance in the change of the summit’s venue from Sharm El-Sheikh to Riyadh other than emphasizing the role played by the Saudi leadership. Having King Abdullah as chairman will further improve the odds for success, he said.
Anwar Ishqi, a political analyst, said several diplomatic efforts that preceded the summit would facilitate a solution to the present situation in the Middle East. He said it has helped in creating a better atmosphere for the summit.
Prior to the summit, King Abdullah held a series of meetings and made contacts with Arab leaders. He sponsored the Makkah Agreement that has led to the formation of the Palestinian unity government. He also held talks with Syria and Iran.
Arab diplomats in Saudi Arabia refused to do any guesswork. Until now, they keep to the obvious: the summit will address the situation in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, and will seek to promote closer Arab political and economic relations, with special attention to issues of development and reform.
The venue, the date and agenda of the annual Arab summit have always proven material for debate, speculation and controversy.
Whether this one would come up with something different or not is something that the coming week will answer.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Shoura Passes Draft Law on Shop Timings
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
ALL commercial shops in Jeddah will close at 10 p.m. in summer and at 11 p.m. in winter, if a draft law endorsed by the Shoura Council on Sunday is approved by the Cabinet.
Businessmen strongly opposed the move, saying they will incur an yearly SR10 billion loss.
At present there is no regulation governing the shop timings. So most of the shops in the city remain open till late in the night.
But as per the new draft regulation, shops will remain open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in winter and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in summer.
Pharmacies, restaurants and recreational facilities are exempted from these working hours. They can remain open till late in the night.
The logic behind changing the shop timing is to attract Saudi jobseekers, said a Shoura member on condition of anonymity.
The present long working hours are not conducive for Saudis to take up jobs in these shops, because they - unlike foreign workers managing commercial establishments - have families. With the new timing, Saudis may take up these positions, said the Shoura member.
It will also bring social order. The youths who roam around shops till late in the night will have no option but to go home and be with their families when shops are closed, the Shoura member reasoned.
The draft law to change the shop timing was approved with minimum vote, said the Shoura member who took part in the voting.
Only 75 members out of 150 voted in favor of Article 4, which is related to shop timings.
This prompted some members to suggest introducing new related Article that gives regional councils the flexibility to implement the regulation.
But this has not been discussed yet, he said.
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
ALL commercial shops in Jeddah will close at 10 p.m. in summer and at 11 p.m. in winter, if a draft law endorsed by the Shoura Council on Sunday is approved by the Cabinet.
Businessmen strongly opposed the move, saying they will incur an yearly SR10 billion loss.
At present there is no regulation governing the shop timings. So most of the shops in the city remain open till late in the night.
But as per the new draft regulation, shops will remain open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in winter and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in summer.
Pharmacies, restaurants and recreational facilities are exempted from these working hours. They can remain open till late in the night.
The logic behind changing the shop timing is to attract Saudi jobseekers, said a Shoura member on condition of anonymity.
The present long working hours are not conducive for Saudis to take up jobs in these shops, because they - unlike foreign workers managing commercial establishments - have families. With the new timing, Saudis may take up these positions, said the Shoura member.
It will also bring social order. The youths who roam around shops till late in the night will have no option but to go home and be with their families when shops are closed, the Shoura member reasoned.
The draft law to change the shop timing was approved with minimum vote, said the Shoura member who took part in the voting.
Only 75 members out of 150 voted in favor of Article 4, which is related to shop timings.
This prompted some members to suggest introducing new related Article that gives regional councils the flexibility to implement the regulation.
But this has not been discussed yet, he said.
Authorities Warn Foreigners May Be Targets of Attacks
Thursday, 08 March 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
Saudi authorities have warned foreign embassies that a group blamed for last month’s killing of four French nationals could strike again.
According to General Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, the warning was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The warning was sent to all diplomatic envoys in the Kingdom with no exceptions,” Al-Turki told The Saudi Gazette. “They were told to warn their citizens and to urge them to exercise caution when they go out.”
Diplomats took the warning seriously.
“Saudi authorities officially notified us on Tuesday that the group could attack again and urged foreigners to avoid traveling outside cities,” a Western diplomat said.
Some French residents in Riyadh said they received text messages on Tuesday from their embassy informing them of the Saudi warning.
“We reacted immediately by informing our nationals of the warning, which urged foreigners in general to be cautious and to call police as soon as they notice that they are being monitored,” French embassy spokesman Alain Guepratte said.
According to Al-Turki, “When the crime took place, we found ourselves face-to-face with an unknown group that killed and threatened to kill more, so there was an urgent need for exercising extreme caution in rural areas or outside of cities. We have two suspects who are still on the loose. So, until further notification, everyone should be cautious.”
On Tuesday, Saudi officials announced that they had arrested some suspects in the killing of the four French nationals and gave 24 hours to two Saudi nationals to turn themselves in.
That deadline passed Wednesday morning with no sign of the two suspects, Abdallah Sayer Al-Mohammadi, 23, and Nasser Bin-Latif Al-Balawi, 24.
According to Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina, authorities identified the two suspects through fingerprints found at the crime scene.
Although details are sketchy, police have released some information on the suspects.
Both men reside in the Al-Jarf District of Madina and both are unmarried. Al-Mohammadi has an elementary school education. He served as a soldier in an unnamed branch of the military for a year-and-a-half before leaving that position. He is not believed to have worked since then.
Al-Balawi is believed to have a minimal education and no job, as well. He has been arrested twice for theft, and those who know him say that he has not been seen for several months.
Authorities said that he travels frequently between Madina and Al-Ula, some 400 km north of the holy city, and is said to have extensive knowledge of the mountainous desert terrain between the two cities.
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
Saudi authorities have warned foreign embassies that a group blamed for last month’s killing of four French nationals could strike again.
According to General Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, the warning was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The warning was sent to all diplomatic envoys in the Kingdom with no exceptions,” Al-Turki told The Saudi Gazette. “They were told to warn their citizens and to urge them to exercise caution when they go out.”
Diplomats took the warning seriously.
“Saudi authorities officially notified us on Tuesday that the group could attack again and urged foreigners to avoid traveling outside cities,” a Western diplomat said.
Some French residents in Riyadh said they received text messages on Tuesday from their embassy informing them of the Saudi warning.
“We reacted immediately by informing our nationals of the warning, which urged foreigners in general to be cautious and to call police as soon as they notice that they are being monitored,” French embassy spokesman Alain Guepratte said.
According to Al-Turki, “When the crime took place, we found ourselves face-to-face with an unknown group that killed and threatened to kill more, so there was an urgent need for exercising extreme caution in rural areas or outside of cities. We have two suspects who are still on the loose. So, until further notification, everyone should be cautious.”
On Tuesday, Saudi officials announced that they had arrested some suspects in the killing of the four French nationals and gave 24 hours to two Saudi nationals to turn themselves in.
That deadline passed Wednesday morning with no sign of the two suspects, Abdallah Sayer Al-Mohammadi, 23, and Nasser Bin-Latif Al-Balawi, 24.
According to Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina, authorities identified the two suspects through fingerprints found at the crime scene.
Although details are sketchy, police have released some information on the suspects.
Both men reside in the Al-Jarf District of Madina and both are unmarried. Al-Mohammadi has an elementary school education. He served as a soldier in an unnamed branch of the military for a year-and-a-half before leaving that position. He is not believed to have worked since then.
Al-Balawi is believed to have a minimal education and no job, as well. He has been arrested twice for theft, and those who know him say that he has not been seen for several months.
Authorities said that he travels frequently between Madina and Al-Ula, some 400 km north of the holy city, and is said to have extensive knowledge of the mountainous desert terrain between the two cities.
Al-Qaeda Methods Seen in Attack
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
Shooting of French Nationals could Affect Tourism
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
THE slaying of four French nationals near Madina shared similar characteristics of an Al-Qaeda attack, a security source said Tuesday.
But Ministry of Interior officials said it’s too early to determine whether the attacks were terror-related.
“I noticed Al-Qaeda-covered style in this operation,” said a Saudi security official, who asked not to identified.
He said that people must keep in mind that there are still sleeper cells waiting for a signal to start operations. He said, “what is better than a quiet and isolated place like that near Madina to hide and hunt down foreigners,” he added.
Saudi officials have always maintained that terrorism has not been completely defeated in the Kingdom. Yet, unlike the neighboring countries, the security situation is still under control.
“We have security all over the country and our work is still going on whether there are threats or not,” said the security official.
Abdullah Al-Sultan, a political analyst, did not comment on whether the attack has Al-Qaeda characteristics, but he also did not rule out the possibility of sleeper cells. He said terrorists usually change their tactics to make it more difficult for law authorities to foil their attacks.
“The more progress security men achieve, the more new tactics those groups (terrorists) come up with,” Al-Sultan said.
On Monday, four Frenchmen were fatally shot near the historic site of Madain Saleh in the northwest region of the Kingdom.
The men were resting on the side of a road about 10 miles north of Madina when gunmen fired at their car, instantly killing two of them. The other two men died later after they were rushed to a hospital. Women and children also were with the group but they were unhurt.
A Ministry of Interior source said that the group was 17 kilometers from the main road when the men were shot. He said that the victims decided to take that road by themselves, but it is not clear whether they were going for Umrah or simply traveling to another ancient site.
The ministry source did not comment on whether the incident would affect tourism that has been recently opened to non-Muslims. He said that 48 hours is not enough to judge, especially when there is no clear connection to terrorism.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” the source said, “Anything that we might say now is only a speculation.”
But Al-Sultan said that tourism is not yet a business in Saudi Arabia so he ruled out any possibility of targeting it by itself. He said if it is proved to be a terrorist attack, then the sent message is that “Al-Qaeda does exist and their attacks can be effective.”
The security official said the attack should be seen as a wake-up call for paying more attention to the tourist sites.
“If we want to promote tourism as a business we have to follow the international standards of taking care of them,” he said.” Tourist places should be guarded and checkpoints should be placed on the roads that take to them.”
Mohammad Al-Jehani, a resident of Madina, expressed concern over the business of tourism, adding that people of Al-Ola, where most of the historic sites are open for tourists, were expecting a good market in the near future.
“This attack might bring us back to the time when we used not to see a single tourist for weeks,” he said.
The Supreme Commission of Tourism refused to comment on the possible effect of such an attack of their recently introduced project to promote tourism.
Al-Sultan urged Westerners not to help terrorists to achieve their goals by leaving their jobs in the Kingdom or become intimidated by such incidents.
“Help us to fight them and put down their plans by integrating and being part of this welcoming society,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has recently started a project to promote tourism to Saudis, Arab visitors and special niche markets that are looking at the cultural heritage aspect of Saudi Arabia. Following Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, many Saudis have started traveling regionally and not going on long-distance flights.
Shooting of French Nationals could Affect Tourism
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH
THE slaying of four French nationals near Madina shared similar characteristics of an Al-Qaeda attack, a security source said Tuesday.
But Ministry of Interior officials said it’s too early to determine whether the attacks were terror-related.
“I noticed Al-Qaeda-covered style in this operation,” said a Saudi security official, who asked not to identified.
He said that people must keep in mind that there are still sleeper cells waiting for a signal to start operations. He said, “what is better than a quiet and isolated place like that near Madina to hide and hunt down foreigners,” he added.
Saudi officials have always maintained that terrorism has not been completely defeated in the Kingdom. Yet, unlike the neighboring countries, the security situation is still under control.
“We have security all over the country and our work is still going on whether there are threats or not,” said the security official.
Abdullah Al-Sultan, a political analyst, did not comment on whether the attack has Al-Qaeda characteristics, but he also did not rule out the possibility of sleeper cells. He said terrorists usually change their tactics to make it more difficult for law authorities to foil their attacks.
“The more progress security men achieve, the more new tactics those groups (terrorists) come up with,” Al-Sultan said.
On Monday, four Frenchmen were fatally shot near the historic site of Madain Saleh in the northwest region of the Kingdom.
The men were resting on the side of a road about 10 miles north of Madina when gunmen fired at their car, instantly killing two of them. The other two men died later after they were rushed to a hospital. Women and children also were with the group but they were unhurt.
A Ministry of Interior source said that the group was 17 kilometers from the main road when the men were shot. He said that the victims decided to take that road by themselves, but it is not clear whether they were going for Umrah or simply traveling to another ancient site.
The ministry source did not comment on whether the incident would affect tourism that has been recently opened to non-Muslims. He said that 48 hours is not enough to judge, especially when there is no clear connection to terrorism.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” the source said, “Anything that we might say now is only a speculation.”
But Al-Sultan said that tourism is not yet a business in Saudi Arabia so he ruled out any possibility of targeting it by itself. He said if it is proved to be a terrorist attack, then the sent message is that “Al-Qaeda does exist and their attacks can be effective.”
The security official said the attack should be seen as a wake-up call for paying more attention to the tourist sites.
“If we want to promote tourism as a business we have to follow the international standards of taking care of them,” he said.” Tourist places should be guarded and checkpoints should be placed on the roads that take to them.”
Mohammad Al-Jehani, a resident of Madina, expressed concern over the business of tourism, adding that people of Al-Ola, where most of the historic sites are open for tourists, were expecting a good market in the near future.
“This attack might bring us back to the time when we used not to see a single tourist for weeks,” he said.
The Supreme Commission of Tourism refused to comment on the possible effect of such an attack of their recently introduced project to promote tourism.
Al-Sultan urged Westerners not to help terrorists to achieve their goals by leaving their jobs in the Kingdom or become intimidated by such incidents.
“Help us to fight them and put down their plans by integrating and being part of this welcoming society,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has recently started a project to promote tourism to Saudis, Arab visitors and special niche markets that are looking at the cultural heritage aspect of Saudi Arabia. Following Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, many Saudis have started traveling regionally and not going on long-distance flights.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)