News from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

OCTOBER 23

Mujtahid, an anonymous Twitter user from Saudi Arabia, is causing trouble for the kingdom by highlighting corruption and working for reform. He has been called a “slanderer” by authorities, but is getting more popular by the month. | Business Insider

OCTOBER 22

The killing of Khaled Labad and the two teens marks an escalation in Saudi Arabia’s worst civil unrest in years. The sectarian uprising in the kingdom’s oil heartland has been an often-overlooked front in the wave of revolts remaking the Middle East. | Washington Post

OCTOBER 19

The killing of Khaled Labad and the two teens marks an escalation in Saudi Arabia’s worst civil unrest in years. The sectarian uprising in the kingdom’s oil heartland has been an often-overlooked front in the wave of revolts remaking the Middle East. | Washington Post

OCTOBER 18

A Saudi Arabian diplomat held hostage in Yemen since March by al-Qaida has made a third video appeal to Riyadh to help secure his release, according to the Site Intelligence Group. | Gulf News

OCTOBER 16

Saudi Arabia has announced that the Islamic hajj pilgrimage, which attracts around three million Muslims worldwide each year, will begin on Thursday, October 25. | Washington Post

OCTOBER 15

Saudi Arabia says it is “insulted” by a parliamentary inquiry into how the United Kingdom deals with the country and Bahrain. | BBC News

OCTOBER 11

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the capacity to counter any economic challenges, Planning and Economy Minister Muhammad al-Jasser said yesterday. | al-Bawaba

OCTOBER 10

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, reduced oil production and supplies to the market in September, according to the Gulf Oil Review. | Bloomberg

OCTOBER 4

Saudi Arabia’s Consultative Assembly has urged the kingdom’s religious police authority, commonly referred to as the Hai’a, to set up field guidelines for its members and define the cases in which they can intervene to enforce the Islamic law. | Al-Arabiya

OCTOBER 3

Saudi Arabia has stayed away for a second time from a meeting of Egypt, Turkey and Iran to discuss the Syria crisis, the Egyptian foreign minister said on Wednesday, hampering Cairo’s initiative to find a regional solution to the conflict. | Daily Star

OCTOBER 1

The government of Saudi Arabia is now pushing for a law against the misuse of the ‘ruqyah’ (religious healing) by various practitioners, the Saudi al-Watan newspaper reported on Monday. | Al Arabiya

SEPTEMBER 28

Mecca has plans to become the first city in Saudi Arabia to run completely on solar power. | IB Times

Nigeria has protested to Saudi Arabia’s authorities over the detention of more than 1,000 female pilgrims who arrived in the kingdom for the annual Hajj pilgrimage without male guardians, state-run Radio Nigeria said. | Business Week

SEPTEMBER 27

Despite the outrage against the detention of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, 159 of them were deported Wednesday. | Joy Online

SEPTEMBER 26

Saudi Arabia has become one of the fastest growing IT markets in the Middle East region and is set to account for around 50 per cent of the GCC region’s total ICT investments by year end, said a report. | al-Bawaba

SEPTEMBER 25

Oil prices are likely to remain volatile over the next year, analysts say, amid worries that Saudi Arabia has become less able to pump the global market out of any extraordinary disruptions to supply. | WSJ

SEPTEMBER 24

Four hundred female pilgrims from Nigeria who arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday to participate in this year's annual hajj were detained by Saudi authorities. The Saudis demanded to see each female pilgrim's muharram or approved male companion accompanying her. | All Africa

SEPTEMBER 20

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, has offered its major customers in Europe, Asia and the US some extra oil supplies with the intention of bringing down the continuously rising crude oil prices. | Invezz

SEPTEMBER 18

Saudi Arabia is acting to lower oil prices, a senior Gulf source said on Tuesday, adding that the majority of OPEC producers wanted oil prices around $100 per barrel. | Reuters

SEPTEMBER 17

Labor Minister Adel al-Fakeih said that Saudi Arabia created 380,000 new jobs in the past ten months by implementing a new policy requiring private firms to employ Saudis. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia has imposed the use of Arabic as the primary language in all commercial and business dealings, with a fine of $26,600 that could be doubled and the closure of any business that doesn’t comply. | Al-Arabiya

SEPTEMBER 13

Saudi Arabia condemned on Thursday a film Muslims consider blasphemous to Islam and denounced the violent anti-American protests in some Middle East countries. | Reuters

SEPTEMBER 12

Saudi Arabia beheaded four people on Tuesday, including three of its citizens and a Palestinian after they were found guilty in separate cases, the Interior Ministry said. | Gulf News

SEPTEMBER 11

Taking their defense cooperation to an enhanced level, the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia joint committee on defense cooperation was held in New Delhi on Monday. | The Hindu

SEPTEMBER 6

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt have announced that all Syrian students living in their countries will be allowed to enroll in public schools as their home is beset by violent conflict, local media reported Thursday. | Al-Arabiyah

SEPTEMBER 5

On Tuesday, an international donors conference in Saudi Arabia pledged an aid package of $6.4 billion to Yemen. | AP

SEPTEMBER 4

Saudi Arabia called for aid to help Yemen which needs $11 billion (Dh40.4bn) to weather a tough political transition triggered by Arab Spring protests. | National

AUGUST 30

Saudi Arabia will give $1 billion to Yemen at a donor conference in Riyadh next week, a Yemeni minister said on Wednesday, to support Yemen's currency as the country tries to recover after more than a year of turmoil. | al-Ahram

AUGUST 29

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are going ahead with plans to build a causeway that will link the two countries at an estimated cost of $3 billion, al-Hayat reported, citing Egyptian Transportation Minister Mohammed Rashad. | Business Week

AUGUST 28

Weapons sales by the United States tripled in 2011 to a record high, pumped up by $33.4 billion in sales to Saudi Arabia; but the international arms market is not likely to continue growing, according to a comprehensive new congressional report. | Reuters

AUGUST 27

Saudi authorities arrested a group of suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants in Riyadh, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on state news agency SPA on Sunday. | Reuters

AUGUST 23

Saudi Arabia is predicted to lead growth in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region's infrastructure and construction spending over the next fifteen years, a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch said. | Middle East Financial News

AUGUST 21

Saudi Arabia and Turkey are to jointly set up a refugee camp on the Turkish border for Syrians fleeing raging violence in the Middle Eastern country where President Bahsar al-Assad is struggling to prop up his tottering regime against a 17-month-old popular uprising. | RTT News

AUGUST 20

In June, Saudi Arabia pumped crude at the highest level in more than three decades, overtaking Russia as the world’s largest oil producer during the month, according to the Joint Organization Data Initiative. | Business Week

AUGUST 16

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has pardoned and released 82 Egyptian prisoners on the occasion of Ramadan. | Egyptian Independent

In an unprecedented recent telethon and other fundraising effort launched by King Abdullah, Saudis have so far given $134 million in cash for the victims of Syria's conflict during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan,. | Wall Street Journal

AUGUST 15

Saudi Arabia and Iran have expressed their keenness to keep their communication channels open, amid the increase in Western pressure to bring down the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s only Arab ally. | Gulf News

AUGUST 14

Saudi Arabia employed 250,000 nationals in the first twelve months of a new program it launched to replace expatriates in the private sector with Saudis, Riyadh newspaper reported, citing Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih. | Bloomberg

AUGUST 13

Efforts are underway to establish the Kingdom's first women-only industrial city in the Eastern Province city of Hofuf. The Saudi Industrial Property Authority has initiated works for the planning and development of the city, targeting female investors. | MENAFN

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of a summit in Mecca expected to focus on the Syria conflict, on which Tehran and Riyadh have taken opposing sides. | Daily Star

AUGUST 10

Saudi Arabia has warned that it will intercept Israeli fighter jets that enter its airspace en route to an attack on Iran. | Al-Arabiyah

AUGUST 9

Saudi Arabian authorities are deploying a range of judicial methods to stifle the country's pro-democracy and human rights campaigners in a crackdown on dissent that includes jail terms and travel bans, according to activists. | Daily Star

AUGUST 8

Saudi Arabia's government is spending more than it should if it wants to preserve the country's oil wealth for future generations, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released on Tuesday. | Reuters

AUGUST 7

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri said his country has allocated approximately $3.7 million to Syrian refugees for relief aid, in comments published by a Saudi newspaper Tuesday. | Daily Star

AUGUST 6

Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector economy expanded at the slowest pace this year in July, a survey showed Monday. | RTT News

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are giving light arms to Syria's rebels but the fighters do not have the advanced weapons needed to confront Bashar al-Assad's regime, a spokeswoman for the opposition SNC said Monday. | Daily Star

AUGUST 2

An aid convoy left Riyadh for Syrian refugee camps in Jordan carrying the first part of a $125 million national aid campaign. | Reuters

AUGUST 1

Saudi Arabia is on track to surpass its record oil output this year, offsetting a decline in Iranian output. | Wall Street Journal

JULY 31

Saudi Arabia judoka Wojdan Shaherkani will compete at the Olympics after a hijab dispute was resolved. The International Judo Federation said Shakerkahi must fight without the headscarf for safety reasons, but the Saudis threatened to withdraw her. | BBC

Saudi Arabia said it arrested several "troublemakers" in the Eastern Province while an activist said police wounded and detained protestors there after a peaceful demonstration. | Reuters

JULY 30

A five-day Saudi fundraising campaign to support Syrians raised more than $72.33 million. | Gulf News

JULY 26

United Nations Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi said Saudi Arabia would propose a General Assembly resolution on Syria that highlights a government threat to use chemical weapons. | AFP

JULY 25

Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah has warned against misusing social media to “call for chaos, protests and disobedience to leaders” and called it a “double-edged sword” that is “used more for evil than for good.” | Gulf News

JULY 24

Saudi Arabia will amend rules governing religious police after a Saudi man died during a car chase. “A set of procedures to govern the country’s Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice Commission’s chasing of people will soon be released,” said the head of the commission Abdul Latif Al Shaikh. | Gulf News

JULY 23

Saudi Arabia released five female Al Qaeda detainees. Saudi officials said the move was humanitarian and not linked to demands of Al Qaeda captors of a Saudi diplomat in Yemen. | Gulf News; Reuters

JULY 18

Saudi Arabia and UAE opened pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia supplied 445,000 more bpd to the world market in June than in May, bringing its daily total to 10.3 million bpd. | Bloomberg; RT

JULY 17

King Abdullah has pledged to help Pakistan with its energy crisis; he also discussed regional issues with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in Islamabad. | The Nation

Saudi Arabia is considering new regulations to criminalize insulting Islam, including in social media, said Saudi paper al-Watan. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia “noted with strong disapproval” remarks made by the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov. Dolgov expressed “great concerns” over clashes between Saudi police and Shiite protesters. | Washington Times

JULY 13

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas met King Abdullah to seek urgent aid for the Palestinian Authority. | AFP

JULY 12

Saudi Arabia gave a lavish reception to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Morsi met Saudi officials and members of the royal family in Jeddah before performing the lesser pilgrimage, or Umrah, in Mecca. Saudi analysts said the reception King Abdullah prepared for Morsi showed the kingdom was willing to start a new era in relations with the Muslim Brotherhood. | Reuters; Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia will send two female athletes to complete in the London 2012 Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reported. Sarah Attar will run the 800 meters and Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani will compete in judo. | BBC; ESPN; WSJ

JULY 11

Thousands of people attended a funeral in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province for a man killed during protests in the village of Awamiya. Activists said the man, Mohamed al-Filfil, was protesting the shooting and arrest by government security forces of a prominent Shiite cleric in the Qatif region. | Reuters

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy will arrive in Saudi Arabia today on his first official visit abroad since he was sworn in on June 30. | Arab News

Saudi Arabia's annual inflation eased to 4.9 percent in June, its lowest level since September last year, despite a big rise in housing prices, official data indicated. | Reuters

JULY 10

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul urged the Friends of Syria to force Syria to end repression and accept Kofi Annan’s peace plan. | MENAFN

Saudi authorities arrested four members of the religious police who caused the death of a man during a car chase. The men will be charged with “abusing power” and “chasing a man with his family while ignoring instructions given to members of the committee completely banning chases.” | Gulf News

JULY 9

Two men were killed during protests in a Shiite area of Eastern Saudi Arabia following the arrest of prominent anti-regime cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was called an “instigator of sedition” by the Interior Ministry. Activists said Akbar al-Shakhouri and Mohamed al-Felfel were killed by police. | Reuters; BBC

A Saudi man was killed and his wife and children were injured when their car crashed while being pursued by religious police. Although the CPVPV officially banned car chases, an officer pursued Abdulrahman Ahmed al-Ghamdi when his car radio was too loud. | Reuters

JULY 5

IOC President Jacques Rogge cannot guarantee that Saudi women will participate in the Olympic Games but remains “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility. | Huffington Post

JULY 3

Saudi Arabia set rules for sportswomen hoping to participate in the Olympics for the first time that are meant to satisfy Saudi religious institutions. The rules include modest clothing, a constant male guardian, and not mixing with men during the Games. | Gulf News

JULY 2

U.N. Security Council committee is removing Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih from the United Nations' al Qaeda sanctions list despite strong objections from Saudi Arabia. Faqih was added to the list in 2004 for suspected links to Osama bin Ladin. Faqih leads the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia and insists that he and his group are committed to peace. | Reuters

JUNE 29

Several Saudi women drove on the anniversary of the My Right to Drive Campaign, which supports the right of Saudi women to drive themselves. | LA Times; Gulf News

JUNE 28

Saudi Arabia reopened an old oil pipeline, allowing Riyadh to export more crude oil from Red Sea terminals should Iran try to block the Strait of Hormuz. | Reuters

Saudi civil defense official Captain Mohammed al-Hamadi said a train derailment has injured 35 passengers, one critically. The train was traveling from the eastern port of Dammam to Riyadh. | Boston Globe

JUNE 27

A Saudi court sentenced 11 men to up to 15 years in prison for membership in a terror cell that planned to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait, stated Saudi oil giant Aramco. | Saudi Gazette; Gulf News

JUNE 26

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said talks with Iran are “a waste of time” and that Iran is “trying to waste the time and energy of everybody.” | Al Arabiya

Saudi Arabian police arrested Syed Zabiuddin Ansari, also known as Abu Jundal, a key planner of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Jundal trained and directed the terrorists who carried out the attacks. | Times of India; BBC

JUNE 25

Saudi officials will pay the salaries of the Free Syria Army to encourage defections from the military and increase pressure on the Assad regime. Because the Syrian pound has fallen in value, the FSA will be paid in either U.S. dollars or euros. | Guardian

Saudi Arabia will allow female athletes to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee faced calls to ban the country from London. A statement released by the Saudi embassy said that the Saudi Olympic committee will "oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify." | Wall Street Journal; Guardian

JUNE 22

Saudi Arabia halted crude oil deliveries to Motiva's Port Arthur, Texas refinery after a massive unit was shut down because of corrosion problems. Shipments will be stopped until July. Motiva is a joint venture of Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell. | Trade Arabia

Saudi female activists renewed calls for women to drive illegally next week to revive the Women2Drive campaign that petered out last year. The protest was planned for June 17 but postponed because of Prince Nayef’s death. Women have also pushed for more reforms by decorating their abayas. | Reuters; Reuters

JUNE 20

Saudi Arabia executed a man for practicing witchcraft and committing adultery. | Gulf News; BBC

JUNE 19

Prince Salman was appointed the new crown prince of Saudi Arabia, becoming the heir to 88-year-old King Abdullah. Salman, 76, is the defense minister and has been governor of Riyadh for many decades. He succeeds his late brother Prince Nayef. | BBC; Time

JUNE 18

Crown Prince Naif, heir to throne, died suddenly at age 78. The conservative interior minister served for four decades. His likely successor is Prince Salman, brother of King Abdullah and defense minister. Prince Naif’s death is not expected to cause any major changes to Saudi Arabia’s energy policy or international relationships. | Reuters; Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia may purchase 600-800 German Leopard 2 battle tanks. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that a deal for 300 tanks was about to be signed. | Bloomberg; Gulf News; Reuters

JUNE 15

OPEC decided to keep its output quota unchanged, putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to cut supply if crude prices drop below $100 a barrel. Saudi Arabia led the surge in OPEC’s output above its official limit this year. | Bloomberg

JUNE 14

Women’s rights activist Manal al-Sharif wrote an open letter to King Abdullah urging him to allow women to drive. Last year, Mrs. Sharif was jailed after posting a video of herself driving on YouTube. Nearly 600 Saudi women signed a petition in support of women’sright to drive to mark the anniversary of the start of the Women2Drive campaign. | BBC; Gulf News

JUNE 13

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey began talks with Saudi Arabia on long-term crude oil purchases after news that the US will exempt Turkey from sanctions because it lowered Iranian oil imports. | Reuters

OPEC pressured Saudi Arabia to cut oil output to prevent sliding prices. OPEC is likely to renew a 30 million barrel per day output target, but extra Saudi oil has lifted the current actual supply to 31.6 mbpd. | Reuters

JUNE 12

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said Turkey began talks with Saudi Arabia on long-term crude oil purchases after news that the US will exempt Turkey from sanctions because it lowered Iranian oil imports. | Reuters

JUNE 11

Saudi Arabia is expected to face pressure to scale back oil production at the OPEC meeting in Vienna on June 14. Last month, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi called $100 a barrel was a “great” price for oil. | Economic Times; Wall Street Journal

South Africa and Saudi Arabia set up a joint 20 billion rand ($2.4 billion) holding company for farming, mining and petrochemical investments. | Reuters

JUNE 8

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin censured Saudi Arabia and Qatar for providing finances and weapons to armed Syrian opposition groups. | Tehran Times

Saudi Arabia’s education ministry said that “more decent” uniforms for girls would be implemented after it said it found that female students wear open collars and “inadequate” belts. | Bikya Masr

JUNE 7

Saudi Arabia will slow oil sales after it achieved a $100-a-barrel target by cutting the price of its crude and pumping at the highest rate in three decades. Output averaged 10 million barrels a day for the last three months. | Business Week

JUNE 6

Saudi prosecutors charged lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair with “tarnishing” the image of the kingdom and contempt of the judiciary in what al-Khair said was an attempt to keep him from pursuing his work on human rights cases. | Euronews

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal urged GCC states to help Syrians defend themselves against President Bashar Assad's regime. Speaking at the GCC Ministerial Council, Prince Saud called on countries to “to use their resources to ... enable the Syrian people to defend themselves against the murderous and destructive machine of the government.” Saud al-Faisal also called on Russia to change its stance on Syria. | Arab News; Saudi Gazette

JUNE 5

Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor accused prominent activist Waleed Abu Alkhair of “disrespecting” the judiciary and contacting foreign organizations, his wife told AFP. | AFP

Sheikh Abdullatiff, head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, came out strongly against one of his men who ordered a woman to leave a mall because she was wearing nail polish, al-Watan newspaper reported. The woman defied the orders as she filmed her argument with the policeman and posted it on YouTube. | Al Arabiya; Arab News

JUNE 4

Saudi Arabia has permitted domestic helpers from new countries, including Vietnam, to work in the country, the head of the recruitment chambers committee said. | Gulf News

The al-Watan newspaper accused the Saudi authorities of “plotting” against Syria, and also of turning Lebanon into a springboard for attacking the country. | AFP

MAY 31

Ali al-Rabieei, a Saudi scholar, posted a $450,000 reward on Twitter for the killing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. | Gulf News

MAY 30

The Saudi Council of Ministers decided to make Saudi Television and Radio and Saudi Press Agency (SPA) two independent corporations. | Arab News

MAY 29

Al-Qaida kidnappers posted online a video in which a man identifying himself as Saudi diplomat Abdullah al-Khaldi kidnapped by al-Qaida in Yemen appeals to Saudi Arabia's rulers to respond to his captors' demands. Al-Khaldi, who is Saudi Arabia's deputy consul in Aden, was abducted in late March. | AP

Saudi Arabia’s Justice Ministry announced that it would start employing women at its guidance centers at the beginning of next year in order to reduce pressure on courts dealing with family issues. These employees will be able to provide necessary guidance to plaintiffs and defendants. | Arab News

MAY 25

Saudi Arabia will likely be the only nation competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games without a single female among their team; meanwhile the International Olympic Committee president is optimistic that Saudi Arabia will send female athletes to the Olympics. | Huffington Post; Guardian

MAY 24

Saudi Arabia signed a $3 billion deal with the United Kingdom to buy air force training planes, beefing up the Gulf nation's defense capabilities as regional tensions rise. | AP

MAY 23

Saudi Arabia has pledged $3.25 billion in aid to Yemen, which is facing political instability and a possible humanitarian catastrophe. | BBC

MAY 22

Saudi Arabia's government will focus on replacing some jobs held by expatriates with its citizens in the short term. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia's deputy labor minister said the Middle East's largest economy will start licensing expatriate labor companies within a month in a first move away from the sponsorship system for foreign workers. | Reuters

MAY 18

MAY 18—Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urged people in Saudi Arabia to rise up against the Saudi regime in a video posted on jihadist forums, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. | CNN; RT

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council completed a draft protection law for cases of domestic abuse. It will be submitted to King Abdullah. | Saudi Gazette

MAY 17

Mohammed al-Amr was appointed as the new secretary general of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, replacing Mohammed al-Ghamdi, whose four-year term expired this week. Separately, Prince Muhammad bin Naif, assistant minister of interior for security affairs, appointed Major General Suleiman al-Amr as the deputy director general of the Civil Defense.| Saudi Gazette; Arab News

MAY 16

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that confidence in the peace plan for Syria brokered by international mediator Kofi Annan is rapidly decreasing due to continued violence in the country. | Gulf News

Saudi Arabia has taken steps to do away with the controversial sponsorship system, removing many of the restrictions that business owners had imposed on foreign workers, Ahmad al-Humaidan, the ministry undersecretary for labor affairs, said. | Gulf News

MAY 15

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council meeting chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah agreed to take more time to work out the details of the proposed Gulf Union and called on Iran to stop meddling in the affairs of Gulf states. | Arab News

Crown Prince Naif, Saudi Arabia’s deputy premier and minister of interior, issued directives to several authorities to take effective measures to contain prices and check counterfeit goods in the local market. | Arab News

MAY 14

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah dismissed Sheikh Abdul-Mohsen al-Obeikan, an ultraconservative adviser, after he publicly criticized reforms aimed at easing restrictions on women, the kingdom's state media reports. | AP

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council’s Social, Family and Youth Affairs Committee adopted a recommendation to restructure the Presidency of Youth Welfare and turn it into a ministry for youth affairs. | Arab News

MAY 11

Unemployment among Saudi women has reached 28 percent, while their representation does not go beyond 1.2 percent in the country’s factories, according to a senior official of the Labor Ministry. | Arab News

MAY 10

Saudi Arabia transferred $1 billion to Egypt's central bank as an eight-year deposit, Planning Minister Faiza Abu el-Naga said. | Reuters

MAY 9

A bomber from the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen sent to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner last month was actually a double agent from Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency who infiltrated the group and volunteered for the suicide mission, U.S. media reported. | Reuters

Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais was appointed head of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques with the rank of a minister, a Royal Court announcement said. | Arab News

MAY 8

Saudi Arabia is pumping around 10 million barrels per day (bpd) and is storing 80 million barrels to meet any sudden disruption in supplies, the country’s Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said. Al-Naimi also said that Japan can rely on Saudi Arabia to supply oil to it as contingencies require. | Reuters; Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor concluded its planned restructuring to accommodate women in key positions at its 33 labor offices distributed in 13 regions. The ministry is also launching 13 new initiatives to help Saudi women jobseekers find employment in different companies and sections of the private sector, sources at the ministry were quoted as saying by al-Watan newspaper. | Saudi Gazette

MAY 7

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor launched the second phase of a campaign designed to raise the number of Saudi employees in private firms that have not met the required ‘Saudization’ levels. | Arab News

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia promised to fill any gap in South Korea's oil imports if Iran decides to cut its crude exports to the country, South Korean Minister of Strategy and Finance Bahk Jae-wan said. | Reuters

MAY 4

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah ordered the country’s ambassador to return to Egypt next week after he was recalled amidst protests at the Saudi embassy in Cairo. A high-level parliamentary delegation from Egypt held talks with Saudi officials in a bid to mend ties between the two countries. | al-Arabiya; Arab News

MAY 3

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef, in a speech at a meeting of GCC interior ministers in Riyadh, condemned what he called Iran's “occupation” of the Abu Moussa island and its role in events in Bahrain. | Reuters; AFP

MAY 2

In a recently released analysis of press restrictions by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Saudi Arabia ranked eighth on a list of the world's most censored countries. | CPJ

MAY 1

A special Riyadh criminal court began the trial of 66 Saudis and a Jordanian accused of joining a terrorist cell in the country under the leadership of Fahd al-Juwair. | Arab News; Saudi Gazette

APRIL 27

Fahd bin Sulaiman al-Tikhaifi, assistant secretary of the Ministry of Labor for development, reported that there are more than 1.6 million unemployed Saudi women, some of whom possess high educational qualification. | Arab News

APRIL 26

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah upgraded the status of 18 regions in the Kingdom from B to A, as part of a new initiative which aims at accelerating the balanced growth and development of all regions in the country. The royal order will be implemented over the period of three financial years beginning from the current fiscal year, said Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior. | Arab News; Saudi Gazette

Bloomberg published an article examining the strong presence of conservative Saudi religious scholars on social media sites, saying that their influence limits King Abdullah’s ability to introduce further liberalizing measures in the country. The influential religious scholars include: Salman al-Oadah, Ayed al-Qarnee, and Mohammed al-Arefe. | Bloomberg

APRIL 25

A girls' school in Saudi Arabia defied a religious ban on female sports by erecting basketball hoops and permitting students to play, al-Watan newspaper reported. | Reuters

Two Saudi Arabian nationals held hostage in Lebanon by non-Lebanese kidnappers for more than a week have been rescued by the police, the Saudi ambassador announced. | Daily Star; Naharnet; KUNA

APRIL 24

Egypt's foreign ministry is trying to secure the release of Ahmed al-Gizawi, an Egyptian lawyer detained in Saudi Arabia on charges of defaming King Abdullah. Al-Gizawi was arrested last week as he arrived in Jeddah. Unknown to him, a Saudi court had sentenced him in absentia to a year in prison and 20 lashes. | BBC

Talks to secure the release of a Saudi Arabian diplomat kidnapped in Yemen broke off when the air force hit members of the militant group suspected of holding him, said a tribal leader involved in the negotiations. | Reuters

APRIL 23

The Saudi diplomat who was kidnapped by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen is safeand is likely to be released soon. | AFP; Arab News

Saudi Arabian authorities will imprison anyone found guilty of harassing others in shopping centers, the al-Watan daily reported, a month after the kingdom eased restrictions on men entering malls alone. | Reuters; Saudi Gazette

APRIL 20

Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Minister Fahd Balghunaim said his ministry would soon employ Saudi women in its various offices. | Arab News

APRIL 19

Saudi Arabia's Supreme Judiciary Council approved setting up three new civil courts in Mecca, Medina and Dammam. | Arab News

APRIL 18

Mohammed al-Babetein, head of Saudi Arabia’s Justice Ministry's marriages department, was quoted in al-Madina newspaper as saying that the ministry is in discussions over what the minimum age for marriage should be and supports setting unified regulations for such practices. | Christian Science Monitor

A suspected al-Qaeda militant Mishaal Mohammed Rasheed al-Shodoukhi demanded the release of prisoners from Saudi jails and a ransom in exchange for Saudi diplomat Abdullah al-Khalidi who was kidnapped in Yemen on March 28. Saudi Arabia rejected any negotiations with al-Qaeda for the release of al-Khalidi and vowed to do all it can to free the hostage, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported yesterday. | Arab News; National; VOA

APRIL 17

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council held an emergency meeting in Doha to discuss an ongoing territorial dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over three islands near the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers denounced the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the island of Abu Musa as a flagrant violation of the UAE’s sovereignty. | VOA; Arab News

The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh sentenced activist Mohamad al-Bajadi to four years in prison, other activists said. Al-Bajadi sent a letter to fellow activist Mohammad al-Qahtani saying his charges included forming a human rights association, tarnishing Saudi Arabia's reputation in the media, questioning the independence of the judiciary, encouraging political detainees' relatives to demonstrate, and owning illegal books. A Justice Ministry spokesman said he could not immediately comment. | Reuters

Mishaal Mohammed Rasheed al-Shodoukhi, a suspected militant, phoned the Saudi embassy in Yemen claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of a Saudi diplomat last month and demanding the release of prisoners in Saudi jails, an official Saudi spokesman reported. | Reuters

APRIL 16

Saudi Arabia denied any deal with Sweden to build an arms factory, state news agency SPA reported. | AFP; Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council approved a draft law stipulating there should be a minimum of 30 members in a municipal council and that three quarters of the council members should be elected with the remainder nominated by the minister of municipal and rural affairs. | Arab News

Emirates 24/7 reported that Saudi Arabia has decided to bar “gays and tom boys” from its government schools and universities and has tasked the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice to enforce the new orders. | Emirates 24/7

APRIL 13

Pakistan will deport the widows and children of Osama bin Laden to Saudi Arabia next week, their attorney said. | CNN

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor sent a letter to Prince Khaled al-Faisal requesting that he shut down all lingerie shops that have not complied with the royal decree requiring the employment of female salesclerks. | Saudi Gazette

APRIL 12

Saudi Arabia’s Specialist Penal Court sentenced five men to various prison terms and imposed fines for charges of incitement against the country’s rulers, sedition, and disrespecting the state. | Saudi Gazette; Arab News

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Salman held separate talks with President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. They discussed major regional issues, particularly Syria, as well as ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation. | Arab News; al-Arabiya; AFP

APRIL 11

Saudi Arabia offered Pakistan an alternative energy package in exchange for abandoning its gas pipeline project with Iran. | KUNA

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry denied that Saudi rights campaigner Mohamed al-Bajadi is on a hunger strike, saying al-Bajadi is in good health. | Chicago Tribune

APRIL 10

Mohamad al-Bajadi, a prominent Saudi rights activist, who has been on a hunger strike for almost a month to protest at his year-long detention, stopped drinking water, other rights activists reported. A Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman said he was not aware of the case, but activists told Reuters that, while they do not have direct contact, they receive updates through other inmates at al-Hayer prison. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the country’s deputy premier and minister of interior, pardoned all prisoners who do not pose a threat. Daily newspaper Al-Watan reported that the pardon will cover prisoners who have only a month or two left in their sentence if they are not being held for violating private rights. | Saudi Gazette; Arab News

A group of female students from the art and science faculties at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk University gathered to protest alleged abuse by teachers, favoritism, nepotism, and the crowded lecture schedule. | Saudi Gazette

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks regarding the situation in Syria with King Abdullah in Riyadh on April 13, a Saudi official announced. Al-Sharq newspaper reported that Saudi Arabia has not supplied weapons to the Syrian opposition or the Syrian Free Army, citing an anonymous senior Saudi official. | Reuters; Khaleej Times; Bloomberg

APRIL 9

The trial opened of 50 al-Qaeda suspects accused of carrying out and plotting attacks in the kingdom, including on U.S. and British interests, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. The defendants – 47 Saudis, two Syrians, and a Yemeni national – are on trial in a specialized criminal court in Riyadh. | AFP; Chicago Tribune

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah asked the stock market regulator to investigate trading violations even if they involve a member of the royal family, al-Sharq newspaper reported. | Bloomberg

APRIL 6

Fugitive Sunni Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi will stay in Saudi Arabia for the time being. | Daily Star

The head of the Saudi Olympic Committee has ruled out sending women athletes to the London Olympics this summer. | AFP

Social media is driving the debate on a host of subjects once seen as strictly off-limits in the Kingdom as taboo-breaking Saudi videos circulate. | Gulf News

APRIL 4

Saudi Arabia's Shoura Council is considering taxing unused land in a move that could help uncork a serious housing bottleneck in the world's top oil exporter. | Reuters

APRIL 3

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers approved a new law for combating money laundering, which will also be applied to fight funding terrorism and terror organizations. | Arab News

APRIL 2

Saudi Arabia will reportedly fund the Syrian National Council to pay salaries for fighters battling government forces, according to a participant at a Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul. The meeting also recognized the Syrian National Council (SNC) as the “legitimate representative” of all Syrians. Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that “arming the [Syrian] opposition is a duty.” | Bloomberg; Sky News; al-Arabiya; Saudi Gazette

MARCH 30

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah as well as other Saudi officials, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, Defense Minister Prince Salman and Intelligence Minister Prince Muqrin in Riyadh to discuss the Syria conflict. | Reuters; Washington Post; AP

MARCH 29

Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors resigned after weeks of controversy over revelations Sweden planned to help Saudi Arabia build an arms factory, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said. | AFP; Washington Post

MARCH 28

Unknown gunmen seized Saudi Arabia's deputy consul, Abdullah al-Khalidi, outside his home in the Yemeni city of Aden, a police official told AFP. The kingdom's foreign ministry confirmed the kidnapping in a statement carried by SPA state news agency. | AFP; CNN

More than 1 million Saudi Arabians are now receiving unemployment benefits, Saudi Arabia’s Labor Ministry said. Officially the kingdom's unemployment rate is 10.5 percent, but that figure does not include the large numbers of working-age Saudis not counted as part of the labor force. Unemployment in Saudi Arabia costs the government $1.5 billion a year. | Reuters; Bloomberg

Human Rights Watch issued a statement, calling on Saudi Arabia to end arbitrary detentions and travel bans imposed on those who peacefully exercise their freedom of speech or assembly. Amnesty International criticized a recent travel ban imposed on Saudi lawyer Abu al-Khair. | HRW; Arabian Business

MARCH 27

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi met with Saudi King Abdullah and other officials, including the kingdom’s intelligence chief, in Riyadh. | Washington Post

Saudi Arabia will give Yemen a two-month supply of fuel, the state news agency Saba reported. | Reuters; Yemen Post

MARCH 26

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Salman will travel to the Eastern Province of the country this week to inspect the armed forces stationed in the region and their combat readiness. | Arab News

Christian bishops in Germany, Austria, and Russia criticized Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Shaikh after reports that al-Shaikh issued a fatwa saying all churches in the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council finalized its draft law on sexual harassment, which still needs to be submitted to King Abdullah for approval. The law classifies harassment violations and the corresponding penalties. | Saudi Gazette

MARCH 23

Saudi authorities reported that they had arrested Mohammed Saleh Abdullah al-Zanadi, a suspect in the recent shooting attack on a police patrol in the country’s Qatif province. Three policemen were wounded in the March 22 attack in the town of al-Awamiya, the state news agency SPA reported. Al-Zanadi was reportedly already on a list of people wanted by the Saudi authorities. | AFP; Gulf News

Reema Abdullah, a female Saudi Arabian radio sports commentator, was chosen to be among the 8,000 people who will carry the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Games this summer, a UAE daily reported. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee submitted a list of potential female competitors, although it is unclear if they will meet the Olympic qualifying standards. | al-Arabiya

MARCH 22

The Swedish Prosecution Authority announced that it has opened a preliminary inquiry into a controversial defense deal to help Saudi Arabia build a plant for the production of anti-tank weapons. | Wall Street Journal; Defense News

MARCH 21

In a recent interview, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin Abdulaziz Aal al-Sheikh, chief of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Hai’a), said that the Hai’a does not conduct raids without coordinating with the authorities concerned and that any member of the Hai’a who violates this rule will be held accountable. | Saudi Gazette

MARCH 20

The Saudi-owned Al-Hayat newspaper reported that Saudi Crown Prince Nayef has approved plans for the country to send female athletes to the Olympics for the first time at the London Games. The Saudi Gazette reported that the General Presidency of Youth Welfare stated that Saudi women will participate in the London Olympics and will wear outfits that conform to Sharia. | AP; BBC; Saudi Gazette

Saudi students in the Women’s College of Art in Mahayil in Asir province and Buraidah in Qassim province gathered to demand changes in university regulations and infrastructure. Arab News reported that the gathering students declared their loyalty and obedience to the rulers and then demanded improvement to the college buildings. | Arab News

MARCH 19

Iraq agreed to repatriate Saudi prisoners who fought alongside Islamist insurgents against U.S.-led forces in a new deal that signals further improvement of relations between the two countries. | Euronews

A top Arab diplomat told AFP that Saudi Arabia is delivering military equipment to the Free Syria Army by way of Jordan. There was no official reaction to the statement from the Saudi government, but Jordan flatly rejected the report. Analysts on Syrian state television accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of bearing responsibility for car bomb attacks on police and intelligence centers in Damascus and Aleppo. The attacks killed 29 and injured over 140. | AFP; Euronews; Telegraph

MARCH 16

Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh said that churches in the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed. The comments came in response to a question from a visiting Kuwaiti delegation. | Global Post; RT; Bikya Masr

MARCH 15

Saudi Arabia shut down its embassy in Syria and withdrew its entire staff, the Saudi foreign ministry announced. | Saudi Gazette

MARCH 14

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said his country and other oil exporters are ready to offset any shortfalls in supply, as tension with Iran helps drive oil prices higher. Al-Naimi said that the market remains “generally balanced,” with what he said was ample production and refining capacity. | Reuters; Washington Post; Bloomberg

The trial of 18 terror suspects including 17 Saudis and a Nigerian began in a specialized criminal court. The suspects are accused of being associated with Al-Qaeda and plotting to carry out attacks in the country. | Arab News

MARCH 12

Thousands of students at King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia boycotted classes on March 10, protesting against poor services, witnesses said. It was the second protest at the university in the town of Abha in a week. Security forces broke up a demonstration there on March 7. | Reuters; Guardian

The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) is promoting a hunger strike this week to protest against the detention of prominent rights activist Mohamad al-Bajadi, who was detained in March 2011 for supporting families demonstrating outside the Interior Ministry to demand the release of detained relatives. His trial, on charges including tarnishing the reputation of the state, has been suspended as he refused to recognize the court. | Swiss Info

MARCH 9

Amnesty International published a new report, which stated that one year after the planned "Day of Rage" demonstration in Riyadh at least six men remain in jail for their involvement in the event and called for their release. | Amnesty; AP; AFP

London's Times newspaper reported that a Saudi Arabian woman died and dozens more were injured after a protest at King Khaled University in Abha. Saeed al-Mugair, a health ministry spokesman, said 53 students suffered minor injuries and denied rumors of any death. | MSNBC; Reuters

MARCH 8

Saudi Arabia appointed Yasser Mufti as a new governor for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Mufti, who previously worked for state-giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co., or Saudi Aramco, and was the country's national representative to OPEC's Economic Commission Board from 2003 until 2009, replaces Majid al-Moneef. | Wall Street Journal

At least 53 female students from the College of Arts at King Khaled University in Abha were injured during a protest calling for the improvement of the learning environment, local daily al-Watan reported. | Saudi Jeans; al-Watan

MARCH 6

Khalaf al-Ali, a second secretary at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Bangladesh, was shot in the chest and killed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, police said. | al-Arabiya; Washington Post

Since 2007, the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI) has been involved in plans to help Saudi Arabia build an arms factory, Swedish Radio reported, citing classified documents. FOI director general Jan-Olof Lind denied the existence of the project, but several former FOI employees confirmed the existence of the project to Swedish Radio. | Trend; Middle East Online; Stockholm News

MARCH 5

Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court began the trials of 55 suspected al-Qaeda members, some charged in a deadly attack on a U.S. Consulate in 2004, the kingdom's official news agency reported. | Fox News; Saudi Gazette

MARCH 2

A spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior said there was no sabotage to its Ras Tanura refinery in the Qatif region. Oil futures dropped below $125 a barrel after Saudi Arabia denied reports of an explosion, easing fears about an imminent supply disruption. | Bloomberg; Wall Street Journal; Reuters

MARCH 1

Two former U.S. senators, Bob Graham and Bob Kerrey have stated that they believe that the Saudi government might have played a direct role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In their affidavits filed as part of a lawsuit brought against the Saudi government and institutions in the country by families of 9/11 victims and others, the men say that there are unanswered questions about the Saudi government’s role. | New York Times

FEBRUARY 29

Saudi Arabia said that it would honor a pledge of $3.75 billion in aid to Egypt, after complaints by the Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzuri that donor countries were failing to respect their commitments. | AFP; Bloomberg

FEBRUARY 27

The Saudi Defense Ministry allowed Iranian naval vessels to dock at the Jeddah Islamic Port earlier in February during a training mission, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry spokesman said. | Reuters; Bloomberg

In a recent televised address, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah said that “unnamed hands” targeting Islam and the Arabs are behind recent events in the region. | Washington Post

FEBRUARY 24

Al-Arabiya reported that the Saudi delegation withdrew from the Friends of the Syrian People meeting in Tunis. | al-Arabiya

FEBRUARY 23

In a recent statement, Amnesty International called for the immediate release of Khaled al-Johani, a Saudi teacher arrested almost a year ago after arriving at the site of a planned anti-government demonstration that never took place. | Now Lebanon; Amnesty International

India is seeking up to 100,000 barrels per day of extra oil every year from Saudi Arabia to feed its growing refining capacity, India’s oil minister S. Jaipal Reddy said, denying it was trying to replace supply from Iran. | Reuters

FEBRUARY 22

Saudi Arabia will not reopen an embassy in Baghdad. Instead, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, Fahd al-Zaid, will serve as the new “nonresident” Iraqi envoy. | New York Times; Saudi Gazette; Arab News

Talal al-Bakri, a member of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council, has proposed a new law to give greater protection to divorced women, necessitated by the increase in men divorcing their spouses without informing them. | Digital Journal; Emirates 24/7

FEBRUARY 21

A court in Saudi Arabia acquitted Saeed bin Zuair, a political activist who had been in jail for five years on terrorism charges, his son Abdullah bin Zuair said. Bin Zuair, 62, a media professor who has called for political reform, has been jailed three times since 1995. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry released a statement that said that its security forces would use “an iron fist” to end violence in the Qatif area of the Eastern Province of the country and defended its tactics against what it called foreign-backed troublemakers. | Reuters

FEBRUARY 17

Sheikh Abdullatif Aal al-Sheikh, the General President of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai’a), approved the termination of nine staffers working for the Hai’a in Qassim, a source was quoted as saying in the Arabic press. | Saudi Gazette

FEBRUARY 16

Human Rights Watch called on the International Olympic Committee to take a harder line with Saudi Arabia’s national Olympic committee unless it enacted significant sports reforms. The group said the Saudi delegation should be kept out of this summer’s London Olympics unless it included a female athlete. | New York Times; Washington Post; HRW

A special court in Riyadh resumed the trial of 49 suspects accused of being involved in various terror acts, including inciting sedition and encouraging youths to participate in “holy war” abroad. | Arab News

FEBRUARY 15

Saudi Arabia and India agreed to set up a joint panel tasked with preparing a road map for defense cooperation between the two countries and determining the details of a proposed defense pact. | Arab News

FEBRUARY 14

Saudi Arabia offered additional crude supplies to India, a move that could help Indian refiners replace supplies from sanctions-hit Iran. India's defense minister A.K. Antony is currently on a visit to Riyadh to discuss defense cooperation with his Saudi counterpart. | Reuters; Economic Times; Arab News

FEBRUARY 13

Saudi security forces killed 21-year-old Muneer al-Meedani and wounded at least six others when they opened fire on a protest march in the town of al-Qatif, activists said. | Reuters; Gulf News

Saudi Arabia’s authorities arrested blogger Hamza Kashghari at Riyadh’s international airport after being deported from Malaysia. He will face charges of blasphemy for criticizing Islam on Twitter. | CNN; Bloomberg; Arab News; Wall Street Journal;

FEBRUARY 10

Saudi security forces killed 21-year-old Muneer al-Meedani and wounded at least six others when they opened fire on a protest march in the town of al-Qatif, activists said. | Reuters; Gulf News

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah criticized the Russian and Chinese veto of a UN resolution on Syria as an “unfavorable” move and added that world confidence in the UN had been shaken as a result. | Reuters; AFP

FEBRUARY 9

23-year-old Saudi columnist Hamza Kashgari fled Saudi Arabia after his tweets on the human nature of the Prophet Muhammad led Saudi Arabia’s council of senior scholars to demand that he be put on trial and the king to issue a warrant for his arrest. Malaysian authorities arrested Kashgari and are likely to extradite him to Saudi Arabia. | Wall Street Journal; Daily Beast; Emirates 24/7

FEBRUARY 8

Saudi Arabia can meet any future requests and extra demand from South Korea for oil purchases if the country’s imports are disrupted by an embargo on Iran, Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi said in a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak in Riyadh. | Bloomberg

The Gulf Cooperation Council countries announced that they were recalling their ambassadors from Damascus and expelling Syrian envoys in response to worsening violence in Syria. | Reuters; Gulf News; Saudi Gazette

FEBRUARY 7

Fear is playing into the price of oil despite higher supply and decreasing demand, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud told CNBC. Bin Talal reiterated that Saudi Arabia will not let the price of oil go above $100. | CNBC

FEBRUARY 6

Manal al-Sharif told CNN that she filed an objection with the General Directorate of Traffic in Riyadh and is suing Saudi Arabia’s traffic police in order to get a driver's license. Saudi human rights activist Samar Badawi also filed a suit against the interior ministry. | CNN; Telegraph; Saudi Gazette

FEBRUARY 2

A cement crisis resulting from illegal trading and a steep hike in prices is spreading from Jeddah and Madina to other major cities in Saudi Arabia. | Arab News

FEBRUARY 1

Saudi Arabia nominated Majid al-Moneef to become the next secretary-general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Reuters reported, citing an unidentified Gulf official. | Bloomberg

As many as 1,034 detainees have been released from detention centers of the General Investigations and Prosecution Commission in Saudi Arabia in the last eight months. | Arab News

JANUARY 31

An official at the Saudi Youth Welfare Presidency denied media reports that it had allowed women to enter playgrounds and watch matches. The presidency has so far not issued any orders permitting women to enter a stadium and watch matches, according to Ahmad Rawzi, director of the presidency’s Jeddah office. | Arab News

Some 35 Ethiopian Christians face deportation from Saudi Arabia for “illicit mingling,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported. Police arrested the group, including 29 women, after raiding a prayer meeting in Jeddah. The women were subjected to strip searches and the men beaten and called “unbelievers,” according to HRW. | BBC; Bikya Masr

JANUARY 30

As of December 25, there were 4,662 detainees in Saudi Arabia’s General Investigations and Prosecution Commission’s detention centers, according to a Human Rights Commission report. The report, based on the Ministry of Interior’s figures and visits conducted by the HRC, revealed the detainees are of 51 different nationalities. Eighty percent of the detainees were Saudi (3,734) while the rest (928) were foreigners. | Arab News

JANUARY 26

Saudi Arabian modernization is “a work in progress,” and the country needs to expand education and employment for its youth as it diversifies the economy, Prince Turki Al-Faisal said. Prince Turki Al-Faisal also warned that if the Middle East does not become a nuclear weapon-free zone, a nuclear arms race is on the horizon. | Bloomberg; Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia has an alarming level of child labor, discrimination, and forced labor, a new report released by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) revealed. ITUC also said that Saudi Arabia “is in violation of all core labor standards.” | Bikya Masr

JANUARY 25

Hamza Serafi, along with other Saudi artists, participated in Saudi Arabia's first public show of contemporary art, entitled "We need to talk." The show, which opened in a Jeddah art gallery this month, deals with overtly political themes. | Reuters

JANUARY 24

Saudi Arabia said it arrested nine people in Qatif and accused them of involvement in the shooting of three members of the security forces. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia is launching a series of women-only cafes and restaurants, which is being met with optimism from women in the country. | Bikya Masr

JANUARY 23

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal announced Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of its observers from Syria in protest at what it calls the Syrian government's failure to respect an Arab League plan to end a violent crackdown on an opposition uprising. He urged the international community to use “all possible pressure” to persuade President Bashar Assad’s government end violence and pursue dialogue with the opposition. | VOA; Los Angeles Times; Arab News

A special court in Riyadh started the trial of 49 suspects accused of inciting sedition and encouraging youths to participate in holy wars abroad. In addition to 36 Saudis, the defendants included four Egyptians, two Yemenis, two Chadians, two Sudanese, two Syrians, and a Nigerian. | Arab News

JANUARY 20

Saudi Arabia's central bank head Fahad al-Mubarak said that Saudi Arabia would offer excess oil production capacity if needed to balance oil prices, and that he expected prices to stay stable. | Reuters

The newly appointed general president of the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh said that King Abdullah ordered him and his fellow colleagues to be lenient when dealing with people and to act with respect. | Arab News

JANUARY 18

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor is in the process of launching a plan to ensure employment for Saudi women from their homes, said Dr. Fahd al-Takhifi, assistant undersecretary for development. An agreement between Glowork, a Saudi-led project to empower women, and EXA Information Systems, was also signed under the supervision of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC). | Saudi Gazette; Arab News

JANUARY 17

The Saudi cabinet approved the restructuring of the Military Service Council (MSC) under the chairmanship of the prime minister, King Abdullah. The MSC deputy chairman will be the deputy prime minister and minister of Interior. Other MSC members include: the minister of Defense, foreign minister, chief of General Intelligence, secretary general of the National Security Council, and the finance minister. Three more members will be appointed through royal decree. | Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council approved amendments to the media and publications law which prohibits publishing insulting and defamatory articles about individuals and government officials. | Saudi Gazette

JANUARY 13

Saudi security forces clashed with Shiite protesters in the kingdom's oil-rich east at dawn on Friday killing one person and wounding three. | Gulf News

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah replaced the head of the country's morality police; some Saudis have complained that it is growing more aggressive, but no reason was given for replacing Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Humain with Shaikh Abdul Latif Al Al Shaikh in the royal decree. | Gulf News

A U.S. judge ruled that the Saudi Binladin Group, founded in the 1930s, cannot be sued for damages over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. | Arab News

JANUARY 11

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is nearing its comfortable operational production limits and may struggle to do much to make up for shortages that arise from new sanctions imposed on Iran by the West, Gulf-based sources said. | Reuters

JANUARY 10

The Council of Ministers on Monday reviewed global oil market developments and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to ensure international market stability in terms of balancing demand and supply and prices. | Arab News

Saudi banks have raised their alert level in fear of Israeli retaliation after the massive leak of credit card details by a hacker who claimed to be Saudi Arabian. | International Business Times UK

JANUARY 9

Saudi Arabia and Japan pledged to boost cooperation in the energy sector with a proposal to provide more oil to Tokyo in case of a shortage or supply disruptions following fresh sanctions imposed on Iran by the West. | Arab News

Many Saudi women claim getting and maintaining a high quality profession has proven difficult despite the government’s efforts to improve employment opportunities for them. | Arab News

JANUARY 6

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it is alarmed at the almost threefold increase in the use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia last year, citing also that court proceedings fall short of international fair trial standards and torture is used as a method of obtaining confessions. | AFP

JANUARY 5

Saudi Arabia is ready to fill any oil supply gaps in the market if needed, a Saudi source told Reuters following news of European governments' agreement to ban imports of Iranian crude. An EU ban would require about 600,000 barrels a day of replacement supply from Saudi Arabia, depleting the country’s spare capacity, said Mike Wittner, head of oil market research for the Americas at Societe Generale SA. | Reuters; Bloomberg

Saudi authorities will begin enforcing a law stipulating that only women should work in lingerie stores. A special committee of the Saudi Labor Ministry will work with the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) to safeguard the interests of saleswomen. The Labor Ministry reported that over 28,000 women have already applied for the sales jobs. | Arab News; BBC

Saudi Arabia’s General Organization for Pensions has given the go-ahead for state-of-the-art housing projects in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. | Saudi Arabia

JANUARY 4

A Saudi hacker group, Group-XP, posted details of over 15,000 Israeli credit cards on Israel’s major sports website, One.co.il. Israeli State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss said that the economic departnmet of his office had opened an investigation. | al-Arabiya; Jerusalem Post; Bloomberg

JANUARY 3

Saudi Arabia ordered the arrest of 23 Shi'ite Muslims in the country’s Eastern Province who it says were responsible for unrest that led to shootings and protests in recent weeks, the Interior Ministry announced. Ministry of Interior spokesman Mansour al-Turki said the men were working according to a foreign agenda, but did not name the country. | Reuters; Arab News

The Obama administration said it has reached a $30 billion arms sale agreement with Saudi Arabia, which includes the sale of 84 new F-15 fighter jets and an upgrade of 70 others. | Wall Street Journal; New York Times; Washington Post

Shura Council member Fahad al-Anzi was quoted in the state-run al-Watan newspaper saying that women in Saudi Arabia will not need a male guardian’s approval to run or vote in municipal elections in 2015. | Washington Post

December 19

Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal made a $300 million investment in Twitter, expanding his media empire into social media sites and giving the billionaire a stake in an online forum that was widely used by activists in this year's Arab uprisings. | Wall Street Journal; New York Times; NPR; Reuters

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah opened the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh. King Abdullah said the security of Saudi Arabia and that of its Arab neighbors was being targeted and called for Gulf Arab states to close ranks in a “single entity.” | Reuters

DECEMBER 15

A rare visit by Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi to Saudi Arabia sought to refute U.S. claims that Tehran planned to kill the kingdom’s ambassador to Washington, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. Mehmanparast stated Iran also wanted to convince Saudi Arabia that the United States and Israel are seeking to sow seeds of discord between the two regional powers. | Washington Post

DECEMBER 14

King Abdullah appointed new Cabinet ministers as part of a wider government reshuffle, including Muhammad al-Jasser as minister of economy and planning; Bandar Hajjar as Hajj minister; Tawfik al-Rabiah as commerce and industry minister; Abdul Rahman al-Barrak as minister of civil services; Fahad bin Abdullah al-Mubarak as governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency; and Khaled al-Sibti as deputy minister of education. | Arab News; Wall Street Journal

Officials in the United States, France, Britain, and other European countries have been lobbying Saudi Arabia to produce billions more barrels of oil to provide an alternative source for buyers of Iranian oil, in order to squeeze Iran's vital oil sector without driving up world energy prices and damaging the global economy. | Los Angeles Times

DECEMBER 13

Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi traveled to Riyadh for talks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef, who is also the Saudi interior minister; Saudi intelligence director Prince Muqrin; and other top Saudi royals, the Saudi Press Agency reported. | Wall Street Journal; AFP

DECEMBER 12

Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, denounced an online petition calling for the acquittal of members of the so-called “Jeddah Resthouse Cell,” saying that the signatories were stoking sedition and spewing venom with the aim of destabilizing the country. The petitioners also demanded the cessation of security operations in Qatif. The petition was signed by 67 people. | Arab News

DECEMBER 7

At a Persian Gulf security forum in Riyadh, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, who has served as the Saudi intelligence chief and as ambassador to the United States, said that Saudi Arabia might consider producing nuclear weapons if it found itself between atomic arsenals in Iran and Israel. | New York Times

DECEMBER 5

A report submitted by Kamal Subhi to Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council claims that allowing women in the kingdom to drive could encourage premarital sex. | Washington Post

DECEMBER 2

Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom Prince Muhammad bin Nawaf stated that Amnesty International’s recent report of repression in the country is not based on facts. | BBC; Arab News

DECEMBER 1

Amnesty International released a report criticizing the overall state of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia and, in particular, a proposed internal-security law in Saudi Arabia. | Amnesty; Al Jazeera

NOVEMBER 30

NOVEMBER 30—Saudi Arabia has expressed willingness to boost oil production to ensure potential new U.S. sanctions on Iran will not disrupt global petroleum markets, Republican Senator Mark Kirk said. | AFP

The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss the Syrian government's months-long clampdown on protesters. | Monsters and Critics; Reuters

Raytheon said it won approval from the U.S. Congress and the State Department to upgrade Saudi Arabia's missile defense system for $1.7 billion. | Wall Street Journal; Fox Business

NOVEMBER 29

Eastern Province Governor Prince Muhammad bin Fahd received a group of Qatif scholars and tribal leaders who condemned the riots that took place in the city last week, killing four people and injuring a number of others. | Arab News

Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to leave Syria quickly to avoid getting caught in a military crackdown on protests, the Saudi state news agency reported. | Reuters

NOVEMBER 21

The Saudi Shura Council recommended granting citizenship to non-Saudi wives of citizens, according to informed sources. | Saudi Gazette

NOVEMBER 18

Saudi Arabia plans to send a female equestrian team to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London to avoid being barred from taking part in the competitions, Saudi media sources reported. In previous years, Saudi Arabia sent exclusively male teams to the Olympic Games. | al-Arabiya

Motlaq Al-Nabit, spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, known as Haia, called for a stricter dress code for women in the province of Ha’il, saying that “the Haia men will intervene to force women to cover their eyes, especially tempting ones.” | Ahram Online; Fox News

NOVEMBER 17

Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, a prominent half-brother of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, announced his resignation from the Allegiance Council. He is considered one of the most vocal supporters of reform in the ruling al-Saud family and did not give a reason for his resignation. | Reuters; Washington Post

Saudi Arabia called for a UN vote on November 18 on a resolution condemning an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and calling on Iran to cooperate with the investigation. The draft resolution is backed by the United States. | AFP

NOVEMBER 16

Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former chief of Saudi intelligence services and Saudi Arabia's former ambassador to the U.S., stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad failed to meet commitments made under an Arab League initiative and that his refusal to stop the violence made his departure from power inevitable. Prince Turki also stated that there was “ample and heinous” evidence that Iran was behind an alleged plot to kill the current Saudi ambassador to Washington and that Riyadh may take the case to the United Nations. | AP; Reuters

Defense Minister Prince Salman stated that he would continue former Defense Minister Prince Sultan’s efforts to develop and expand the country’s armed forces. | Arab News

NOVEMBER 15

Saudi Arabia's Central Bank reported that it expects inflationary pressures to continue in the fourth quarter due to increased spending from the pilgrimage season. | Reuters

Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral agreement with South Korea for cooperation on the development of nuclear energy as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its energy mix to meet rising power demand, the Saudi government announced. | Reuters; Bloomberg; AFP

NOVEMBER 14

Saudi Arabia has prepared a plan to “rebuild and modernize” its armed forces as the kingdom confronts regional risks, military Chief of Staff General Hussein al-Qubail said. The plan will now be presented to incoming Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud for approval. | Bloomberg; Gulf News; Arab News

A Saudi court in Jeddah ordered a flogging sentence of ten lashes to Shaima Jastaniya for driving a car in defiance of a long-standing ban in Saudi Arabia, the London-based Saudi newspaper, al-Hayat, reported. | Emirates 24/7

Saudi Arabia condemned an attack by pro-government protesters on its embassy in Damascus, blaming the Syrian government for a security lapse, the Saudi state news agency reported. | Saudi Gazette

NOVEMBER 10

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi charged in the attacks on the USS Cole and a French oil tanker, was arraigned before a military judge at Guantanamo on charges that include murder in violation of the law of war. | New York Times; Huffington Post

Saudi Arabia will overtake Russia as the world's largest crude oil producer in roughly 2015, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced. | Reuters

NOVEMBER 9

Nearly three million Muslim pilgrims performed the final rituals of the hajj as the world's largest annual gathering neared its close without major incident. | AFP

NOVEMBER 4

King Abdullah has been ranked sixth on a list of the 70 most powerful leaders in the world by the U.S. business magazine Forbes. | Arab News

NOVEMBER 3

Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council is in the process of developing legislation that will provide rights to citizens suffering from HIV/AIDS, Majdi Al-Toukhi, a senior health-care specialist for the World Bank’s Human Development Department in the Middle East and North Africa region, told Arab News. | Arab News

NOVEMBER 1

Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, issued directives to the Ministries of Education, Civil Services and Finance to tackle the problem of unemployment on a priority basis. | Saudi Gazette

AFP reported that King Abdullah is expected to name his half-brother Prince Salman, governor of Riyadh, as the new defense minister to succeed the late Crown Prince Sultan. | Gulf News

OCTOBER 31

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the U.S. Congress that Saudi Arabia is seeking to purchase more than 200 up-armored Humvees. | UPI

OCTOBER 28

Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia's interior minister, has been named the new crown prince and deputy premier. He will continue to head the Interior Ministry along with his new positions. | CNN; Saudi Gazette; Arab News; Reuters; Washington Post

OCTOBER 27

Saudi Arabia concluded a three-day mourning period for Crown Prince Sultan on October 27, opening the way for King Abdullah to appoint his new heir, widely expected to be the veteran interior minister. | Reuters; Ahram

OCTOBER 26

The gap between housing demand and supply in Saudi Arabia is narrowing as banks start to lend and government support boosts sector development, John Harris, the director of Jones Lang LaSalle in Saudi Arabia, said. Housing was a priority of King Abdullah’s social spending programs announced earlier this year. | Reuters

The Court of Grievances in Jeddah upheld an appeal by Abdullah al-Muhammadi, the winner of the Electoral District No. 3 in Jeddah, and affirmed his electoral victory. Al-Muhammadi’s victory was initially invalidated by the Municipal Elections Complaints Committee following complaints from voters that their polling station was moved without any prior warning. | Arab News

OCTOBER 25

The burial for Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud took place today in the presence of a number of world leaders. Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi traveled to Saudi Arabia to pay respects to the late Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in a possible effort to ease tensions amid allegations that Iran plotted to kill the kingdom’s ambassador in Washington. | AFP; Washington Post; Gulf News; Reuters

Saudi Arabia market regulators are in discussions with foreign banks to open its stock market to international investors directly by early next year. | NASDAQ

OCTOBER 24

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who also served as Saudi Arabia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation, died on October 22 in New York. A burial is scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. Sultan's brother Nayef, the Interior Minister and a reputed conservative, is the likely successor to the position of crown prince. | CNN; New York Times; Bloomberg; Reuters

OCTOBER 21

Approximately three million expatriate workers will have to leave Saudi Arabia in the next few years as the Labor Ministry has put a twenty percent ceiling on the number of guest workers allowed in the country in order to help protect jobs for Saudis and the country’s demographic structure. | Arab News

OCTOBER 20

Saudi Arabia detained Feras Baqna, Hussam al-Drewesh and Khaled al-Rasheed on October 16 after they produced a short film on poverty in the kingdom, according to the Riyadh-based Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. | Bloomberg; New York Times

OCTOBER 19

Saudi Arabia’s National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) signed an agreement to disseminate human rights literature and hear citizens’ grievances through Saudi Post offices. | Saudi Gazette

The Saudi Ministry of the Interior says newly released prisoners who pose a threat to society will be tracked through an electronic device attached to the convict’s leg and linked to a control room through wireless frequencies and GPS technologies. | Gulf News

OCTOBER 17

Saudi Arabia’s newly established Ministry of Housing is planning to implement a seven-point strategy to solve the country’s housing problem and achieve the goal of making every citizen a house owner. | Arab News

Saudi Arabia’s inflation rate accelerated to 5.3 percent last month, its fastest pace since January, the state news agency reported. | Saudi Gazette

OCTOBER 13

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Saudi Arabia would have a “measured response” to the alleged Iranian assassination plot on its U.S. ambassador. | Reuters

The national council in charge of monitoring elections issued its final report about Saudi Arabia’s September municipal polls. The report included several suggestions for improvement, including educating citizens to promote election culture, developing voting locations for the handicapped and elderly, developing a better voting method for the illiterate, and encouraging private companies to allow employees to vote. | Arab News

OCTOBER 12

The U.S. Justice Department has accused two Iranians, Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri, of conspiring with elements of the Iranian government to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir. The plot also targeted the Israeli embassy in Washington. The U.S. is discussing with Saudi Arabia and other allies the possibility of taking the issue to the United Nations Security Council. | Voice of America; Reuters; Jerusalem Post; Saudi Gazette

The national council in charge of monitoring the municipal elections will issue its final report in Jeddah today. Majid Qaroub, chairman of the Lawyers Committee in Jeddah, reported that observers noted a general disinterest in participating in the elections. | Arab News

OCTOBER 11

The Shura Council agreed to cooperate with Saudi Arabia’s National Society of Human Rights in its efforts to protect human rights, prevent violations and find solutions to human rights challenges. | Arab News

OCTOBER 7

A number of Saudi religious scholars and Shura Council members strongly denounced the riots in Awamiyya earlier this week and urged the government to confront such troublemakers with an iron hand. | Arab News

OCTOBER 5

Fourteen people have reportedly been injured in clashes in Awwamiya in the eastern province of Qatif. State media reported that eleven of those wounded were security personnel. The Interior Ministry blamed foreign elements for the unrest. | Saudi Gazette; BBC; Gulf News; Arab News

Shura Council Chairman Abdullah al-Asheikh appointed a special committee for women’s affairs to implement King Abdullah’s decision allowing women to serve on the council. | Arab News

A number of prominent Saudi Shiite sheikhs, including Sheikh Mohammad Al Jeerani and Sheikh Mansour Al Salman, vowed their loyalty to the Saudi regime, following the riots in Awwamiya. | Gulf News

OCTOBER 4

A senior member of the Board of Ulema Sheikh Abdullah al-Munea was quoted by al-Hayat newspaper as saying that it is not permitted for women candidates in the next municipal elections to promote themselves by displaying their photographs in public places. | Saudi Gazette

Saudi Arabia may be forced to tap its reserves to fund spending programs announced earlier this year as oil drops below $85 to $90, the kingdom’s estimated breakeven budget price. | Bloomberg

OCTOBER 3

On October 1, the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs announced 177 winners for 45 municipal councils of the Riyadh region. On October 2, the Complaints Committee of Municipal Elections canceled the results of a Jeddah district, Electoral District-3, following complaints about a procedural discrepancy. | Arab News; Arab News

SEPTEMBER 30

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mansour bin Miteb said that the municipal elections in Saudi Arabia were “free, fair and credible.” Election results are expected on October 2. | Arab News

SEPTEMBER 29

Saudi men voted today in municipal council elections, the second-ever nationwide vote. | Washington Post; Voice of America

King Abdullah has overturned a court ruling sentencing Shayma Ghassaniya to ten lashes for breaking a ban on female drivers, Saudi Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel wrote on her Twitter account. | BBC; Fox News; Sky News; Bloomberg Business Week

SEPTEMBER 28

The campaign period for the Saudi municipal elections ended today. Over 1 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on September 29 and more than 10,000 people—including lawyers, government officials, and NGO representatives—are preparing to monitor the elections. | Saudi Gazette; Arab News

SEPTEMBER 27

A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a woman identified as Shayma Ghassaniya to 10 lashes for violating the country's ban on female drivers. | Arab News; Global Post

SEPTEMBER 26

King Abdullah granted Saudi women the right to vote, run in future municipal elections, and be appointed to the Shura Council. However, women will not be able to exercise these rights until the next municipal elections in 2015. | New York Times; Saudi Gazette; Arab News

SEPTEMBER 22

There are reports of municipal elections candidates’ photos and posters being torn down as campaigning intensified in Saudi Arabia. | Arab News

SEPTEMBER 21

A group of married working Saudi women has demanded visas to recruit personal drivers and domestic workers, a right currently reserved only for divorced women and widows. | Saudi Gazette

SEPTEMBER 20

41 al-Qaeda-linked terrorism suspects will be put on trial in Saudi Arabia on accusations that they planned to attack U.S. forces in Kuwait and Qatar. | New York Times

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that Saudi Arabia will donate $10 million to help create a UN Center for Counter Terrorism (UNCCT). | Arab News; Forbes

The Saudi Ministry of Civil Service stated that foreign husbands of Saudi women and foreign wives of Saudi men will be exempted from the Nitaqat Saudization laws. | Saudi Gazette

SEPTEMBER 16

The campaign period for the September 29 municipal council elections began on September 18. More than 5,000 men will compete in the elections, which are for half of the seats in the kingdom’s 285 municipal councils. |Arab News; AFP

More than 60 Saudi intellectuals and activists have called for a boycott of the municipal council elections because of the continued ban on women’s voting. | AFP

SEPTEMBER 15

King Abdullah issued a royal decree promoting and appointing 80 judges at the Ministry of Justice, including 76 to the level of appeals judge, one to head judge of Court “A,” two to “C” level judge, and one to the degree of judicial lieutenant. | Okaz; Saudi Gazette

SEPTEMBER 14

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs’ General Administration for Municipal Councils Affairs has barred six of the 53 candidates in the second municipal elections in Najran, including the current chairman of Najran’s Municipal Council, Zaid Bin Ali Bin Shuwail. | Saudi Gazette

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns traveled to Saudi Arabia on September 13 to meet with King Abdullah and other senior Saudi officials. | KUNA

SEPTEMBER 8

Satisfaction with the Saudi judiciary system’s performance has increased over the past few months, according to an ongoing survey on a website that specializes in judicial affairs. | Arab News

SEPTEMBER 7

Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) Mufleh Al-Qahtani said that the NSHR is trying to introduce human rights in Saudi Arabian school curricula. A joint workshop between NSHR and the Ministry of Education made specific recommendations on the issue. | Arab News

SEPTEMBER 6

Labor Minister Adel Fakeih announced that the benefits and incentives for private companies employing Saudis will begin on September 10, when the Nitaqat Saudization system enters a new phase. | Arab News; Arabian Business

King Abdullah issued two decrees on September 3, promoting Prince Turki bin Sultan and Abdullah al-Jasser to the rank of deputy minister of culture and information. Both will have the rank of minister. | Arab News

AUGUST 29

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Mansour Bin Mit’eb has approved requests by some municipal election candidates to give them until September 10 to apply for campaign permits. Campaigns may be conducted from September 18–28; elections are set for September 29. | Saudi Gazette

Dr. Mish’al al-Ali, a member of the Shoura Council and chairman of the Petitions Committee, called on the government and the private sector to create a new system of transport for women in Saudi Arabia amid the rising cost of drivers and regulations barring women from driving. | Saudi Gazette

King Abdullah issued a royal decree appointing Abdullah bin Saleh bin Abdullah al-Jasser deputy minister of culture and information. | Arab News

AUGUST 26

King Abdullah issued a royal decree to appoint seven new members of the Human Rights Commission and renew 10 memberships. | Saudi Gazette

Kameel Abu Joudah, director of the Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy, said there were many Saudi women eager to join the academy to learn flying. The academy will consider the applications if regulations permit women to learn the skill, Abu Joudah said. | Arab News

AUGUST 25

Saudi Arabia is in the process of studying the draft Penal Law for Terrorism Crimes and Financing Terrorism, which, if passed, would allow suspects accused of endangering “national unity” to be held as terrorism suspects. The law also stipulates a minimum 10-year jail sentence for questioning the integrity of the king or crown prince. Reuters reports that the number of people currently detained in Saudi prisons could number in the thousands. | Reuters

AUGUST 24

Najla Hariri was freed after she was briefly arrested in Jeddah for defying a ban on women drivers. | AFP

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Labor denied media reports that it was set to lift a ban on recruiting domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia. | Arabian Business

AUGUST 23

AUGUST 23—Saudi Arabia should carefully monitor possible inflationary pressures following a recent increase in social spending, the International Monetary Fund said. | Reuters

Two Saudi Arabian suspected al-Qaeda militants turned themselves in to authorities, the Saudi Press Agency said. | Bloomberg

AUGUST 22

Universities will not be able to accommodate all high school students and many will need to study at alternative institutions, according to Dr. Ahmad Saad Aal Mufrih, Chairman of the Shura Council’s Education Committee. | Saudi Gazette

Domestic workers from the Philippines will be allowed back into Saudi Arabia after the government announced it would lift its recruitment ban. | Bikya Masr

AUGUST 19

Abdul Wahab Aal Mijthal, a member of the Shoura Council, urged the Ministry of Labor to allow Saudi women to recruit drivers and housemaids without conditions or restrictions. | Saudi Gazette

AUGUST 18

General Dynamics announced that it won two contracts from the US Army to work with the Saudi Arabian government to upgrade the Saudi fleet of Abram tanks. | Bikya Masr

AUGUST 17

King Abdullah will lay the foundation stone for an expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca on August 19. The new project will create prayer space for an additional 1.2 million worshippers. | Arab News; al-Sharq al-Awsat

AUGUST 16

Saudi Arabia has announced that its annual inflation rose to 4.9 percent in July, compared with 4.7 percent in June as a result of rising prices of food, products and services. | AMEinfo; Arab News

The Council of Ministers, chaired by King Abdullah, took a number of steps to speed up the settlement of cases related to real estate shares. The Cabinet authorized the president of the Supreme Judiciary Council to take necessary action in coordination with the minister of commerce and industry. | Arab News

AUGUST 15

Dr. Mufarrij Al-Huqbani, deputy Labor minister, confirmed that the Nitaqat system, designed to nationalize private sector jobs and reward the ‘Saudization’ of companies, will be implemented on September 11 as planned. | Zawya

King Abdullah met with Turkish President Abdullah Gül to discuss developments in the region, particularly the crisis in Syria. | al-Jazirah; World Bulletin

AUGUST 11

King Abdullah announced the promotions and appointments of 47 judges at different levels within the judiciary.| al-Hayat; al-Jazirah

Saudi citizens have been arrested in Syria without reason, Chairman of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) Muflih Al-Qahtani told Al-Watan newspaper. | Arab News

AUGUST 9

Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the 18th annual meeting of the governors of regions yesterday. The meeting stressed the importance of achieving balanced and comprehensive development throughout the country, citing housing as one of the main goals. | Saudi Press Agency; al-Jazirah

AUGUST 8

King Abdullah announced the appointment of Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz as the assistant secretary general of the National Security Council for Intelligence and Security Affairs and Ambassador Abdullah Bin Yahya Al-Mu’allimi as Ambassador No. 2. He also appointed Abdulaziz bin Saleh bin Suleiman al-Hawwas as an advisor at the Office of the Chief of General Intelligence. | al-Hayat; Saudi Gazette

AUGUST 4

Saudi Arabia’s interior minister, Prince Nayef Bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, has accepted undisclosed damages over an article in The Independent newspaper accusing him of ordering police to shoot and kill unarmed protesters. Its publisher, Independent Print Ltd, and the article’s author, Robert Fisk, also offered their apologies to Prince Nayef. | BBC; Bahrain News Agency

Saudi Arabian judges and legal experts responded positively to the recent cabinet decision to streamline judicial procedures in order to speed up the issuance of verdicts. The decision also grants courts the authority to nullify lawsuits if they find adequate justification to do so. | Arab News

AUGUST 3

Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja stated that King Abdullah met yesterday with the cabinet to discuss the need for reforms aimed at improving the speed and efficacy of the judicial process. | Al-Hayat

June 17

A number of Saudi women have gotten behind the wheel to protest laws repressing women and forbidding them to drive. The driving campaign, initiated through social networking sites, came as a response to the ten-day detention of Manal al-Sherif, who posted a video of herself driving. | Al Jazeera

April 12

On April 12, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced the release of nine former al-Qaeda militants who had successfully completed a six-month rehabilitation program at the Prince Mohamed bin Nayef Center. | Arab News

April 11

Saudi Arabia is leading a GCC effort to broker a deal that would pave the way for a peaceful transfer of power in Yemen.  On April 11, the Saudi government welcomed the GCC’s recommendation that President Saleh meet with Yemeni opposition representatives for talks in Riyadh.  The date of the negotiations has not yet been determined. | Saba News

April 9

On April 8,  several hundred Shi’ite protesters staged renewed demonstrations in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, where they called for the release of political prisoners and called on the government to grant more rights. The peaceful protests, which took place in the city of Qatif and the village of Awamiyya, also called for the withdrawal of GCC forces from neighboring Bahrain. | CNN