A1SaudiArabia.com

RIYADH – The Ministry of Health has finalized an accord with its Jordanian counterpart for the recruitment of 24 male and female medical consultants to work at seven hospitals in the Northern Borders province of the Kingdom. Oqail Al-Ghamdi, Assistant Deputy Minister for Curative Medicine, said the consultants were “experts with high qualifications in rare specializations like kidney transplants and surgery, the urinary system, anesthesia, plastic surgery, brain surgery, and neural and oral surgery”. The specialists will be placed according to requirement at either Al-Quriyat General Hospital, Prince Abdul Rahman Al-Sudairi hospitals in Sakaka, Tabarjal and Arar, King Khaled Hospital in Tabuk, or the Obstetrics and childrens hospitals in Al-Jouf and Turaif. – SPA

NAJRAN – The Kingdoms two human rights bodies have criticized the work of Social Security, saying that many people are being forced instead to turn to their organizations for help. They also believe the situation indicates an increase in poverty in the Kingdom.

Speaking Wednesday at a forum meeting in Najran of Social Security directors from across the Kingdom, Vice Chairman of the Human Rights Commission Zaid Al-Hussein said that surveys were required at schools, hospitals, courts and prisons to identify persons in need, and also called for a rise in pensions.

Read More

Media urged to be responsible in reporting cases

RIYADH – The ministers of Health, Justice and Culture and Information says that a unified and professional government strategy is needed to tackle the vexing question of medical errors taking place at public and private hospitals in the Kingdom.

Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Justice Minister Dr. Muhammad Bin Abdulkarim Al-Isa and Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja all delivered speeches at a major symposium on medical errors in Riyadh Sunday.

Read More

RIYADH – Rotana, the Arabic Music Gateway, bagged the third FM radio license in the Kingdom Saturday at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh, marking the launch of a new generation of FM radio stations in the Saudi market.
Rotana’s bid for the new radio channel amounted to SR76,350 million, shooting down the competition for the third license from nine media companies.
The license was awarded in the presence of Abdul Aziz Khoja, the Minister of Culture and Information.
Two more FM radio licenses are expected to be awarded next month after the offers are submitted, said Riyadh Najem, assistant deputy minister for engineering affairs and supervisor of audiovisual media.
The first-ever FM radio license worth SR75 million went to the media alliance of Alf Alf, which would allow it to broadcast from 30 locations in the Kingdom.
The second license worth SR66 million went to Ghayat Al-Ibdah company.
The Ministry of Culture and Information had earlier announced that 11 qualified media alliances and companies would submit their financial bids for the five new FM radio licenses in the Kingdom.
Over 73 percent of people in Saudi Arabia listen to radio programs, with over half of them tuning into radio on a daily basis, mostly while driving, according to a new study by the Arab Advisers Group. – Okaz/SG

RIYADH: In a major move to participate in the Kingdoms public transport development plans and win contracts, the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the French transport giant Regie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) on Saturday.

The accord with this semi-government French company will cover operation and maintenance of future tram and metro networks as part of the Kingdoms development program of major urban cities.

Read More

JEDDAH – A new generation of FM radio stations is entering the Saudi market soon with the announcement of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the qualified 11 media alliances and companies which will submit their financial bids for the five new FM radio licenses in the Kingdom.

Four media companies have failed to provide the minimum financial guarantees from Saudi banks to make it to the second round, according to Riyadh Najim, assistant deputy minister for engineering affairs and supervisor of audiovisual media.

Read More

JEDDAH: A 12-member trade mission from Canada’s province of Quebec is on a visit to Saudi Arabia studying the prospects for greater economic ties. “We are here to explore the Saudi market for expanding our trade volume and also for scouting and identifying the sectors for new investment,” Francois Bouilhac, assistant deputy minister at the Quebec Ministry of Development, Innovation and Export, told Arab News. He was speaking at a meeting hosted by Mohamed Attar, honorary consul of Canada, on Saturday.

Quebec’s exports to the Kingdom have gone up by 200 percent between 2004 and 2008. “Our exports range from $600 to $700 million a year, and the trade balance remains in favor of Quebec,” he said. Quebec’s exports to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states were $640 million in 2007 and increased to $746 million in 2008. These form 20 to 30 percent of Canada’s overall exports to the GCC, he added.

Read More

JEDDAH – Authorities will use thermal cameras and have more medics on stand-by as part of measures to limit swine flu during the Haj pilgrimage.

Around 3 million pilgrims from more than 160 countries take part in the Haj in the holy city of Makkah most years, including up to two million who come from abroad. They mostly arrive by air in Jeddah.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia announced its first death from H1N1, a 30-year-old Saudi man in Dammam. The Kingdom has reported nearly 300 cases.

Read More

RIYADH: Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah will inaugurate a four day-workshop on swine flu at the Jeddah Hilton today.

Health Ministry spokesman Khalid Al-Mirghalani told Arab News that the meeting is being organized by the ministry on a directive from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

He indicated that 20 foreign experts from the US Centers for Diseases Control, the World Health Organization and local health officials from the 20 health regions in the Kingdom would participate in the meeting.

Read More

RIYADH: Three more cases of swine flu were detected in the Kingdom bringing the total number of infected patients in the country to 11, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

The new cases are being detected since we have an efficient team of officials working at the Ministry of Healths Preventive Medicine Department that is constantly monitoring developments concerning the disease, Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani told Arab News yesterday.

The latest detection includes a case of a Mauritanian coming from Canada via the United Arab Emirates.

Read More