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JEDDAH – Retail gold demand volumes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi dipped by around 15 percent in August on the year, as the holy month of Ramadan led consumers to focus more on food purchases, traders said on Thursday.

“Ramadan is all about food and not about buying jewelry thats why we saw a dip of around 15 percent in August,” said a jewelry trader at Mansuk Jewellers in Dubais old gold souk.

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JEDDAH – The Middle East has more than double the interest and double the ownership of 3D TVs than anywhere else in the world, a recent Nielsen report said.

In a specially designed index, Saudi Arabia recorded a higher score than any other country, with the UAE coming in at tenth place out of 52 nations.

The results were divided into markets made up of: Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan; Latin America; Asia Pacific; North America; and Europe. The online “How We Watch” survey took into account the responses from 27,665 participants aged 15 years and upwards. The highest 3D ownership or definite interest in ownership was among 25-29 year olds.

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JEDDAH – A large number of people already getting financial assistance from social insurance and charitable societies are increasing their income by making begging their profession, Yusuf Al-Sayali, director general of the Anti-Beggary Office branches in the Ministry of Social Affairs, said here Wednesday.

Al-Sayali said researchers have determined that money received by these beggars is so enough and they do not need assistance from official and charitable organizations.

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RIYADH – There has been a rise in real estate prices in the northern parts of Riyadh and Jeddah, according to a recent study conducted by the Oxford Business Group (OBG).
OBG is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic and political intelligence on the markets of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean.
Saudi Arabia’s growing population is the reason for escalating prices in the Kingdom’s two key real estate markets of Riyadh and Jeddah, the study found.
The growing population is driving up demand for residential properties, said Rakesh Kunhiraman, Director of OBG’s Consulting Division. He said the growth witnessed in prime and emerging localities of the cities marked a turnaround for the Kingdom’s two key real estate markets.
The economic downturn had pushed down prices, while Jeddah also had to contend with further fallout from the flash floods, which hit the city late last year.
“Figures indicate that both cities are earmarked for tremendous growth, especially in prime residential districts and new growth areas in the north of Riyadh and Jeddah,” he said.
Low-cost housing units will gain prominence over the next few years as population growth pushes up demand. “We expect the low and mid-income section of the population to be the primary demand driver for the residential sector, with affordability playing a key part in growth. “We also expect low-cost housing, such as multi-storey apartments, to gain prominence during the coming years as the Kingdom’s rapidly growing population stretches demand to an estimated 1.5 million new units by 2015,” Kunhiraman said.
He said that the districts of Al-Masiaf, Al-Muruj, Al-Mursalat and Al-Ghadir, located in the north of Riyadh’s Central Business District (CBD), were generating interest among buyers, while the localities to the north of Jeddah, including the corridor close to the Corniche, were earmarked for growth. “Riyadh’s development has shifted towards the northern district due to high land prices coupled with limited availability in the core CBD areas of the city,” he said.
He said the market is now showing gradual signs of recovery, particularly in prime residential districts, which have witnessed a rise of three percent in sale prices over the past 12 months.
Kunhiraman said that prices in Jeddah’s sought-after Corniche were being kept steady following the construction of a number of high-rise luxury apartments in the area.
“Thanks to their proximity to the Corniche the northern districts in Jeddah such as Al-Andalus, Al-Basateen, Al-Hamra, Al-Khalidiyah, Al-Mohammediyah, Al-Nahda, Al-Nayeem, Al-Rawdah, Al-Salamah, Al-Shatee and Al-Zahra are proving popular. This trend is extending toward the northern corridor,” he said. – SG

MAKKAH – About 12 consultative and planning bodies are putting finishing touches to a new map of the Central Area in Makkah which takes into account all the changes over the past few years.

The new map is also going to be used to help with future developments. It takes into consideration all the topographic changes in the Central Area.

The map has been designed as a link between executors of field plans and service sites. The map also takes into consideration the density in certain areas of pilgrims during the Haj and Umrah seasons.

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JEDDAH – The General Court in Jeddah witnessed a limited response Monday from people who are entitled to SR1 million compensation checks King Abdullah ordered for families of people who lost their lives in the Jeddah flood disaster.

The first people arrived after 12 noon and only 12 requests were referred to judges in preparation for issuing the checks. One woman among those seeking the checks was deeply saddened by her loss.

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TAIF – Private schools need more than 2,000 teachers in Islamic education and social subjects, said Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Haqbani, deputy chairman of Private Education and Training in the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The situation is all the more challenging because there is not a broad awareness that it exists and there are limited options for hiring qualified teachers, he said.

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Al-Birr Society says its resources are insufficientMAKKAH – More than 500 families in poor villages south of Makkah – some of which have the highest poverty rates in the Kingdom, according to a study – are facing the worry of not being able to provide their children with new clothes to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.
A charitable organization working to help the people is far short of its goal and its director on Saturday requested members of the general assembly to send text messages in support of the effort.
According to specialists in charitable work, some of the villages are the poorest in area, maybe in the whole Kingdom. Families there have almost 2,000 children and women.
Abed Bin Saleem Al-Hasani, Director General of Al-Birr Charitable Society in the villages of southern Makkah, said his group strives to provide what it can to help these families. He urged officials to send text messages in support for its project.
Al-Hasani said the Al-Birr Charitable Society has set up a project to provide Eid clothes with a goal of raising SR600,000 for those registered according to social research, but the charity has only been able to raise SR30,000.
 A study has shown that 544 families in 16 villages have a 31 percent unemployment rate, the highest percentage in the region, due to their limited education, lack of professional experience and physical and mental disabilities.
The study showed that 32 percent of the families have incomes between SR700 and SR1,500 per month and charity and social insurance is their main source of income. Al-Baidha Center has the lowest income of the centers.
 The villages of Tufail, Sa’ya, Al-Sa’diyah, and Wadi Dhaim have the largest number of poor families; most residents earn money by making charcoal and working as shepherds and woodcutters, according to the study.
The study, which assessed demographic, environmental and domestic characteristics, found that 52 percent of the people live in ramshackle houses, 18 percent in tents, 17 percent in stone houses and 11 percent in corrugated iron houses. – Okaz/SG

JIZAN – The Ministry of Finance branch in Jizan Region refused on Tuesday to give entitlements to Saudi youths below 30 years of age who were displaced from areas near the Saudi-Yemen border after infiltrators caused security threats which resulted in military action.

 The decision has resulted in chaos at the Finance Ministry branch offices amid demands to expedite the issuance of the checks and entitlements for families that are still suffering due to delays in their receiving compensation. The families hope to be compensated before the advent of Eid Al-Fitr, a number of people said.

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DAMMAM – The municipality of Al-Khobar has found harmful traces of insecticides in vegetables, especially cucumber, sold at the region’s markets.
Dr. Zaki Al-Awami, Director of the Services Administration at the municipality, said some traces were of banned chemicals, and that they were discovered when samples were examined with an advanced device.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant authorities have taken up the matter to identify the source and take necessary action.
Engineer Saad Al-Meqbel, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture’s branch in the Eastern Province, said the branch had not received any information from the province’s mayoralty about insecticides in cucumber.
“All insecticides are harmful and farmers are required to sign conditions of use before the chemicals are handed over to them,” he said.
However, “detecting insecticides in products is the municipality inspectors’ mission,” he added. He said laboratories should be set up at markets to examine all vegetables before being sold.
This would also make it easier to identify and punish those farmers and companies that do not comply with the conditions of using these chemicals.
A consumer protection official said insecticide residue in fruit and vegetables can severely harm human beings. If consumed they might cause kidney failure and liver disease, and have other long-term effects.
He called on farmers to fear Allah, adding that dangerous insecticide use needs to be stopped for at least 21 days before the crop is harvested. – Okaz/SG