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DHAHRAN – King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and King Saud University (KSU) have been listed among the top 500 world-class universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universitys Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for the year 2010.

The ranking has been published annually by Shanghai Jiao Tong University of China since 2003, and has attracted global recognition for the methodology it uses to rank universities.

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JEDDAH – The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has ordered Imams not to deliver lengthy Friday sermons, stressing that those who do not keep their sermons short and meaningful will be punished.

Dr. Azam Al-Shewair, Chief of the Committee for the Assessment of Imams and Khateebs at the ministrys branch in Riyadh, said the Imams who ignore the ministrys instructions will be forced to undergo training. If they repeat the offense, they will get a final warning and their salaries will be cut.

He said Imams should take into consideration that there are old and sick people, particularly those with  diabetes, among the worshippers who cannot tolerate sitting and  listening to sermons for long periods. He said Imams should follow the wisdom of keeping sermons short and meaningful.

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JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia should not abandon wheat cultivation and must continue to produce crops depending on the suitability and sustainability of each region, says a Saudi businessman.

Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed, chairman of Golden Gras Inc., a Riyadh-based agricultural company, called on the government to publish the master strategy for the agriculture industry allegedly promised in 2002.

He was referring to a 10-year-old agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and King Saud University. But so far, it has not been made public, Al-Rasheed told Arab News.

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JEDDAH – Hilton Worldwide has signed up to manage two new hotels in Riyadh, a city ranked high on the global hospitality performance scale.

“Hotel performance in KSA and Riyadh in particular fared very well during the first six months of 2010 relative to regional and global lodging markets. Deloittes Global RevPAR rankings cite that Riyadh holds a third position just below Dubai and Geneva,” Sven Gade, director and head of consulting at PKF.

Saudi Arabia is one of the leading development markets in the Middle East for Hilton, said Andrew Clough, the groups senior vice-president development for Middle East & Asia-Pacific.

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INDIAs ties with the people of the Arabian Peninsula go back several millennia when sailors and merchants from South Asia and the Gulf used to cross the Indian Ocean in boats constructed with teak from Malabar. Our ancestors not only shared merchandise but, through this long and substantial contact, also exchanged ideas on culture, religion and society.

As a result of this rich exchange, today there is a remarkable cultural and social affinity between the people of India and the people of the Arabian Peninsula. These ties have continued to be refreshed and enriched over the centuries.

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RIYADH – King Saud University and King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) have attained advanced positions at Shanghai International Professional Ranking of Higher Education.

For the second consecutive time, King Saud University has been ranked 391 in the list of the best 400 universities.

Meanwhile, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals ranked 480 in the list of the best 500 universities.

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He was a creative icon, cultural ambassador and great administrator, all rolled into one

ALKHOBAR: Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, known for his poetic talents, died Sunday at 70, the Royal Court announced. He died at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh following a prolonged illness. He was buried Sunday evening after funeral prayers at Riyadhs Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque.

"Al-Gosaibi was a prominent government official who served the country sincerely with dedication. He had held several important positions and the last position was the minister of labor," the Royal Court said.

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JEDDAH: The overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a global concern and considered a significant contributing factor in increasing antibiotic resistance.

Although antibiotics have drastically reduced illness and deaths caused by bacteria ever since they were first used in the 1940s, yet resistance to them is becoming increasingly common, making the management of illnesses more challenging and complex.

The issue came up for special discussion at a recent meeting in Beirut. Called the Summit for Anti-Infectives Leadership (SAIL), the meeting attracted more than 250 physicians and clinical scientists from across Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

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JEDDAH: Although access to health information is easy and available through magazines and websites, Saudi families are still living unhealthy lives, according to health experts.

The majority of Saudis are still indulging themselves in unhealthy food and habits. According to the experts, there is still a huge lack of awareness of basic health principles, while many have called for the introduction of health-related subjects at schools as early as the elementary stage.

Research from several local and international health organizations, including the national First Care and Preventive Medicine, confirmed that Saudi Arabia is ranked as one of the worst countries in terms of obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, osteoporosis and cancer rates.

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RIYADH: Some 100,000 visitors have so far visited the 2010 Saudi Aramco Summer Festival which ends on Saturday, said Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al-Jehani, vice president for marketing at the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).

“The festival is witnessing a heavy turnout of visitors from the Kingdom and other countries, mostly from the Gulf. As of last Saturday, around 100,000 domestic and foreign visitors had visited the festival,” said Al-Jehani in a statement.

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