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Mohamed T. Gino has been residing and working in the Kingdom for the past 24 years. He calls himself a Somalilander and dreams of returning to Somaliland, the country of his birth, someday.

“It is a personal struggle to be away from home, but I am happy and thankful to this country, Saudi Arabia, and its leaders for extending the benevolent arms to us Somalilanders to stay and work in this place we now call our home,” Gino said.

Gino is one of the approximately 3,000 Somalilanders residing in the Eastern Province. The Somalilanders in the Kingdom work in government agencies and private business sectors. Gino works independently as a businessman and business development officer.

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Saudi Arabia can play a major role in solving the Kashmir dispute because the Kingdom is a friend of both India and Pakistan, said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Indian Kashmirs top separatist leader and chairman of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella organization of pro-independence groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

On a recent visit to the Kingdom on his way to Geneva, Mirwaiz Farooq in an interview with Saudi Gazette, said that it is high time that India “realizes the need to come forward and talk to the Kashmiris, involve them in the dialogue process and talk to Pakistan”.

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VIENNA – With oil prices steady around $80, OPEC countries are returning to energy investment projects postponed at the height of the economic crisis, while foreign firms are playing a major role.

OPEC nations used the sidelines of this weeks meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to speak about their plans for significant investments in energy infrastructures.

And with oil demand set to rise over the long term, investment in the energy sector, from drilling projects to building new refineries is essential.

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RIYADH – China fully knows what it should do as a global power in the effort to halt Irans nuclear push, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister, said in an interview published Monday.

“China is perfectly aware of the scope of its responsibilities and its obligations, including in the position it holds on the international stage and as a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council,” Prince Saud told Al-Riyadh newspaper.

He underscored that China is a “member of the six-party international group dealing with the Iran nuclear crisis,” adding Riyadh supports the groups work, and he hoped Iran would cooperate with its efforts.

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WASHINGTON – The US government, while pushing for tougher sanctions against Tehran, has given $107 billion in the last 10 years to US and foreign companies doing business in Iran, much of it in the energy sector, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Despite the threat of punishment for companies that seek US federal contracts while dealing with Iran, the Times said successive administrations have struggled to exert authority over foreign companies and overseas units of US firms.

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“IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family and companions.
Dear brothers, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
With Allah’s help and blessings, we open the work of the second year of the fifth term of the Majlis Al-Shoura, asking Allah Almighty to help us all to serve our religion, our country and our people, the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
We cannot achieve our hopes and aspirations without a dependence on Allah and the help of the people of this country. If this is in place, our dreams will come true. I say this because I have to point out that our current achievements have not met all our aspirations which we have sought to ensure our country is ranked among the developed countries of the world. A State that is based on the word of Tawheed (oneness of God) and whose flag was raised by the late King Abdul Aziz, is able (God willing) to achieve what it seeks patiently.
The unity and power of this country imposes a collective responsibility on us to defend it at a time when the ambitions of our enemies, haters and aggressors have increased. This requires us to be vigilant. Therefore, there is a double responsibility that has to be shared by everyone wherever they are. The homeland is for all of us. All of us will be measured according to our efforts, sacrifices and dedication to a country whose foundation is based on the pillars of Islam. This is the criteria that will test the caliber of the people of this country.

The ‘word is like a sword’
You are all aware that the word is like a sword. I urge everyone to realize this. If the word becomes a tool for settling scores, to gossip, and to charge people randomly, then the word will become a tool for destruction. This does not mean a ban on constructive criticism. Therefore, I ask everyone to fear Allah in their words and actions, to shoulder their responsibilities and not to become a burden on their religion, homeland, and parents.
We are part of the Arab, Islamic, and international world. Our role is based on defending their rights and making sacrifices for unity in their ranks. Any fair person cannot deny our role in this regard. We will always be keen to adopt their just cases. This will only be achieved through unity. At the international level, our position is clear and based on friendship and promotion of peace among peoples and nations.

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GENEVA – Some 90,000 jobs have been lost in Haiti following the devastation of Januarys earthquake, a UN agency said Friday.

“We are estimating about 90,000 jobs completely lost,” said Alfredo Lazarte, the head of the International Labour Organisations crisis team.

He added that another 350,000 jobs have also been “severely affected”, noting that many homes which also housed small businesses had been damaged, and that around a third of large factories in Haiti had been flattened.

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RIYADH – Dr. Bandar Bin Mohammed Al-Eiban, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), will lead the Kingdom’s delegation to the 13th session of the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Al-Eiban will deliver the speech of the Kingdom at the session which will review a number of topics including the world economic crisis. – SPA

London – Oil prices topped 80 dollars a barrel on Monday as a strike at French energy giant Total and concerns over Irans nuclear program rattled the market, analysts said.

New Yorks main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, hit an intra-day high of 80.51 dollars a barrel. It later stood at 80 dollars, up 19 cents compared with Fridays close.

Brent North Sea crude for April delivery gained 25 cents to 78.44 dollars at about 1230 GMT.

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Workers seen at an electronics repair shop in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday. Waste from old computers and other discarded electronic will rise dramatically in the developing world within a decade, says a UN study released on Monday. – Reuters