Drifting in Saudi Arabia

By: Mystique  

A Fellow blogger Raven received this e-mail from Richard Chang.. I’d love to hear your comments on this.

Hello,

My name is Richard Chang. I’m writing a short piece on drifting in Saudi
Arabia for Rides magazine are wondered if you could help.

I found your contact through my searching on the net and in one of your
comments you seemed to know a little bit about drifting in Saudi Arabia.

I’m just looking for some basic information about the drifting scene over
there, such as where, who and what cars?

Can you help?

Thanks!

Best,
Richard Chang
c. 646-408-3553
rides-mag.com

One step forward.

Prepared by: Bassem  

As I was flipping through Okaz newspaper today I came upon an interesting
news story. It says that in a first of its kind event, 20 girls have started
their practical training of working as cashier registers at a big shopping
center in Jeddah, the reporter didn’t mention which shopping center though.
It also says that the practical training program is in collaboration with
the General Organization of Technical Education and Vocational Training
which, I think,  indicates the governmental direction towards pumping girls
into the open working field.

 According to the training program director, Areej Nooh, the number of applicants wasn’t that much but she expects it to
increase in the upcoming cycles of the program. The girls have been trained theoretically on all aspects of working as a cashier register and now have started the practical part of the program.

I wonder if they trained them on how to handle the harassments they’re bound to suffer.

Anyhow, good luck to them.
Link in Arabic

Bluetooth and Saudi Arabia

 Posted by  Mystique

Written By Kevin Sullivan 

Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 6, 2006; Page A01

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia —

 Three a.m., two luxury cars side by side on an empty street, slicing through the sticky seaside air at 100 miles per hour.The girl in the gold Lexus waved at Husam Thobaity. She was in the back seat, covered by a black veil that hid everything but her eyes.

To read the article click here

P.S. Thank you Yamen for the article..

Jeddah, Is it Changing?

Written by: Ahmed 

 On Thursday 13th July, Qenan Al-Ghamdi wrote an article in Al-Watan newspaper about the new committee developed in Jeddah. The role of the new committee is to “inspect” on restaurants, cafes, malls and parks.The committee will check on public premises to see whether there are mixed gatherings. The writer inquires about whether the committee has something to do in shutting off a very well known amusement park in Jeddah.  

Today I received an email from our friend Mansur. It explains that Jeddah residents have sent a petition to the mayor requesting him to reconsider their decision of forming such a committee.

Personally, I don’t think we need such a committee. We got used to a certain lifestyle in Jeddah and that won’t be changed easily. And I do believe that Jeddah has been known for it’s uniqueness and that it is distinctive from other cities and towns in Saudi Arabia, segregation takes place in Jeddah but not at the same intensity as in Riyadh and other parts in the Kingdom. I just hope that this committee will vanish soon…

Wikipedia!

 Written by : Mystique

Well the ISU blocked Wikipedia. I was truly surprised I mean it was one of my favorite websites ever, funny thing is that they blocked access only to the English Version of Wikipedia!!

I was at www.wikipedia.com I typed Lara Fabian then the famous “The URL page you requested is blocked ” appeared I was like okay maybe Lara is into drugs (of course she is not) , I decided I’ll type Mango, As well it was blocked.

Now I thought let me try spanish, funny thing the spanish version wasn’t blocked, nor were all the other languages, only English!!

I am very upset now..

 Cheers

 Update … it is BACK!! I guess Ahmed was right, they just clicked the wrong button I hope.

WiFi Hotspots in Jeddah

Written by: Fouad  

I googled around looking for wifi hotspots in Jeddah with no good results. Since this blog is a Jeddah blog, why not list down all the hotspot places we know in Jeddah that offer wifi services. I’ll start with what I know:

• Casper&Gambinis: free wifi (only free service I know of)
• Alqalzam: wifi for members only
• Starbucks (Tahlia Street, Cornish, Palestine Street): 10 SAR/Hour
• Crown Plaza hotel: 10 SAR/Hour
• Hilton Hotel: ???
• Sheraton Hotel: ???
• Lemo Café (end of Sitteen Street): 10 SAR/Hour

Please help building this list.

The “Saudi” Oil – Diversification – Where is the Money?

Written by: Mystique  

Energy is a necessary and inevitable input to economic activity throughout the world. Oil plays a key role in this regard. In addition, today’s crude oil is one of the most highly valued commodities in international trade. The sharp increase in oil price to 67$/barrel (13 June 2006), as well as OPEC decision to raise oil production level, illustrates the Kingdom’s petroleum sector future, considering that Saudi Arabia has a comparative advantage in the low production cost of oil compared to other high cost energy producers.

Other economies like the US are diversified while Saudi Arabia’s is not. All of Saudi Arabia’s economic reform efforts and development plans to date centre around the fact that its economy is essentially oil driven. Recently the Saudi Government is trying to diversify, in order to develop

The performance of the Saudi economy has been heavily influenced by two major factors: first, the level and growth of oil revenue and second, by government budgetary policies.

Oil and the GDP per capita (Standard of living):

The oil plays a very critical role in the Saudi economy and it is reflected in so many factors, the GDP, the growth of the economy, and wealth of people.
I have collected data to show the correlation between oil prices and the per capita GDP; the results were that there was a strong positive relationship between the two variables.
Pearson correlation of GDP per Capita and Oil Prices = 0.869

The GDP per capita has reached its highest level at 1980 and 1981 at prices 90.39 and 78.27 respectively (according to historical oil prices), which was at the oil boom cycle. after that from 1983 till the late 90’s prices were decreasing and fluctuating, which of course affected the GDP per capita, and from 2000 till 2004 prices are increasing again, leading to an increase in the per capita GDP.
There is a strong positive correlation between per capita income and oil prices ( oil sector), when oil prices were low, per capita GDP fell dramatically.

The Saudi dependence on oil revenue is of great concern to many economists. Saudi Arabia’s oil production is expected to peak in the early 21st century and decline thereafter as the reserves are depleted. In addition, the population of Saudi Arabia is increasing rapidly which means that the revenues from oil production are divided among an increasing population.

There are many tangible signs of troubles that were listed by the observer Kim Murphy
“In Riyadh the capital, Beggars hawk bottles of water at intersections. Penniless women huddle in strips of shade outside their crumbling mud-brick houses, begging for money. Many families in the capital are so poor they cannot afford electricity. Raw sewage runs through parts of Jeddah, and the country’s national debt is already over 100 percent of GDP. Even with an improved oil picture, the Saudi government may simply not be able to finance the diversification of the economy without extensive private sector participation”

The government expenditures must be refocused on activities that directly support direct private sector; according to a study there is a tremendous waste in government expenditures especially in the ministries, a recent study found that 69 percent of civil servants in the Kingdom stay away from work without a good reason while 54 percent come to work late.

Finally, I would like to say that increasing the existence of Financial Institutions as Investment banks and institutions is very important to finance new projects, the infrastructure, to enable public to access new equity funds and more, in addition to developing the capital market is crucial for the Saudi Economy’s prosperity.

Sources:
Mohammed A Ramady, The Saudi Arabian Economy
http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/2004/jan/looneyJan04.asp
http://www.traveldocs.com/sa/economy.htm
http://biz.yahoo.com/ifc/sa.html
www.sama.gov.sa
www.planning.gov.sa
www.worldbank.org
A Study on Money, Finance and Economic growth the case of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Albatel

Copy Right
Prepared by: Mystique

Things about Jeddah you may not know

Written by Foad

• Jeddah is a 3000 years old city
• It is said that our glorious mother “Eve” died and buried in Jeddah
• Scholars didn’t agree on the origin of the city name. The known opinions:
  • Jeddah: in reference to a Quda’ah tribal leader Mr. jeddah bin Jirm bin Rayan
  • Joddah: which means the “seacoast”
  • Jaddah: which means “grandmother” in reference to our glorious mother Eve
• Jeddah streets conditions are so poor that it will make you regret buying a new car
• One of Jeddah famous previous mayors retired from his position with a fortune in billions of Riyals. How? He even gave away 3 Million Riyals to Egyptian universities and big fat zero back to Jeddah.
• Jeddah slogan “Jeddah is different” is credit to a poet named Talal Hamza.
• Jeddah is cool. It could be in a much better shape only if…

hmmm, what else?

A Mixed Bowling Alley.

by Mystique  

Okaz – Local Press

Adnan Al Shabrawy – Jeddah

Issued by His Royal Highness Prince Mashaal Bin Majid, Governor of Jeddah.

His Highness Prince Mashaal Bin Majid has instructed that a bowling alley in one of Jeddah’s largest commercial centers located in Al-Malik Road, be closed down. The reasons for this are that, it has been opearting without a license from the Youth Chamber and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, and has also been allowing young girls and boys to mingle togther inside the alley.

Further investigation will be done with the Center’s managers to enforce the issuance of a license from the Chambers and to adhere and abide by the country’s traditions and public morals.

For Arabic Click here

That wasn’t surprising at all, the Youth Chamber! That is just funny, what would that Chamber add to the youth I’d like to know..

I couldn’t keep my self from translating the article and posting it…

Jeddah Race Way

Written by Ahmad

 

A very interesting project which will attract many of our youth in the Kingdom. Jeddah race way (JRW) is a Safe and Legal place where popularity comes from mocking the slow, challenging the fast, and walking away with the impossible.

It includes the first stand-alone “FIA” standard ¼ Mile (402 Meter) drag strip in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, It will be equipped with the highest standards in safety, racing equipment, and complementary services offered by the international market. JRW’s design and structure was developed based on the FIA ranked 1st in the world, stand-alone drag strip “route 66” in Chicago, IL.

I remember when I used to car race with my friends in Malik road. At that time, Malik road wasn’t crowded as we see it today. Significantly less police cars were there to monitor speedy cars. We were dangerously driving our cars and we suffered alot since we lost many of our friends in car accidents.

JRW rocks!!

for more information, click here.