Job Discussion Forums

[paradox3696]

[johnslat]

Dear parqadox3696,

You're kidding, right? Thias is nothing more than "bribery" to forestall possible unrest among the locals.

"RIYADH (Reuters) � Saudi King Abdullah returned home on Wednesday after a three-month medical absence and unveiled benefits for Saudis worth some $37 billion in an apparent bid to insulate the world's top oil exporter from an Arab protest wave.

The king, who had been convalescing in Morocco after back surgery in New York in November, stood as he descended from the plane in a special lift. He then took to a wheelchair.

Hundreds of men in white robes performed a traditional Bedouin sword dance on carpets laid out at Riyadh airport for the return of the monarch, thought to be 87.

Abdullah left his ailing octogenarian half-brother, Crown Prince Sultan, in charge during his absence.

Before Abdullah arrived, state media announced an action plan to help lower- and middle-income people among the 18 million Saudi nationals. It includes pay rises to offset inflation, unemployment benefits and affordable family housing.Saudi Arabia has so far escaped popular protests against poverty, corruption and oppression that have raged across the Arab world, toppling entrenched leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and even spreading to Bahrain, linked to the kingdom by a causeway.

Significantly, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa was among the princes thronging the tarmac when Abdullah flew in.

King Hamad freed about 250 political prisoners on Wednesday and has offered dialogue with protesters, mostly from Bahrain's Shi'ite majority, who demand more say in the Sunni-ruled island.

Riyadh would be worried if unrest in Bahrain, where seven people were killed and hundreds wounded last week, spread to its own disgruntled Shi'ite minority in the oil-rich east.

"DAY OF RAGE"

Hundreds of people have backed a Facebook call for a Saudi "day of rage" on March 11 to demand an elected ruler, greater freedom for women and the release of political prisoners.

Saudi analysts said the king might soon reshuffle his cabinet to inject fresh blood and revive stalled reforms.

Saudi stability is of global concern. A key U.S. ally, the top OPEC producer holds more than a fifth of world oil reserves.

The king announced no political reforms such as municipal council polls demanded by opposition groups. Saudi Arabia has no elected parliament or parties and allows little public dissent.

Jeddah-based Saudi analyst Turad al-Amri welcomed what he called "a nice gesture" from the king, saying the measures were not unprecedented or prompted by Arab protests elsewhere.

But other Saudis were critical. "We want rights, not gifts," said Fahad Aldhafeeri in one typical message on Twitter.

"They are under pressure. They have to do something. We know Saudi Arabia is surrounded by revolutions of various types, and not just in poor countries, but in some such as Libya which are rich," said Mai Yamani, at London's Chatham House think tank. "Basically what the king is doing is good, but it's an old message of using oil money to buy the silence, subservience and submission of the people," she said. "The new generation of revolution is surrounding them from everywhere."

Mahmoud Sabbagh, 28, said he and 45 other young Saudi activists had sent the king a petition advocating more profound change, not just economic handouts. He listed the group's demands as "national reform, constitutional reform, national dialogue, elections and female participation."

Saudi Arabia holds more than $400 billion in net foreign assets, but faces social pressures such as housing shortages and high youth unemployment in a fast-growing population.

"Housing and job creation for Saudis are two structural challenges this country is facing," said John Sfakianakis, chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi, who put the total value of the king's measures at 140 billion riyals ($37 billion).

He said some benefits were one-off and others were already budgeted. "The inflationary impact will not be significant."

G20 member Saudi Arabia has outlined spending of 580 billion riyals for 2011 in its third consecutive record budget.

Investment bank EFG-Hermes put the king's benefit package at 100 billion riyals, saying it could rally a stock market that lost 4 percent in the past week on unrest in Bahrain and elsewhere.

Ahmad al-Omran, who runs the popular Saudi Jeans blog, said on Twitter that the measures would benefit many people, but were equivalent to fighting the symptoms and ignoring the disease.

"People don't revolt because they are hungry. People revolt because they want their dignity, because they want to govern themselves. Money won't solve our issues. We need true political and social reform. We need freedom, justice and dignity."

Actually, people DO revolt because they're hungry - and I have my doubts about the likelihood of any "popular uprising" in the Kingdom. DO you have "revolutions" in a country where many/most of the citizens drive Toyotas - or better?

Regards,
John

[spiral78]

I thought K. Abdullah suffered a fatal heart attack a couple of weeks ago after a phone call from Obama....


or was that a sensational tabloid report only??

[babur]

The guy they wheel-chaired off the aircraft was probably a look-alike. This one might liven up your Saudi students' day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnnDZ0ng0cg

[Bebsi]

I'm inclined to agree with Johnslat, when he says people do revolt because they're hungry. Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria (where there is also a lot of unrest) are not nearly as wealthy as Saudi Arabia, and most of their citizens do not come close to enjoying the standard of living of Gulf citizens. That's why so many of them are in Saudi!

Libya, while oil-rich, is also poor in term of infrastructure and living-standards, and wealth-distribution is grossly unequal.

Even the recent unrest in Bahrain was apparently brought about by economic factors, but that has now pretty much died down.

Revolutions do not take place in wealthy countries where the citizens enjoy relatively high living standards. The Gulf is no exception. Has there been any sign of dissent in Oman, Kuwait, Qatar or UAE, all states whose citizens are pgenerally well-off, or at least comfortable. Regimes are overthrown when people have no money and very often, not even enough food. Massive inequalities in living standards don't help either.

That is clearly not an issue in the Gulf.

I believe that a package of educational spending and reform, better housing and more jobs, will all go a very long way towards staving off any real problems for the governments in KSA and other Gulf countries.

People may still campaign in KSA for political and social reforms, some of which are likely to be granted and some not. That's a very different matter to mass protests demanding the removal of the government. Reforms anywhere are usually prompted by the middle classes using non-violent and mostly non-confrontational means, and Gulf countries have large middle-classes with far too much to lose to take to the streets.

[Dedicated]

[johnslat]

Dear Dedicated,

You sound like you think there may be a "popular uprising" in the Kingdom.

Wanna bet?

Regards,
John

[sheikh yer money-maker]

I'll take a part of that bet!!!

[Bebsi]

[veiledsentiments]

Dedicated was correct. There have been and likely will continue to be problems in Kuwait and Oman... and things are still going on in Bahrain. If the Shia in Bahrain succeed in bringing in anything major, there could be "issues" with the large population of unhappy Shia in Saudi.

Sorry but I don't bet boys.

Here is a decent analysis of the Gulf right now...

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/02/21/lords_of_the_realm?page=full

I do have a few quibbles... and what I found a bit surprising was that while there was much talk of the "bedoon" and Stateless Arabs in Kuwait (where the problems are now), I never heard it mentioned in the UAE.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear sheikh yer money-maker,

PM me and we can discuss the details - and keep your check book handy

Regards,
John

[sheikh yer money-maker]

[veiledsentiments]

You apparently didn't read his post... Dedicated didn't even mention Saudi in relation to demonstrations unless it was on another thread.

VS

[sheikh yer money-maker]

Inferences, my dear, inferences.

[Saudi4Ever]