Shabab three points behind leader Hilal

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – Al-Shabab continued chasing the Zain Saudi Professional League leader with a 1-0 win over Najran at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Wednesday.

Striker Nasser Al-Shamrani scored the lone goal to help Shabab increase its tally to 29 points, three behind leader Al-Hilal.

The Libyan midfielder Tariq Al-Ta’ib passed the ball behind the defenders to the advancing Al-Shamrani who kicked it over the goalkeeper, Jaber Al-Amery, in the 18th minute.

Although Shabab dominated the match, it failed to increase the lead since Najran keeper was also at his best.

Najran performance improved in the last 10 minutes but its players could not change the result. Najran sits 10th in the league standing with seven points. The team has a difficult match against Hilal, whose coach Eric Gerets was present at the match taking notes.

In another match at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium, Al-Wehdah beat ten-man Al-Ittifaq 3-1 to remove Al-Ahli from the fourth place.

Squash event kicks off in Khobar

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Pakistan’s Aamir Atlas beat his Indian rival Saurav Ghosal 11-5, 11-9 and 11-4 in the first day of action at the Fifth Saudi International Squash Tournament in Khobar Sunday.

On behalf of Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of the Western Province, Zarib Bin Saeed Al-Qahtani, Assistant Governor of the Western Province, inaugurated the event earlier in the day.
There were no surprises on the day as the classified players have been given bye to the round of 16.
Saudi Arabia is hosting the international 7-day event that will conclude on Friday. 32 players from 11 countries are taking place in the $250.000-prize tournament

The events of the first day witnessed no surprises since the international classified players qualified to the 16th round.
The results are as follows:

The Pakistani Aamir Atlas Khan won over the Indian $11-5, 11-9 and 11-4.

Adrian Grant, from England defeated the Italian Amr Swelim 11-8, 11-5 and 11-2.

The Pakistani Farhan Mahboub won his match against the French Steve Jaliven 11-5, 11-0 and 11-0.

Nick Mathew, from England, classified third in the competition, defeated the Egyptian Omar Mas’ad 11-6, 11-2, 8-11 and 11-2.

James Willstrop, England, defeated Olli Tuominen, Finland, 11-7, 11-5 and 11-3.

The Egyptian Wa’il Al-Hindi defeated the Italian Davide Bianchetti 11-4, 10-12, 12-10 and 11-0.

Jonathan Kemp, England won over Laurens Jan Anjema of Holland 11-6, 5-11, 11-7 and 11-3.

The Malaysian Ong Pong Hee defeated the Australian Aaron Frankcomb 11-4, 11-7, and 11-6.

Thierry Lincou, French won over the Egyptian Mohammed Ali Anwar 9-11, 11-3, 11-6 and 11-0.

The Australian Stewart Boswell defeated the English player Tom Richard 11-4, 11-9, 6-11 and 11-5.

David Palmer of Australia beat compatriot Cameron Pilley 11-5, 10-12, 3-11, 11-1 and 11-3.

Peter Parker of England won over the Saudi player Naif Abu Raqqah 11-6, 11-7 and 11-9.

Mohammed Al-Shorbagy of Egypt won over the South African Stephen Coppinger 11-4, 11-2 and 11-7.

Alister Walker of England defeated his compatriot Daryl Selby 11-4, 11-5 and 11-5.

The Egyptian Ramy Ashour, classified first in the tournament, defeated his fellow citizen Hisham Ashour 11-8, 11-5 and 11-5.

The English Joey Barrington won his encounter against his Egyptian opponent, Amr Shabana, who is classified second in the tournament. Shabana withdrew due to back injury.

Hilal in quarters

By Mohammed Al-KinaniSaudi Gazette


JEDDAH – Al-Hilal qualified for the quarterfinals of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup after sharing the spoils 2-2 with Al-Nasr at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Saturday.

Salman Al-Faraj put Al-Hilal in the lead after five minutes before Shafi Al-Dousari increased the margin in the 31st minute.

Abdullah Al-Dousari of Al-Hilal brought down Nasr striker Mohammed Al-Sahlawi in the second half. Sahlawi scored from the spot 10 minutes after the break. Rayyan Bilal equalized for Al-Nasr through a pass from Sahlawi 10 minutes from time. Al-Hilal tops Group A with 20 points. Nasr (16) can only advance if Hilal beats Shabab (19 points) and Nasr itself beats Al-Shua’lah.

In Tabuk, Al-Shabab beat host Al-Watani 2-1 at King Khaled Sports City Stadium.

Al-Ahli also advanced beating host Al-Wehdah 3-2. It is on top of Group C with 19 points.

Although beaten 1-0 by Al-Ittifaq, Al-Fateh has already advanced with 18 points. Al-Khaleej (14) and Al-Ittifaq encounters against Hejr and Al-Qadisyyah respectively will decide the other team.

In other matches, Al-Ittihad shared two goals with its host Al-Ansar in Madina; Al-Ta’awon beat Al-Hazm 2-1; Al-Ra’id beat Al-Faisali 3-1; Hejr beat Al-Qadisyyah 3-1; Al-Ittifaq edged Al-Fateh 1-0; Al-Khaleej thrashed Al-Adalah 4-0; while Al-Shua’lah drew Al-Riyadh 0-0.

Suspended players get a reprieve

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, Friday issued a general pardon for all suspended players, administrators and referees in all sports.

The reprieve comes on the occasion of Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz’s safe return to the Kingdom.

Al-Shabab and Al-Ittihad have greatly benefited from the decision since four of Shabab players have been suspended for receiving either three yellow cards each or due to a disciplinary committee’s decision. These are Ahmed Otaif, Sanad Sharaheeli and Nasser Al-Shamrani.

However, goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah was punished with a disciplinary committee decision.

On the other hand, Ittihad skipper Mohammed Noor received three yellow cards and a red card that resulted in his suspension for three matches.

His teammate, Hicham Abu Cherouane, received a third yellow card during his team’s recent encounter against Al-Hilal Thursday.

Ali Zubara of Najran is also a beneficiary of the pardon.

Hilal routs Ittihad 5-0 to increase lead

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – Thiago Neves scored a hat trick while Christian Wilhelmsson netted a double as Al-Hilal routed Al-Ittihad 5-0 in Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Thursday.

Both the sides launched attacks against each other from the start. But the absence of skipper Mohammed Noor along with the Tunisian striker Amine Chermiti from the lineup was too much for the Ittihad team to bear.

Ittihad was the first team to make an attempt on the rival’s goal in the fifth minute through Sultan Al-Numari, but Hilal keeper Mohammed Al-Deayea kept him at bay.

Two minutes later, Abdullah Al-Zouri sent a pass through Al-Ittihad defenders to Wilhelmsson, who direct it into the Ittihad goal without giving keeper Mabrouk Za’id time to block it.

Talal Al-Mish’al of Ittihad counter-attacked a minute later, but Deayea did well to push it over the bar. Ittihad was again unlucky to score a goal when Hicham Abu Cherouane’s shot in the 28th minute hit the right post of Deayea.

Hilal on the other hand kept on increasing its tally. Brazilian Neves doubled Hilal’s lead in the 37th minute by tapping on to a perfect cross from the dynamic Swedish midfielder Wilhelmsson. Ittihad keeper Zaid was certainly not himself as he would have saved it on any other night.

The second half saw Ittihad’s coach Gabriel Calderon make an adventurous change when he replaced defender Obaid Al-Shamrani with striker Luciano Leguizamon. Calderon paid the price in the 55th minute when Neves shot from outside the box to increase the lead.

Neves completed his hat trick three minutes later when Yasser Al-Qahtani dribbled past Ittihad players and sent a nice pass to Neves, who controlled the ball before putting it behind Za’id.

Saud Kariri of Ittihad hit a powerful kick from outside the area in the 76th minute but only found the bar. Hilal, however, was still able to find its fifth goal in the 83rd minute through Wilhelmsson.

Hilal coach Eric Gerets then replaced Wilhelmsson and Neves with Eisa Al-Muhiyyani and Omar Al-Ghamdi.

Al-Hilal is on top of the standings at the end of round 11 with 29 points. It is followed by Al-Shabab on 26 points with Al-Ittihad taking the third spot on 18 points, but with two matches in hand. Al-Wehdah is fourth (13 points), while Al-Fateh is fifth (also on 13 points – with a 4-goal difference), followed by Al-Ahli (12).

In another match, Al-Ahli shared two goals with Al-Fateh at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.

Rabea’a Al-Sufiyani put Al-Fateh in the lead eight minutes after the break. Mohammed Al-Sifri scored for Ahli in the 78th minute.

The match saw a rare situation when the referee, Yahiya Hazzazi, fell unconscious eight minutes before time. Although he gained consciousness soon after, he was replaced with the fourth official, Abdurrahman Al-Amri.

Elsewhere, Al-Ittifaq defeated its host Najran 3-1 at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium.

Anas Bin Yaseen scored from the spot for the guest team in the 12th minute before Abdurrahman Al-Qahtani equalized also from the spot in the 35th minute.

Yousuf Al-Salem increased the margin a minute after the break. In the 54th minute Yahiya Al-Shihri sealed the win for Al-Ittifaq.

With one match in hand, Al-Ittifaq is ninth with nine points, while Najran is tenth with seven points.

Al-Shabab shares lead

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Shabab recorded an important 3-0 win over its host Al-Qadsiyyah in Round 11 of the Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Saudi Bin Jalawi Sports City Wednesday.

Angolan striker, Amado Flavio put Al-Shabab in the lead in the 71st minute. Eight minutes later, Nasser Al-Shamrani increased the lead before the Angolan Flavio sealed the win in the 91st minute.

Both Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal have now 26 points each, but the former is second in the standing with a six-goal difference. However, the league leader has a tough match against title holder Al-Ittihad Thursday.

Al-Nasr, on the other hand, played to a goalless draw with host Al-Ra’id at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraidah.

Unlike Al-Nasr, Al-Ra’id, with six points in the bottom of the list, put up a good performance and threatened its opponent’s goal several times.

The five draws of Al-Nasr have raised a big question mark over the ability of the team. The team is now sixth in the standing with 11 points and two matches in hand.

In another match, Al-Wehdah made a big leap to the fourth place after winning over its host Al-Hazm 2-1 at Al-Hazm Club Stadium. Waleed Al-Jaizani scored in the 10th minute for the host. The host succeeded to end the first half with that result.

In the 74th minute, Moroccan striker of Al-Wehdah, Yousuf Kaddioui, scored the equalizer before Mohammed Al-Kaltham, defender of Al-Hazm, scored an own goal in the 83rd minute.

Al-Hazm is eighth with 11 points. Each team still has one match in hand.

Children of martyrs, flood-hit to get admission into TVTC centers

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH - Sons and daughters of martyrs of the Jizan military action against infiltrators from Yemen and the Jeddah flood disaster can now gain immediate admission to all technical and vocational training centers, starting from the second academic term.

This was announced Tuesday by Dr. Ali Bin Nasser Al-Ghufais, Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), who issued directives to all technical and communications colleges, vocational and industrial institutes and higher girls’ institutions.

“The decision comes in response to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ directives to exert all efforts to help the families of those who gave their lives in protecting the Kingdom from the infiltrators and those who died when floodwaters hit Jeddah,” Al-Ghufais said.

He added that the admission of these students will be through the TVTC centers directly through the training units.

According to Al-Ghufais, despite the end of the online registration period, the admission has been exceptionally opened.

He also expressed his condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and to the families of the deceased soldiers and the victims of the Jeddah floods.

Disabled volunteers offer a helping hand

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – After floods ravaged parts of Jeddah last month, many families were left without homes or, even worse, with missing or deceased family members. Many community volunteers of all ages, both genders and various nationalities are working together to attempt to overcome the effects of this catastrophe. And disabled children are also doing their part to assist those affected by the floods.

Disabled children from the Help Center are among the volunteers lending a helping hand at Al-Harithy Exhibition Center. Eight adolescent boys and girls accompanied by supervisors from the center on Monday were helping to sort out the large amount of supplies, food, blankets, and other donations that are being delivered by individuals, companies and factories in Jeddah.

Speaking about the efforts of the disabled children, Reem Gazzaz, Assistant Director, Office of Advancement and Development at the Help Center, said that volunteers are working hand in hand in a time of crisis to offer aid to those in need. “Our children were also there to help.

This is clear evidence that they are capable of being active and productive members of the community,” she said.

She added that the participation of the disabled children is a practical way to develop their social, self-reliance and communication skills.
“We are thankful for the work that they have done today, and we stand in admiration of the accomplishments of our children and their families,” she added.

She also added that altruistic volunteerism demonstrates the ability of people with special or intellectual disabilities to contribute in various societal situations, be they crisis management circumstances or habitual conditions in society.

The most important thing that these disabled children require is the chance to prove what they can do.
“Who said we are incapable? We are capable of working within our limits,” a volunteering boy said when asked whether he could really help.

Saudi teams figure in different groups

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The four Saudi representatives to the 2010 AFC Champions League figure in different groups when the draws were held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur Monday.

The 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, split into West and East zones, with all opponents playing each other at home and away.

Al-Ittihad, Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli qualified to the Asian championship following their fine performances in their 2008 local competitions.

The Asian draw put Al-Ahli in Group A along with Al-Gharafa of Qatar, Al-Jazira of UAE and the 1991 title holder Esteghlal of Iran.

The 2004 and 2005 winner and 2009 runner-up Al-Ittihad is in Group B with Zobahan of Iran, Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan and the play-off winner of the west.

Al-Shabab figures in Group C with 2003 title holder Al- Ain of the UAE, Sepahan of Iran and Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan.

Al-Hilal, 1992 and 2000 winner is in Group D along with the 1989 title holder Al-Sadd of Qatar, Al-Ahli of the UAE and Mes of Iran.

Group E of the eastern teams included Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of Korea, Melbourne Victory (AUS), Beijing Guoan (CHN) and Kawasaki Frontale (JPN).
Kashima Antlers (JPN), Jeonbuk Motors (KOR), Persipura Jayapura (IDN) and Changchun Yatai (CHN) came in Group F.

Meanwhile, Group G included Henan Jianye (CHN), Gamba Osaka (JPN), Suwon Bluewings (KOR) and the east play-off winner.

The 1997, 1998 and 2009 winner Pohang Steelers of Korea is in Group H with Adelaide United (AUS), Shandong Luneng (CHN) and the winner of the Japanese Emperor’s Cup which will be determined on Jan 1.

The teams will play home and away matches in round 32 before the winners move to the 16-team knockout stage.

The AFC Champions League is the modern premier Asian club football competition organized annually by Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The tournament is contested among the top 30 clubs from top 10 Asian leagues joined with two more clubs qualified through the playoffs.

Al-Fateh and Abha enter quarterfinals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Fateh and Abha entered the quarterfinals of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup competition after beating Al-Khaleej and Hitteen respectively Sunday.

Al-Fateh won over its host Al-Khaleej 3-2 in a Group B match while Abha defeated its host Hitteen 2-1 in Group E.

Three teams of Group E are out of the competition after Abha qualified to the quarterfinals. According to the regulations of the competition, only one team qualifies from E Group which consists of four teams. However, Dhamak defeated its guest Najran 4-1 in the same group.

Al-Hilal thrashed its guest Al-Watani 5-2 to make it 19 points while runner-up Al-Shabab defeated its guest Al-Shua’lah 1-0 to tally 16 points.
Al-Nasr, third in the group, defeated its host Al-Riyadh 2-1 to keep its hopes alive to qualify.

In Group B matches, Al-Ittifaq defeated Hejr 2-0. The winner is now second in the group with 11 points. With ten points, Al-Adalah jumped to the fourth place in the group after defeating Al-Qadisyyah 2-1.

In Group C matches, Al-Ahli leads with 16 points after defeating Al-Ansar 2-1. Al-Wehdah came second by defeating Ohud 4-3. The group runner-up has got 10 points so far with one match in hand.

Al-Ta’ee snatched the lead in group D after winning a difficult match against Al-Faisaly 1-0. Al-Ta’awon shared two goals with Al-Ra’id in the same group. With one match in hand, Al-Ta’awon is second with nine points.

Ten-man Ittihad beats Ahli

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – The ten-man Al-Ittihad defeated its city rival Al-Ahli 2-1 in a derby match of round 10 of the Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Saturday.

The Tunisian striker Amine Chermiti put Al-Ittihad in the lead with an early goal. Substitute Ali Al-Zubaidi increased the margin before Javier Toledo of Al-Ahli scored in the last second of the added time of the second half.

Al-Ittihad succeeded to overcome its thorny technical situation due to the absence of its three key players – skipper Mohammed Noor, Ridha Tukar and Saud Kariri. What worsened the situation were the injury to its goalkeeper Mabrouk Za’id, who was replaced with Tayseer Al-Nutaif, and the sending off of its forward Chermiti midway through the second half.

However, midfielder Manaf Abu Shugair made a perfect pass into the box to Chermiti who shot into the goal. Abu Shugair gave the same pass to Al-Zubaidi who was also in the same place and did the same thing in the 84th minute. The only goal of Al-Ahli came through a cross from Mansour Al-Harbi to Toledo who punched into the goal in 30 seconds before the end of the three-minute extratime.

With that win Al-Ittihad increased its points to 18 and is still third in the standing behind Al-Hilal (26) and Al-Shabab (23). However, Al-Ittihad has two matches in hand. Al-Ahli is fifth with 11 points and one match in hand.

At the Western Region, Al-Qadisyyah shared two goals with its rival Al-Ittifaq at Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium.

Hilal and Shabab share points in Riyadh match

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Hilal and Al-Shabab shared four goals in the Saudi Zain Profession League at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Thursday.

The league leader, Hilal and the runner-up, Shabab have put up an excellent match that ended 2-2 to keep the standing unchanged.

Shabab started pressing forward to earn an early goal. A header from Shabab striker Nasser Al-Shamrani just missed the goal. Abdul Aziz Al-Sa’aran lost a real chance to score in the 18th minute.

Shabab defenders made serious mistakes outside their zone. Neves of Hilal, who is known for his skilful kicks to score from outside the box, kicked twice. His first shot hit the post but the second went into the right corner of the Shabab goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.
Shalhoub received the ball outside the area in the 38th minute. Shabab defenders expected that the midfielder would make a pass. Instead, Shalhoub kicked to score the second goal.

In the 46th minute, Al-Hilal former player Tariq Al-Ta’ib passed to Nasser Al-Shamrani who kicked but Deayea foiled the attempt. The ball found Camacho who tapped it home.

Shabab defenders continued making mistakes outside. The giant goalkeeper of Shabab succeeded to block a strong kick by the Hilal’s Romanian midfielder, Meriel Radoi.

In the 68th minute, Hilal Korean right defender, Young Lee brought down the Angolan striker of Shabab. Nasser Al-Shamrani kicked from the spot. Deayea blocked the ball to find Camacho scoring again.

With this draw, Hilal is still on top of the league with 26 points followed by Shabab (23). points. Title holder, Al-Ittihad is third with 15 points.

In another match, Al-Hazm defeated its host Najran 4-2 at Al-Okhdoud Club Stadium.

Ittifaq defeats Ittihad 2-1

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Ittifaq defeated its guest Al-Ittihad 2-1 in their postponed match of the Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium Tuesday.

It was not only Al-Ittifaq which enjoyed the taste of victory over the title holder, but the league leader Al-Hilal (25 points) and Al-Shabab (22) also benefited from Al-Ittihad’s failure to collect points.

Mohammed Noor put Al-Ittihad in the lead in the 21st minute by heading in a Hicham Aboucherouane’s cross.

In the second half, Abdurrahman Al-Qahtani scored from the spot in the 59th minute after Al-Ittifaq striker Hamad Al-Hamad was brought down by Al-Ittihad defender Ahmed Hadeed.

About 10 minutes later, Ittifaq striker Hussein Al-Nej’e scored the winning goal.

The match witnessed aggressive performance from many members of both teams. Referee Abdurrahman Al-Amri flashed five cards at each team. Two of these were red shown to Al-Ittihad midfielders Mohammed Noor and Saud Kariri.

Kariri was sent off in the 62nd minutes while Noor was red-carded in the 95th minute.

Al-Ittihad is in the third place with 15 points with two matches in hand while Al-Ittifaq stays at the bottom with five points and one match in hand.

Al-Nasr and Al-Ittifaq win GCC matches

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – The Saudi representatives in the GCC Club Championship, Al-Nasr and Al-Ittifaq, won their fifth round matches against Al-Khor of Qatar and Al-Orouba of Oman respectively.

Al-Nasr defeated Al-Khor 4-0 at Al-Khor Stadium to top Group B and qualify for the semifinals.

Saud Al-Hamad put his team in the lead in the 15th minute before Husain Abdul-Ghani failed to score from the spot in the 28th minute. The first half ended 1-0.

Five minutes after the break, Korean midfielder, Lee Chun-soo, scored another goal before the Argentinean midfielder V?ctor Alberto Figueroa increased the score in the 63rd minute.

Ten minutes later, Khalid Al-Zayla’e sealed the win. With ten points, Al-Nasr is on top of its group.

In Oman, Al-Ittifaq succeeded to keep its hopes for qualifying to the next round of the competition. The team defeated its host Al-Orouba of Oman in Group C 1-0. Hamad Al-Hamad scored in the 33rd minute.

Al-Ittifaq also topped its group with seven points.

Al-Ittifaq needs to wait for the crucial match of Al-Orouba and Qatar 13 days ahead. The team would lose its opportunity to qualify to the semis if Qatar wins over Al-Orouba.

Indonesian pilgrims sacrifice before Eid

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – Indonesian pilgrims are going against Islamic teachings and creating unhygienic conditions by sacrificing animals before the day of Eid, said Dr. Saudi Al-Hatreeshy, Director of Slaughter Houses in the Makkah Region.

He said that many Indonesians believe that slaughtering sheep before the Day of Sacrifice is part of the Haj and that they would get a reward for this.

Al-Hatreeshy urged all Haj commissions to instruct their members on the correct Islamic teachings related to the sacred rituals of Haj.

The proper way to sacrifice animals during Haj is when pilgrims throw stones on the tenth day at Mina. Any other animal offering is not suggested.

“It is not part of the Haj rituals to slaughter an animal before the Day of Sacrifice,” said Sheikh Dr. Ali Bin Abbas Bin Othman Hakami, a member of the Council of Senior Ulema.

He pointed out that pilgrims can offer a “volunteering sacrifice”, but that this should not be before the obligatory one.

“We have not heard about animal sacrifice before the throwing of the stones. If a pilgrim wants to offer something for Allah’s rewards, he or she can do so on the day of Eid, which is called the Day of Sacrifice,” Hakami said.

Al-Hatreeshy added that this practice has seen some workers selling the meat to restaurants instead of giving it to poor people. Also, the animals are often slaughtered in unhygienic conditions. “The slaughtered sheep are normally left behind for the workers to hand them to needy people. What happens is that some workers at these slaughter houses sell the animals and benefit from the money,” he said.

What worsens the situation is that the carcasses of these sheep pile up at these slaughter houses which creates an unhealthy environment.

“Some 3,000 sheep are slaughtered every day, making a real mess of these houses. Contrary to what these pilgrims think, the sheep do not go to charity. Instead, they find their way to restaurants through some of these workers,” he added.

He said that the municipality has assigned 50 supervisors so that they can watch the slaughter houses in the Ka’akiya area.

“These inspectors are involved in monitoring the work at these houses, around the clock. They intensify their inspection tours at night,” he said.

Al-Hatreeshy said they have 19 veterinarians on duty whose main job is to ensure that the butchering process is tackled humanely and hygienically, and to make sure the animals are fit for human consumption.

Al-Hatreeshy pointed out that the municipality has taken all the necessary measures to ban the slaughtering of sheep outside official slaughter houses. “We have some 20 men who monitor whether any violations take place,” he said.

He added that the Municipality has also notified the contractors at the slaughter houses to make sure that all workers have valid residence permits and health certificates.

Free car repair service for pilgrims going to Makkah

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Pilgrims traveling to the holy places can now enjoy a free car repair service on the highways leading to Makkah.

The program was launched by Makkah’s Technical and Vocational Training Board (TVTB) to help drivers who experience any mechanical difficulty while carrying pilgrims.

According to Dr. Rashid Al-Zahrani, the service also allows trainees of the technical institutes and vocational centers in Makkah to gain more experience in fixing cars.
“We have made all the necessary security arrangements so that we can provide this service to the guests of Allah,” Zahrani said.

Al-Zahrani said the service is free of charge and will also be available for next year’s Haj. This will create more jobs, he added.

There are four vehicles, fully equipped with all safety, emergency and mechanical maintenance requirements.
“There are six trained technicians onboard each of these vehicles,” said Hasan Ghandoura, the program’s supervisor.
The teams have already helped to fix 335 vehicles.
“Some 228 vehicles were found to have minor problems. Another 53 were shipped to car repair centers for advanced maintenance,” he said.

Ghandoura stressed that the team works around the clock.
“Pilgrims traveling to Makkah can just call (0544797542) to receive help,” he said.

Shabab beats Ittihad 1-0

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – With a 1-0 win, Al-Shabab snatched three important points from its guest Al-Ittihad in a postponed match of the Saudi Zain League at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Monday.

The Libyan midfielder Tariq Al-Ta’ib scored the only goal of the match nine minutes before the break.

The win increased Al-Shabab points to 22, just three behind the league leader Al-Hilal. However, Al-Ittihad, the title holder, still has three postponed matches to play. Al-Ittihad is third in the standing with 15 points.

In an exciting match, Al-Ra’id shared the spoils with its guest Najran 2-2 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Ahmed Sa’ad put Al-Ra’id in the lead in the 11th minute before Saleh Duwais of Najran scored an equalizer in the 20th minute. A minute later, Mohsin Al-Qarni increased the margin for Al-Ra’id, but Ahmed Hirmis succeeded to level the result in the 72nd minute.

With that result, Najran is ninth with seven points while Al-Ra’id is 11th with five points, with one match in hand.

Naif warns against disruption of Haj security

By Mohammed Al-Kinani
ARAFAT – Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior and Chairman of Supreme Haj Committee, warned Sunday against any attempts to disrupt the security and peace of this year’s Haj. “We will not tolerate any violation of the Haj security from any individual, group, or any other side,” Prince Naif said during a press conference in Arafat, 15 km outside of Makkah, following his inspection of the holy sites.

He hoped that the government would not “be obliged to resort to force” to maintain security during the Haj.

When asked about recent calls by Iranian figures for politicizing the Haj, Prince Naif said, “We have heard contradictory statements from the brothers in Iran, but the latest were favorable. The Iranian officials have arrived and we hope the brothers will just focus on their Haj rituals,” as ordained by Islam.

“The Kingdom will not allow anything to be done in the Haj other than what Allah has made permissible,” Prince Naif said.

“We wouldn’t accept for any pilgrim to be harmed,” he said.

Answering a question on the current military operations against infiltrator attacks along the border with Yemen, Prince Naif did not rule out cooperation between infiltrators and Al-Qaeda group in Yemen. The Kingdom has not made any communication with any side linked to armed infiltrators and “We are only communicating with the Yemeni government,” he said. Thousands of infiltrators who cross the Kingdom’s borders every year, especially during the Haj season, are usually arrested and sent back home, he said.

Prince Naif, who was accompanied by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, and Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, inspected security preparations of the Haj and new Haj projects including the SR4.2 billion Jamarat Bridge.

Forces tasked with the Haj security marched in a parade featuring military displays before Prince Naif.

The annual parade of the Haj force has always been a military enterprise where all government security departments take part. The 100,000-member strong Haj force will work around-the- clock to ensure a safe and smooth Haj as planned, said Gen. Saeed Al-Qahtani, Chief of General Security.

The government has completed important Haj projects including the 5-floor Jamarat Bridge to ease congestion when performing the stoning ritual and the expansion of the Mas’a inside the Grand Mosque, he said. Other vital Haj projects including the monorail and the expansion of the northern plaza of the Grand Mosque are progressing as planned, Al-Qahtani added.

Qadisiyyah, Hazm share two goals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Qadisiyyah shared two goals with its host Al-Hazm in the Saudi Zain Professional League at Al-Hazm Club Stadium Sunday.

Ayedh Al-Bilawi put Al-Qadisiyyah in the lead in the 22nd minute before the Senegalese midfielder of the host team equalized from the penalty spot.

Al-Hazm is now sixth in the league standing with eight points and two matches in hand. On the other hand, Al-Qadisiyyah is 10th with six points.

The ninth round of the competition concludes Monday with two encounters.

Al-Shabab hosts Al-Ittihad in Riyadh while Al-Ra’id hosts Nejran at King Abdullah Sports City.The Riyadh encounter is of great importance for both Al-Shabab, third in rank with 19 points and Al-Ittihad, fourth with 15. Although the guest team still has three matches in hand, Al-Shabab is keen to end the round with a new win to get as closer to the league leader, Al-Hilal (25), as possible.

Hilal blanks Ittifaq

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Hilal deepened the wounds of Al-Ittifaq after defeating its host 2-0 in the ninth round of the Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium Saturday.

The league leader Al-Hilal added three new points to its tally to reach 25 points while Al-Ittifaq remains in the bottom of the standing with two points, with two matches in hand.

From a corner kick in the 21st minute, Al-Qahtani of Hilal headed into the goal. Six minutes after the break, Thiago Neves’s shot was blocked by the goalkeeper but Wilhelmsson pounced on the rebound to score.

In another match, Al-Nasr rallied from 0-3 to draw with host Al-Ahli 3-3- at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.

Hussain Al-Raheb put Al-Ahli in the lead in the third minute before Javier Tulido increased the margin in the 28th. A minute before the break, Saheb Al-Abdullah headed in to make it 3-0.

In the second half, the Argentinean midfielder Victor Alberto Figueroa scored the first goal for Al-Nasr three minutes after the break. In the 76th minute, Rayyan Bilal scored the second. Two minutes later, Figueroa equalized for Al-Nasr.

With one match in hand, Al-Ahli is fifth with 11 points followed by Al-Nasr (7), with three matches in hand.

At Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium, Al-Wehdah and Al-Fateh shared the points after a goalless match. Al-Wehdah is seventh with seven points and two matches in hand. On the other hand, Al-Fateh stands fourth (12).

Boy scouts trained to assist pilgrims in holy sites

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH - Some 270 boy scouts rushed Friday to the holy sites in Makkah after the conclusion of a preparatory Haj scout camp.

Dr. Rashid Al-Zahrani, head of the Technical and Vocational Training Board in Makkah Region (TVTB), told Saudi Gazette that the scouts are ready to help in case they are needed in civil defense work.

“These scouts are coming from training centers in various parts of the country, such as Riyadh, Wadi AdDawasir, Kherj, Jizan, Najran, Asir, Al-Baha, Al-Qassim, Hail and the Eastern Province, in addition to, of course the Makkah region,” he said.

“We have engaged experienced trainers to give our scouts intensive courses on safety procedures and evacuation in case an accident occurs, God forbid,” Al-Zahrani said.

The camp commander Abdullah Al-Sha’ir explained that the course consisted of a number of religious lectures, open meetings and health programs.

“There were also sessions for civil defense and a first aid course,” he noted.

Al-Sha’ir added that the participants were given an intensive program on the Haj that included a number of courses and lectures on how best to serve the guests of Allah.

He also added that the scouts were exposed to Islamic lectures that will help them assist pilgrims.

“In addition, we focused on health measures so that the scout can help to spread awareness of the importance of good hygiene among the millions of visitors to the holy sites,” he said.

Young jobless Saudis to undergo vocational training

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – A new agreement will see many unemployed Saudi youth undergo various courses to help them enter the job market and to start their own businesses.

This is the result of a recent agreement signed between the Technical and Vocational Training Board (TVTB) in the Makkah Region with the Craft Hands Philanthropic Society (Hirafiyya).

Dr. Rashed Al-Zahrani, head of the TVTB in the Makkah region, said that under the agreement, Hirafiyya will send young men and women to the TVTB to attend six-month training courses in computers, photography and accounting. “We will focus on professional ethics which we believe is of great importance. We expect that some 300 youths would graduate annually,” Zahrani added.

He said graduates can also benefit from loans that the Human Resources Fund gives to those wanting to set up their own small to medium-sized businesses. “A graduate can get up to SR200,000 to finance his or her project. Or a graduate can choose to receive a monthly loan of SR3,000 for the first two years,” he added.

Al-Zahrani added that the TVTB is working to coordinate with the Hirafiyya Society to repair the homes of poor people.

Ahmed Hussain Hashim, the head of Hirafiyya, said that they have mobile training units that can reach different places around the Makkah region. “The Municipality has given us a 10,000 meter square area where we can set up a training village,” Hashim said. – SG

He added that Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of the Makkah Region, has helped to secure the land. “We were given four pieces of land in various places to establish training centers,” he said.

Hilal and Ahli share lead in Youth League

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli shared the first position in the first round of the Saudi Youth Premier League that kicked off Thursday.

The title holder Al-Hilal defeated its guest Hejr 3-1 at Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium. Abdul-Kareem Al-Qahtani, Khalid Al-Ka’abi and Mubarak Al-Bieshi scored for Al-Hilal. The only goal for Hejr came from the spot through Mohammed Al-Enizi.

In the Eastern Province, Al-Ahli defeated Al-Ittifaq 3-1 at Abdullah Al-Dabal Stadium.

In another match, Hitteen defeated its host Arar 3-2.

At Al-Ta’ee Club Stadium in Hail, Al-Ta’ee won over its host Al-Nasr 2-1 while Al-Wehdah and Al-Ittihad shared four goals at Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

At Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Stadium, Al-Shabab also shared two goals with its host Najran.


Ittihad-Juvenuts match on Dec. 30


Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW) and President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) gave the green light for Al-Ittihad club to host the Italian team Juventus in a friendly match on the occasion of the retirement of Al-Ittihad former international striker Hemza Idrees. The match is scheduled to be played on Dec. 30. 

The approval came upon a letter that Dr. Khalid Al-Marzouqi had sent to the President of GPYW.

Ittihad downs Najran

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Two late goals secured Al-Ittihad a 3-1 victory over Najran in the Saudi Zain Professional League at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Wednesday.

In another postponed match in Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup, Al-Nasr recovered after losing three matches to defeat its guest Al-Shoa’lah 4-2 in Prince Abdurrahman Bin Saud Stadium.

Saudi players out

The Saudi football fans were disappointed to see the names of two of their players excluded from the latest list of nominees for the AFC’s best player of 2009.

Al-Ittihad skipper Mohammed Noor and Nasser Al-Shamrani were on the list of 15 players selected for the award.

The fresh list of five nominees include: Sayed Mohamed Adnan of Bahrain, Firas Al-Khateeb of Syria, Kengo Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo of Japan and Hadi Aghily of Iran.

However, Saudi Arabia is selected among three countries listed for the AFC fair play award. The other two countries are South Korea and Japan.

For the club of the year award, AFC has selected Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, Pohang Steelers of Korea and Kuwait of Kuwait.

The Uzbek Ravshan Irmatov, the Japanese Yuichi Nishimura and the Australian Matthew Breeze were listed for the best referee of the year.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia qualify for Asian Under-19 Finals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Iraq secured first position in Group C of the 2010 qualifiers for AFC U-19 Championship after defeating Saudi Arabia 3-0 in their last match of the group at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, Sunday.

With this win, host Iraq topped the group with 13 points to qualify first while the Saudi team stayed second with 10 points. However, both teams qualified for the Finals of the championship.

Muhanned Al-Farsi almost scored for Saudi Arabia in the 30th minute, but his shot hit the post. After a barren first half, Mohammed Sa’ad scored for Iraq in the 58th minute. Seven minutes later, he increased the margin. Amjed Waleed sealed the win in the 90th minute with a penalty kick.

Iraq has won the Asian title five times – 1975, 1977, 1978, 1988 and 2000. In contrast, Saudi Arabia has won in 1986 and 1992.

In other matches, Oman blanked Afghanistan 4-0. Abdullah Saif scored in the 12th minute before Abdullah Abdul-Hadi scored from the spot to increase the margin in the 35th minute. Two minutes before the break, Abdullah Saif scored the third goal. Khaled Al-Alawi completed the tally in the 76th minute.

India succeeded to beat Kuwait 3-0. Jeji Lalpekhlua scored an early goal in the seventh minute. Malsawmfela then struck twice in the 45th and 56th minutes.

With six points, India is in the fourth place in the group behind Oman (8 points). Afghanistan stayed at the bottom with no points.

According to the guidelines of the tournament, teams finishing first and second in each group will qualify for the finals. In addition, the best third in the three groups of Eastern Asia also qualifies along with the best third in the Western Asia’s four groups.

Hilal stays on top

Al-Hilal kept collecting points to top Group A when it defeated host Al-Riyadh 2-0 in the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup at Prince Turki Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium.

Nawaf Al-Ayed and Abdul Aziz Al-Kaltham scored for Al-Hilal.

In another match in the group, Al-Wattani whipped its host Al-Shoa’lah 5-3 at Al-Sho’alah Club Stadium in Al-Kharj. The guest team’s goals came through Tiraiqi Al-Otaibi, Eisa Abu Qada’ah (hat trick) and Fahd Abu Jebir. Abdul-Mejeed Al-Hemdan, Berj Ma’odah and Yousuf Al-Rasheedy scored for Al-Shoa’lah.

In the same group, Al-Shabab thrashed its host Al-Nasr 4-2 at Prince Abdurrahman Bin Saud Stadium. With this win, Al-Shabab stays second with 13 points behind group leader, Al-Hilal. Al-Nasr is fourth with nine points.

In Group B, Al-Adalah defeated Hejr 4-2 at Prince Abdullah Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium in Al-Hasa.

In another match, Al-Khaleej defeated its guest Al-Ittifaq 1-0 at Al-Khaleej Club Stadium.

Al-Fateh won its guest Al-Qadisiyyah 2-0 at Al-Fateh Club Stadium. Al-Fateh topped this group with 15 points followed by Al-Khaleej (11).

At Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz Sport City Stadium in Al-Madina, Ohud and Al-Ansar shared points after a goalless draw in group C.

In the same group, Al-Ahli defeated its home rival Al-Ittihad 2-1 at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium. Al-Ahli is on top of its group with 13 points followed by Al-Ansar (9) and Al-Ittihad (2).

In group D, Bassim Al-Baqi’s goal saved Al-Ta’ee in the extratime to share two goals with host Al-Ta’awon at King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Sports City Stadium. Al-Ta’awon topped the group with eight points. In another match, Al-Hazm shared two goals with Al-Ra’id.

Kingdom, Belarus share 2 goals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The Saudi national football team shared two goals with Belarus in another friendly match held at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium Saturday.

Maksim Bordachev of Belarus put his team in the lead in the 20th minute. After the Belarus goalkeeper, Yuri Zhevnov was sent off in the 23rd minute, Saudi striker Nasser Al-Shamrani succeeded to make it 1-1.

Earlier Friday, the two teams played a match that ended 2-1 in favor of the Saudis. Both Saudi goals were scored by Abdul Aziz Al-Sa’aran.

With these two friendly matches, the Saudi national team concludes its nine-day preparatory training camp in the Eastern Province.

Nasr bags Youth Cup

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Nasr won the Saudi Federation Youth Cup after edging the Al-Ahli on a 6-5 penalty shootout at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium Friday.

Al-Nasr thus succeeded in retaining the title for the second year of the competition’s new edition.

Al-Nasr players Mohammed Hezzazi, Turki Al-Sufiyani, Abdul-Mohsin Aseeri , Abdul Aziz Al-Dhiyabi, Osama Ashour and Badr Al-Asmari converted their six shots. On the other hand, Sultan Al-Sawadi, Khaled Al-Sagan, Nader Al-Subiyani, Samer Salem and Ahmed Al-Oufi succeeded to score for Al-Ahli. Al-Nasr goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Enizy blocked Aal Fateel’s kick to give his team the victory.

Awadh Al-Ittiani of Al-Ahli was sent off before the end of the second extra time. However, Al-Ahli players fought well to remain goalless.

Al-Nasr qualified for the final after defeating Al-Ittifaq 3-2 at Abdullah Al-Dabl Stadium, while Al-Ahli entered the final through defeating its guest Al-Hilal 2-0 at Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Stadium of Al-Ahli.

Al-Nasr won last year’s cup after defeating Al-Ahli 1-0 at the same stadium. The only goal came through Sultan Al-Bogami in the fifth minute of the first extra time.

Kingdom defeats Belarus

The Saudi national team defeated Belarus 2-1 in a friendly match at the Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium Friday.

The match was held as part of the Saudi national team’s preparatory training camp in the Eastern Province from Oct. 6 to 14.

Kingdom, Iraq qualify for Finals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia and Iraq qualified for the Finals of the AFC U-19 Championship 2010 Thursday.

The two teams shared the points after their goalless matches against Kuwait and Oman at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq.

Iraq topped Group 3 with 10 points followed by Saudi Arabia with 10 points, but with a three-goal difference.

Iraq shared points with Kuwait despite the Iraqi defender Kerrar Mejeed was sent off three minutes after the break. Saudi Arabia shared the spoils with Oman.

The Omani goalkeeper, Ayoub Al-Qorttobi performed bravely and saved his citadel at least on four occasions.

The Saudis could not benefit from the sent-off of the Omani defender Khamees Jom’ah in the 58th minute of the match.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq will meet Sunday to decide first and second places in the group.

In another match, India turned the tables on Afghanistan and collected its first three points. The first half ended 1-0 in favor of Afghanistan through defender Mohammed Rahimi but the Indians roared back after the break to make it 4-1.

Striker Malsawmfela scored in the 48th minute before Jeje Lalpekhlua scored from the spot in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later, India increased the margin through Malsawmfela. In the 83rd minute, Lalpekhlua scored from the spot again.

Kingdom, Iraq qualify for Finals

By Mohammed Al-Kinani


JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia and Iraq qualified for the Finals of the AFC U-19 Championship 2010 Thursday.

The two teams shared the points after their goalless matches against Kuwait and Oman at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq.

Iraq topped Group 3 with 10 points followed by Saudi Arabia with 10 points, but with a three-goal difference.

Iraq shared points with Kuwait despite the Iraqi defender Kerrar Mejeed was sent off three minutes after the break. Saudi Arabia shared the spoils with Oman.

The Omani goalkeeper, Ayoub Al-Qorttobi performed bravely and saved his citadel at least on four occasions.

The Saudis could not benefit from the sent-off of the Omani defender Khamees Jom’ah in the 58th minute of the match.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq will meet Sunday to decide first and second places in the group.

In another match, India turned the tables on Afghanistan and collected its first three points. The first half ended 1-0 in favor of Afghanistan through defender Mohammed Rahimi but the Indians roared back after the break to make it 4-1.

Striker Malsawmfela scored in the 48th minute before Jeje Lalpekhlua scored from the spot in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later, India increased the margin through Malsawmfela. In the 83rd minute, Lalpekhlua scored from the spot again.

Ittifaq blanks Qadisiyyah

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Al-Ittifaq defeated its home rival Al-Qadisiyyah 2-0 in a delayed match in Group B of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup at the Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium Wednesday.

Abdurrahman Al-Qahtani put Al-Ittifaq in the lead in the 13th minute and Hamad Al-Hamad sealed the win 11 minutes after the break.

The result put Al-Ittifaq in the third place with eight points behind Al-Fateh and Hejr. Al-Qadisiyyah is fifth with four points.

In another delayed match of Group C, Al-Wehdah shared two goals with its guest Al-Ittihad.

The first half ended goalless. In the 59th minute, striker Mohanned Aseeri put Al-Wehdah in the lead before Talal Al-Mish’al made it equal in the 81st minute.

Al-Wehdah is now third in its group with seven points, followed by Al-Ittihad with only two points although the latter still has one match in hand.

On Tuesday, the Technical Committee in the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has decided to deduct three points from Al-Hilal team for violating the regulations of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup. The points and three goals were added to other team, according to the decision.

The committee said in its statement that six of Al-Hilal players in its match against Al-Shoa’lah were over 23 years. Therefore, Al-Hilal is considered loser. The decision was taken due to the participation of Saad Al-Dhiyab to make it six players.

The regulations of the tournament give the participating teams the choice to have five older players, with the goalkeeper excluded – the goalkeeper’s age should not exceed 23.

The match ended 4-0 in favor of Al-Hilal and witnessed the fastest goal ever recorded in a professional football match, when Nawaf Al-Abid gave Al-Hilal the lead after only two seconds.

7 centuries of Islamic achievement on display in Madina

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Seven centuries of outstanding Islamic inventions and innovations will be on display at an exhibition to be held at the Islamic University (IU) in Madina from Nov. 14 to Nov. 18.

Entitled “Journey to the past to build the future”, the five-day event includes the participation of the Al-Aghar Group for Strategic Thinking, an independent, non-profit think-tank dealing with national and international issues related to Saudi Arabia. The exhibition is being held under the patronage of Minister of Education, Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al-Saud.

Prince Faisal will deliver a speech on Sunday, Nov. 15, titled: “Future outlook on education in the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud”. The Prince will talk about the Kingdom’s plans to transform itself into a knowledge-based society.

The exhibition aims to raise awareness about the Kingdom’s Islamic heritage and the achievements and inventions of Muslims from the seventh to the seventeenth century CE. It also aims to spread the spirit of innovation among young people.

The exhibition presents information about several innovations by Muslims in various fields including medicine, science, mathematics, astronomy and aeronautics. Among the scientists featured in the exhibition are Fatima Al-Fihriyya, who founded the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the oldest universities in the world.

Other scientists whose work will be on display are Al-Khwarizmi, who developed the basis for algebra; Ibn Al-Haytham, the founder of optics; and Al-Jazari, the first person to develop a water lifting system. Al-Jazari also designed a clock powered by water. The clock still works and will be on display.

Kingdom, Iraq keep winning

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia and Iraq continued their run to qualify for the finals of the AFC U-19 Championship 2010 by winning over Kuwait and Afghanistan at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, Tuesday.

With nine points each, Saudi Arabia and Iraq top their group but host keeps an edge on 3-goal difference.

Saudi Arabia succeeded to win three important points from a determined Kuwait.

Mohammed Mejreshi scored the winner for the Saudi team in the 36th minute. Both teams put up a good show, but Mejreshi made the difference.

During the last minute of the match, the Kuwaiti defender Ahmed Al-Dhufairy was sent off.

In other matches, Iraq defeated Afghanistan 3-0 at the same stadium. Meanwhile, Oman defeated India 4-3. The Indian side succeeded to end the first half leading 3-1, but failed to maintain the tempo.

Now India and Afghanistan remain last with no points. Kuwait and Oman are third and fourth respectively with four points each.

First specialized decoration fair launched

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The founder of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abdul-Qader Al-Fadhl launched the decoration and home accessories exhibition, the Deco Fair, at the Jeddah International Center for Forums and Events Sunday.

With the participation of some 200 exhibitors and many experts, economists and businessmen, the event included a number of brand names in the furniture and decoration industries.

According to Haya Al-Sinaidy, head of the Organizing Committee, the event is the first specialized exhibition not only in the Kingdom, but also in the Middle East. “The exhibition is located on an area of 4,800 square meters and is meant to bring together many experts and people interested in this industry,” she said.

She added that some 50 national factories from various regions of the Kingdom are taking part in the event. Al-Sinaidy expects that the decoration and furniture market will increase significantly over the next 10 years.
“The Saudi market is one of the largest markets in the Middle East. Saudi cities will experience population growth in coming years. This growth will be accompanied by the construction of more than one million housing units, hotels, commercial centers, residential apartments and tourist resorts,” she added.

According to her own sourced calculations, she believes that the size of the decoration and furniture market in the Middle East will reach $100 billion in the next five years. “The Saudi market is an important market in the Middle East, if not the most important,” she said.

Al-Sinaidy said the local industry needs about 50,000 specialists to help it grow. “We need to have vocational colleges and training institutions that specialize in furniture production and design,” she said.

Kingdom beats India

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia defeated India 3-1 in Group 3 of the AFC U-19 Championship 2010 Saturday.

The matches are played at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq.

Indian defender Inderpreet Singh put his team in the lead in the 28th minute. The Indians succeeded to end the first half with one-goal lead. In the 56th minute, another defender, Devrani Deepak scored an own goal.

The performance of the Indian team improved remarkably although the team was defeated by host Iraq 5-0.

The Indian team suffered a setback when midfielder Akshay Vilmalkumar was sent off in the 72nd minute. However, the last minute of the match witnessed another goal by the Saudi side through midfielder Abdullah Al-Mohammed in the 90th minute.

The referee gave the two teams some five minutes for extratime. Mohanned Al-Farsi sealed the Saudi win in the 95th minute of the match.

With this win, Saudi Arabia is second in its group with just one goal difference behind Iraq that also has six points. India, on the other hand, comes last in the group.

In other matches, host Iraq defeated Oman 2-0. Two players of both teams were sent off.

Meanwhile, Kuwait collected three points after defeating Afghanistan 4-1.

Pohang emerges Asian champion

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Pohang Steelers of South Korea defeated Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Champion League at the National Olympic Stadium in Japan.

With the victory, Pohang won a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates from Dec. 9-19.

Pohang striker Noh Byung-jun put his team in the lead in the 57th minute before defender Kim Hyung-il increased the margin with a brilliant header. However, Al-Ittihad midfielder Mohammed Noor scored his team’s only goal in the 74th minute.

Mohammed Noor and Amine Chermiti were closely monitored by the Korean defenders during the first half. On the other hand, Hicham Aboucherouane failed to rise up to the occasion. The Korean players pressed hard but failed to score in the first half despite noticeable weakness in Al-Ittihad backline.

In the second half, Al-Ittihad players had many good chances to score.

Chermiti received a cross from Manaf Abu Shugair in the 47th and headed toward the goal, but it hit the bar.

Chermiti got another chance in the 55th minute when Aboucherouane sent him a cross. But he kicked over to lose a real goal.

The absence of Al-Ittihad right defender Rashed Al-Raheeb worsened the situation for the team. The replacement Obaid Al-Shamrani proved a weak link.

Al-Shamrani brought down a Korean player in the 57th minute. Off the resultant freekick Noh Byung succeeded to pierce the defensive wall and beat Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Mabrouk Za’id.

Al-Ittihad coach, Gabriel Calderon preferred to make an adventure by replacing defender Al-Shamrani with the Argentinean striker Luciano Leguizamon in the 64th minute.

A minute later, it was again a freekick for Pohang but at the left side. Defender Kim Hyung connected the kick with a stunning header.

After this goal, Pohang resorted to defend their goal and waste time. This allowed Al-Ittihad to press on the Korean side.

Hicham Aboucherouane sent a cross to Chermiti who headed in the goal, but the Korean goalkeeper saved it. However, the ball landed in front of Noor who blasted home powerfully.

Pohang coach Sergio Farias focused on the defense line with three replacements. Calderon of Al-Ittihad, however, made a single change.


Day of red cards

Red cards marked the sixth round of the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Cup matches. Six cards were shown in the 11 encounters played Saturday.

At Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Al-Ahli thrashed its host Ohud 8-0 in Group C.

In Riyadh, Al-Hilal defeated Al-Shoa’lah 4-0 in Group A. In the same group, Al-Shabab won over Al-Riyadh 4-1.

In Group D, Al-Ra’id defeated Al-Ta’ee 3-0.

In other matches, Al-Watani defeated Al-Nasr 3-1, Najran defeated Hitteen 3-1, Abha and Dhamak shared four goals, Al-Ittifaq and Al-Adalah drew goalless, Al-Qadisiyyah and Al-Khaleej shared two goals, Hejr and Al-Fateh drew 1-1 and Al-Faisali defeated Al-Hazm 1-0.