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.

Saudi Arabia thrashes Afghanistan in U-19 Cup

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH - The Saudi Under-19 national team started its qualifying round of the AFC U-19 Championship 2010 with a 5-1 victory over Afghanistan at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, Thursday.

The two-time title champion (1986 and 1992) Saudis were keen to score as many goals as it could since the group includes other strong teams like Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and India.

Midfielder Yehiya Deghriri put the Saudis in the lead in the 22nd minute. Some 12 minutes later, the scorer was brought down in the area. Abdullah Otaif scored from the spot in the 36th minute.

Afghanistan scored through Mohammed Siddiq two minutes after the break.

In the 60th minute, Muhanned Al-Farsi scored the third goal for the Saudi team. Ten minutes later, Yasser Al-Fehmi benefited from a defender’s mistake to make it 4-1. From a foul outside the area, Al-Fehmi sent the ball to the left corner of the Afghani goalkeeper to seal the win.



Nasr to face Ahli in final

For the second consecutive year in the competition’s new edition, Al-Nasr and Al-Ahli qualified to the final of the Saudi Federation Youth Cup, after defeating Al-Ittifaq and Al-Hilal respectively in the semifinals Thursday.

At Abdullah Al-Dabl Stadium, Al-Nasr edged host Al-Ittifaq 3-2 while Al-Ahli defeated its guest Al-Hilal 2-0 at Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Stadium in Al-Ahli Club Jeddah.

The final will be played next Thursday (Nov.12) at Al-Nasr Stadium in Riyadh.

Conference on family planning opens today

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – King Abdul Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center is holding a two-day conference and workshop on birth control and family planning which will be inaugurated by Dr. Sami Badawood, Director of Jeddah Health Affairs, on Saturday.

The conference will discuss religious rulings on the issue of birth control, recent medical methods to control pregnancy and how different methods can be suitable for different women depending on their physical health and their history of disease.

Dr. Entisar Al-Taylouni, a gynecology consultant at King Abdul Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center (KAAHOC), told Saudi Gazette that doctors have noticed that many women are not aware of the medical issues related to birth control.
“For this reason, we think that family medicine doctors are our main target as any family planning program must involve these doctors who are in direct contact with families,” Dr. Al-Taylouni said.

He added that family medicine doctors should always update their knowledge of how pregnancy control methods can be used and what side effects can occur when a woman uses a method which is not suitable for her.

Prominent speakers from different local health institutes will take part in the conference.
“We have invited a number of maternity and gynecology consultants from King Abdul Aziz University, National Guard Hospital, King Faisal Hospital in Al-Khobar and King Abdul Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center,” he added.

Al-Taylouni pointed out that there was no need to invite speakers from international health institutes because of the sensitivity of the issue in Saudi society.
“We believe this is an especially sensitive issue in our society, and one that we should discuss in light of our religion, culture and traditions,” he said.

According to Dr. Al-Taylouni, Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Bar, an eminent Islamic medicine researcher, will give a lecture on family planning from a religious point of view.
“We will gather many professionals to discuss ways to help families live happily by changing their conceptions and opinions towards pregnancy and pregnancy control methods,” he added.

He denied that the conference was meant to be a campaign to decrease pregnancy cases and said, “We are all Muslims and we would never discuss what may contradict our beliefs. We want to make couples aware of the effectiveness and risks of birth control methods, such as, contraceptive and intrauterine devices, and how family planning can reduce many risks.”

He pointed out that mothers under 15 and over 40 are at higher risk, especially if they are diabetics, suffer from osteoporosis, high blood pressure or anemia.
“So, it is important to discuss such things to come up with recommendations that will help save lives,” he said.

11-man terror cell busted

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – The Interior ministry said Tuesday Saudi security forces have smashed an 11-member terrorist cell planning attacks, hostage-taking and armed robberies.

“This was quite clear from the hoarded food supplies, guns, cameras and miscellaneous equipment which were found in their hide-out,” Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen.Mansour Al-Turki told Saudi Gazette.

The men had hidden themselves in a cave in a mountainous area near the border with Yemen, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The gang, all Saudis, was planning to attack security men, stage kidnappings, hold “some figures hostage”, and undertake robberies to finance their operations, the ministry statement said.

Al-Turki said the 11 cell members had not been captured as a group.
“After precise security work for long days and nights, our security men were able to hit this cell before it could harm the country,” Al-Turki said.
“They were not arrested at once, but taken one by one, until we were certain we had all of them.”

The group had buried weapons and ammunition in different places and investigations are continuing, the ministry statement said.

None of the 11 is in the list of the Kingdom’s 85 most wanted militants living abroad, Al-Turki said. However, they have contacts with deviant elements outside the Kingdom, he added.

In February the ministry released a list of 83 Saudis and two Yemenis wanted for ties to Al-Qaeda or other militant groups. Three people on the list, which was handed over to Interpol, have since been captured.

‘Memory of Stones’ to keep Palestine issue alive

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – “Young people won’t forget no matter how many old people have died.” That is the message that a group of young Saudis want to send out to the world in reply to the first Israeli prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who once said that the elderly were about to die, and the new generation would forget.

A group of enthusiastic young Saudi men and women, mostly college students, are intensifying their efforts to keep the Palestinian issue alive in the minds of the younger generation. “Since the Palestinian issue will always be one of our priorities, we are organizing ‘Memories of Stones 61,’” Hidayah Munir Abbas, a campaign organizer in her early 20s, told Saudi Gazette.

According to Abbas, who is a student at Dar Al-Hekma College, the campaign was established on the 60th anniversary of the Catastrophe of the year 1948, called “Al-Nakba” in Arabic, when the declaration of the “so-called state of Israel” was announced.

Abbas pointed out that the campaign started last year and that it would not stop until the Palestinians regain their full rights. She also emphasized that the group is taking advantage of modern technology to take the campaign to the whole world.

She gave the reasons why the group of young people started the campaign saying that they noticed that many people nowadays seem to be unaware of the Palestinian issue. “We decided to start an educational campaign about the history and situation of the Palestinian people.

The campaign is a reply to the first Israeli prime minister who claimed that in time we would forget our main issue,” Abbas said.

As for the name of the campaign (Memories of Stones), she said that the organizers of the campaign wanted to say that their new generation is of a sharp mind and cannot easily forget.

The Memories of Stones Campaign includes a gallery that shows different aspects of the Palestinian issue, an oral presentation about Palestine, the famous documentary, ‘Occupation 101’ and Palestinian traditional goods and books about the issue that are sold to finance the campaign to ensure continuity.
“We work under the umbrella of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), and get our financial support from a number of businessmen,” Abbas said.

She added that their main policy is to objectively illustrate all the facts about the Palestinian issue. “We want to educate not only young people but all of society about the important stages that the Palestinian issue has gone through,” she said.

2 young Saudis take upon themselves to end racism

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH¬ – Two young Saudis, Ali Al-Hamzan and Hussein Al-Mansour, have begun a tour of the 13 regions of the country on the noble mission of spreading awareness of the importance of the call of Prince Mishal Bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Allegiance (Pledge) Commission, to eliminate racism and tribal discrimination in the Kingdom.

Inspired by the words of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of the Makkah Region, the two young men decided that “it was time for us to do something for our country,” Al-Hamzan told Saudi Gazette.

“Prince Mishal, Chairman of the Allegiance Commission, has been calling for people to fight against racism. We contacted him and told him of our plans and he blessed the idea and promised to fully finance our tour. He told us that we should visit all parts of the country to help raise awareness of the issue,” Al-Hamzan added.
Social unity and intellectual security have always been of the utmost importance to the leaders of Saudi Arabia.

“One of the main interests of our leaders is maintaining solidarity and unity among people,” Al-Hamzan said. He added that he and his friend, Al-Mansour, believe in Prince Mishal’s efforts to work to remove an evil that could negatively affect the distinctive social fabric of the Kingdom.

“We are planning to tour all the 13 regions of the country. It is true that there are only two of us, but, in a way, we represent all the members of society. We have met with many officials, including Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and Fahd Bin Muammar, Governor of Taif. We will also try to meet with ministers and different segments of society,” he explained.

Al-Hamzan pointed out that they have also met with ordinary people at commercial centers and with people in the street. He said that they want to listen to what people have to say and the ideas they might have about the elimination of racism.

“We found that nearly everyone we met is against all types of uncontrolled ethnicity and racism,” he said and added that there have recently been several racial provocations as a result of programs broadcast on tribal satellite channels and the publicity given to camel beauty contests.

He pointed out that Prince Mishal has called for these camel beauty contests to be merged into one to be held at the annual Al-Janadriyah Cultural Festival.

According Al-Hamzan, some people he has talked to feel that the Ministries of Education and Culture and Information should play a role in fighting racism.

“Violence sometimes appears in schools and people would like the Ministry of Education to do something about it. Some others we have met believe that some satellite channels pour oil on the fire. Our job is to collect comments from these people and meet with ministers to discuss the comments that people have made,” Al-Hamzan explained.

He added that they expect ministers to propose solutions to the problem of racism.
“In the end, we will hand over a full report to Prince Mishal who will see what can be done. In fact, such a report will be important in carrying out further studies or in making decisions. The officials in the Prince’s office are with us step by step on a daily basis to see the progress of our tour. This is evidence of Prince Mishal’s keenness to eradicate racism that can harm the unity of our society,” he added.

Some people whom Al-Hamzan and Al-Mansour met asked whether the tour was actually aimed at the Kingdom’s tribes.
“We told these people that this is not true and that we fully support all tribal concepts that call for positive values. These people then realized what the tour was all about and expressed their readiness to lend a hand,” he said.

Al-Hamzan pointed out that they would visit the main tribal chiefs to discuss with them ways to eliminate racism, and that they would also visit religious figures and the presidents of sports clubs for the same reason.
“We should all work together, shoulder to shoulder, to fight racism in all aspects of our life. Nowadays, many tribal chiefs do not play the same role that they once played in the past in educating the members of their tribes. Have you recently heard of a tribal chief who has gathered together some of the members of his tribe to discuss such issues with them?” he asked.

Al-Hamzan anticipates that the tour will take up to six months to complete so that all parts of the country can be covered.
“You cannot imagine what we can achieve if we all work together. Ministers, imams, teachers, families and intellectuals – working together, they can surely solve any problem,” he said.

Prince Sultan approves program to develop national teams

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – 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), approved Monday a program to develop the Saudi national teams.

The plan was presented by Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahd, Deputy President of GPYW and Vice President of SAFF, who presides over the development program.

Prince Sultan wished the group, which includes international experts, all success.

He hoped that the plan would give positive results to enhance the performance of Saudi teams at regional, continental and international levels.

Prince Nawaf pointed out that the team will work to suggest suitable solutions to revive national teams in Saudi Arabia.

“The group will study the recent performances of the three Saudi national teams, through taking notes and opinions from administrative and technical officials,” Prince Nawaf said.

He added that analyzing the real situation comes as a first step to find solutions that can help enforce positive sides and eliminate negative ones.

“We will also work as hard as we can to create standards that can help us improve the performance of the Saudi players at all levels,” he added.

The Prince also added that the group will also review ways to enhance the performance of the Saudi national coaches. He also said that they will review the impact of local participations on the performance of the national teams.

“We will also work on a special program that involves in discovering, following and classifying of young players,” Prince Nawaf said.

“Since a directive by the General President to develop the Saudi national teams was issued, the working group has made several studies and held many meetings,” he said.

According to Prince Nawaf, two work groups were formed. The first one consists of Saudi professionals such as coaches, university specialists, former players and experienced administrators.

“The second, the technical working group, will be headed by Gerard Houllier, Technical Director of the French Football Federation, as a consultant with his distinctive international experience and personal record of achievements,” he said.

Houllier was responsible for the technical file for the preparation of the French team for the 1998 World Cup.

In the same regard, the chief executive of the English Premier League in 1991-1997, Rick Parry, has been selected to head the administrative team.

“A number of national well-known experts will help these two international professionals in their work,” Prince Nawaf said. The prince added that the team will meet with many Saudi teams’ captains, head of clubs, media representatives and players who took part in the recent World Cup qualifying campaign to see what obstacles they faced.

He said that the work will be divided into two phases. The first one includes collecting and analyzing data about everything related to Saudi football.

“During the second phase, the plan will be implemented and reviewed on the basis of results,” he said.

Hamidaddin clinches race in Abu Dhabi

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Saudi driver, Al-Qassim Hamidaddin, racing for Q Racing Team, won the first ever race held at the newly built Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi Saturday. He won the SC06 class in the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship.

Al-Qassim started the race in third position and was able to take the lead midway through the first lap and hold on to win his class ahead of Bahraini driver Ezra Idafar and Christophe Mariot of France.

Entering his first season in the Chevrolet Supercars Middle East Championship, Al-Qassim was very delighted to win the first race in round one of the championship.

“I thank God for being part of such a great championship and on such a great occasion in the opening race in Yas Marina Circuit,” he said,

He added that to win there was a dream since the championship had a lot of talented drivers.

“I am really proud and I would like to dedicate this victory to Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW) and to Prince Nawaf Bin Faisal Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy President of GPYWY, for their continuous support for Saudi sports and Saudi youths,” he added.

The Chevrolet Supercars Championship Middle East has a total of seven rounds, and will visit Al-Reem Circuit in Riyadh, Bahrain International Circuit and Abu Dhabi.

Hilal keeps winning in Saudi Zain League

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH –Al-Hilal continued its winning streak in the Saudi Zain Professional League at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in Riyadh Monday.

In the eighth round, league leader Al-Hilal defeated Al-Hazm 4-0.

Midfielder Mohammed Al-Shalhoub put Al-Hilal in the lead, before Yasser Al-Qahtani scored from the spot six minutes before the break.

Al-Shalhoub scored again from the spot before Thiago Neves completed the rout.

Al-Shalhoub scored in the 24th minute through a long kick which saw the ball beating an advancing goalkeeper Saeed Al-Harbi.

In the 39th minute, Al-Hazm defender Bashar Yaseen blocked Al-Shalhoub’s cross which was going to Yasser Al-Qahtani with his hand. Yaseen was given a yellow card and Qahtani scored from the spot.

In the second half, Al-Hilal coach Eric Gerets replaced Ahmed Al-Firaydi with Abdul-Latif Al-Ghannam. This replacement helped Al-Hilal performance improve.

In the 55th minute, the Swedish Christian Wilhelmsson got past a defender to face the goalkeeper who apparently was trying to pick the ball. Instead, he blocked and brought Wilhelmsson down. The referee Fahd Al-Mirdasi directly pointed to the spot. Al-Shalhoub made no mistake with the penalty.

The three substitutions that the Egyptian coach of Al-Hazm made could not help him change the situation.

In the 79th minute, Thiago Neves of Al-Hilal dribbled to pass a player in the box and score the fourth goal for Al-Hilal.

With this win, Al-Hilal remains on top of the standing with 22 points.

In other matches, Najran shared two goals with its host Al-Fateh at Al-Okhdoud Stadium.

The goals were scored by Nigerian midfielder Mousa Sulaiman of Najran in the 22nd minute before Rabe’a Sufiyani equalized for Al-Fateh in the 69th.

At Saud Bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium, Al-Qadisiyyah shared points with Al-Rai’d in a goalless encounter.

Call for more skilled jobs to boost local furniture and decor market

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – Greater investment in education and training will create skilled jobs in the nation’s furniture and decoration market and help boost sales from local factories.

This is the view of Haya Al-Sinaidy, head of the organizing committee of the decoration and home accessories exhibition, the Deco Fair, which kicks off in Jeddah Nov. 8.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference Sunday, 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.

The Kingdom needs an industrial city that can cater for this sector of the economy, Al-Sinaidy added.

The Saudi market is currently worth SR4 billion but the local industry produces only SR 1.4 billion in sales annually from 66 factories spread across the nation. There are 42 factories in the Central Region, 11 in the Western Region, 12 in the Eastern Region and one in the Northern Region.

However, Al-Sinaidy said that competition has been increasing between these factories because many have taken advantage of new technology.

She cited Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Syria and Egypt as countries that have well-developed industries and are competing successfully on world markets.

Al-Sinaidy said the Deco Fair would be a welcome boost for the industry.

“Such exhibitions will help us market our products domestically and internationally to impact positively on the Saudi economy. Unlike the imported products that are being advertised all year, our national products still lack such campaigns. Statistics and surveys to determine consumers demands are also absent, she said.

She said the exhibition would also be of interest to architectural engineers and real estate developers.

Some 200 exhibits, 1,000 participants and around 20,000 visitors are expected at the four-day event to be held at the Jeddah International Center for Forums and Events.
 
*Diana Marwan Al-Jassem contributed to this story.

Prince Sultan approves players for national team

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH – 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) approved Sunday the Saudi national squad that coach Jose Pesiro had suggested for a preparatory training camp in the Eastern Province from Oct. 6 to 14.

The camp will conclude with a friendly match against Belarus at Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium on Nov. 14.

The list of the selected players contains of 28 players from different local clubs. They are: Waleed Abdullah, Hasan Shai’an, Khaled Sharaheeli, Osamah Hawsawi, Majed Al-Marshadi, Abdullah Shuhail, Jifain Al-Bishi, Hasan Khairat, Abdullah Al-Zouri, Kamil Al-Mousa, Mohammed Misa’ad, Mansour Al-Harbi, Ahmed Otaif, Abdul-Latif Al-Ghannam, Mo’taz Al-Mousa, Alaa Rishani, Ahmed Al-Firaidi, Khalid Al-Zaila’ai, Mohammed Al-Sifri, Mohammed Al-Shalhoub, Abdul Aziz Al-Dosari, Ibrahim Ghalib, Yehiya Al-Shihri, Yasser Al-Qahtani, Nasser Al-Shamrani, Abdul Aziz Al-Za’aran, Saad Al-Harthi and Mohammed Al-Sahlawi.

JLCC gets Japanese books

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

As part of the ongoing cultural cooperation between the Consulate General of Japan in Jeddah and the Jeddah Literary and Cultural Club (JLCC), Japanese Consul General Toshimitsu Ishigure last week presented JLCC Chairman, Dr. Abdul Mohsen Faraj Al-Qahtani, with copies of two new books on the economic development and modern history of Japan, respectively.

Ishigure, who has visited the JLCC several times in the past and presented Japanese books and publications, including a book for children written by Empress Michiko, told Saudi Gazette that he will be happy if Saudis are able to read Japanese books translated into Arabic and broaden their knowledge about Japan.

Semifinalists decided

By Mohammed Al-Kinani

JEDDAH –Semifinalists were decided at the end of the sixth round of the Saudi Federation Youth Cup Friday.

Al-Nasr will meet Al-Ittifaq while Al-Ahli will play Al-Hilal in the semifinals that will kick off on Nov. 5.

In Group A, Al-Nasr assured its qualification after defeating its home rival Al-Hilal 1-0 in an away match at Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium. Al-Nasr thus tallied 16 points.

In Al-Ittihad Club stadium, Al-Ahli defeated its host 3-2 in Group B. It gave Al-Ahli 11 points and a berth in semis.

Al-Ittifaq made it 15 points after defeating its host Hitteen in Group C.

Al-Ittifaq has earlier benefited from the decision of the Technical Committee after its Najran encounter, 0-2. Three points and three goals were decided to be given to Al-ittifaq due to a violation by Najran club. In that match, a suspended player took part which was considered a violation.

Although defeated by Al-Nasr, Al-Hilal also qualified to the semifinals with 12 points, as the best second.

In other matches, Najran defeated Hejr 4-3 while Al-Wehdah won its guest Al-Ta’ee 3-2.