Abu Samra border crossing expanded to 24 vehicle lanes

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani visited the Abu Samra border crossing to check the arrangements put in place to facilitate fans' travel during the World Cup. 

The PM also inspected the recent expansion and development of facilities as well as the reception halls and equipment, designed and built with the latest technologies, to facilitate the process of receiving the tournament’s fans, the country’s guests, and visitors.

The PM was also briefed on the border crossing’s absorptive capacity and the working mechanism, in addition to the advanced services and protection systems used. He was also updated on security and safety procedures, and equipment to facilitate the arrival of fans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by a number of Their Excellencies' senior officials in the security sector and the facilitators of the Abu Samra border crossing expansion project. 

On this occasion, Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), said: “The port expansion works will serve travelers to and from Qatar with more than double the previous capacity by increasing the number of passenger vehicle service lanes from 9 to 24 lanes.”

He noted that internal air-conditioning systems have been added to the buildings of the customs inspection platforms for trucks and vehicles. 

Lt. Col. Muhammad Sultan Al Mannai, Vice-Chairman of the Permanent Committee for the Management of Abu Samra Border Port, said the port's development will contribute to facilitating travellers’ procedures and completing them smoothly and in a shorter time.

Works implemented within the Abu Samra Border Crossing project include developing the passports buildings to serve arrivals and departures, with an increased capacity from nine to 24 vehicles at the same time. Customs buildings for arrivals have also been developed from 28 to 36 vehicles.

As part of what has been implemented to serve the World Cup, a passenger hall has been constructed covering 10,000 square meters and has a capacity to serve 2,000 visitors per hour for arrivals and 2,000 visitors per hour for departures. Also, 44 passports and 22 customs inspection platforms will serve the fans coming to Qatar and provide them with comfort and safety. Temporary parking lots were also established to raise the capacity of the tournament fans’ parking spaces from 1,400 to 4,500, with the installation of a parking reservation system. 

The project includes 48 tourist tracks to serve 12,000 cars entering and leaving Qatar, in addition to road development works with a length of 4.5 km. 

Infrastructure development works included the development of sewage networks with a length of 1.3 km, and rainwater drainage networks with a length of 2.5 km. The project also included the implementation of 2 square kilometers of green spaces and beautification works for four roundabouts.

Security systems equipped with the latest technologies and the highest international standards have been installed at the port. The works also included renovating and adding a new security fence. 

Three separate lanes will be allocated for trucks only, in addition to providing truck parking lots serving 500 trucks with a total area covering 150,000 square meters.  Commercial truck inspection platforms have also been sealed and air-conditioned.

(Source: The Peninsula)

2020 Year in Review | ‘ಓದಿನಂಗಳ’ದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೇಖಕಿ ಚೈತ್ರಾ ಅರ್ಜುನಪುರಿ

‘ವಿಚ್ಛೇದಿತ ಮಹಿಳೆಯನ್ನು ಆ ಸಮಾಜ ನೋಡುವ, ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ರೀತಿ, ಬಹುಪತ್ನಿತ್ವ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಪುರುಷರು, ಮಂಗಳಮುಖಿ ಎನ್ನುವ ಲಿಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶವೇ ಕೊಡದ ಸಮಾಜ, ಶಿಯಾ ಮತ್ತು ಸುನ್ನಿಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಕಲಹಗಳು, ಹೀಗೆ ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ.' ಸ್ಥೂಲ ನೋಟ ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಲೇಖಕಿ ಚೈತ್ರಾ ಅರ್ಜುನಪುರಿ.

ನಮ್ಮ ಮಾತಿಗೆ, ಮೌನಕ್ಕೆ, ಆಲಿಸುವಿಕೆಗೆ, ನೋಟಕ್ಕೆ, ಸ್ಪರ್ಶಕ್ಕೆ ಮಿಗಿಲಾದುದರ ಹುಡುಕಾಟ ಮತ್ತು ತಣಿಕೆಗಾಗಿಯೇ ನಾವು ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅಕ್ಷರಲೋಕದ ಸಾಂಗತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಬೀಳುವುದು. ಅದು ಉಸಿರಿನಷ್ಟೇ ಸಹಜ. ಭಾವಕ್ಕೂ ಬುದ್ಧಿಗೂ ಬೇಕಾದ ಈ ಆಮ್ಲಜನಕಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಾವು ಜಂಜಡಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆಯೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚೆಚ್ಚು ಆತುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಲು ನೋಡುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಈ ವರ್ಷ ಆವರಿಸಿದ ಮಹಾಶೂನ್ಯದೊಂದಿಗೇ ನಾವು ಏನು ಓದಿದೆವು?

‘tv9 ಕನ್ನಡ ಡಿಜಿಟಲ್ ವರ್ಷಾಂತ್ಯ ವಿಶೇಷ 2020: ಓದಿನಂಗಳ’ ಸರಣಿಗಾಗಿ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹಿರಿ-ಕಿರಿಯ ಕಥೆಗಾರರು, ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರರು, ಕವಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಗಂಭೀರ ಓದುಗರು ಈ ವರ್ಷ ತಾವು ಓದಿ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ಎರಡು ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಪುಟ್ಟ ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಪತ್ರಕರ್ತೆ, ಲೇಖಕಿ ಚೈತ್ರಾ ಅರ್ಜುನಪುರಿ ಆಯ್ಕೆಗಳು ಹೀಗಿವೆ.

ಕೃ: Girls of Riyadh (ಕಾದಂಬರಿ)

ಲೇ : ರಾಜಾ ಅಲ್ -ಸನೆ

ಪ್ರ: ಫಿಗ್ ಟ್ರೀ 

ಸೌದಿ ಅರೇಬಿಯಾದ ‘ಸೆಕ್ಸ್ ಅಂಡ್ ದಿ ಸಿಟಿ’ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ ಎನಿಸುವ ರಾಜಾ ಅಲ್-ಸನೆಯ ಅವರ ‘ಗರ್ಲ್ಸ್ ಆಫ್ ರಿಯಾದ್’ (2005) ಅರೇಬಿಕ್ ಭಾಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾದಾಗ ಸೌದಿ ಅರೇಬಿಯಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಕೋಲಾಹಲಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವಾಗಿತ್ತೆಂದರೆ ಆ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಗಮ್ರಾಹ್, ಸದೀಮ್, ಮಾಶೇಲ್ ಅಕಾ ಮಿಷೆಲ್ ಮತ್ತು ಲಮೀಸ್ ಎನ್ನುವ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಮೇಲ್ವರ್ಗದ ಗೆಳತಿಯರು ತಮ್ಮ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ ಹೋರಾಟಗಳ ಮೂಲಕ ಹೊರ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಿಂದ ಮರೆಮಾಚಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ಅರಬ್ ಸಮಾಜದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಅಭೂತಪೂರ್ವ ಒಳನೋಟ ನೀಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯವಾದಿ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಪುರಷರ ಪ್ರಾಬಲ್ಯದಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸುವ ಈ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೂ ಬದುಕು ಹೀಗೆಯೇ ಇರಬೇಕೆನ್ನುವ ನೂರಾರು ಆಸೆ-ಕನಸುಗಳಿವೆ, ಯೋಜನೆಗಳಿವೆ. ಇತರರ ಹಾಗೆ ಅವರೂ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಏಳುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಶ್ವಾದ್ಯಂತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುವ ಇವರು ಪಾಶ್ಚಾತ್ಯ ಸಮಾಜ ಮತ್ತು ತಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದ ನಡುವೆ ತಮ್ಮದೇ ಸ್ಥಾನ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ.

ಇದೊಂದು ರೊಮ್ಯಾಂಟಿಕ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಾದರೂ, ಬೇರೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಕಥೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಗಂಡು-ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಪ್ರಣಯ ಕಥೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿಲ್ಲ . ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಓದಿರಲಿ ಮದುವೆ ನಿರ್ಧಾರ ಮಾಡುವುದು ತಾಯಂದಿರೇ. ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಡುಗನ ಅಥವಾ ಹುಡುಗಿಯ ಒಪ್ಪಿಗೆಯನ್ನಾಗಲಿ, ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯವನ್ನಾಗಲಿ ಕೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. 

ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಜೀವನ ಸುತ್ತುವುದೇ ಮದುವೆ, ಗಂಡನ ಸುತ್ತ, ಅದು ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಬೇರೆ ಆಯ್ಕೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ಪುರಷರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮಾತುಕತೆಯಾಡಲೂ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು ತಮ್ಮ ಕಂಪ್ಯೂಟರ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ಮಾರ್ಟ್ ಫೋನ್ ಗಳ ಹಿಂದೆ ಅಡಗಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಪುರುಷರ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆಗಳ ಚಕ್ರವ್ಯೂಹವನ್ನು ಬೇಧಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಕೌಟುಂಬಿಕ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಕಾಪಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು.

ವಿಚ್ಛೇದಿತ ಮಹಿಳೆಯನ್ನು ಆ ಸಮಾಜ ನೋಡುವ, ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ರೀತಿ, ಬಹುಪತ್ನಿತ್ವ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಪುರುಷರು, ಮಂಗಳಮುಖಿ ಎನ್ನುವ ಲಿಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶವೇ ಕೊಡದ ಸಮಾಜ, ಶಿಯಾ ಮತ್ತು ಸುನ್ನಿಗಳ ನಡುವಿನ ಕಲಹಗಳು, ಹೀಗೆ ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಪರಿಚಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ.

ಕೃ:  The Girl Who Fell to Earth  (ಆತ್ಮಚರಿತ್ರೆ)

ಲೇ: ಸೋಫಿಯಾ ಅಲ್ ಮರಿಯಾ

ಪ್ರ: ಹಾರ್ಪರ್ ಕೊಲಿನ್ಸ್

ಸೋಫಿಯಾ ಅಲ್-ಮರಿಯಾ ಬರೆದ ಆತ್ಮಚರಿತ್ರೆ ‘ದಿ ಗರ್ಲ್ ಹೂ ಫೆಲ್ ಟು ಅರ್ಥ್: ಎ ಮೆಮೊಯಿರ್’ (2012)ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಫಿಯಾ ಅಕಾ ಸೋಫಿಯಾ ಕತಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ತನ್ನ ಬೆದೋಯಿನ್ ತಂದೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅಮೆರಿಕನ್ ತಾಯಿಯ ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬೆಳಕು ಚೆಲ್ಲುತ್ತಾಳೆ. 

ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೋಫಿಯಾ ಆಗಿ, ಕತಾರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಫಿಯಾ ಆಗಿ ಎರಡು ಖಂಡಗಳು, ಎರಡು ದೇಶಗಳು, ಎರಡು ಕುಟುಂಬಗಳು, ಎರಡು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಎರಡು ಪ್ರಪಂಚಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ತನ್ನ ಅಲೆಮಾರಿ ಜೀವನಶೈಲಿಗೆ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹೆಣಗಾಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಸೋಫಿಯಾ ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಕಳೆದು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಆ ಎರಡೂ ಪ್ರಪಂಚಗಳು ತನಗೆ ಸರಿ ಹೊಂದುವುದಿಲ್ಲವೆನ್ನುವ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಂಡುಕೊಂಡು, ತನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು ಸಫಿಯಾ ಮತ್ತು ಸೋಫಿಯಾ, ಅಥವಾ ಎರಡರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೋ ಒಂದು ಎನ್ನುವುದನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ.

ಹನ್ನೆರೆಡು ವರ್ಷದ ಅಮೇರಿಕನ್-ಬೆದೋಯಿನ್ ಹುಡುಗಿ ಒಳಗಿದ್ದೂ ಹೊರಗಿನವಳ ಹಾಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಸೂಕ್ಷ್ಮವಾಗಿ ಗಮನಿಸಿ ವಿವರಿಸಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಈ ಆತ್ಮಚರಿತ್ರೆ ಅನನ್ಯವೆನಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಎರಡು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಗಳ ಅಡಕತ್ತರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಲುಕಿದಾಗ ನಲುಗುವ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಮನಸ್ಥಿತಿ, ಪೂರ್ವ ಮತ್ತು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದ ಬದುಕಿನ ನಡುವಿರುವ ಕಂದರ ಎಷ್ಟು ಆಳವೆನ್ನುವುದು ಅರಿವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಅರಬರ ಜೀವನಶೈಲಿಗೆ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸೋಫಿಯಾಳ ತಾಯಿ ಗೇಲ್ ಕಷ್ಟ ಪಡುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗಲೇ, ಅವಳ ತಂದೆ ಮತರ್ ತನ್ನ ಎರಡನೇ ಹೆಂಡತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಮಗನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬರುವುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡಾಗ, ಅಮೇರಿಕನ್ ತಾಯಿಯನ್ನು ಧಿಕ್ಕರಿಸಿ ಬೆದೋಯಿನ್ ಅಜ್ಜಿಯ ಮನೆಗೆಬರುವ, ಅರಬ್ ಮಲತಾಯಿಯನ್ನು ಒಪ್ಪಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಬಾಲಕಿ ಸೋಫಿಯಾಳ ಗೊಂದಲ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಪತಿಯನ್ನು, ಅವನಿದ್ದ ದೇಶವನ್ನು ತೊರೆದರೂ, ಅಮೆರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನ ಧರ್ಮ, ಆಚಾರ-ವಿಚಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುನಿಟ್ಟಾಗಿ ತನ್ನ ಹೆಣ್ಣು ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೂ ಕಲಿಸುವ ಗೇಲ್ ಳ ನಿಲುವು ಕಸಿವಿಸಿಯನ್ನುಂಟು ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ.

ಕತಾರ್ ಬೆದೋಯಿನ್ ಜನರ ಅಲೆಮಾರಿ ಜೀವನಶೈಲಿ, ಅವರ ವೈವಾಹಿಕ ಬದುಕು, ಬಹುಪತ್ನಿತ್ವ, ಹುಡುಗಿಯರ ವಿದ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ, ಮದುವೆ, ಪ್ರೀತಿ-ಪ್ರೇಮ, ಬಡತನ, ಅರಬರ ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ, ಆಚಾರ-ವಿಚಾರಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಹೊಸದಾಗಿ ತೈಲ ಆವಿಷ್ಕಾರವಾದಾಗ ಅದೇ ತಾನೆ ಬೆಳೆಯಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದ ಕತಾರ್ ನ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ ದೋಹಾ, ಅದರ ಸುತ್ತ ಮುತ್ತಲಿನ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಈ ಆತ್ಮಚರಿತ್ರೆ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಮಾಹಿತಿ ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ.

(Source: TV9 Kannada)

Saudi Arabia to open up to foreign tourists with new visas

Saudi Arabia will open its doors to international tourists for the first time as part of a broader push to cut its economic dependence on oil.

On Friday, the kingdom will launch a visa regime for 49 countries and relax strict dress codes for female visitors.

Tourism Minister Ahmad al-Khateeb described it as a "historic moment" for the country.

Visas have until now largely been restricted to pilgrims, business people and expatriate workers.

Saudi Arabia is also hoping to secure foreign investment in the tourism industry. It wants tourism to rise from 3% to 10% of gross domestic product by 2030.

"Visitors will be surprised... by the treasures we have to share - five Unesco World Heritage Sites, vibrant local culture and breathtaking natural beauty," Mr Khateeb said.

The Qasr al-Farid tomb in Madain Saleh is a Unesco World Heritage site. Getty Images

Foreign women visitors will not be required to wear the body-covering abaya robe required to be worn in public by Saudi women, but must still dress modestly. There will also be no restrictions on unaccompanied women visiting the country.

"We have a culture. We believe our friends and our guests will respect the culture, but definitely it is modest and it will be very clear," Mr Khateeb said.

Non-Muslims will still not be allowed to visit the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and the ban on alcohol will be maintained.

More details on the scheme, including which countries are eligible, are due to be provided later on Friday.

But Mr Khateeb said he did not believe the recent attack on Saudi Arabia's oil industry would put people off visiting.

"Our cities are among the most safest cities globally. Therefore, we don't believe at all it will impact our plans. We have all the expats living in Saudi Arabia, enjoying Saudi Arabia. We're very secure," he said.

The moves to open up tourism is central to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's wider economic reform programme that aims to reduce the kingdom's focus on oil.

Under the plan, Saudi Arabia wants to increase international and domestic visits to 100 million a year by 2030. The government expects to create one million tourism jobs.

Still, the push comes as the kingdom faces a tarnished international image amid criticism of its human rights record following last year's murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a recent crackdown on women's rights activists.

In 2017 Saudi Arabia announced a massive tourism development project that will turn 50 islands and other sites on the Red Sea into luxury resorts.

Last year construction began on Qiddiya "entertainment city" near Riyadh, which is to include high-end theme parks, motor sport facilities and a safari area.

Analysis by Frank Gardner, Security correspondent
This is not the first time Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to tourism. In the summer of 2000 it hired French Alpine instructors from Chamonix to take visitors rock-climbing and paragliding in the mountainous southwestern province of Asir. I jumped off a cliff with one of them in a tandem flight that had us soaring on thermals for 45 minutes, hundreds of feet above juniper forests where wild Hamadryas baboons foraged amongst the rocks.

But everything came to a grinding halt one year later after the 9/11 terrorist attacks involving, amongst others, 15 Saudi nationals.

Since then, domestic and religious tourism have continued apace. Up to three million Muslims come to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina each year to make the Hajj pilgrimage.

With the country's hot, arid climate, a lot of Saudis like to get away to the over-developed Red Sea coast or to the cool, verdant mountains of Asir. The views here are simply stunning. But it is still Saudi Arabia, so don't expect cocktails at sundown!

(Source: BBC)

Saudi oil attacks: Why does the US hide oil underground?

In the wake of the attacks on key Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure, American officials have been talking about drawing on a huge emergency stash of oil kept in the United States.

As oil prices spiked, President Donald Trump tweeted they could use the oil "to keep the markets well-supplied".

The oil he was referring to amounts to more than 640 million barrels which are stored in salt caverns beneath the states of Texas and Louisiana. The idea of holding these "strategic reserves" dates back to the 1970s.

A huge volume of oil is stored in caverns beneath Louisiana and Texas

All members of the International Energy Agency have to hold the equivalent of 90 days' worth of petroleum imports, but the US stockpile is the largest emergency store in the world.

Why was it set up?
US politicians first came up with the idea of an oil stockpile in the early 1970s, after an oil embargo by Middle East nations caused prices to skyrocket around the world.

Members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries - including Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - refused to export oil to the US because it supported Israel in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.

The embargo came as a result of the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, also called the Yom Kippur War

The war lasted just three weeks in October that year. But the embargo - which also targeted other countries - lasted until March 1974, causing prices to quadruple worldwide from about $3 to nearly $12 per barrel.

Pictures of cars queuing up at petrol pumps in affected nations became some of the defining images of the crisis.

The US Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act in 1975. It established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the event of another major supply problem.

What is the reserve?
At present, there are four sites where oil is stored: near Freeport and Winnie in Texas, and outside Lake Charles and Baton Rouge in Louisiana.

Each site has several man-made salt caverns up to a kilometre (3,300ft) underground where the oil is stored. This is far cheaper than keeping it in tanks above ground, and safer - the chemical composition of the salt and the geological pressure prevents any oil from leaking out.

The largest site at Bryan Mound near Freeport has a storage capacity equivalent to 254 million barrels of oil.

The reserve's website says that on 13 September there were 644.8 million barrels of oil held in these caves.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Americans used 20.5 million barrels of petroleum a day on average in 2018 - meaning there's enough oil to keep the country going for about 31 days.

How does it work?
Under the 1975 law signed by Gerald Ford, the president can only authorise the release of oil reserves if there is a "severe energy supply interruption".

Physical constraints mean only a small amount of oil can be moved from the caves each day, meaning even if there is presidential authority to release oil it would take nearly two weeks to hit the markets.

Moreover, the oil is all unrefined. It would need to be processed into fuel before it would be useful for cars, ships and airplanes.

US energy secretary Rick Perry told broadcaster CNBC on Monday it was "a little premature" to talk about breaking into the reserve yet in the wake of the attacks in Saudi Arabia.

Has it been used often?
It was last used in 2011, when disruption caused by the Arab Spring uprisings prompted IEA member states to release a combined total of 60 million barrels of oil to reduce disruption to energy supplies.

The US has millions of barrels of oil stored in underground salt caverns near the Gulf of Mexico

However, the US has sold off large numbers of barrels on a few occasions. President George H W Bush authorised its use during the Gulf War in 1991, while his son George W Bush allowed the sale of 11 million barrels in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

But the usefulness of keeping such a huge reserve at a time when US energy production is booming has been questioned. Some in Washington have even recommended getting rid of it completely.

A report by the Government Accountability Office suggested just that in 2014, saying it could lower prices at the pump for US consumers. In 2017 the Trump administration mooted selling off half the stockpile to help tackle the federal deficit.

Under President Bill Clinton, 28 million barrels were sold off in 1997 as part of a move to reduce the deficit.

(Source: BBC)

Oil built Saudi Arabia – will a lack of water destroy it?

As Riyadh continues to build skyscrapers at a dizzying rate, an invisible emergency threatens the desert kingdom’s existence

Bottles of water twirl on the conveyor belts of the Berain water factory in Riyadh, as a puddle of water collects on the concrete floor. In a second warehouse, tanks emit a low hum as water brought in from precious underground aquifers passes through a six-stage purification process before bottling.

“In Saudi Arabia there are only two sources of water: the sea and deep wells,” says Ahmed Safar Al Asmari, who manages one of Berain’s two factories in Riyadh. “We’re in the central region, so there are only deep wells here.”

 Irrigation canals in Saudi Arabia channel fresh water from deep wells and desalination plants to farms and homes. Photograph: Tom Hanley/Alamy

Perhaps not surprising for someone who makes a living selling water, Asmari professes to be untroubled about the future of Saudi Arabia’s water supply. “Studies show water in some reserves can stand consumption for another 150 years,” he says. “In Saudi Arabia, we have many reserves – we have no problems in this area.”

His confident predictions are out of sync with the facts. One Saudi groundwater expert at King Faisal University predicted in 2016 that the kingdom only had another 13 years’ worth of groundwater reserves left.

“Groundwater resources of Saudi Arabia are being depleted at a very fast rate,” declared the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation as far back as 2008. “Most water withdrawn comes from fossil deep aquifers, and some predictions suggest that these resources may not last more than about 25 years.”

In a country that rarely sees rain, the habit of draining groundwater, like the Berain factory does, could prove perilous: groundwater makes up an estimated 98% of naturally occurring fresh water in Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, oil may have built the modern Saudi state, but a lack of water could destroy it if drastic solutions aren’t found soon.

 Fans spray water on Muslim pilgrims around the Grand Mosque in the run up to the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photograph: Dar Yasin/AP

The emergency seems invisible in Riyadh, which is undergoing a construction boom as more buildings creep upwards to join a collection of towering skyscrapers.

Although everyone knows this city in the desert owes its existence to the discovery of oil in 1938, fewer realise water was just as important. Decades of efforts to make the desert bloom to feed the city’s population have resulted in agricultural projects to grow water-intensive crops such as wheat, on farmland meted out to figures favoured by the royal family.

While many question the accuracy of the kingdom’s optimistic estimates of its own oil reserves, the looming threat of a lack of water could prove to be an even bigger problem. Saudi Arabia consumes double the world average of water per person, 263 litres per capita each day and rising, amid a changing climate that will strain water reserves.

 Saudi Arabia leads the world in the volume of desalinated water it produces, and now operates 31 desalination plants such as the one pictured, located outside Riyadh. Photograph: Fahad Shadeed/Reuters

In March, the Kingdom launched the Qatrah programme to demand citizens drastically cut their water use. Its aim is to ration water to 200 litres per person per day by 2020 and 150 litres by 2030.

It has also tried to reform the water-hungry agriculture industry, reducing government incentives for cereal production. The overall amount of irrigated farmland still hasn’t declined, though, as producers switch to more profitable crops that still require large amounts of water. Almarai, a major food producer, has begun buying up deserted land in the US, on plots near Los Angeles and in Arizona, and in Argentina, in order to grow water-rich alfalfa to feed its dairy cows.

The Saudi Arabian National Transformation Plan, also known as Vision 2020 – a subset of the Vision 2030 initiative intended to diversity the Kingdom’s economy away from oil – aims to reduce the amount of water pulled from underground aquifers for use in agriculture. It seeks to employ 191% of these water resources for farming, down from the current estimates of 416% of water available.

“This means that Saudi Arabia is using more than four times the water that renews on average – and that’s in Vision 2020,” says Dr Rebecca Keller from Stratfor – a private intelligence and geopolitical analysis firm – who says she was shocked after learning about the country’s water use. “Technically they’re using fossil water, which renews at a really, really slow rate. The sheer volume of overuse stood out to me.”

Desalinating sea water has long been seen as a silver bullet against the growing threat of water shortages across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia leads the world in the volume of desalinated water it produces, and now operates 31 desalination plants. Desalinated water, as distinct from naturally occurring fresh water, makes up 50% of water consumed in Saudi Arabia. The remaining 50% is pulled from groundwater.

 Changing water consumption habits remains the toughest challenge for Saudi Arabia. Photograph: Hasan Jamali/AP

It comes as at a high-energy cost, however. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2016 desalination accounted for 3% of the Middle East’s water supply but 5% of its overall energy cost. Researchers at King Abdelaziz University in Jeddah estimate that the demand for desalinated water increases by roughly 14% each year, but add that “desalination is a very costly process and is not sustainable”. Desalination plants also harm the surrounding environment, pumping pollutants into the air and endangering marine ecosystems with their run-off.

A recent push towards using solar power rather than fossil fuels to desalinate means that the first commercial plant is expected to be up and running at 2021 at the earliest, although it reportedly remains behind schedule.

Keller says Saudi Arabia’s evolving use of desalination technology could also alter their relationship with other countries in the region, in particular Israel. “They’re producing the most cutting-edge technology for desalination, especially at scale,” she said. “As we see [both countries] having more geopolitical things in common in terms of their attitude to Iran, there’s more room for this relationship to grow, and the Saudi water sector is something that could benefit from this cooperation.”

The toughest challenge of all remains switching consumption habits to avoid an impending water emergency. The kingdom is pressing ahead with its Red Sea Project, a tourism haven the size of Belgium that aims to attract a million visitors annually to its unspoiled beaches and 50 new hotels. Such mammoth construction means growing water use, with current estimates that the string of resorts will use 56,000 cubic metres of water per day.

“It’s the desert,” said Keller. “Obviously water is a natural constraint.”

(Source: The Guardian)

How Saudi’s ‘new direction’ is changing life for women like me

As Saudi Arabia allows women to travel without a man's consent, Lulwa Shalhoub, a resident of Jeddah, explains how the move will affect her life.

No need for a man's approval to travel, another step forward for women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

Next time I travel abroad, I will not have to worry about the travel permission being updated in the Saudi Passport Directorate's records or at the Saudi borders. I will pack my suitcase knowing that presenting my green passport, as an adult with full Saudi citizenship, will be sufficient. I will feel solely responsible for my choice to cross borders without a male guardian's approval.

Last week marked another historic day for Saudi women, giving them hope for a brighter future for them and their daughters. A future in which they are not second-class citizens.

Lulwa Shalhoub, who lives in Jeddah, says lifting the travel ban will give Saudi women hope

Having to obtain a male guardian's permission to travel abroad has been one of the remaining obstacles that face Saudi women, particularly divorced or widowed women. In some cases, women had to get permission from their sons when they had no living fathers, uncles or brothers.

At last, the definition of adulthood in Saudi Arabia is gender neutral. Both men and women are adults when they reach the age of 21.

For a mother who spent years raising her son only for him to be the one who gave her permission to travel, it was degrading. It was also ironic in a culture that has a strong emphasis on respecting one's parents.

Even less convenient was when a woman had no male relatives that could qualify to be her guardians - whether a father, husband, brother or son. And divorced or widowed women who lived within ultra-conservative male-dominant families could be denied approval and so could not travel when they wanted to.

As a Saudi woman, it is exciting to witness a new era of rapid changes that will be referred to in the future as the time when Saudi Arabia started to open up to accepting women as equal partners to men.

Growing up in the '90s, my generation was surrounded by more taboos than accepted practices. These cultural taboos, backed by an extreme interpretation of religion, were prevalent in a society segregating men and women. They gave men the authority to make decisions for women in their families.

I lived abroad for eight years from 2008 and every time I visited Jeddah to see my family I used to notice gradual changes. These were at a societal level rather than due to changes in regulations.

Society was starting to accept young men and women working together and meeting in public, women wearing colourful abayas - turning this long loose garment into a fashion statement - and young women travelling to study abroad on their own.

'New direction'
What makes the changes faster and harder to resist is that in the past two years they have been backed up by a change in regulations and royal decrees. This includes lifting the driving ban on Saudi women in September 2017 - implemented in June 2018 - and the latest change on travel.

Saudi Arabia was the only country where women were barred from driving

The latter change has positive implications for the structure of the family. Within a family, travelling should be a choice. Reaching this level of equality means the relationship between a woman and her father, husband or brother, should be based on trust, open communication and a sense of responsibility.

The new rule means the relationship between a husband and his wife becomes a partnership between two responsible adults, rather than guardianship of a minor.

My Saudi friends and I, and many Saudi women, no longer want to be framed as women of special circumstances, who lack rights that women around the world take for granted.

The new direction puts us as women in a place where we can gain individuality and confidence in our ability to take care of ourselves.

(Source: BBC)