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Australian-Arab Businesswomen Forum Opened

Mar 16, 2014   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

The Australian-Arab Businesswomen Forum was opened under the theme “New Horizons”. The opening ceremony was attended by Senator Fierravanti-Wells, who has special responsibility for Multicultural Affairs & Settlement Services, Saudi Ambassador to Australia Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh and a number of officials.  The forum focuses on business opportunities between Australia and GCC member states in addition to means of activating the role of women in this field.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, today opened the 2014 Australian Arab Businesswomen’s Forum in Sydney.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, who has special responsibility for Multicultural Affairs & Settlement Services, said the event focussed on commercial opportunities between Australia and the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on women.

“The 2014 Australian Arab Businesswomen’s Forum will continue to build our commercial and personal links between Australia and the Middle East,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.

Saudi Ambassador to Australia Meet with Australian NSW Minister of Education

Mar 16, 2014   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

The Saudi Ambassador to Australia H.E Mr Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh has met with Australian Minister of Education,Adrian Piccoli in the State of New South Wales.

During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries in the fields of education, particularly discussing the role of Saudi Students who are studying in several NSW Universities and colleges.

Mr Piccoli spoke highly of the importance of having Saudi Students in NSW to connect with different cultures to build bridges between the two nations.

On his part, Ambassador Al Saleh thanked the Minister of Education in NSW and the various universities for their contribution and cooperation in providing a quality academic environment and education for the Saudi students.

Saudi Ambassador in Australia meets Saudi Student Club heads

Mar 16, 2014   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

His Excellency The Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Australia and New Zealand Mr. Nabil Al Saleh met the new heads of the Saudi Students Club in Australia in 2014 at the Australian embassy in Canberra in the presence of the Deputy Ambassador Faisal Ghazi Hifzi , the cultural attaché, Dr. Abdulaziz Talib and members of the Saudi Embassy.

During the meeting Ambassador Al Saleh assured them of the government’s aspirations through the goals of the King Abdullah Scholarships Program. He also assured them of his continued support to student clubs as they continue to play a pivotal role in the reunification of students through cultural and social activities. He also highlighted their contribution in creating the right atmosphere to assist students in their academic achievement, and reflecting the positive side of the Saudi people through respect to all people.

In conclusion, Ambassador Al Saleh encouraged the new club heads to double their efforts in the service of their fellow students and wished them success in this round.

This meeting was preceded by the first meeting of the heads of student clubs in Australia that was hosted by the Saudi cultural mission in Canberra and was chaired by the cultural attaché Dr. Abdulaziz Talib. The meeting discussed a number of issues of importance including the administrative and financial aspects of the clubs, in addition to a number of topics focusing on work arrangements in the club.  Attendees also laid foundations for cultural and social activities for this year.

The new club heads expressed their happiness of this meeting, stressing that they will do all they can to serve their colleagues, and amplify the activities that will be implemented through the student clubs at this round.

Saudi Ambassador to Australia Meets with Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey

Mar 16, 2014   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

Saudi Ambassador to Australia Nabil Al Saleh met with the Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey in his office at the parliament house in Canberra

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on trade and economic cooperation between Saudi and Australia and reviewed bilateral relations in all fields between the two friendly nations.

Treasurer Hockey, described Saudi Arabia as an important trade partner to Australia in the Middle East.

Ambassador Saleh also said that Saudi Arabia was seeking to further partnership with Australia in all fields.

Saudi Arabia is Australia’s second largest trading partner in the Middle East with the total two way trade at 2.2 Billion dollars. With the initiation of the Saudi Australian business Council, both nations are confident in the increase of bilateral trade for mutual growth and development

There are also a large number of Saudi students who are choosing to study in Australia, mostly under the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. This program also generated a lot of interest among education providers. The King Abdullah Scholarship is on its own transforming the relationship between two countries.

Patronage of Ambassador Al Saleh at the Saudi Cultural Tent in Canberra Multicultural Festival 2014

Feb 17, 2014   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

Ambassador Al Saleh with Mr. Hifzi and Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Taleb along with other members of the embassy in the "AL Khaimah Al Saudiya".

Ambassador Al Saleh presents a gift to the Office of Multicultural Affairs chief Nick Manikis

 

Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Australia Mr Nabil Mohammed Al Saleh patronage the Saudi cultural activities 2014, which was held at the Annual National multicultural Festival in Canberra on Saturday 8th February 2014. The festival was attended by nearly 150,000 people along with the participation of 44 foreign countries from the Arab and Gulf and 578 exhibitors from Australia and abroad.

Guests of  the Saudi culture tent “Al Khaimah Al Saudiya”were received by Ambassador Al Saleh, the Deputy Saudi Ambassador Faisal Hifzi, the Saudi Cultural Attache Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Taleb and the acting President of the Saudi Student Club in Canberra Abdul Aziz Almussameh along with other saudi students and members of the embassy and cultural attaché . “Al Khaimah Al Saudiya” attracted a large number of visitors including Australian officials, Arab ambassadors and dignitaries along with a wide range of the Australian public and the various nationalities. 

The festival stall this year included displays of Saudi culture along with traditional Saudi food and coffee. Saudi Students also performed the traditional folklore dance on stage in front of thousands of the festival goers. The dance was concluded with the Saudi Arabian National anthem which was also joined by the Ambassador on stage.

“Al Khaimah” also included a special section on Arabian heritage with Henna and posters displaying the various heritage and religious sites of Makkah and Madinah, along with posters portraying the modern renaissance of the Kingdom. Films and documentaries in English were played, in addition to the distribution of a large number of books , publications and media releases.

Saudi Students dressed in Saudi national clothing and distributed balloons, Arab coffee and dates to attendees, making the tent an attractive site to visitors .

Ambassador Al Saleh welcomed the success of the Multicultural festival and expressed his gratitude for the Australian government and people for organising such an important event. He also expressed the importance of Saudi students to participate in various cultural events to convey a positive message of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its values ​​to the Australian people.

 During his visit to Saudi Arabia Al Khaimah, the chief of the Office of Multicultural Affairs Nick Manikis thanked the Saudi Amabassador and the Saudi students for their participation in the festival.

Link to Gallery Here.

Saudi Australian Business Council launches Sydney branch

Oct 26, 2013   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

Saudi Australian Business Council launches Sydney branch

Thursday 24th October – Sydney

NSW Trade & Investment and the Australian Industry Group hosted the launch of the Saudi Australian Business Council in Sydney this week. The event was held in the presence of the Saudi Ambassador H.E Nabil Al Saleh, the Chairman of Saudi Australian Business Council Tom Harley and the President of the New South Wales Legislative Council Don Harwin amongst many other delegates in Australian Trade and Development.

The Australia Saudi Business Council Inc. was established to develop and promote business and commercial links between Australia and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is Australia’s second largest trading partner in the Middle East with the total two way trade at 2.2 Billion dollars. With the initiation of the Saudi Australian business Council, both nations are confident in the increase of bilateral trade for mutual growth and development.

The Saudi Ambassador began his speech by giving his condolences to those affected by the NSW bushfire’s and the fire fighters risking their lives to assist those in need.

The Ambassador then continued to highlight the prosperity of the Kingdom and its achievements in modernisation and development. Mr Saleh also noted the Kingdom’s economic stability and rapid growth, having the largest economy in the Middle East with a GDP of 700 Billion dollars and a growth rate of 6.8% in 2012. The Kingdom also maintains itself as one of the worlds largest holders of foreign exchange reserves amounting to over 740 Billion dollars.

Mr Saleh also noted on the Kingdom’s various tactics and incentives to overcome the various economic challenges, including encouraging privatisation to encourage foreign investment and the reconstruction of various company laws. The Ambassador also said that the Kingdom is doing what it can to improve the ease of doing business and finding partners. This move has also been noted by the World Bank which has placed it amongst the worlds top 25 countries in doing business.

Tom Harley highlighted many positive examples of Australian business undertakings in Saudi Arabia, including the DowChemical petrochemical plant and its joint venture with Saudi Aramco. Mr Harley also recognised the importance of the 11,000 Saudi students in Australia, studying on the 500 million dollar King Abdullah scholarship. He noted that these students will return to the Kingdom with a valuable cultural outlook of Australia that will surely be beneficial in the future of bilateral relations.

Mr Harley also thanked the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Business council to continue promoting ties between the two nations for the betterment of future trade and development.

University of Canberra Honors Saudi Ambassador to Australia

Sep 15, 2013   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

University of Canberra Honors Saudi Ambassador to Australia
CANBERRA, Sep 14, 2013, SPA –
Saudi Ambassador to Australia Nabil Al Saleh has commended the scientific and cultural cooperation between Saudi universities and Australian specialized universities and institutes, highlighting the extension of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program for another five years.
This came during a dinner banquet held yesterday evening by Dr. Stephen Parker, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra in honor of Ambassador Al Saleh, and which was attended by the Deputy Ambassador Mr Faisal Hifzi , the Culture Attaché Dr Abdulaziz Bin Taleb and the Embassy staff and a number of Saudi scholarship students.
For his part, Dr. Parker praised the Saudi students who receive their education at Canberra university as distinguished.
He also noted their scientific superiority and their eagerness to provide a bright and honorable picture of the cultural and developmental shift taking place in the Kingdom.

Saudi Ambassador to Australia opens Interfaith International Conference

Sep 3, 2013   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

Saudi Ambassador to Australia opens Interfaith International Conference

Sydney – 30-8-2013 SPA

The Saudi ambassador to Australia Nabil bin Mohammed Al Saleh and the NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell co-opened today the 3rd Peace & Harmony Interfaith International Conference  , held by Al-Faisal Islamic College and the Australian Islamic Cultural Centre in Sydney.
A number of senior dignitaries from the government, religious and social circles, led by the Mufti of Australia Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Mohammed, Chairman of Al-Faisal Islamic College Sheikh Shafiq Abddullah Khan and the leader of the parliament minority in the State John Robertson also attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Al Saleh highlighted the efforts being exerted by the Kingdom, encouraging constructive dialogue and cultural contacts among the followers of religions in all societies. He also dealt with the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of terror combating and religious extremism in all its forms, particularly the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to enhance dialogue among followers of religions and cultures, citing his initiative to establish King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for dialogue among followers of religions and cultures in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
The ambassador wished the conference every success.
For his part, the NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell emphasized the role of dialogue and harmony among religions in the formation of the multi-civilization Australian society, praising the achievements reached by the State of Sidney in the field of co-existence initiatives.

Saudi Foreign Minister expresses Kingdom’s support for Egypt’s efforts to maintain security

Aug 25, 2013   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

Saudi Foreign Minister expresses Kingdom’s support for Egypt’s efforts to maintain security

August 18, 2013

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal was received by French President Francois Hollande in Paris today. Their meeting focusing largely on the situation in Egypt.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Minister stressed the importance of maintaining security and stability in Egypt, while implementing the road map to new elections laid out by the current government. He insisted that any demonstrations must be nonviolent and expressed disappointment that many countries are ignoring the actions of terrorists in Egypt.
Prince Saud denied that a coup had taken place in Egypt. “What is happening in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt today reflects the will on 30 June of thirty million Egyptians who expressed their desires to conduct early presidential elections as an inevitable result of the deterioration of economic, political and social conditions, which led to the meeting of all political and social leaders and forces to announce a new road map leading Egypt to safety after the former presidency refused to respond to the wishes of millions of Egyptian people.” He insisted, “The uprising of thirty million Egyptians cannot in any way be described as a military coup, as military coups take place under the cover of darkness. In addition, a civilian presidency took power in Egypt in line with the Egyptian constitution.”

Prince Saud expressed the Kingdom’s regret over what is currently happening in Egypt, noting the “war in the streets, the destruction of public and private property, terrorization of citizens, loss of innocent lives, [and] burning of whole governorates of Egypt by a movement that refuses to respond to the popular Egyptian will, as well as the rejection of all reconciliation initiatives.”

The Saudi Foreign Minister denounced those in the international community who have ignored the violence carried out by the Egyptian government’s opponents. “We see, unfortunately, today international positions which have taken a strange course to ignore these irrefutable facts and focus on general principles, as if they want to cover up [the crimes of the opponents], the burning of Egypt, and killing of its safe people, and even to encourage these parties to persist in such practices.” He contrasted the concern for criminals in Egypt to the lack of attention given to innocents in Syria. “Where is the concern for human rights and the sanctity of blood and carnage that takes place every day in Syria, which led to the killing of more than 100,000 Syrians and the destruction of the whole of Syria without hearing whispering from the international community, which adheres to human rights as required by its interests and whims?” he asked.

Prince Saud concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to Egypt’s security and stability. “I assure everyone that the leadership, the government and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have stood and will always stand with Egypt and that the Arab states will never accept manipulation of their fates or tampering with their security and stability by the international community,” he said. “Concerning those who announced stopping their assistance to Egypt or threatening to stop them, the Arab and Islamic nation is rich with its people and capabilities and will provide a helping hand to Egypt. Our fate is one and our goal is one. As you enjoy security, calm and stability, do not consider them as too much for us.”

King Abdullah express support for Egypt’s stability

Aug 25, 2013   //   by admin   //   English, SA News  //  No Comments

King Abdullah express support for Egypt’s stability

August 16, 2013

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz issued a statement today on the current events in Egypt. King Abdullah said: “We have followed with deep sorrow the events taking place in our second homeland, the brotherly Arab Republic of Egypt; events which only please enemies of Egypt’s stability and security and its people, but at the same time pain all those who love Egypt and care for its stability and unity which are, today, targets for all evil wishers. This attempt to unsettle Egypt’s unity and stability — carried out by the ignorant, the inadvertent, or the mindful of the enemies’ design —  will, God willing, be fruitless.”
The King urged “the people of Egypt, Arab and Muslim nations, the honorable Ulema [religious scholars], intellectuals, writers, and all sensible people to stand united with one heart in facing attempts to destabilize a country which historically has always been at the forefront of Arab and Muslim nations; honorable people should not maintain silence on and be heedless of what is going on.”
King Abdullah added that “the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stood and still stand today with our brothers in Egypt against terrorism, extremism and sedition, and against whoever is trying to interfere in Egypt’s internal affairs and in its determination, power and legitimate right to deter every spoiler or whoever misleads the people of Egypt.  Let it be known to those who interfered in Egypt’s internal affairs that they themselves are fanning the fire of sedition and are promoting the terrorism which they call for fighting.  I hope they will come to their senses before it is too late; for the Egypt of Islam, Arabism, and honorable history will not be altered by what some may say or what positions others may take. Egypt will be able, with the grace and might of God, to pass into the land of safety; and then those will realize the wrong they committed when it is too late to show regret.”

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