THUWAL, SAUDI ARABIA // In regal style, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz last night hosted a lavish party for more than 3,000 guests to celebrate the formal launching of the monarch's long-time dream: a new graduate level university to advance scientific research and technological innovation. The inauguration of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, or Kaust - featuring a sit-down banquet, thunderous fireworks and a colourful laser show - was attended by several heads of state, including Syrian President Bashar Assad, Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Philippines President Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Jordan's King Abdullah and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh also attended for the festivities, which began with a programme of speeches, poetry and music in a gigantic prefabricated hangar-like building. Inside, diplomats, scientists and academics from around the world sat with Saudi guests in blue upholstered chairs. "The university, whose inauguration we celebrate today, did not emerge from nowhere. It is a continuation of what distinguished our civilisation in its golden age," said King Abdullah in brief remarks to the audience.
"Throughout history," he added, "power has attached itself, after God, to science. And the Islamic nation knows too well that it will not be powerful unless it depends, after God, on science. For faith and science cannot compete except in unhealthy souls." The king has said he wants the new university to spark a renewal of the scientific prowess that once marked early Islamic civilisation. The new campus, located 80 kilometres north of Jeddah, was built in just two years under the management of Saudi Aramco, the national oil company.
The inauguration was marked by tight security, with more than 12,000 police, military and security personnel patrolling the 16 sq km site. Added vigilance came from helicopters flying overhead. On the mind of Saudi security officials, no doubt, was last month's attempted assassination of the deputy interior minister and chief counter-terrorism official, Prince Muhammad bin Naif. An al Qa'eda affiliate that is seeking to bring down the Saudi government managed a publicity coup when one of its suicide bombers blew himself up in the home of the prince, who was only slightly hurt.
University officials, and the king himself, have promised that the university will enjoy academic freedom. But journalists attending the inauguration found an early test of that freedom wanting. When several journalists approached students on campus to talk about their experiences, they told the reporters that they had been ordered not to speak to the media. During a morning news conference, Saudi petroleum minister Ali Al Naimi said that the opening of the new university, endowed with at least US$10 billion (Dh36.7bn) by the king, is "a historical event ? and represents a pivotal point for our nation [because we know] it is incumbent to diversity the economy".
The minister said that harnessing solar energy will be a research priority for Kaust. He told the director of research, Mr Al Naimi added, "that Saudi Arabia exports eight million barrels of oil a day. So we should be able to generate equivalent BTUs through solar energy both for domestic use and export." cmurphy@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
