FROM THE KINGDOM ......

POPULATION STATISTICS PROVIDE BREAKDOWN BY AGE

The Department of Statistics has reported that fifty percent of the Saudi population is under 15 years of age. One third of the national work force is between the ages of 20 and 39 years; of this group, 89.8 percent are educated. Currently, women outnumber men in literacy rates, at 93.2 percent as against 89.2 percent.

LIMITING POLLUTION OF THE  ENVIRONMENT

The Majlis A-Shura (Consultative Council) on July 14 presented a number of regulations to protect the environment from pollution. After reviewing the annual report of the Meteorology and Environmental Protection Agency (MEPA), the council recommended an immediate ban on dumping sewage in coastal waters and rainwater gullies, the establishment of laboratories for analysis of sources of land and maritime pollution, and funding for systems to warn against severe atmospheric phenomena and for stations to monitor the environment.

SAUDI ARABIA TO LAUNCH THIRD SATELLITE

In a major effort to use satellites for commercial and scientific applications, Saudi Arabia plans to launch its third satellite from a Russian rocket later this year, according to Director of the Institute of Space Research at the Riyadh-based King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) Prince Turki bin Saud bin Muhammad. In an interview with the Jeddah-based English-language daily Arab News published on July 18, Prince Muhammad said the third satellite was designed by Saudi scientists at the institute, as were the two earlier ones. He explained that in addition to the institute, Saudi Arabia, the second Arab country after Egypt to launch satellites, has established a Center for Remote Sensing, and has had the honor of being admitted as a member of the prestigious United Nations committee for space research for peaceful purposes. Prince Muhammad said satellite images and data are vital for research in areas like agriculture, geology, mapping, natural disaster studies, weather conditions and oil exploration.

DOMESTIC TOURISM GROWING

Following government incentives to promote domestic tourism, new projects worth 10 billion Saudi riyals (2.66 billion U.S. dollars), for resorts, hotels and furnished villas, have been carried out by Saudi businessmen, bringing total outlay in the sector to over 30 billion riyals (8 billion dollars), the Saudi Commission for Tourism announced in August. By the end of 2001, the Kingdom had 649 hotels with 69,968 rooms, and 1,129 licenses had been issued for the establishment of furnished villas.

VESSEL DRIFTING IN RED SEA RESCUED

Saudi Arabian ships sailing out of the Port of Yanbu rescued 150 people, 147 Sri Lankans and 3 Pakistanis, who were found aboard a Sri Lankan fishing boat that was drifting in the Red Sea 77 nautical miles off shore.  Distress signals from the M.S. Pres, which reported it had run out of food and fuel, and was drifting out of control, were received in Yanbu on July 5 and rescue ships were sent out immediately. The boat was towed back to the King Fahd Industrial Port of Yanbu where those on board were treated for exhaustion and malnutrition before being sent back to their countries.