I’ve been to Saudi Arabia several times, seven times to be exact, for Hajj (and as pilgrims guide). During which I barely seen any rainpour in the country. No wonder this downpours is really news worthy even to foreign media. For the hajjis this really a problem for them. Wish them luck and are able to sort this out.
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Flooding killed at least 11 people in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Wednesday after a heavy downpour, with more deaths feared, a civil defence official said.

The 11 victims were believed to have drowned, the official said, requesting anonymity.

The storm struck the western Saudi city in the morning, flooding streets. In one part of Jeddah, a bus could be seen submerged under several metres (yards) of water in an underpass.

A witness told AFP by telephone he had seen several bodies beside another bus that overturned in the storm.

Major roads remained gridlocked by traffic late on Wednesday after the rain stopped and floodwaters receded, witnesses said.

Photo: AP

Flood in Jakarta is common and coming as regular as rainy months. But flood in Makkah, Saudi Arabia? That’s a happenings and worrying as well. To make it worst, it happens during the boxing-day of Hajj rites.
Muslim pilgrims circled Islam’s holiest site Wednesday in their traditional white robes, with a few additions — umbrellas and face masks — as the opening of the annual hajj was complicated by torrential rains and fears of swine flu.

Saudi authorities have been planning ways for months to inhibit the spread of swine flu during the pilgrimage, which is seen as an incubator for the virus. The four-day event is one of the most crowded in the world, with more than 3 million people from every corner of the globe packed shoulder to shoulder in prayers and rites.

Now they are scrambling to deal with sudden, unexpected downpours that could worsen one of the gathering’s perennial dangers: deadly stampedes.

Electric Trains will be started in year 2010 from Masjidil Haram (Ka’bah) to Mina, Mina to Muzdalifa, Muzdalifa to Arafat.

Once it’s completed, the traffic jam issue will be significantly reduced.

Jamarat Project in Mina Makkah Al Mukkarrmah after Completion

For more scholarships (beasiswa) info which is updated daily visit this websites:

www.beasiswas.info
www.beasiswaz.com

KAUST DISCOVERY SCHOLARSHIP

The KAUST Discovery Scholarship is for students who are currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program and would like to attend KAUST in 2010 or 2011. The KAUST Discovery Scholarship is designed to ensure that highly talented students who are qualified and eligible to enroll in KAUST will receive full financial support, including tuition costs, a living stipend, and summer and career enrichment programs. Upon graduation, these students will enter KAUST as master’s degree students in September 2010 or 2011 and complete their graduate studies on a fully funded scholarship.

Application Deadline

Application Cycle for September 2009 is now closed. KAUST will begin accepting new applications for Fall 2010 beginning September 2009. To check on previously submitted application please go to: View Application.

Eligibility

Students may apply for a KAUST Discovery Scholarship directly, or they may be nominated by a professor at their institution.

To apply for the KAUST Discovery Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

* Be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s/first university degree program in a KAUST-relevant field of study.
* Current field of study must be in a KAUST-relevant area, such as Engineering, Mathematics, or the Physical, Chemical and Biological Sciences.
* Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent in other international grading systems.
* Ability to enroll at KAUST in 2010 or 2011.
* Must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 79 on the IBT (Internet Based Test) or 6.0 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) before application will be considered for admission. Only official TOEFL or IELTS scores, will be accepted. TOEFL or IELTS scores for tests administered by an educational institution for admission to that particular institution, are not acceptable. A TOEFL or IELTS score is not required if the applicant is a native speaker of English or received a degree from a university in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand. Our university code for the TOEFL exam is 3859.
* Official bachelor’s university transcript (must be in English to be accepted). A scan of the official transcript must be uploaded into the online application form and a hard copy, in a university sealed envelope, must be mailed to:

Institute of International Education
Attn: KAUST Transcripts
1800 West Loop South, Suite 250
Houston, Texas 77027
USA
* Demonstrate academic and research interest and/or leadership potential.
* Ability to travel outside home country to attend KAUST development activities.

Selection Criteria

KAUST has developed a fair, consistent, and transparent selection process for the KAUST Discovery Scholarship. Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

* Academic achievement
* First university or bachelor’s field of study
* Commitment to KAUST goals
* Statement of Purpose
* Demonstrated leadership abilities
* Involvement in related extracurricular activities
* Commitment to matriculate at KAUST upon graduation
* Interview with KAUST representatives or faculty (for finalists only)

For more information, please review KAUST’s list of frequently asked questions about the KAUST Discovery Scholarship.

Benefits

If you are awarded the KAUST Discovery Scholarship, KAUST will provide the following benefits:

* For the remainder of your first university or bachelor’s degree program of study, you will receive:
o Full tuition to complete your first university or bachelor’s degree at your current institution
o A living stipend based on your current city and country of residence
o An allowance to purchase textbooks
o An allowance to purchase a laptop
o All economy class travel costs associated with your participation in KAUST-sponsored enrichment activities throughout the remainder of your first university or bachelor’s degree program.
* Upon the completion of your first university or bachelor’s degree program, you will receive:
o Admission into a master’s degree program upon meeting the program’s admission requirements at the KAUST campus in Saudi Arabia
o A full scholarship at KAUST, including tuition, housing and travel costs

Terms & Conditions

If you are selected to receive a KAUST Discovery Scholarship, KAUST will determine your scholarship award package. You will be required to sign a Terms and Conditions document.

Click here for a sample Terms and Conditions document for your review.

Contact Us

Contact Information for Student Applicants:
scholarships@kaust.edu.sa
Office: +1 (713) 621-6300, ext 23
Fax: +1 (713) 621-0876

Contact Information for Current Recipients:
Office: +1 (713) 621-6300, ext 23
Fax: +1 (713) 621-0876

Contact Information for University Faculty/Administrators/Recommenders:
Office: +1 (713) 621-6300, ext 23
Fax: +1 (713) 621-0876

Institute of International Education
Attn: KAUST Transcripts
1800 West Loop South, Suite 250
Houston, Texas 77027
USA

For more information, please review KAUST’s list of frequently asked questions about the KAUST Discovery Scholarship.

Visit the official site here: http://www.kaust.edu.sa/students/discovery-apply.aspx

When a person calls herself Hning Swara commented in one of my post, I was impressed with the way she expresses her opinion. I was impressed even more when I visited her blog– back then in blogspot. She certainly has the talent and obviously is a good writer with an eloquent English I hardly found in an average Indonesian.

A power struggle has begun in Saudi Arabia? Take a look at my op-ed piece in Jawa Pos about the Kingdom system of succession here (in Bahasa Indonesia).
A dispute over Saudi Arabia’s royal succession burst into the open yesterday, revealing a power struggle in which one of the most senior princes in the oil-rich kingdom is reported to have disappeared. The prospect of instability in a country that is not only the world’s largest oil exporter but also a key Western ally at the heart of the Middle East will cause serious concern in Washington, London and beyond.

Rumours are rife over the position of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, 60, son of the heir to the Saudi throne, who has not been seen in public for weeks. Prince Bandar is better known abroad than almost any other member of the Saudi royal family, not only for his extravagant lifestyle, but because of his daring foreign policy initiatives during 22 years as the Saudi ambassador in Washington, where he played an important role after 9/11 and during two Gulf wars. His absence from public life comes at a sensitive time in Saudi Arabia: his father, Crown Prince Sultan, is gravely ill with cancer, throwing the succession to King Abdullah into question.