RGBB News Spring 2012 by Andrew Mead MBE

FROM THE CHAIR On 24 March the RGBB held its Annual General Meeting and I am honoured to have been appointed Chairman for the forthcoming year. Following the elections the Board members for the year 2012/13, will be as follows: • • • • • • • • Gary Richardson RGBB Chair

Marcel Luckman Keith Newbery Sean McPoland Jane Blackledge Chris Konstan Moaz Al Sibaai Sean Ellis Andrew Pearce

Deputy Chairman Sports Communications Events. Treasurer. Saudi Business Liaison Embassy Liaison Special Briefings

I would like to extend my congratulations to the Board on their election and thank them for their continued commitment to the RGBB. I would extend a particular welcome to Sean Ellis, Sean McPoland, Keith Newbery and Andrew Pearce who are new to the Board. At the AGM I submitted a review of the activities of the RGBB over the past 12 months - the vast majority of which have been recorded in this and in previous issues of RGBB News. Suffice it to say that all aspects of the RGBB have been successful and all credit is due to the Board and the members of the RGBB, who now number in excess of 360, for their hard work. One of the highlights of the year was the recent Golf Tournament. The whole day was a great success, culminating in the event raising SR400,000 - an amazing amount which takes the total raised at this event since 2009 to over SR1 Million. The RGBB was delighted to present a cheque to Lady Philips, the Patron of International Children In Need Group (ICING). From past experience I know that the money will be well spent and the support of the membership of the RGBB for such events is greatly appreciated. During the next year it is my intention for the RGBB to focus even harder than usual on its business related activities. The re-introduction of a Business Development Committee Head, Luke Bowen, coupled with the creation of Board members for Embassy Liaison and Saudi Business Liaison will enable us

Philip Taylor receieved an “Argie” in recognition of his assistance as SIG Chair

Peter Broom, Deputy Director UKTI, stood in as returning officer at the AGM

Contents From the Chair ..........................1 2012-13 RGBB Board ...............2 BBA Notes.................................5 BBG Notes ................................7 Special Briefing Paul Gamble - Jadwa ................9 New Driving Rules Traffic Feature .........................10 Special Briefing STC ...............13 Run Together Riyadh ..............14 Riyadh Welsh Society .............17 Nitaqat .....................................21 RGBB Festive Ball pictures ................22 RGBB Golf Society..................25 RGBB Open Championship .........................26 ICING What Next?..............................31 1952 Revisited.........................32 Sudoku ....................................33 Olympic Countdown ................32 Culinary Corner .......................36 BISR Interview Practice...........38 IAG takeover bmi.....................39 Climate Week ..........................40 English Society Quiz Nite ........41 Welcome to New Members .....42 And Finally...............................44

Advertisers Our thanks to the following advertisers. Without their support we could not publish. Please give them yours AlKhozama Hotel.....................31 AMEX ......................................22 Arabian Homes..........................6 AXA ........................................16 BA.................. Inside Back Cover BAE Systems ..........................20 BMI ............... Inside Front Cover British School Riyadh ..............39 emax..........................................4 InterContinental Hotel..............33 Noble Smile Dental Centre......38 Riyad Bank ................................8 SABB ..........Outside Back Cover SESE.......................................28 Sheraton Hotel ........................10

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to reach this goal. To support them in an administration role it is the intention to appoint a second Secretary to ensure that the RGBB is able to implement and sustain in a professional manner all Group activities. It is with sadness that I say farewell to Brigitte Davenport, the RGBB Secretary, who leaves in May. I would personally like to thank her for all of her hard work and support during her tenure and I am sure I speak on behalf of all of the membership when I wish her, and her

The RGBB 2012-2013 Board

Gary Richardson

Marcel Luckman

Chairman richardsonksa@hotmail.co.uk

Deputy Chairman marcel.luckman@riyadbank.com

Chris Konstan

Moaz Al Sibaai

Treasurer chriskonstan@aol.com

Andrew Pearce

Special Briefings andrew.d.pearce@logica.com

husband Tony, every success in the future. I look forward to the year ahead with great anticipation as I firmly believe that we have a strong team in place to ensure that the RGBB represents UK plc in a professional way, whilst still ensuring that the social and sporting activities of the Group remain a key element of our success. Gary Richardson RGBB Chairman The RGBB Secretary can be contacted on Saturdays Tel: 01 488 00 77 ext. 2263 or secretary@rgbb.org

Sean McPoland

Communications smcpoland@gmail.com

Sean Ellis

Saudi Business Liaison sibaai@yahoo.com

Embassy Liaison ellis.family@hotmail.co.uk

Christopher Innes-Hopkins

Peter Broom

Embassy Representative chris.innes-hopkins@fco.gov.uk

Deputy Embassy Representative peter.broom@fco.gov.uk

Keith Newbery

Sports knewbery@olivegroup.com

Jane Blackledge

Events janeblackledge@yahoo.co.uk

Luke Bowen

BDC Chairman and SIG Construction luke@arabianc.com

Special Interest Group Chairs

Keith Newbery

Andrew Day

SIG Security knewbery@olivegroup.com

SIG Aviation andrew.day-ksa@baesystems.com

Bernie Hewitt

Christopher Palmer

SIG IT bh@bernhew.com

SIG Education & Training christopher.palmer@sa.britishcouncil.org

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RGBB BOARD

The 2012-13 RGBB Board

UK visitors discuss Cyber Security In 2011/12 the UKTI section of the British Embassy has been very busy hosting a number of events the latest being in the advanced field of Cyber Security. Hosted by his Excellency the Ambassador Sir Tom Phillips, a reception was held in honour of Lord Marland Chairman of the Business Ambassador’s group and a group of Cyber Security CEO’s from a wide selection of UK business. This visit looked at the ever expanding need for security in cyberspace, the internet and beyond. Attending also a number a local Saudi Business Dignitaries including several CEO’s, Chairman and Managing

Directors of Saudi-British companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The representatives and companies attending were: Sir Kevin Tebbitt, Chairman, Finmeccanica (UK); Stuart Cole, Defense & Security Organisation; Bob Allen, CEO, Cassidian Cyber UK (UK); Robert Delorge, CEO, Raytheon (UK); Victor Chavez, CEO, Thales (UK); Martin Sutherland, CEO, Detica; Danny Milligan, Chairman , Northrop Grumman (UK); Richard Barrett, CEO, Atkins Middle East; Douglas Caster, Chairman, Ultra;, Stephen Ball, CEO, Lockheed Martin (UK); Mark Palmer, VP Public Sector & Defence; Lt Gen Sir Philip Trousdell, Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, James Quinault, Director Office for Cyber Security & Information Assurance.

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BBA

Notes from the Eastern Chair

Geoff Fennah MBE

Chairman, British Business Association Eastern Province

nbelievable! We are already heading for the summer heat with the year passing by very quickly – where does the time go? The Middle East continues to have its problems although Bahrain is hopefully moving in the right direction as dialogue starts to make an impact. Indications are that the FI will probably go ahead which is positive and will hopefully be a welcome sign for an upturn in the economy. As far as Saudi is concerned we are all too busy to worry about anything but work! Eastern Province continues to flourish on the business front as Government investment in infrastructure starts to translate into real projects on the ground. Rail projects, training and other opportunities are attracting a lot of interest from British companies. The recent official opening reception for the new Atkins office in Al-Khobar, hosted by the British Trade Office, was an example of this and it is good to see an established British engineering company on the ground in Eastern Province. The mining sector continues to develop rapidly with the announcement of a new mineral city near the Jordan border plus Ras Al-Khair (formerly Ras Azour) continues to develop at pace. A number of high level visitors, including the Duke of York and the Lord Mayor of the City of London, have passed through Eastern Province to sell UK plc, encourage bilateral trade and to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that are surfacing. Let’s hope UK plc gets some of the action. It was a pleasure in February to welcome HMA Sir Tom and Lady Phillips as guests to our monthly business dinner with Sir Tom presenting a very interesting "State of the Union" talk. Our programme of monthly business dinners continues to be well supported with recent speakers, Stephen Harrison (Economic Development Board of Bahrain), Leslie McCune (Logistics expert on Railways, Ports and Pirates) and Stephen Harrison-Mirfield (KPMG on Understanding Nitaqat).

British Business Association - Eastern Province P. O. Box 1868, Oasis Gardens, AlKhobar 31952 Tel: 00966 3 882 5288 ext 1651 Fax: 00966 3 882 5629 Secretary: Julie Czarnota email: secretary@bbaep.com

September saw MEA’s Opportunity Arabia 8 Conference take place in London. I represented the British Business Groups in Saudi and made a short presentation. It was also good to meet the “usual suspects” in the Westminster Arms after the conference and discuss trade opportunities! I once again attended the “Britain in the Region” symposium in Dubai in November, where I represented the BBA and joined Chris Innes Hopkins on the Saudi Arabia panel providing an insight into doing business in KSA. I also attended the Annual Gulf Commercial Officers Conference (GCOC) the following day. It was good to get together with Commercial Officers, British Business leaders and companies from around the Gulf and compare notes. BBA membership now stands at the 200 mark and continues to grow as we return back to membership levels that existed prior to the onset of security problems back in 2004. We have also undertaken a project to totally upgrade our website and make it our preferred communication tool to our members and other interested parties. This effort required the addition of a new committee position with an IT / Communications focus – welcome to Andy Clark who has done wonders with the website. Visit the site and let us know if you have any ideas on improvements. If you have any other ideas or suggestions for the BBA or need to contact us then feel free to call me directly, send an e-mail to our Secretary at secretary@bbaep.com or at our website www.bbaep.com

Above: Alderman David Wootton, Lord Mayor of the City of London with Abdulrahman Al Rashed, Chairman of the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce.

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BBG - JEDDAH

Notes from the BBG in Jeddah

he 2011 BBG Committee bowed out at the 33rd AGM in mid-February and the new committee duly assumed the mantle. So the guard has been changed; not quite with the precision of Buckingham Palace but, in our defence, they have been doing it for a mite longer than us. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing committee for their efforts and achievements, in particular my predecessor Edward Ogilvie. As they say in show business, it’s a tough act to follow but I will give it my best.

For the second year running BBG membership has fallen and for the second year running we were unable to attract sufficient candidates for the committee to hold a contested election. For the first time in recent memory the majority of the outgoing committee did not stand again. These things matter because the BBG is a membership-based organisation and the Captain committee administers the group for the benefit Steve Thomas of the membership. It is clear that we are at a BBG Jeddah crossroads. I am sure there are many reasons Chairman why we are at this crossroads but the one that most readily springs to mind is simply that we live in a different age. Change is undoubtedly coming and like so much in life, and especially here as ex-pats in Saudi Arabia, how we manage that change will define us. If we get it wrong we will wither but, if we get it right, we will grow and prosper. It is important to acknowledge the efforts and successes of those that came before us. The BBG is now in its 34th year and a vast number of people have nurtured, guided (and cajoled) the group throughout its existence. It behoves us to build on their efforts and achievements. Our intent is to strengthen the BBG and to develop it so as we can continue to be true to our objectives for the benefit of the membership as a whole. The world we live in now is more interactive and more connected than any of us could ever have imagined even a few years ago. We must look at how best to harness these forces to ensure we prosper. In business today the emphasis is more and more on the exchange of information. Within the BBG we’re hoping to reflect this in the interaction between the committee and the membership we serve. As a committee we’ve started canvassing our membership for their views and suggestions. Its early days yet but I am already starting to see some common themes develop. At the top of the list there is a strong desire for improved networking opportunities across the whole spectrum of business connections; within the British Business community here, with the members of the other British Business groups here in the Kingdom, with Saudi businesses and, of course, with the exporters in Britain who wish to do business here in Saudi Arabia. In respect to the latter, we have had discussions with our friends and colleagues at the British Consulate-General here in Jeddah with the aim of improving the interaction between the BBG and themselves for the mutual benefit of both. I’d like to thank all at the Consulate-General for their support, particularly Her Majesty’s Consul-General Mohammed Shokat and the Deputy Consul-General, and Head of UKTI, Michael Cockle.

With only three members staying on from the 2011 committee and with just seven committee members, instead of the usual eight, something of a reorganisation had to be carried out. We agreed the following committee roles and responsibilities: Chairman ..............Steve Thomas bbg.chairman@bbg-jed.org Treasurer ..............Gordon Atkinson bbg.treasurer@bbg-jed.org Business ...............Sam Thanvi bbg.business@bbg-jed.org Communications...Bruce Jones bbg.comms@bbg-jed.org Events ..................Simon Messum bbg.events@bbg-jed.org IT & Website .........Vik Paw bbg.itman@bbg-jed.org Membership..........Helen Mack bbg.membership@bbg-jed.org Our Secretary is Anita Wright and she can be contacted on 0541386108 or, preferably, by email at: bbg.office@bbg-jed.org. Transferring in from Riyadh, Simon Messum has assumed the events portfolio and is hard at work planning a varied programme of business and social events for the forthcoming year. All our meetings are open to members of the other British Business Groups here in the kingdom. If you are visiting Jeddah please contact Anita Wright if you are interested in joining any of our events. It’s springtime and for us here in Jeddah that means the Sports Challenge against our old friends at the American Business Group is now getting into full stride. Under the leadership of Dave Wheen, our teams have practiced hard and one or two have played the first matches in their competition. We wish them every success; win or lose though, the opportunity to socialise and network with the ABJ is a welcome one. The competition comes to a close with the annual Survivors’ Ball which this year will be hosted by the ABJ. Special mention is due to Bupa Arabia and to Arabian Homes for their generous sponsorship. Finally, we acknowledge the breadth of experience and knowledge available within the community both here in Jeddah and within the associated British Business Groups in other parts of the kingdom. I hope that we can develop these contacts for the benefit of all our members. Best wishes to all for a prosperous 2012. RGBB News 7

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SPECIAL BRIEFING

The outlook for the Saudi economy in 2012

he January Special Briefing was delivered by Paul Gamble, Head of Research at Jadwa Investment. Paul’s presentation was extensive and revealing and well received by a packed Amenity Hall. According to Jadwa the Saudi government’s budget for 2012 was described as expansionary budget and will play a vital role in supporting the economy. Pauls presentation, far too comprehensive to be covered in these pages, included commentary on the following headlines: •

A surplus of SR12 billion ($3 billion) was projected, based on revenues of SR702 billion and expenditure of SR690 billion. This is the first year since 2008 that the Kingdom has budgeted for a surplus. Defence, education and healthcare remain the focus of government spending. Allocations for the housebuilding program are not included in the budget; the full SR250 billion financing for the program has been deposited into a special account at SAMA.

• The budget highlights the government’s intention to continue to stimulate the economy. Budgeted investment spending, raised slightly to an all-time high of SR265 billion, will support healthy economic growth and provide encouragement and opportunities for the private sector at a time of global and regional uncertainty. The revenue projection is less conservative than in previous years, but in the event of a shortfall in revenues, any deficit can be financed comfortably by drawing from SAMA’s huge stock of foreign assets, which stood at $519 billion at the end of October. •

A budget surplus of SR306 billion was recorded in 2011, compared to a budgeted deficit of SR40 billion. The surplus was the second largest on record, after 2008. Total revenues were a record high of SR1.11 trillion and total spending was also at an all-time high, of SR804 billion. Both were in line with earlier forecasts. Spending grew by 25 percent, the fastest pace since 2000, owing to the one-time allocations contained in supplemental spending packages announced in the first quarter.

•

Preliminary economic data show that 2011 was a healthy year for the economy. Real GDP growth was

6.8 percent, the highest since 2003. Non-oil private growth was unexpectedly strong, at 8.3 percent, with manufacturing, construction and transport and communications all expanding at double-digit rates. Very high oil export revenues pushed the current account surplus to an alltime high of SR598 billion. Jadwa estimates that a price of $69 per barrel for Saudi export crude (around $65 per barrel for WTI and $73 per barrel for Brent) and production of 8.8 million barrels per day are consistent with the revenue projection contained in the budget. They expect both revenues and expenditures to be above the budgeted level and forecast a budget surplus of SR91 billion. In addition to the above, Paul presented a series of charts and slides showing the Key data and forecasts for the Saudi economy including discussions on the labour market, inflation, bank lending, budgeted versus actual spending, government debt and the problems facing the Eurozone and why they matter for Saudi Arabia. Following the presentation, Paul was presented with the traditional Argie by the then “Acting” Chairman Gary Richardson.

by Andrew Mead

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Saudi gets tough on drivers In March, the Saudi Gazette reported that the General Administration of Traffic is to introduce a Traffic Violations Points System next Hijri year (mid November) which could see motorists get suspensions of three months to a year, a lifetime ban and imprisonment. The points system will be initially enforced in Jeddah and Riyadh, according to a traffic official quoted in the Arabic press on the 17th March. Drivers will be given copies of their points record every time they go to the traffic department to pay their fines. When a driver gets 18 points in one year, his license will be suspended for

The published points for violations were as follows:

three months, he will be imprisoned for seven days and fined SR300. If he gets the same number of points a second time in one year, his license will be suspended for six months, he will be jailed for a fortnight, pay a fine of SR600 and attend a rehabilitation program for one week. If a driver commits a third such offense, his license will be suspended for one year, he will be jailed for two weeks, fined SR900 and have to attend rehabilitation classes for two weeks. If a driver gets 18 points a fourth time in one year, he will be banned forever from the Kingdom’s roads. Points for violations are cancelled at the start of every year. The traffic official added that drivers will also be awarded special points for driving safely. Two safety points will be awarded for each driver who does not commit a traffic violation in one year.

• Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and certain medicines – 24 points • Hot rodding – 24 points • Crossing a signal light - 12 points • Driving in the wrong direction – 12 points • Moving fast and recklessly between vehicles on public roads – 8 points • Not following the hand signals of a traffic officer – 8 points • Driving a car without brakes and lights – 8 points • Not following traffic rules in a roundabout – 6 points • Exceeding the speed limit by more than 25 kilometers an hour – 4 points • Overtaking school buses when they stop to let students get on or get off – 4 points • Not fastening safety belts – 2 points

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TRAFFIC FEATURE • Using mobile phones while driving – 2 points • Stopping on railway tracks – 6 points • Transporting uncovered loads – 4 points • Not stopping completely at stop signals – 6 points This phase includes monitoring violations for passing in front of a red traffic light and stopping over Pedestrian Crosswalk, and turning to the right without halting completely before the pedestrian crosswalk lanes.

Additional rules apply regarding the pedestrian crossing, if there is one. Driving over the first row of ceramic blocks/road studs/cats eyes onto the pedestrian crossing is an offence unless you are turning right, even if you just drive a few feet to allow the right turning car behind to get through. The best advice, unless you are turning right, is to avoid stopping in the right hand lane as there WILL be people behind you beeping, but you will get the ticket, not them, if you move forward.

The following images are guidelines for motorists, extracted from the official notice, which exhibit sketches of cars in red colour symbolizing traffic violators, while green car colour cars symbolize prevention from committing a violation. Vehicles must stop at ALL intersections with "STOP signs – Red traffic light lanes". In the absence of Road signs, vehicles must stop at the first line of ceramic bricks or "cats eyes" at the red traffic light.

The only lane allowed for turning right when a traffic light shows Red is the far right lane. Vehicles that use lanes other than the right turning lane are considered in violation.

If there is a specific feeder to turn right then it is an offence to turn right (through a red traffic light) from any other lane.

And finally, the picture below caused some confusion. It is generally believed that the waiting period required is actually 2 seconds NOT minutes!

In summary, the stop line for the junction is the first row of road studs – go over it onto the pedestrian crossing and you have committed a pedestrian offence (lower fine). Go beyond the pedestrian crossing and into the junction itself and you have committed a red light offence (higher fine). The only exception to this is when • You are turning right from the right hand lane AND • There is no right turn feeder lane to use AND • You stop momentarily before the stop line before passing through the traffic lights RGBB News 11

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Importance of Good

Oral Health

An increase in life expectancy and decrease in dental caries is the global trend In the majority of developed countries. There is now a wealth of research which proves poor oral health can have an impact on overall health Including Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease and preterm low birth weight. Oral cancer has risen 40 per cent in the last decade and is now responsible for an estimated 6,000 deaths a year In the UK alone, making it our responsibility to ensure we achieve a high level of oral health. Dental disease, namely Caries (decay) and Periodontal (gum) disease are readily preventable but prevalence of these diseases remains high. Patients can implement relatively simple changes in their daily oral hearth habits to improve their oral health. Good trained dentists and dental hygienists can tailor-make an oral hygiene regime specific to your needs, give pertinent advice on how diet and nutrition affects your mouth which can help prevent dental decay, erosion and reduce some types of sensitivity. It is important to screen your mouth for any changes, carry out necessary scaling to treat gum disease and prevent early tooth loss. Advice on how best to look after your implants, crowns, bridges and dentures is also available. A plastic coating (Fissure Sealants) can be applied to newly erupted molar teeth in children, usually from the age of 6 years to prevent decay as well as advice and application of fluoride, if necessary. We will show you how to achieve a healthy clean mouth to help restore your confidence and smile!

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SPECIAL BRIEFING

ebruary’s briefing was a joint presentation from STC given by Dr Saad Dhafer Al Qahtani on Developing Digitization in KSA and Eng Mohammed Nasser Al Jasser providing and introduction to the Enterprise Business Unit of STC. Thanks To RGBB members Dave Shaw and Alan Janvier for facilitating the evening and also to STC for sponsoring the evening. Dr Saad opened the evening by explaining a little about digitization, which is basically the mass adoption of connected ICT applications by consumers, businesses and governments. In the Kingdom digitization usage has been growing steadily over the last 10 years but lags behind other international peers. However, today digitization is gaining momentum in the Kingdom and STC considers this a major growth opportunity. Dr Saad went on to explain how Digitization in KSA hinges on four key aspects: •

Government Policies: The Kingdom aims to build a diversified knowledge based economy that is embodies in a 20 year vision, with coordinated policy development

•

Governance: The Kingdom has a strong, cohesive, governance approach, illustrated by the Yesser (e-government) program.

•

Innovation: Entrepreneurs benefit from access to physical capital and research capabilities to stimulate innovation.

The Kingdom aims to build a diversifies knowledge based economy that is embodies in the KACST 20 year vision to join the advanced knowledge based economies by the year 2025. We will have all seen the results of this in the last few years with many government agencies adopting internet based applications for their processes. In summary, opportunities and key enablers are developing apace, making the Kingdom an attractive market for entrepreneurs and investors. Eng. Mohammed started by giving a brief introduction of the company. STC is owned 70% by the Public Investment Fund, 5% by GOSI, 5% by the Public Pension Agency and 20% by Public Investors. It is active in 10 countries, mainly in the region but also in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is the largest operator in the Kingdom with 160 million subscribers as at 02/12. STC has now deployed the largest IP-MPLS network in the region, with a total capacity of 9.2 terrabyte. This network supports fixed lines. Mobiles, voice and video. The network is built over a national fiber network that is formed by multiple rings to offer better resilience. The fiber coverage is unsurpassed with most business districts and many communities in the Kingdom already served. STC also has extensive international connectivity and is a major shareholder of several international maritime and terrestrial cables.

Entrepreneurship: Numerous technology funds exist for seed capital and multiple local business incubators can support entrepreneurs in their projects.

The Enterprise unit is dedicated to serving the more than 250,000 small, medium and large business in the Kingdom, employing around 7.4 million people. It would seem that local businesses are spending less on ICT services than in other markets. In the UK this represents 5.7% of GDP compared to 2.3% in the Kingdom.

In the Global ICT market has grown by around 30% over the last 5 years and is expected to grow by around 40% in the next 5 years. Digitization represents a fairly steady approximately 40% of the total market. However in the Kingdom, digitization represents only 20% of ICT compared to 50% in major OECD countries.

In summary, STC is at the forefront of promoting digitization activities in the Kingdom due to its unparalleled capabilities and client relationships. It has a unique position in the Saudi marketplace of strong technical capabilities, financial stability, a National identity, operational excellence, and is seen as a one stop ICT provider.

•

by Marcel Luckman

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lot of laughter could be heard. The British School children from year 11 had a stall selling delicious home made cakes and trinkets, they were raising funds for us in memory of their friend Devyn who sadly lost his fight for cancer only one month previously. They raised 1,900 Riyals on the day which went into our pot, these young people were a credit to Mr Mantz and excellent ambassadors for the British School.

Thank you again Riyadh!

What a wonderful bunch you are....378 of Riyadh's finest lined up to take part in our 5K family fun run on a lovely warm December morning, we had a number of keen runners who were out to enjoy a run with their friends and a very large group of parents with children in prams and pushchairs, dogs pulling along their owners and children on bikes and scooters. The atmosphere was very friendly and a

With Almarai juices and snacks and water from Saudi Catering everyone was ready for the start. Lady Anne Phillips very graciously agreed to officially start the race, which we were very grateful for. Some of the runners started to finish incredibly early, led by Mr Ian Orr flying past the finishing line first with Liz Loughton the first lady past the post. Chris Manning from GPT was back in the UK on business, that didn't stop him. He put on his t-shirt and did the run pounding the cold streets of London, thanks Chris! Peter Bush from SangCom looked fabulous in his camel outfit, how he didn't pass out with heat

exhaustion was beyond us. There were some cancer survivors running and some even having treatment at the moment out there jogging along and also helping me, they know who they are...you are truly amazing. The first Dad running whilst pushing two children in a pushchair came in at a very credible 20 minutes; well done Jacob Kurek and to young Storm and little Nor. The youngest child was George Richardson, a mere 4 weeks old, helped by Dad, Gary. Paul Brown ran around part of the way with Carsten on his shoulders, must have

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COMMUNITY NEWS been hard work! It was lovely to see runners who had finished staying at the finish line to clap and cheer on fellow runners, I am sure their support helped a few get past the finish line. GPT, Henning-Larsenn Architects and EADS Defence, SangCom and Riyadh Roadrunners had large teams who ran or walked, thanks for the support guys. We were lucky again this year and some very generous companies gave us goodie bags and things to go in them, New Look gave us the bags with the first 50 ladies receiving a lovely evening bag, Boots

gave us a huge amount of premium brand ladies toiletries, Carrefour for lovely snacks, Debenhams at Granada for fragrance samples and of course NAS Air, who provided the hats, toys for children and biro's. The Caledonian Society gave us all the toys for the children's goodie bags and each runner/walker also received a Cancer Research UK medal which was a nice thank-you from them. Again, I could not have organised this amazing fun day without Pauline Bladon, Vic Dhillon, Ian Crawford, Michael Cruikshank, Gordon Nesbit, BAE Systems and the amazing Dave, Stu and Simon from BAE, you know who you are! The BBQ after the run was, yet again, provided by The Sheraton Hotel. It was delicious and very much appreciated by all. The eagerly awaited raffle was next with the Olayan Group donating a fab brand new state of the art computer, The Caledonian Society donating a 42” TV, NAS Air donating 2 sets of international flight tickets,

BMI a set of UK return flight tickets, Al Khozama Hotel offering scrummy meal vouchers, GHD straighteners from Beauty Solutions, Harrods teddy bear, mugs and perfumes. These were all won by some very lucky people, and we are extremley grateful for these donations. Of course, we must mention Riyad Bank who were our main sponsor again this year. The cash they gave us, as well cash from the RGBB, GPT, EADS & the RGBB Golf Society ment that every Riyal donated or paid as an entry fee went to Cancer Research UK giving us a total for the day of ...

SR94,175 Included in this total is a whopping 10,000 Riyals raised by The British School during their Art Week, and 9,000 Riyals the Year 11 British School children raised from their “Wear it pink” non-uniform day. These young people are an inspiration with their enthusiasm and drive to raise cash, thank you very much. Laura Cox Run Together Riyadh

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RIYADH WELSH SOCIETY C.C.R.W.S. (Cymdeithas Cymraeg Riyadh Welsh Society) a bar in Caernarfon who were scooped up by a Diplomat and were being flown out to the Middle East! I am advised that Wyn said his face was a picture when he was able to elaborate further and indeed confess to being one of the original four.

he Society took its first steps with a brunch at the end of June 2011 and thence a social evening in November, and more recently has hosted rugby evenings to watch the Six Nations Championship. It is gratifying to note that Wales beat Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy and France and now holds the Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam! More recently on the 1st of March, as evidenced by the accompanying photographs, CCRWS hosted a St. David’s Day Dinner. Many members of Society have been busy and I would express my thanks to all of them who have given so freely of their time to make CCRWS the success that it is - Matt & Lori Shaw, Sue Ferguson, Sarah BlaineyAnsquer and last but not least, Llinos Dryhurst-Roberts. Their enthusiasm and determination to make the Society work has been superb. My thanks also to the pizza and Welshcake ladies, Pauline Bladon, Ceri-Ann Jones and Laura Cox who kindly supported the rugby evenings with their cooking. The highlight of the dinner was the choir. Whilst on leave at the end of last year Llinos came across, in a local hostelry in Caernarfon, four tenors singing their hearts out to the delight of the other regulars. On a whim she invited them to Riyadh and after much activity they and their colleagues were able to join us. The choir was from North West Wales and are members of three male voice choirs - Caernarfon, Hogia’r Ddwylan and Trelawnyd - but regularly sing together and unofficially entertain on rugby weekends. I extend my thanks to their leader Wyn Morgan, who proved game enough to lead his friends to the wilds of Riyadh for this unique and special trip. Thanks are also extended to the Ambassador and Lady Philips, Roddy and Yasmin Drummond, Ray Durrant and Jim Pressley for kindly hosting our guests. In addition to entertaining the membership of CCRWS the choir gave a concert the preceding day to the Upper School at the British International School, "the children really enjoyed it - something very different but clearly appreciated."

CCRWS was fortunate in obtaining generous sponsorship for the dinner and I would like to thank - Robert Lickley of bmi who kindly agreed to fly out our singers from the UK; Gary Lewin of AXA Cooperative Insurance; Erik Huyer & Gareth Pugsley of Al Khozama Hotel; Rachel Alexander of NAS Air; and Matt Shaw and Cassidian who have sponsored the dinner. The dinner was a great success and I detail below some of the responses received after the event: •

"A very big thank you for an outstanding evening on Thursday, what a blast! The company, entertainment and food remarkable."

•

"What a great night on Thursday, thoroughly enjoyed and have only heard positive comments from people."

•

"A huge thank-you for a great night. The food was fantastic and the choir brilliant."

•

"Thanks for a great Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant, we enjoyed it very much, and felt quite homesick and proud, in equal measures listening to the choir from Caernarfon!"

•

"Just had to tell you what a wonderful evening we all had last night. Excellent food, talented entertainment and a brilliant atmosphere."

•

"Was the best night out I have had in my 3 years in Saudi. The food was great, the company was great, but most of all the singing was wonderful!"

•

"A fantastic night, the choir were excellent, the food was great but to top it all it was better than any other night I have been to in my time in the KSA."

Praise indeed. Ultimately the Society is a gathering of likeminded people –- with the aim of providing an informal focal point for the Welsh community of Riyadh. All those born in or have parents or grandparents born in Wales are welcome and exceptionally families with children born in Wales can also join! My thanks to one and all for their support. Owain Raw-Rees

Further to the planning of the choir’s visit, I would relate a story told a few weeks ago by Wyn. He was out having supper in Beaumaris on Anglesey when he came across an old friend he had not seen for four years, they got talking about this and that when his friend asked Wyn if he had heard about a wonderful story about four choir members in RGBB News 17

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NITAQAT

n March 2012, the Arab News reported that the Ministry of Labour has announced four Burmese or African nationals will be considered equivalent to a Saudi under the Nitaqat system.

The move will mean a lot to Burmese and other communities who have been unable to return to their home countries because of religious and political oppression. The Nitaqat system has been introduced by the Ministry to encourage the recruitment of Saudis with the ultimate goal of finding a lasting solution to growing unemployment among Saudis. “The Ministry of Labour is currently coordinating with the Ministry of Interior to work out details of a programme to train and employ members of communities staying in underdeveloped districts,” Minister of Labour Adil Fakeih said in a statement quoted by Al-Madinah. The decision of the ministry follows a pledge by Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal to help certain expatriate communities. According to a source at the Ministry, the programme to train expatriates living in underdeveloped districts would coordinate with private companies specialised in vocational training in line with the demands of the Saudi job market. “The program is a humanitarian project targeting expatriate communities living in undeveloped districts,” the source added. The development projects in such districts do not just involve construction of buildings but also carrying out humanitarian projects to improve the condition of the residents, Prince Khaled said earlier. The Makkah province has the largest number of illegally staying foreigners because many of them arrive in the Kingdom for Haj and Umrah. More than 38 km2 in 70 districts accounting for 25% of urban areas in Makkah is classified as underdeveloped. Sixty districts in Jeddah are underdeveloped, accounting for 6% of the city’s urban area and in Taif there are 20 such districts. The Prince also called on businessmen to invest in projects that would improve the residential status of expatriates, especially those who had to flee their countries. Saudi Arabia’s Nitaqat Programme came into effect in September last year and allocates “Traffic Light” status based on the comany’s Saudization rate. Businesses currently employing less than 50 persons are not subject to the same rules but for businesses employing between 50 and 499 employees the data can be seen in the following table:

Sector

Red

Amber

Green

Blue

Electricty, Gas & Water

0-5%

6-14%

15-63%

64%+

Telecommunications

0-9%

10-29%

30-69%

70%+

Maintenance & Construction

0-2%

3-5%

6-27%

28%+

Wholesale & Retail

0-4%

5-16%

17-33%

34%+

Business & Consulting Services

0-5%

6-11%

12-39%

40%+

Businesses in the Red - Non Compliant Zone will suffer from punative employee measures to include: No transfer of Visas No issuance of new Visas No opening files for new branches Businesses in the Amber - Poor Compliance Zone will suffer from punative employee measures to include: No new Visas Two for One (One Visa issued for two expatriate leavers) No transfers or change of professions No iqama renewal for employees with over 6 years service No control on workers moving into green or blue companies Businesses in the Green - Compliant Zone will benefit from incentives including: Apply for new Visas every 2 months Change to professions (except to restricted ones) 6 month respite after expiry of Zakat & revenue certificates Recruit any employee in Red or Amber Zones without approval from former employer Can renew iqamas for exisiting employees Businesses in the Blue - Compliant Zone will benefit from incentives including: Can hire anyone from anywhere Easier Visa processing New Visas with open profession through the e-system Change Professions even on restricted ones Condition free transfer of visa from Red & Amber Zones. 1 year grace period if municipal or professional licences or commefcial registrations expire. Employees can check their company’s staus online at mol.gov.sa/services/inquiry/nonsaudiempinquiry.aspx In January, Ibrahim Al Moaiqel, Director General of the Human Resources Development Fund advised the Arab News that the Nitaqat programme had been instrumental in generating more than 300,000 job opportunites in the private sector since the programme started in June last year. The HRDF chief expressed happiness over the tremendous response to the ongoing programme in Riyadh. “A number of leading companies have come forward with more job opportunities for Saudi jobseekers. Saudi Binladin Group and Maaden have offered 5,000 and 3,000 job opportunities respectively during the current year,” he said. RGBB News 21

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RGBB GOLF SOCIETY

he RGBB Golf Society is into its second year, its goals of getting more people to play golf, and getting more players to play in the competitions certainly seem to be achieved. The results are showing that the number of members that are taking part in the monthly competitions are continually increasing. We now have over the 100 members for the second year in a row, Great news for the society, especially considering the transient nature of life here in the Kingdom. If you would like to take part in the any of the events, or join the Golf Society, please contact us at: rgbbsociety@gmail.com New members of any ability are always welcome. Be Part of our Golf Society If you can answer yes to any or all of the questions below, then you should join the RGBBGS. • Do you want to play Golf? • Do you want to have fun? • Do you want to play in golf competitions? • Do you want to play different golf formats? • Do you want to meet new people? • Do you want play with new players? • If you’re new to the Kingdom, and you want to play golf, we can help you? • Do you want to Socialise with new people? • Go to Social Events?

RGBBGS Giving Away Free Membership The RGBBGS have decided to give free membership for the rest of the season 2011/2012 to anyone who is a society member and has a child who plays golf and wants to join us. All they need to join us is a handicap from a golf club. We are trying to encourage youngsters to join then we can build on this once we see the response. Who knows, we might have a junior league or Division in the near future, watch this space. RGBBGS Committee Members Captain

Spencer Hawthorn

Vice Captain

Marcel Luckman

Ladies Captain Barbara Dickinson Secretary

Mark Davies

Treasurer

Anthony Fudge

Handicap Secretary

Karl Dixon

Competition Secretary

Paul Dart

Non Members SR450 Non members lunch only SR150 3 Mulligan’s SR50 maximum 6 Children and Families Welcome Children and Wives of Members Free • Raffle Prizes • Presentation & Lunch Events For the children • Children Entertainers • Magicians • Face Painters • Bouncy Castles • Football • Penalty Shootout • Putting Competition • Horse Riding • Lucky Dip • Golf lessons • etc Captain Spence Hawthorne is arranging his Captain’s day event; and is hoping to make this a great day out for all & the families. Please drop us a line if you want to play, we will be sending out application forms out to all members RGBBGS Annual Awards Dinner 31st May 2012

Associate & Members Secretary Jonathan Mortell President

• • • • •

Chris Innes-Hopkins

Vice President Gary Richardson Sponsorship We thank the following for supporting the RGBBGS: Al Khozama Hotel - Have sponsored us for every monthly medal where the winner of best overall net will win meal for 4 at the Friday Brunch at the Khozama and, the second best net will win meal for 2 at the outdoor BBQ. Fantastic support by them. Thanks goes to Erik Huyer for this kind gesture. UPS - They have sponsored us by shipping our Annual trophies into the Kingdom from the UK free of charge. Special thanks to Marwan El Kashef who has helped organise this.

Our end of season award dinner is on at the British Embassy. This event will be the season finale to all our competitions that are currently running. The presentation will be held that night for many of our awards. To include: • • • • • •

Player of the Year Singles Champion Most Improved player of the Year Eclectic best score of the year Match Play & Plate Champion Plus many other awards

Please contact us to get your names down to avoid disappointment. Tickets to this event will be on a first come basis.

Captain’s Day at Dirab 26th April 2012 • Registration from 6.00 am • Tee off 7.00 am • Members SR 300 RGBB News 25

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Holding is ace and Graham reigns supreme as RGBB Open breaks 1 Million Barry Holding stole the individual honours as Finlay Grahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team triumphed in the 2012 RGBB Open Championship Another high turnout witnessed the closest finish yet in the 2012 RGBB Open Championship. The event which was staged at Dirab Golf and Country Club for the fourth straight year saw 132 players battle it out for the coveted claret jug. However the real spoils belonged to Barry Holding. In the 4 years of this event over six hundred players have competed in almost 11,000 holes of golf, with no-one ever really threatening to achieve the rarest of achievements in the game, a hole in one. However on Thursday 9th February 2012 that feat was finally achieved by Holding, a 16 handicapper. Standing on the 11th tee Holding hit the perfect 7 iron the 150 yards into

the small sloping green. His ball pitched perfectly near the flag stick and rolled into the hole, to award him with the highest accolade an amateur golfer could ever hope to achieve. As well as his trophy Barry received a bundle of American Express goodies as well as an I pad 2 and the use of a Volvo, which were all presented by David Forster from Volvo. The event which took the form of a four ball Texas scramble saw 33 teams fight for the coveted claret jugs on offer over 2 days of highly competitive golf. The quality of the players participating, combined with perfect playing conditions, clearly had a significant effect as a record number of teams shot below the par score of 72 on this challenging parkland course. The Wednesday teams laid down a real challenge to their Thursday counterparts, with scores well below par. Overnight the teams of Saad Othaibi, David Forster and Gary McGlinchey led the way with net scores of 57, low enough to have won this event outright in previous years. However the Thursday teams took full advantage of the perfect weather conditions which had continued from the previous day. The Team of Simon Stoddart really started strongly, with 5 birdies on their opening 7 holes. They unfortunately failed to capitalize on this strong start as other teams grabbed birdies late on to lay their claim to this coveted title.

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RGBB OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP For the first time the title of Open Champions, runners up and third place needed a count back to decide them, as The teams of Finlay Graham, Mark Campbell and Spence Hawthorn all shot scores of 16 (net 56) under par, after their handicaps had been deducted.

Richardson and his team for the fourth straight year, was held over 2 days to accommodate the large number of players that entered the event.

However the title, Claret jugs and flights to Casablanca (courtesy of Royal Air Maroc) went to Finlay Graham, Karl Dixon, Tony MacManus & Nigel Davey as they had taken fewer strokes on the back 9.

The prizes for the longest drive for ladies division went to Karen Bridgeford with Bennie Burger winning the men’s section. Closest to the pin on hole number 4 was Mike Proudy, with Patrick Kennedy closest on hole 7 and Alex Bannerman nearest to the pin on hole 16.

In second place were Mark Campbell, Eddie Lee, Richard Hare and Godfrey McFall, they won International nasair flights to accompany their trophies. In third place with a score of 56 (16 under par) were Spence Hawthorn, Abdullah Masoud, Denise Holding & Simon Ward who all received tournament bags as their prize. Fourth was secured by Graham Walker, Barry Holding, Liz Kennedy & David McGlashian with a 57 (15 under par). Fifth went to Ian Wilkinson, Ben Lock, Rob Smith & Imran Qadir who shot a 57 (15 under par), but again lost out on the count back rule. The

tournament,

which

was

organised

Gary

Such was the strength of some of the teams that Dirab manager Bouchaib El Jadaini (who selected the teams) stated how surprised he was that the top teams finished in the positions that they did. The evening part of the event was hosted by Sir Tom and Lady Philips. Despite not being a golfer Sir Tom was clearly impressed and delighted by the proceedings over which he and Lady Anne presided. As well as a fun golf event and evening function the day had a serious side to it. All proceeds from the event were earmarked for the ICING children’s charity. After raising SR 610,000 in it’s first 3 years Lady Philips admitted that she would have been very happy with any amount of money for the charity to which she is patron. However after all of the money raised by sponsorship, entry fees, raffles and auctions was added up by RGBB Deputy Chairman Marcel Luckman, Gary was able to present a clearly stunned Lady Philips with a cheque for SR 400,000, breaking the 1 Million SR barrier for money raised by this event for ICING. This huge sum of money seemed surreal even compared to the large amounts raised in previous years and was clearly not expected as the 1 Million SR celebrations were being planned for 2013. A clearly delighted Sir Tom and Lady Anne gave their heartfelt thanks to everyone in the garden. The evening then concluded with dancing to the tunes of DJ Dave Mason until it was time to draw the line under another successful event. The RGBB and ICING would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the event another huge success. We would particularly like to thank our generous sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place, these sponsors are: SABB, Volvo, Al Futaim Group, La-z-boy, Almutlaq Furniture Group, BMI, UPS, Amex, Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, Royal Air Maroc, Almarai Co., AXA, Modelcraft, Nasair, St. Regis Hotel Saadiyat Island, The AlKhozama Hotel, Kanoo Group, The RGBB Golf Society, E Max and Dirab Golf & Country Club. RGBB News 27

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RGBB News 28

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RGBB OPEN BALL

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ICING - WHAT NEXT?

he RGBB’s most recent contribution of the proceeds from the annual Open Golf Tournament has taken the funds managed by ICING to over SR5 million. Previous articles have covered the detail on what has been done with that money including support in Saudi Arabia for Down Syndrome and Autistic Societies and support around the world for children whose lives have been blighted through no fault of their own.

specifically for auction to raise funds to help children of Darfur. Included among the contributions is one of a limited edition of 20 lithographs by Prince Charles. Presented in a superb case and with a Certificate of Authenticity we hope it will attract a significant bid at Auction.

pitching to hold the 2006 World Cup. Luke Bowen has donated the ball from his collection to accompany the programme donated by Simon Troniseck of Transac International.

Every successful charity function gives us a new problem... What to do next and what might be a little different. For sure, there are several contented owners of the famous Pet Rocks. The Swedish Ambassadors waistcoat will probably need a new home again this year and I’m very pleased to report that the General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn, Haakon Gardner-Larsen has joined his fellow professionals, Stuart Birkwood from the Sheraton and Erik Huyer from the Alkhozama, in offering dinner parties at home for the next auction.

Other Artworks include items as diverse as a sketch of an elephants backside from Martin Clunes and a rather magnificent graphite drawing of the Welsh Guards mascot goat from General Sir David Richards, the current Chief of the Defence Staff. Majid Fustok, usually on the buying end of the previous sporting pieces we’ve auctioned, has donated a Formula One Cap signed at last years Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Majid tells me that he acquired it from Barclays Capital and may well bid for it himself.

Thanks also to Rachel Start from NAS airlines whose constant support of flights to regional destinations have made some of our hotel packages a great hit in the raffles. We hope to generate funds again this year to be able to give support to the KIds for Kids organisation which helps those children originally displaced in the terrible violence which broke out in Sudan almost ten years ago. There are widely varying estimates of the numbers affected ranging from several thousand to several hundred thousand dead, either from direct combat or starvation and disease inflicted by the combat, however, the children who survived are now growing up and need additional and different forms of assistance. Many well known celebrities have added their voices to the cause and we are fortunate to have acquired a set of artworks donated by celebrities

Among the usual crop of Sporting memorabilia is a unique package comprising an original 1966 World Cup Programme and a football signed by Sir Geoff Hurst, the only footballer ever to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Sir Geoff came to Saudi Arabia ten years ago as part of a sponsored coaching visit when the UK was

Our most grateful thanks to all who have made the ICING Summer Fundraiser such a successful community venture. The full list of the artworks and items at this years Summer Fundraising Auction will be found on the ICING website at www.icing-ksa.org RGBB News 31

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BEA Advert from January of that year offered a return flight from London to Paris for £9 15 shillings. Yes we had LSD in those days and some of the price comparisons are amazing.

Sixty years ago, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her father, King George VI. Over the next few months we will undoubtedly be treated to a plethora of articles and programmes looking back over the years, but what I wondered, was life and prices like for the ordainary mortal. Elizabeth was in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip, on the way to a tour of Australia, and flew back as soon as the news of her fathers’s passing reached her.

In March 2012, MP’s have been debating the price of pasties in the house after the increase in VAT on hot food. In 1952 the UK was still under Ministry of Food rationing and strict price controls applied to a number of staple food stuffs. Hansard records intense debate in the House in November of that year when “Sugar was increased by 1d. a lb., margarine, cooking fat and cheese by 2d. a lb., bacon by 5d. a lb. and butter by 6d. a lb.” For those of you too young to remember pre-decimal coinage, there were 240 pennies (1d) in a pound In the same debate, Mr Frederick Willey (Sunderland North) asked if other members appreciated that the food price increases had led to an immediate demand from agricultural workers all over the country that they should get a minimum wage of £7 10s per week. This request for a 30 shilling a week increase was considered outrageous by some other members!

received by the women of this country, and that if he has to endure any pain from his own party in respect of the stand which he has taken many of us on this side will be willing to give him an analgesic?” Mrs Martin was somewhat unusual at the time. Elected as a Member of Parliament in the Labour landslide of 1945 and after she had taken the oath, it was noticed that her position on the Rent Tribunals under the Rent of Furnished Houses Control (Scotland) Act 1943 was remunerated and that she therefore might hold an ’office of profit under the Crown’ which would disqualify her from election. A Select Committee was set up which reported that her election was invalid; a Bill was rushed through validating it and indemnifying her from the consequences of acting as an MP while disqualified. As far as I can determine there were only about 10 lady Members of Parliament compared to 145 today. In fact the position of women in society was rather different from today as well. When one leading sauce manufacturer announced a new type of screw cap they used the following advert.

I have no idea what that flight to Australia might have cost, but the

The price of Nylons was also a subject discussed in the house after Sir Frederick Burden (Gillingham) asked the President of the Board of Trade if he would remove price control from stockings on the 1st January 1953 when importations were due to recommence. The request was refused since Nylons were still “scarce” prompting the following from Mrs Jean Mann (Coatbridge and Airdrie) “Is the President aware that his refusal to remove price control will be gratefully

Can you imagine what that might do to their sales today? A woman’s place was generally regarded as being that of home maker, Adverts for Hoover virtually always showed the ideal housewife with their latest model. Even when there was no “woman” in the advert, you’d still get the message. Quite what the message was, for the advert for coffee shown on the right, I’m not sure, but you can see that what we might regard as politically uncorrect today was a staple part

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1952 REVISITED

of the ad writers portfolio back in the 1950’s. But look at those prices in the advert above. The latest Hoover model for only £14 14s plus £7 7s in TAX! Purchase tax, which had been initiated during the wartime economy, was a means of directing consumption, as well as raising revenue. ‘Utility’ goods were exempt from purchase tax, while it stood at 100 per cent on luxury goods. Critics claimed that this distorted the economy away from the production of quality goods and badly affected exports. By 1952 the Board of Trade proposed the abolition of the purchase tax in favour of a flat-rate sales tax on all goods and services. But what about other prices? The Christmas Present advert for Murphy televisions actually says £96 tax paid in the small print. A starter set of Subutteo would set you back 10s 7d and the advert for the Pedigree Pin-Up Doll quotes 59s 6d, almost 3 quid, that must have been a really expensive doll!

The assortment of Vidor radios starts at a mere £13 15s. but mentions an 18 guinea price for the others. How many RGBB members can remember paying for anything in guineas?... Answers on a postcard please!

SuDoku

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Answer on page 44

RGBB News 33

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it in Greece, the Olympic Flame will reach the UK on the 18th May. 8000 Torchbearers will carry the flame around the UK through more than a 1000 cities, towns and villages heralding the London 2012 Olympic Games. On the 27th July, the eyes of the world will be on London for the Opening Ceremony of the Games featuring 26 sports, which break down into 39 disciplines.

Beach Volleyball Venue: Horse Guards Parade Dates: Sat 28 July – Thurs 9 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 96 (48 men, 48 women; 24 teams in each event)

Diving Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park Dates: Sun 29 July – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 8 Athletes: 136 (68 men, 68 women)

Boxing Venue: ExCel Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 13 Athletes: 286 (250 men, 36 women)

Equestrian – Dressage Venue: Greenwich Park Dates: Thurs 2 Aug – Thurs 9 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 50

Canoe Slalom Venue: Lee Valley White Water Centre Dates: Sun 29 July – Thurs 2 Aug Medal events: 4 Athletes: 82

Equestrian – Eventing Venue: Greenwich Park Dates: Sat 28 July – Tues 31 July Medal events: 2 Athletes: 75

Canoe Sprint Venue: Eton Dorney Dates: Mon 6 – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 12 Athletes: 248

A few key facts might help you plan your viewing. Archery Venue: Lord’s Cricket Ground Dates: Fri 27 July – Fri 3 Aug Medal events: 4 Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women) Athletics Venue: Olympic Stadium – Olympic Park (track, field and combined events); The Mall (road events) Dates: Fri 3 Aug – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 47 Athletes: 2,000 Badminton Venue: Wembley Arena Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 5 Aug Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172 Basketball Venues: Basketball Arena – Olympic Park (preliminaries, women’s quarter-finals); North Greenwich Arena (men’s quarter-finals and women’s semi-finals onwards) Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 women, 12 teams in each event).

Cycling-BMX Venue: BMX Track – Olympic Park Dates: Wed 8 – Fri 10 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 48

Equestrian – Jumping Venue: Greenwich Park Dates: Sat 4 – Wed 8 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 75 Fencing Venue: ExCel Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 5 Aug Medal events: 10 Athletes: 212 Football Venues: City of Coventry Stadium, (Coventry); Hampton Park, (Glasgow); Millenium Stadium (Cardiff); Old Trafford (Manchester); St James’ Park (Newcastle); Wembley Stadium Dates: Wed 25 July – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 504 (288 men, 216 women; 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams).

Cycling – Mountain Bike Venue: Hadleigh Farm, Essex Dates: Sat 11 – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 80 (50 men, 30 women) Cycling – Road Venue: The Mall (Road Race); Hampton Court Palace (Time Trial) Dates: Sat 28 July – Wed 1 Aug Medal events: 4 Athletes: 212 (145 men, 67 women) Cycling – Track Venue: Velodrome Dates: Thurs 2 – Tues 7 Aug Medal events: 10 Athletes: 188 (104 men, 84 women)

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OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN Rowing Venue: Eton Dorney Dates: Sat 28 July – Sat 4 Aug Medal events: 14 Athletes: 550 (353 men, 197 women)

Gymnastics – Artistic Venue: North Greenwich Arena Dates: Sat 28 July – Tues 7 Aug Medal events: 14 Athletes: 196 (98 men, 98 women) Gymnastics – Rhythmic Venue: Wembley Arena Dates: Thurs 9 – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 96 (all women) Gymnastics – Trampoline Venue: North Greenwich Arena Dates: Fri 3 – Sat 4 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 32

Sailing Venue: Weymouth and Portland Dates: Sun 29 July – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 10 Athletes: 380 (237 men, 143 women) Shooting Venue: The Royal Artillery Barracks Dates: Sat 28 July – Mon 6 Aug Medal events: 15 Athletes: 390 Swimming Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park (pool events); Hyde Park (Marathon Swimming 10km) Dates: Sat 28 July – Sat 4 Aug (Aquatics Centre); Thurs 9 – Fri 10 Aug (Hyde Park) Medal events: 34 Athletes: 950

Handball Venue: Copper Box – Olympic Park (preliminaries, women’s quarterfinals); Basketball Arena – Olympic Park (men’s quarter-finals, plus all semi-finals and finals) Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 336 (168 men, 168 women; 12 teams in each event) Hockey Venue: Riverbank Arena Dates: Sun 29 July – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 384 (192 men, 192 women; 12 teams in each event) Judo Venue: ExCel Dates: Sat 28 July – Fri 3 Aug Medal events: 14 Athletes: 386 Modern Pentathlon Venue: Copper Box - Olympic Park (fencing); Aquatics Centre - Olympic Park (swimming); and Greenwich Park (riding, combined event) Dates: Sat 11 – Sun 12 Aug Events: Fencing, Swimming, Riding, Combined Run/Shoot Event Medal events: 2 Athletes: 72 (36 men, 36 women)

Tennis Venue: Wimbledon Dates: Sat 28 July – Sun 5 Aug Events: Men’s and women’s Singles and Doubles; Mixed Doubles Medal events: 5 Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women) Triathlon Venue: Hyde Park Dates: Sat 4 and Tues 7 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 110 (55 men, 55 women) Volleyball Venue: Earls Court Date: Sat 28 July – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 288 (144 men, 144 women: 12 teams in each event) Water Polo Venue: Olympic Park - Water Polo Arena Dates: Sun 29 July – Sun 12 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 women) Weightlifting Venue: ExCel Dates: Sat 28 July – Tues 7 Aug Medal events: 15 Athletes: 260 (156 men, 104 women) Wrestling Venue: ExCel Dates: Sun 5 – Sun 12 Aug 2012 Medal events: 18 Athletes: 344

Synchronised Swimming Venue: Aquatics Centre – Olympic Park Dates: Sun 5 – Fri 10 Aug Medal events: 2 Athletes: 104 (all women) Table Tennis Venue: ExCel Dates: Sat 28 July – Wed 8 Aug Medal events: 4 Athletes: 172 (86 men, 86 women) Taekwondo Venue: ExCel Dates: Wed 8 – Sat 11 Aug Medal events: 8 Athletes: 128 (64 men, 64 women) RGBB News 35

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CULINARY CORNER: Chef returns to Riyadh Executive Chef Heinz Kohler has recently joined the InterContinental Hotel in Riyadh.. Heinz was born in Switzerland near Bern, the capital, in the Emmental valley which is world famous for its cheese products. After his apprenticeship in Bakery, Pastry & Culinary School, Heinz worked in many of the Five Star Hotels in Switzerland and has previously worked in Dubai, Russia, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Thailand & Bahrain. His first assigment in Saudi Arabia in 1983 found him working in Al Jubail, Jeddah and in Riyadh.

So you can’t even boil an egg? Well, Spring they say is the season of the egg. The time of year when eggs rise to the fore as the favoured booty of the Easter bunny. Understanding apparently that hard boiled eggs can be tricky, the American Egg Board has issued a simple recipe for the perfect hard-cooked egg: Just place eggs (free from cracks) in a single layer of a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the eggs by one inch. Heat over a high heat to a boil, then remove from the burner immediately, cover and let stand for 15 minutes (18 minutes for extra large eggs). Drain and cool by placing them under running cold water or in a bowl of ice water. When eggs have cooled, refrigerate until ready to use. Well, not the way my mother taught me but might as well give it a go at some point. As an alternative try baking the eggs. All you need is an oven set at 325 degrees. Place clean crack-free eggs on the oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. As a precaution, place a baking sheet under the eggs in case of breakage. Remove from the oven and place the baked eggs in ice water and peel as soon as they’re cool enough to handle. If you fancy getting a little more adventurous with a quick bachelor snack, dig out a couple of ramekins. (If you haven’t got any use coffee cups)

• • •

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 large eggs Mature Cheddar Cheese

Preheat the oven to about 375oF / 180 oC and butter the ramekins. Wash off the spinach and discard any thick stalks. Coarsely chop Finely chop the onion and cook in butter in a frying pan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened for about 5 minutes. Add spinach and keep cooking, stirring a few times until the spinach is wilted in about 2- 3 minutes and drain any excess liquid. Add cream, salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Arrange the ramekins in a shallow baking pan and divide spinach mixture among them. Make an indentation in center of each and carefully crack an egg into each indentation. Grate the cheese over the top. Fill the baking pan with water up to half the ramekin height. Bake in middle of oven until whites are just set, in about 15 minutes. A little longer if you prefer your eggs harder. Serve with hot buttered toast. For the really adventurous, you might like to try adding other layers between the spinach and the egg. For example, after you’ve put the spinach into the ramekin dishes set them aside and return to the frying pan. Chop a large tomato and fry for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil with a splash of ketchup and Italian seasoning. Spoon the tomato over the spinach before adding the egg.

You will need • 1/2 small onion, • 2 tablespoons butter • 1/4 kilo of spinach, • 1/3 cup double cream • 1/4 teaspoon salt RGBB News 36

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Transition At the British International School Riyadh we have a thriving and growing Sixth Form. This year will be our third year of graduates heading off to universities around the world. Our Alumni are spread far and wide, attending universities in the UK, USA, Australia, South Africa, UAE and many other countries. So far this academic year we have had students accepted to Oxford, MIT and Stanford all recently ranked in the top five universities in the world by the Times, as well as many other good universities in the UK. We already have past students studying at Cambridge, Bath, Bristol, Durham, Manchester and many other top flight universities. As part of our wide and varied education programme we encourage all of our students to become involved in a range of activities, including participating in sports, drama, the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and an expedition to Nepal, where the students volunteer at orphanages. In order to help students develop their independence, work and interpersonal skills we encourage all Year 12 students to carry out work experience in their area of interest. To this end we held thirty two ‘mock’ job interviews on Thursday 8th March. Each candidate was interviewed by a panel of three people; one of the school’s Leadership Team, another teacher from BISR and a professional from outside the school working in industry in Riyadh. Gary Richardson

(Chair of the RGBB), Andy Johnson from BAE and Dr Anida du Toit from Transad Clinic willingly gave up half a day to help interview the candidates – we are extremely grateful for their time and dedication in helping our young people. During that Thursday morning we saw some very smart, but nerve wracked students. The interviews were a great success giving students of all abilities a chance to practice their interview skills, often for the first time. Twelve of our students are keen to pursue a career in medicine and a number are also interested in engineering. We have some aspiring lawyers, bankers, businessmen, teachers, humanitarian workers and even a potential marine biologist. Gaining a place at university anywhere in the world, but particularly the UK, is very challenging currently and often places at the top universities are only offered on the strength of a good interview. All of the students found the experience very valuable, in the words of 17 year old Henry from the USA who wants to be a lawyer ...

discussion about the technicalities of the legal and business w o r l d than I expected - the questions instead delved far deeper into the philosophical aspects of law. I think this practice has been an invaluable part of my preparation for applying to university." As you can imagine, finding appropriate work experience placements in Riyadh can be challenging and we are far from securing enough placements for all of our Y12 students, particularly our girls. We would be very interested to hear from any RGBB members who think they may be able to offer a week’s work experience to one or more of our students. Please contact me on the following email: fhanks@bisr.com.sa

"I felt that that the interview was highly beneficial - it gave me valuable experience in how to perform well in an interview as well as the importance of thoroughly preparing beforehand. I was asked how I would handle certain moral dilemmas, such as would I take up a case that I was morally opposed to. I was asked to explain as best I could what drives me to pursue a career in corporate law, how my world views were shaped, and why I am suited to a legal career. There was much less

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Fiona Hanks The British International School Riyadh

COMMUNITY NEWS IAG takeover of BMI gets EC approval The European Commission cleared, on 30 March and subject to conditions, the proposed takeover of British Midlands Limited (BMI) by International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways and Iberia. The €200 million transaction is conditional upon IAG’s commitment to offer 14 daily slots at London Heathrow Airport to facilitate new entrants. The decision also obliges IAG to carry connecting passengers to feed the long-haul flights of competing airlines out of Heathrow Airport. This acquisition is important for IAG’s development of its activities out of Heathrow, where BMI has highly sought-after slots. It will give IAG 51% of Heathrow’s slots, compared with the 53% initially foreseen. Half the slots relinquished concern routes to the Scottish cities of Edinburgh and/or Aberdeen and two daily slot pairs concern flights to Moscow for the Russian airline Transaero. The British airline Virgin Atlantic, which was opposed to the transaction, is

not ruling out an action for annulment of the decision before the EU General Court. Willie Walsh, chief executive of IAG, said talks will now commence with unions over job losses at bmi, which currently has a workforce of 2,600. He said the deal would secure "the maximum number of jobs possible in the company" but he warned: "I make no secret of the fact that there will inevitably be some redundancies". IAG hopes to complete the deal by April 20 but the structure and price could yet change if Lufthansa does not succeed in selling the bmibaby and bmi Regional divisions. IAG will operate bmi’s summer schedule (until end Oct) but Mr Walsh said he then intends to use the slots to expand BA’s long-haul network, including flights to parts of Asia where the flagship carrier does not currently serve. A statement issued by BA’s Middle

East Office said: “We are pleased to have received EU regulatory approval for the purchase of bmi mainline. The deal will be finalised shortly. It will allow us to offer customers more destinations, better frequencies and more seats. Customers can continue to book with confidence and we plan to operate bmi mainline flights as normal over the summer. If we make any changes to flights we will let customers know in plenty of time and give them a range of options. Once the deal is finalised, we will move into a transition period as we work through the considerable complexities of integrating bmi into British Airways. We will make the integration as smooth as we can for our customers. We aim to complete the integration process as soon as possible. We will ensure that the latest information is available on ba.com and flybmi.com and we recommend customers check the sites for any updates.

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suspect that the vast majority of particpants in the English Society’s Quiz Night in March had no idea that it was Climate Week in the UK and all over the land hundreds of pubs, offices, and community groups were hosting the Climate Week Pub Quiz. People the world over are seeking ways to help save the planet from climate change. Climate Week is Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, attempting to inspire a new wave of action to create a sustainable future. According to research released to mark the launch of the Climate Week, David Beckham is more likely to inspire us to save the planet than green god Leonardo DiCaprio. The Climate Week Awards will celebrate inspiring achievements by the greenest businesses, communities and people in the UK. Climate Week commissioned a report to identify which celebrities have most influence in encouraging the public to go green. Bill Gates, Boris Johnson and David Beckham emerged as top influencers on the environment – amongst the most likely to inspire us to become greener. All figured in the top five out of a list of 20, beaten only by Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Meanwhile, Hollywood’s most committed eco-hero, Leonardo DiCaprio, languished in 14th place. The research found a strong correlation between familiarity and green influence, showing that celebs who are not actively ‘green’, like Beckham, still have tremendous potential to wade in on environmental issues. This also explains why, amongst female celebrities, Cheryl Cole beat known environmentalist Gwyneth Paltrow to be the woman most likely to make people more eco-friendly. Research also revealed that as much as celebs like Beckham can persuade us to go green, it is those people closest to us who are most likely to inspire us to take action to save the planet – if only because they nag us! This is particularly true of men, who are willing to go green if only for a quiet life. More than two thirds (69%) of men would clean up their act as a result of nagging, compared to less than a third (31%) of women. By contrast, women (64%) are almost twice as likely as men (36%) to follow advice from people they see as experts. The UK quiz took a witty, irreverent and fun look at eco issues in an effort to make people think a little more about how to develop ideas to change a place they know, to make it better for the environment. Answers are on Page 40 - some of the answers might surprise you:

1, Which film star has been dubbed ’Emissions Impossible’ for owning three private jets? 2, The most expensive commonly used liquid in the world is perfume. What’s the second most expensive? a. Liquid nitrogen b. Vintage champagne c. Computer printer ink 3, Name the singer-songwriter that performed the James Bond title track ’Tomorrow Never Dies’, and jokingly proposed that people go green by limiting the squares of toilet paper used in any one sitting. 4, A single red rose grown in a heated greenhouse in Holland has the same climate change impact as: a. 2 bananas b. 1 kilo of bananas c. 4.5 kilos of bananas 5, Due to changes in water temperature the government have planned to move fish from which National Park to cooler waters in Scotland? 6, One return flight from London to Hong Kong has the same climate change impact as how many disposable carrier bags: a. 3,400 b. 34,000 c. 340,000 7, Which former Manchester United star drives a Toyota Prius and is planning to build an £8 million eco home in the Lancashire countryside? 8, When did the last Ice Age end? a. It didn’t b.10,000 years ago c.1880 9, Where is the driest place on the planet? a. The Atacama Desert, Chile b. The Dry Valleys, Antarctica c. Peary Land, Greenland 10, In 2002 an asteroid capable of causing widespread devastation just missed the Earth. Why didn’t we hear about it? a. Scientists misjudged its actual size b. It was kept quiet by the American government c. Nobody noticed it until three days later And here’s one from me... What’s this? Answer: This is the latest replacement from Zeta Technology for the 60W incandescent lightbulb which is due to be phased out in the UK in September. Following the ban on 100W lightbulbs in 2011, the UK will ban 60W bulbs this year as part of the effort to reduce energy consumption by 20% by 2020.

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WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS The following new members have joined the RGBB since our last publication: Luca Amitrano .......... Drake & Scull International ........................Operations Director Douglas Barnes ........ GPT SPM LTD...........................................Senior Account Manager Darren Bennellick ..... HSBC Saudi Arabia Linited........................Associate Director, Project and Export Finance Eamonn Boland ........ Almarai.......................................................Divisional Logistics Manager Paul Charlton............ Arabian Pipes Company ............................Plant Manager Babar Chaudry ......... GPT Special Project Management Ltd ......Civil Works PMO Manager Paul Cherrett ............ Levenbert...................................................VP Business Development Neil Cole ................... Cassidian ...................................................In Service Support Manager James Collins ........... Saudi Aramco ............................................Projects Engineer Robert Davies........... Gulf Technological Systems LLC...............CTO Jamie Donald ........... Gunnebo ....................................................Business Development Manager David Egan ............... GPT Special Project Management Ltd ......Head of Training Sean Elder................ Saudi Cargo Airlines ..................................Operations Cargo Manager Richard Flannigan .... Ascent........................................................Property and Facilities Manager David Forster ............ First Motor Company .................................General Manager Richard Goulden ...... BAE Systems.............................................Weapon Systems Supply Advisor Robert Hallett ........... Alstom Saudi Arabia Transport & Power ...Managing Director Sinan Hibbs .............. SMSCMC (BAE systems) ..........................Project Manager Tony Hordern ........... Buro Haphold.............................................Senior Engineer Louise Hubbard ........ National Guard Health Affairs ....................Clinical Resourse Nurse Darren Jackson ........ Arabian Auto Agency .................................National Parts Sales Manager Barry Kay.................. Jadawel International.................................Compound Manager Andrew Kells ............ SABIC ........................................................Lead Scientist Mentor Krasniqi ........ British Airways ...........................................Airport Manager Gavin Levett ............. BAE Systems.............................................Typhoon Future Support IS/IT Programme Manager Gary Lewin ............... AXA Cooperative Insurance Company ......CEO Ian McClellan............ BAE Systems.............................................Military Training SME David McKeigue ....... Levenbert...................................................Senior Management Consultant Paul Nelson .............. Hewlett Packard.........................................Practice Lead Michael Nicholls ....... British Military Mission ...............................NGMS Adviser Nick Oakes ............... Emax..........................................................General Manager KSA Jamie Oliver.............. Saudi Aramco ............................................Communications Specialist Andrew Padley ......... BAE Systems.............................................Aero Engine Specialist Philip Pallott.............. LCC (Lightbridge Consulting Company) ....Senior Advisor Account Operations Christopher Palmer .. British Council............................................Deputy Director David Park ................ SMSCMC (BAE Systems) .........................Senior Accountant Andrew Pearce ......... Logica UK Ltd ............................................Program Director Richard Pickles......... BAE Systems.............................................Head of Programme Management Colin Ray .................. Sanabil Investments ..................................Senior Counsel Carl Ratcliffe ............. BAE Systems.............................................Senior ATC Simulator Support Specialist Paul Redstone .......... Leighton Middle East Contracting Co ........General Manager Salvatore Santoro..... CPC Ceramic Pipes Company ..................Sales and Marketing Manager Ryan Sedgwick......... Cassidian ...................................................Engineer Andrew Smeaton ...... Saudi Arabia Investment Bank (SAIB).......Information Security Manager Malcolm Spiers ......... Advanced Electronic Company..................Consultant - Strategy Gary Stobie .............. Cassidian ...................................................Project Controller Michelle Taylor ......... Nord Anglia Middle East ............................Education Advisor Peter Thompson ....... British International School ........................Class Teacher Lorraine Thompson .. British International School ........................Class Teacher + Manager Thumamah Outdoor Centre Alan Watthey ............ Saudi Business Machines..........................Network Consultant Ian Wilkinson ............ BAE Systems.............................................Head of Finance Steve Willingham...... Security Control Company (SCC)..............Manager Russell Wood ........... Olive Group................................................In Country Director Martin Wright ............ SABIC ........................................................Manager, Business Development, Corporate Strategy RGBB News 42

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AND FINALLY Answer to the Climate Change Quiz: 1, Tom Cruise 2, c, Brand name printer ink costs about half as much as perfume by volume and about seven times as much as Dom Perignon 1985 vintage champagne. 3, Sheryl Crow - The average Brit uses 110 loo rolls in 1yr. 4, c. It takes a long time to grow roses, and Holland is cold in the winter. A rose picked from your own garden has virtually no carbon footprint. However bad roses are, remember that 4.5 kilos of bananas may not be the best gift to give on Valentine’s Day. 5, The Lake District. 6, c. To use 340,000 disposable carrier bags you would have to go to the supermarket every single day for ten years, and return each time with 93 bags. 7, Gary Neville 8, a, .Geographers define an ice age as a period in Earth’s history when there are polar ice caps. Our current climate is an ‘interglacial’ period. This doesn’t mean ‘between ice ages’. It is used to describe the period within an ice age when the ice retreats because of warmer temperatures. ‘Our’ interglacial started 10,000 years ago, in the (we think) Fourth Ice Age. When it will end is anyone’s guess. 9, b. The Dry Valleys in Antarctica haven’t seen any kind of rain, ice or snow for almost 2 million years. The next driest place in the world is the Atacama Desert in Chile. In some areas, no rain has fallen there for 400 years and its average annual rainfall is a tiny 0.1mm (or 250 times as dry as the Sahara). 10,c.Despite being the size of a football field, asteroid 2002 MN remained undetected by astronomers until after it had passed within 75,000 miles of the Earth (about one-third the distance to the moon). It was just too small and travelling at over 22,000 mph, too fast to be picked up.

SuDoku

Answer on to puzzle on page 33

Beware of Social Networking. Forgive the moral tone, but you might want to think twice about bad-mouthing your former boss on Facebook or posting those racy pictures of yourself from last night’s rollicking bachelor party. It could cost you a new job...or worse! In a controversial twist on the exploding use of online social media, employers are poring over the websites to weed out job applicants whose posts reveal that they use foul language, take drugs, associate with gangs or have other questionable characteristics. Some employers are even demanding that job candidates disclose their social-network user names and passwords. In case you’re not aware, Eurocom Worldwide, the Global PR Network have revealed survey results that show a fifth of IT executives admitted they have rejected applicants because of what they have posted on social media. While companies long have kept an eye on workers posting information that might hurt business, their screening of job applicants’ social media pages is proving especially contentious. Employers say they do it to keep from making hires they would later regret. But courts have yet to hash out the legal implications of the checks, and critics find the practice offensive. In the US though, a New Jersey administrative law judge has ruled that a first-grade teacher who wrote that she was a “warden for future criminals” on Facebook earlier this year should lose her job. The teacher posted her remark to 333 "friends" but it was forwarded to others and several parents saw it. The teacher testified that she wrote the post in exasperation because several students kept disrupting her lessons and one boy had recently hit her, but the judge called her conduct "inexcusable." And it’s not just Facebook and it’s not just a job. In March of this year, a 21 yr old student in the UK was jailed for 56 days for posting offensive comments on Twitter about the on-pitch collapse of Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba. He was arrested after his tweets were reported to police by Twitter users from across Britain. The Judge told the offender that he had no choice but to impose an immediate custodial sentence to reflect the public outrage at what had been done. At almost the same time, in Kuwait, a team of security officers have arrested an unidentified person for allegedly posting blasphemous statements about the Holy Prophet and his wife on his Twitter Account. The suspect vehemently denied the allegations during the preliminary interrogation, claiming somebody used his Twitter account to post the blasphemous statements. Authorities have denied his excuse and several Kuwaiti MPs have now called for the offender to be executed. Agree or Disagree, that is not the question...just remember where you are!

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