UAE, Saudi among world's top website censors - project

by Neeraj Gangal

The UAE ranks high among countries that have blocked most websites, a recent report has revealed.

Internet users in the country reported the eleventh highest rate of blocked websites from among the countries in the world, according to the Herdict project.

Herdict is a project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. It seeks to gain insight into what users around the world are experiencing in terms of web accessibility. As on June 12, 11am UAE time, UAE users reported that 509 different webpages were flagged as “inaccessible”, the Herdict Web project statistics revealed.

China is the most reported country when it comes to website censorship, according to the report. From among the Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia ranked at No.4. and Bahrain at No.6 in the top 10 slots.

A noteworthy aspect of the report is that the Western countries were equally vigilant about restricting websites. Germany was ranked at No.2, US at No.3, France at No.7, Australia at No.8 and the UK at No.9.

According to the www.herdict.org website, Herdict is a portmanteau of 'herd' and 'verdict' and seeks to show the verdict of the users (the herd).
Speaking to the UAE’s The National newspaper, Jillian York, the social media manager for the project said that the websites that were found by UAE users to have been blocked ranged from pornography and dating websites to religious pages.

“But then, you also get some sites where you’ve got to wonder why they’re blocked – like Flickr.”

Top 10 countries that reported the most-restricted sites as on June 12, 11am, UAE time:

1. China (4,969)
2. Germany (6,972)
3. United States (5,162)
4. Saudi Arabia (2,364)
5. Iran (990)
6. Bahrain (1,004)
7. France (1,530)
8. Australia (911)
9. United Kingdom (1,237)
10. Philippines (909)

King urges joint projects for reintegration of society

By M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has called for launching collaborative social projects with a focus on the reintegration of the underprivileged section of society, which has been lagging behind in terms of health, education and income generation.

“A real public-private partnership is an essential component of sustainable social development of the Kingdom,” said King Abdullah, in a speech read out by Minister of Social Affairs Yusuf Al-Othaimeen, here Sunday night.

King Abdullah said that the three-day conference organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs would be a platform for studying diverse issues confronting Saudi society today.

The king said that there was a growing evidence to believe that public and private sectors have accepted reasons for “working together as partners,” but there is still a need to ensure that both parties with stakes in social development complement each other’s efforts.

He expressed hope that “the participants at the conference will explore all possible ways and real mechanisms for social development.”

More than 400 local and international speakers, Saudi officials, diplomats and guests, including Awad Al-Raddadi, deputy minister for social affairs, are participating in the event.

An exhibition, organized on the sidelines of the conference, is featuring social projects promoted by private companies and public entities of the Kingdom.

Last year alone, the Ministry of Social Affairs reported that 35,160 beggars were detained in 2008 by the 12 anti-begging offices all over the Kingdom compared to 29,988 in 2007. According to a report, the number of Saudis accounted for 4,952 beggars while the number of non-Saudis reached 30,008 in 2008.

Also on beggary front, the Public Administration for Social Protection in Saudi Arabia, affiliated to the Ministry of Social Affairs, has established 13 committees across the Kingdom to follow up cases of domestic abuse, especially those involving women and children. Al-Othaimeen said that a number of social projects with government, nongovernment and business organizations are functioning, but the relationships among the three sectors have yet to mature.

Ideally, social development is a prime duty of the state. “However, in developing countries, the importance of business and NGO sectors, and limitations of the state in realizing the social ideals cannot be ignored,” noted the minister.