A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, amid the coronavirus pandemic, May 7, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ahmed Yosri.
New editions of Saudi Arabian textbooks show a significant improvement in their references to Jews and Israel, according to a new report published by a major research institute on Tuesday.
IMPACT-se which monitors textbooks across the Middle East in regard to what they teach about Jews, Israel and non-Muslims called the new Saudi educational materials “encouraging,” much of the hate speech and incitement included in previous editions had been removed.
Citations of a Muslim hadith or saying of the Prophet Muhammad that calls for genocidal war against the Jews, antisemitic conspiracy theories of Jewish world domination and calls for jihad and martyrdom had all been deleted, the group said.
Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed al-Jadaan gestures as he speaks during a news conference to announce the country s 2021 budget, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 15, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Saudi economic recovery bodes well for 2021 indicators, says finance minister Middle East & Africa Reuters Staff DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s finance minister said on Tuesday that most economic sectors in the kingdom have started to recover from the impact of COVID-19 and the recovery in the last two quarters of the year bodes well for economic indicators in 2021. Mohammed al-Jadaan, in televised remarks after the 2021 state budget was announced with a projected deficit of 4.9% of GDP, also said the government aimed to bring the deficit down to less than 1% by 2023.