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Prince urges Saudis to give up cars
one moment, please, while I try to stop laughing ....
The Prince of Wales urged Saudi Arabia - the world's greatest oil producer - to place less prominence on the car. He used his visit to the Middle East to air his environmental views and also to deliver a message on religious tolerance. Charles highlighted the cause of the pedestrian as his wife the Duchess of Cornwall saw the hidden side of life in the deeply conservative Islamic country.
because I mean, everything's so close to everything else in the Kingdom, just think of the health benefits of a good brisk walk in the Highlands the desert ... you can take your favorite dog or two, a good stout walking stick, put on a good tweed kilt robe ... it's just the thing, ol' boy

Behind closed doors, Camilla met some of the Kingdom's many Princesses and local women, minus their black Abayas, on a solo engagement.

On her first trip to Saudi, the Duchess was given a beautiful hand embroidered thaub dress of deep purple and pink velvet, which would have cost £3,500 to buy, as a present as she toured a charity set up to empower and support women within the teachings of Islamic Shariaa.

As he received an award in Riyadh for his lifetime commitment for his work with architectural heritage, Charles stressed the importance of "looking at the predominance of the car".

"What I've been trying to do for 20 years is just gently place the pedestrian at the centre of the design process rather than the car to automatically create more liveable communities," he said.
And in a small, compact country like the Saudis', that just makes so much SENSE, Charles. Amazing, the insight you bring.

Plus, think of the many benefits of weaning the Saudi economy off of petroleum dependency! (snort)

Saudi has no public transport system
gosh, I can't IMAGINE why not!
and is heavily dependent on its vehicles. Women are forbidden from driving and often face harassment when they walk in the streets.

By coincidence, the Saudi Gazette newspaper highlighted a campaign to get them to walk more to keep fit, suggesting they could "fire the maid and do more house work"
now, I just KNOW that will start a trend. Charles, how do you DO it??
or "walk up and down the stairs" if they could not find somewhere safe to do so.

Earlier the heir to the throne delivered an unprecedented speech at Saudi Arabia's most senior Islamic University - seen as being at the heart of the country's religious conservatism.
YJCMTSU

Posted by: lotp 2006-03-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=146567