Saudi Arabia and Russia are coordinating their efforts to stabilize oil prices despite the Iraq crisis and to keep prices at the levels desired by OPEC and Moscow, Minister of Petroleum Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday.

Riyadh and Moscow want "to ensure the stability of the world oil market and fair prices," Al-Naimi said after talks with his Russian counterpart Igor Yusufov. Both favor OPEC oil prices of $22 to $28 a barrel and the $20 to $25 per barrel price level set by the Russian Federation for benchmark Ural.

Fears regarding the uncertainty surrounding a possible war in Iraq have seen oil prices rise sharply, the current price standing at $33 a barrel. Al-Naimi said that if no war breaks out, oil prices would fall. He hinted that Saudi Arabia might not be able to make up the market shortfall in supplies of crude if a war stops Iraqi oil production. "When there was a strike in Venezuela and oil supplies on the world market dropped, we were able to make up the difference. I can't say what would happen in the hypothetical case of a war in Iraq," he stressed.

In February 2003, Saudi Arabia used 90% percent of its current 10.5 million barrels a day capacity. Russia is also a major oil producer, but is not a member of OPEC.

Spreading the tenets of Islam worldwide tops the agenda of Al Maktoum Charity Foundation. Mirza Al Sayegh, Representative of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, said that among the foundation's new projects two hospitals will be built in Lebanon. Also, a Medical College financed by President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan may be built in India.

Al Sayegh said: "We are also building an Islamic Center in South India and three other Islamic Centers in George Town and Pennsylvania in the United States. Mosques will be built in Rotterdam, Boston, Frankfurt and elsewhere increasing the number built by the foundation to more than 100." Islamic Centers will also be built in Norway. He added that the foundation is planning to build high schools in some African states, which have about 7,000 Muslim students who need support.

The main objective of the foundation is to offer financial support to Muslims abroad and to educate them about the teachings of Islam. The Al Maktoum Charity Foundation was established in 1997. At first, it supervised and supported the Islamic Educational Center in Dublin, Ireland. "Since then we have started receiving inquiries from Muslims all over the world to help in building mosques and Islamic Centers, even schools."

Al Sayegh explained: "In the past we used to rent or buy for them places to establish their centers. Now we also recruit scholars to educate them. These scholars must speak the languages of the countries where they work. They should understand the society and way of life in these countries. In addition, they should be able to teach Islamic traditions and rules."

Most new Muslims abroad are married in registration offices, not in the Islamic way. Divorce causes problems for Muslims when the wife gets half the husband's property or is deported from the country. We need scholars to help Muslims abroad avoid such difficulties. "We usually bring these scholars from Al Azhar University in Egypt, at our expense. In future, we plan to establish a large number of Islamic libraries all over the world, to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam.

Al Sayegh said most mosques abroad are old rented houses and the foundation helps them to pay rents and renovate. The foundation supports 65 Islamic Centers altogether. Among them are centers in Vietnam, China, and Mexico, as well as five centers in Ireland besides the one in Dublin. The focus is now on teaching the tenets of Islam and the Arabic language. An Islamic Studies Centre costing $5 million was built in Australia's Cambria University. A similar center is being built in Scotland. To increase the number of students of Islam, scholarships are offered for non-Muslims to study at the Islamic Centers.

He noted that there are very poor Muslims. UAE Ambassadors abroad distribute food to the needy themselves, which is really appreciated. Muslims in most of these countries have their own organisations in which they work as volunteers for Islam and coordinate with the foundation. These send some new Muslims to Haj at the foundation's expense. "We sent 60 people from Australia, Mexico, Ireland and Canada."

Last year the foundation was cheated of $3 million by some Muslims who claimed they needed help to build a school and an Islamic Centre. But such incidents seldom happen.