RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Shi'ites in Saudi Arabia have asked their government to end discrimination in a remote province bordering Yemen.

Saudi King Abdullah removed the governor of the Najran region last year after the Ismaili Shi'ites complained about efforts to settle Sunni Yemenis and give them housing and jobs in an effort to marginalize them further. Abdullah appointed his son Prince Mishaal as Najran's new governor.

Ismailis hope the appointment of new governor reflects a new government strategy for pacifying the area.

"We are calling for tolerance to be the foundation that promotes nationalism for all, as discrimination reaches us in the simplest elements of our existence as citizens, drawing onto our whole lives," said the petition signed by 181 people, which has been posted on an Ismaili website.

"We are subject to marginalization in jobs and positions," they said, calling for openness towards all Islamic sects.

Saudi media have reported plans to improve the infrastructure in Najran and the government is setting up a new industrial hub in nearby Jizan province to create jobs in the poor south.

"The people are optimistic after the arrival of the new governor," said Mohammed al-Askar, a leading Ismaili activist who met the governor with others after he took office.