Saudi king values world’s response to kingdom’s call to work for oil market stability

Saudi CP thanks Hajj minister for report on Umrah performers

Saudi Arabia highlights political, developmental stances in 3d Transatlantic Conference, International Knowledge Forum

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz chaired the Cabinet's session held in Jeddah on Monday afternoon.

At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on the meetings and consultations made during the last days with a number of world leaders and political institutions and their envoys on the bilateral relations and the issues of the region and world affairs. In this regard, the King appreciated the visit paid by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to the Kingdom and the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. The King also valued the response to the Kingdom's call to hold a meeting of oil producing and consuming countries to work for the stability of the oil market in order to serve the stability of the world economy.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, Minister of Culture and Information Iyad bin Ameen Madani said that in this context, the council commended the positive results of the Jeddah Energy Meeting and discussions on the future plans to restore stability to the world oil market and the proposing of appropriate policies to deal with world economic challenges.

The Cabinet pointed out the international praise of the Kingdom's positive role in the world economy and the King's proposals made during his speech at the opening of the meeting to help the Developing Nations and Energy Initiative for the Poor announced by him.

The Cabinet stressed that the Kingdom always seeks to strengthen its bilateral relations with countries of the world to realize its national interests; serve the Arab and Islamic causes and open prospects of dialogue, understanding and peace among the countries of the world and to take the initiative in mending the Arab rift; boosting the effect and prospect of joint Islamic activity; establishing a just international economic exchange and pushing for rapprochement among societies and cultures based on its realization of its national, Arab, Islamic and international responsibilities.

The Minister of Culture and Information added that then, the Cabinet listened to a number of follow-up reports on the performance of the service sectors relevant to water, electricity, prices of food stuffs and supplies and directed the concerned sectors to carry out their responsibilities fully in a way that achieves the efficiency of the services needed by the citizens in all regions of the Kingdom.

The Minister noted that the Cabinet reviewed a number of topics on its agenda and issued the following decisions:

Having reviewed the recommendations of the committee formed by a Royal Order regarding the controls governing the process of committing juveniles to social observation houses, the Cabinet approved a number of controls including:

1- Committing juveniles to social observation houses shall be limited to those aged 12 to18 who commit acts resulting in punishment.

2- Juveniles who commit capital crimes or are sentenced to imprisonment for these crimes and who are under the age of 12 shall be committed to social observation houses until the expiration of their custody period or the end of their sentences.

The Cabinet authorized the Secretary General of King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives -or his deputy- to sign a draft memorandum of understanding and cooperation in the field of documentation and research between King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Cultural Center of Turkmenistan. The Cabinet authorized the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation to issue licenses for establishing non-profit training units for technical and professional purposes.

The Cabinet approved the amendment to Article (157) of Companies Law to read as follows:

"Limited liability company is a company composed of one or more partners responsible for the debts of the company as per their shares in the capital.

The number of partners in this company shall not exceed fifty, unless the increase is a result of inheritance."

The Cabinet reviewed a report on the work progress in implementing projects of the Ministry of Education financed by the budget income surplus for the fiscal years 1424/1425H., 1425/1426H. and 1426/1427H. The number of projects is 1371 distributed among the Kingdom's regions.

The Cabinet approved a number of appointments as follows:

1- Abdulaziz bin Suleiman bin Abdulrahman Al-Turki as Ambassador at the Foreign Ministry.

2- Eng. Mohammed bin Ahmad bin Mohammed Abu Ahmad as Civil Consultant Engineer at the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.

3- Mustafa bin Mohammed Habib bin Hassan Kawther as Minister Plenipotentiary (A) at the Foreign Ministry.

4- Abdulmohsen bin Abdullah bin Abdulmohsen Al-Thabit as Director General of Education Department for Boys at the Ministry of Education.

The White House welcomed Saudi Arabia's willingness to increase its oil production if needed.

White House Spokesman Tony Fratto said, "We welcome the initiative of oil producing countries to increase their oil production including Saudi Arabia."

He added that high energy prices are having an impact on the global economy, and that will have consequences for both oil producers and consumers.

The White House Spokesman said that the United States itself needs to take steps to increase oil output in the US as the US President George W Bush outlined last week.

President Dmitriy Anatolyevich Medvedev of Russia said in a message to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud that Saudi-Russian political cooperation became a positive factor contributing to solve the international and regional issues and to maintain the stability in world energy market and the trade and economic cooperation are developed in a good way, wishing to include more areas in the future, including oil, gas, energy, peaceful using of Atomic energy, space, military and technology.

The Russian president emphasized that the partnership relations between the two countries will be developed steadily in all areas and for the interest of the peoples of both countries.

He praised the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in the dialogue among civilizations and he expressed his most appreciation for the works of the International Islamic Conference for Dialogue which was held in Makkah under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and was attended by many Islamic personalities, including representatives of Russia.

In a message handed over to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Jeddah by Russian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Victor Cooder Yavitsev, he expressed satisfaction over the signing of the protocol between Russia and the Kingdom about the Russia's accession to the WTO. He also expressed appreciation for the decision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to complete the talks successfully.

Prime Minister of Japan, Yasuo Fukuda expressed his appreciation for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his efforts to strengthen the regional and international stability and prosperity, particularly in the Gulf region and the Middle East and for his wise leadership of the interior and foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a letter handed over to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Jeddah by the Minister of Economy and Trade of Japan, Akira Amari, the Japanese Prime Minister expressed his concern over the situation of the oil prices, describing them as becoming a direct threat to the entire world economy. To this effect, he said "From this perspective, the meeting of energy ministers of producing and consuming countries which was held under your patronage is very important. Your kind invitation to hold this high-level meeting at this time, is an indicator to your wise view because of the need to discuss the development of the current tragic oil prices between the producing and consuming countries".

The Japanese Prime Minister expressed his belief that Jeddah Energy Meeting will provide significant support for the G8 Summit to be held in Japan in July 2008.

He valued the bilateral relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia in all aspects and at different levels.

He invited the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to visit Tokyo in the near future for further consolidation of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Presided over by its Assistant Chairman Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al-Barak, the Shoura Council held its 30th ordinary session.

The Council congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz on the success of Jeddah Energy Meeting.

The Council praised the important initiatives announced by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques during the opening ceremony of the meeting which aim at achieving balance in energy markets and curb oil price hikes.

The Council also thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince for issuing a Royal Order assigning Council Member Dr. Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammad Al-Ghamdi as Secretary General of the Shoura Council.

In a statement following the session, the Assistant Secretary General of the Council Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya said that the Council approved a draft cooperation agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the French Republic in the field of internal security and civil defense.

Iceland’s President Olafur Grimsson has hailed the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure the world economic stability.

He expressed happiness for the success of Jeddah Energy Meeting as well as the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to conduct dialogue among the followers of the heavenly religions.

The remarks of the President of Iceland came during a meeting with Dr. Salih bin Humaid, the Chairman of the Saudi Shoura (Consultative) Council, and the accompanying delegation.

President Olafur praised the bilateral relations between Iceland and Saudi Arabia and reiterated the keenness of his country on further cementing cooperation with the Kingdom in various fields.

On his part, Dr Bin Humaid conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, his Crown Prince and the Saudi people and government to the president of Iceland.

He noted that the Kingdom is linked with Iceland with distinguished relations in the political, economic and investment domains.

Dr Bin Humaid confirmed the keenness of the Kingdom to further developing its relations with Iceland.

He lauded the efforts of Iceland to support the pillars of security and peace.

Dr Bin Humaid arrived in Reykjavik -- the capital of Iceland. He was welcomed by a number of senior officials.

GCC's Secretary General Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah has praised the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud when he opened Jeddah Energy Meeting.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, he said the content of the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was based on a wise vision and permanent keenness to provide a decent life for all in order to face the crisis of oil price rise and to help the poor to face the energy crisis by funding projects that help developing countries to get the energy and finance development projects in order to provide a decent life for the peoples of these countries.

He valued the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to allocate half a billion dollars to provide loans to poor countries in order to help them confront the crisis as well as his call to launch an international initiative of energy for the poor and to allocate one billion dollars to launch a new program to the development fund by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

He emphasized that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is always keen to provide a decent life for the peoples of the developing countries by providing them with material and moral support to cope with the rising prices.

Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has thanked Minister of Hajj Dr Fouad Al-Farsi and the personnel of the Hajj ministry.

The Crown Prince's remarks were contained in a cable of reply to Dr Al-Farsi who had earlier sent a cable to him. The cable was attached with a report on the number of Umrah performers who had come from abroad, and who stayed back up to 05/06/1429 AH.

The report pointed out to a remarkable decline in the number of those who are illegally staying back in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirmed that it sees in Iraq an integral part of the Arab and Islamic nation and deals with all Iraqis in an equal way. It supports all efforts to ensure Iraq's unity and sovereignty over all its territory. It stands against any sectarian, confessional, or racial discrimination that leads to the division of the country or transform Iraq into an arena for regional and international schemes. It looks forward to a greater role for the United Nations in this regard.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirmed the importance of supporting the unity of Iraq, safeguarding its independence and sovereignty, and the assumption of neighboring states of their responsibilities to work on unifying Iraq, help in discarding of sectarianism and not interfere in its domestic affairs.

This came in the kingdom's speech before the 3d Transatlantic Conference which is being held in Berlin and organized by the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt in cooperation with Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The following is the text of the speech delivered by Prince Torki bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Kabeer, Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral Relations:

Your Excellency Chairman/President

Excellency Dr. Bernd W.Kubbig

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

At the outset, I would like to extend my thanks to the Institute of Peace Research in Frankfurt for its kind invitation and for organizing this important conference in collaboration with the Fredric Ebert Foundation in this historic city of Berlin. Our thanks are also extended to the Government of Germany for sponsoring the activities of this conference. Undoubtedly, the presence of such an elite gathering of participant politicians and intellectuals with their ideas and visions since the beginning of the conference has enriched its proceedings and discussions and contributed to the forging of common grounds for shared perceptions.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The future security of the Middle East is an important issue of concern to the region and to the whole world. Due to advances in science, technology and means of communication, our world has become a small village where the elements are influenced by one another. The significance of the Middle East in political, economic and strategic terms, coupled with common and interrelated interests with other countries necessitate that we communicate and confer in order to generate and promote the spirit of dialogue and understanding between us so that world security and stability are preserved for the benefit of humankind.

Achieving security and peace in the Middle East requires our discernment of the primary causes of tensions and instability in the region. This is important to our search for meaningful relations. I realize that none of us doubts that the dominant cause of tensions engulfing the area and indeed the whole world is the Arab-Israeli conflict that has been ongoing for quite some time without arriving at a solution or fair settlement, despite of the many resolutions of international legitimacy and relevant initiatives.

The Arabs have chosen peace as a strategic option. They exerted all out efforts in search of a comprehensive and just settlement to this conflict. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stood for, and supported the peace process in the Middle East since its inception at the Madrid Conference of 1991. Saudi Arabia has a steadfast position of supporting all international efforts calling for a comprehensive and just solution to the conflict in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy. Foremost among Saudi efforts is the peace initiative proposed by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz that later became an Arab initiative after adoption by the Beirut Arab Summit of 2002. The initiative laid down the foundation for a comprehensive and just peace between the Arabs and Israel.

The initiative assured security and stability for all states in the region by being a balanced initiative that safeguards the interests of all states without exception. However, the unreceptiveness of Israel to such efforts and good intentions, its continued intransigence and defiance of the resolutions of international legitimacy, its provocative measures and building of settlements and the Separation wall, its blockade of Gaza and aggressions against Palestinian civilians have generated a lot of despair and frustrations. Such acts obligate the Palestinians to resist and push them toward extremism because of the injustice and punishment they endure. I cannot imagine that any of us can ignore the definitive responsibility borne by the international community when it overlooks Israeli excesses and atrocities against the Palestinian people.

I do not believe that there is another regional conflict with a similar degree of impact on other regional issues and international peace and security. Without a comprehensive and just resolution, the conflict will intensify frustrations and lead to the exploitation of desperate feelings among Palestinians by advocates of terrorism. This outcome will heighten dangers that impede development and modernization and weaken reform endeavors in a region that is supposed to play an importance cultural role, and not preoccupied with conflicts that squander resources and capabilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the primary challenges confronting us at present is the phenomenon of terrorism. Combating terrorism is no longer a domestic issue confined to a certain country but rather an undertaking by the international community. Conclusively, advocates of terrorism exploit the flow of feelings of hopelessness and frustration emanating from failure of the international community to resolve chronic conflicts in accordance with international legitimacy. They use those feelings to achieve their objectives and spread their subversive ideas. Saudi Arabia considers that combating terrorism must be multidimensional in order to eradicate it worldwide. The intellectual dimension is no less important than the security dimension when confronting terrorism. In our view, realizing a decisive outcome against terrorism requires success in undermining extremist ideas and uprooting of infrastructures that help terrorists spread their views in the international community.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia constantly affirmed its condemnation and denunciation of terrorist acts irrespective of sources and objectives. The Kingdom spares no effort in rooting out terrorism in all of its forms in accordance with the principles and values it uphold. Within this context and during the Conference on Combating terrorism that was held in Riyadh in 2005, my country proposed the establishment of an international center for combating terrorism under the auspices of the United Nations. The main objective was to assist other countries in the exchange of expertise, information and coordination in the fight against this dangerous epidemic.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My Government is keen at supporting international efforts to make the Middle East and the Gulf, areas that are free from weapons of mass destruction, and of nuclear weapons in particular. We believe that the effective approach to dealing with the problem of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction requires the abandonment of double standards when addressing this issue. Israel is the only country in the area that did not accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Additionally, Israel possesses an arsenal of a variety of weapons of mass destruction that does not yield to any form of international supervision particularly by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The continuation of such state of affairs would expose regional security and stability to many risks and may obstruct development and progress.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Iran's nuclear issue is an important and sensitive subject in the Middle East region. We, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirm the right of all countries to utilize nuclear power for peaceful purposes and to obtain relevant nuclear know-how and technology. Nonetheless, we call upon Iran and all countries in the Middle East to respect international resolutions that govern nuclear usage and to observe all regulations and standards set forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to keep the region safe from any disaster or danger. We hope that this issue will be resolved through diplomatic and peaceful means. Attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction will exacerbate elements of crisis and instability in the area. Hence, understanding the security concerns and interests of regional states, and addressing them in a meaningful way is the best course of action to realize security and stability instead of seeking to acquire weapons of devastation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The unstable conditions in Iraq, despite of relative improvement in the situation at present, are negatively affecting the security and stability of the Middle East. Existing state of affairs calls upon our Iraqi brethrens to utilize every effort to achieve national reconciliation based on justice and equality among all segments of the Iraqi people. Reconciliation is the key to resolving the current Iraqi crisis. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms the importance of supporting the unity of Iraq, safeguarding its independence and sovereignty, and the assumption of neighboring states of their responsibilities to work on unifying Iraq, help in discarding of sectarianism and not interfere in its domestic affairs.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia considers Iraq an integral part of the Arab and Islamic community. The Kingdom remains on equal distance before all Iraqis and deals with them on even basis. Saudi Arabia supports and encourages all efforts that safeguard the unity and sovereignty of Iraq over its territory. It stands against any sectarian, confessional, or racial discrimination that leads to the division of the country or transform Iraq into an arena for regional and international schemes. We look forward to a greater role for the United Nations in this regard.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have observed the progression of events in Lebanon and the success of Arab efforts brought to bear by the League of Arab States and the State of Qatar. The efforts engendered the Doha Accord that put an end to the tense situation in the country and led to the election of Major General Michel Suleiman as President of the Republic of Lebanon. The Kingdom supported the Accord to allow the Lebanese to live in peace and safety through the functioning of constitutional and government institutions and the return to normalcy. Saudi Arabia emphasized the need to support such institutions and the non-interference in Lebanon's internal affairs which may contribute to its stability and promote development in Lebanon and the region overall.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Saudi Arabia believes in the valuable role of dialogue in stimulating the spirit of understanding and goodwill, and in averting misunderstandings and animosity between nations and civilizations. Guided by the principles of Islam, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called for the convening of an international conference that brings together representatives of different celestial religions and cultures They would meet to establish common grounds for cooperation and understanding between the followers of those religions, and to promote peaceful coexistence amongst humankind based on mutual respect, discernment and fruitful cooperation, the Kingdom has already undertaken preparatory measures by convening the Global Islamic Dialogue Conference in Mecca during the first part of this month. Many Islamic leaders attended the conference in order to lay the foundations that will ensure success for the Religious dialogue conference proposed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Within this framework, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz stressed in his opening statement at the Mecca Conference that the meeting is an invitation for openness to the world and for communication with others through common values. Values that aim at benefiting the human being, preserve his dignity, discard faithlessness and crimes, confront terrorism, promote ethics, family ties, and spread other ideals that help sustain security in its comprehensive sense. The Conference proclaimed the "Mecca Document" which adopted several recommendations foremost among them; the necessity for communication between civilizations in order to promote the culture of dialogue. A dialogue that affirms common denominators among human beings; their mutual interests; and focuses on realizing peaceful coexistence, social security, justice and equality between the different peoples and cultures of the world. The document also emphasized collaboration to end wars, conflicts and international problems; and warned against calls that promote clash of civilizations because of its dangerous ramifications on global peace and security.

Within this context, King Abdullah's call for a dialogue among religions received wide and positive responses from many countries and world leaders. It was deemed an important and prudent act that will provide for a substantial degree of convergence and understanding among peoples and religions. It would fend off the afflictions of wars and conflicts caused by hatred, antagonism, and misunderstandings, serve the noble goals and objectives of shared living, and anchor the spirit of tolerance amongst all peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The rise and fluctuation in the prices of essential commodities in the world requires international cooperation and joint efforts to deal with the issue and protect the economies of many countries from reaching crisis points. In order to handle this global problem and the soaring costs particularly that of oil, the Kingdom increased its production to ensure the availability of supplies, and curtail the abnormal levels in its prices. Realizing the significance of international cooperation in dealing with the higher prices of oil in a way that averts crisis in the world economies and sustain growth of the global economy, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called for a meeting of oil producing and consuming countries in addition to the international companies concerned with the problem. The meeting took place in Jeddah this week in order to discuss the causes of increased prices, means of dealing with it, and the possible solutions that would also sustain global economic development.

In his opening statement before the Jeddah International Meeting on Energy, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced an initiative (Energy for the Poor) which aimed at helping the developing countries to withstand the costs of energy. He also called upon the World Bank to organize a meeting for donor states and the International financial and economic institutions to discuss and actuate this initiative. The King stressed that energy policy is based upon adopting a fair price for oil that would not harm producers or consumers, and that Saudi Arabia is concerned with the interests of the world as much as those of its own. Because of this policy, the Kingdom endured a lot of criticisms, accusations, and charges.

Within the same frame of reference, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud launched another initiative in the Jeddah meeting by announcing the allocation of 500 million Dollars as soft loans through the Saudi Development Fund to finance projects that assist the developing countries obtain sources of energy and fund development projects.

The Final Pronouncement of the Jeddah International Meeting on Energy asserted the need to improve transparency in the financial markets and related legislation through measures that facilitate the availability of information and data pertaining to the activities of financial indicators.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your kind attention.

Participants of the international knowledge forum, which ended its deliberations, underscored the importance of an advanced industry for the Islamic health care. They called for allocation of more money for supporting researches and industries in this field in the Muslim countries.

Speaking on the occasion health minister Dr. Hamad al-Mani said the health ministry is planning to increase the number of the hospitals, and it is expected that the number will amount to 350 within the next four years.

He pointed out that work is underway to implement hospital projects in the various parts of the Kingdom at a cost of more than SR17 billion.

Dr al-Mani said the number of health centers has amounted to 12000.

He added that the health ministry has been extending 65 percent of the health services, and the other governmental sectors have been extending 15 percent while the hospitals of the private sector have been extending 20 percent.

Dr al-Mani noted that the health insurance will positively contribute to improving the efficiency of the hospitals.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Majid bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Madinah region, hosted in Madinah a dinner party in honor of guests of the World Knowledge Economy Forum, organized by the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA).

Speaking on the occasion, Executive Director of the Malaysian 'Help' University Dr Zakraiyya Ahmad said the University will carry out two educational programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for preparation of distinguished cadres in the field of executive administration and sustainable development.

The First agreement was signed by the Madinah-based Economic Knowledge City and the Malaysian Help University for carrying out specialized educational programs for preparation of Saudi cadres in executive administration.

The Second agreement was signed by the Economic Knowledge City and the Malaysian 'CGSB' company.

Under the agreement an international school will be established including the Kindergarten stage to the Secondary stage.

Meanwhile, the Economic Knowledge City signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taibah University for setting up a number of advanced educational centers in Madinah.

The MOU was signed by Executive Director of the Economic Knowledge City Eng Tahir Bawazir and Rector of Taibah University Dr. Mansour al-Nuzha.

Under the agreement, the City and the University will cooperate in the field of researches, education and training.

On Monday, Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on Muslim countries to remove obstacles in the way of investments in the development of a knowledge-driven economy. Anwar was speaking on the second day of the three-day Knowledge Economy Forum in Madinah.

“We urge the development of science because that is what our religion encourages us to do. No society can develop unless it marches forward while keeping pace with global economic and technological advances,” Anwar said, while presenting his paper.

Anwar said he hoped Madinah would once more become a world center for knowledge and culture where students could flock, according to Arab News.

He said he believes that Saudi Arabia, with its financial resources and unswerving determination, could attract the world’s best brains to become a center of knowledge economy.

“We should not be content with the knowledge of the West or the East. We must acquire knowledge from all sources as long as it doesn’t contradict our religion and traditions,” he said.

Major topics, which are to be discussed at the forum, include high-tech innovation and creativity in the Muslim world, strategies to decrease genetic disorders, knowledge infrastructure development through information and communications technology (ICT) and engineering, and bioinformatics-based investment in the Kingdom.