King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz unveils memorial plaque of mosque named after him in Bouskoura city

Saudi King receives two messages from French, Malian presidents

CP updates cabinet on latest regional, international developments

European call to enlarge G8 to include Sudan, China, India, Brazil

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at his guest residence in Casablanca Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahayan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During the audience, Sheikh Hamdan conveyed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the greetings of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, President of the UAE and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE, who is also Governor of the Emirate of Dubai. In turn, the King sent his greetings to both of them.

Later, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received Morocco's Minister of Endowment Ahmed Tawfeeq, Governor of Grand Casablanca Mohammed Al-Gabbaj and Deputy President of Buskourah Group Abdulkareem Al-Malki.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz inaugurated last night in Bouskoura city in Morocco a Mosque named after him and which has been built at his personal expense.

On arrival at the venue of the King Abdullah Mosque, he was greeted by Moroccan Minister of 'Hobous' (Endowments) and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Toufiq and Governor of Casablanca Mohammed Al-Qabaj.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, then, unveiled the memorial plaque by saying "In the name of Allah and by His Grace". Later, the King performed the two 'Rak'aat' at the Mosque.

On his part, Ibrahim Boulksout, the Imam of King Abdullah Mosque delivered a speech thanking the King for his kindness and unlimited generosity.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was briefed on the Mosque whose entire building and adjacent facilities cover an area of 3200 square meters in addition to an open space with marble flooring on an area of 3,200 square meters.

The Mosque and the open area can accommodate 5,500 worshippers in addition to 1,200 worshippers in a reserved section assigned for women. The Mosque is annexed by residences of Imam, Muezzin and Guard. Toilets and Ablution facilities for men, women and warehouses are also provided with complete air-conditioning and sound systems of the highest level.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has received a message from President Nicholas Sarkozy of France.

The message was delivered to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques by the Secretary General of Elysée Presidential Palace in Paris Claude Juan, who is also Political Advisor to the French President, during an audience with the King at his guest residence in Casablanca.

The French official also conveyed to the King the greetings and appreciation of the French President Nicholas Sarkozy. In turn, King Abdullah sent his greetings to the President.

The audience was attended by Prince Miqren bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Secretary General of the National Security Council and France's Chief of General Staff Admiral Edward Joe.

Meanwhile, General Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Makkah Region branch Mohammed Ahmed Tayyip received at his office the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali Moctar Ouane.

During the meeting, Tayyip received a message addressed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from President Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali.

The minister arrived yesterday in Jeddah where he was received by a number of senior officials.

In Jeddah, Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the Cabinet's session held at Al-Salam Palace.

At the outset of the session, the Cabinet expressed great appreciation for the blessed step of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in calling for the World Conference on Dialogue which was opened under his noble patronage in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and for the world satisfaction and pioneering response to the conference which reflect the world desire to stress human common and noble principles and lofty ethics that represent the core of religions.

The Cabinet hailed the important themes of the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques at the opening of the conference which became an official document of the conference and in which the king stressed that Islam is a religion of moderation and tolerance calling for constructive dialogue among the followers of the religions and promising a new page for humanity in which concord replaces conflict; that God's (Allah's) will, praise be to Him, dictates that people should differ in their faiths and that man is capable of vanquishing hatred through love, and bigotry through tolerance, thereby enabling all mankind to enjoy dignity.

The Cabinet also valued the Madrid Declaration and its goals of dialogue sought by the conferees, hoping that these goals will be realized for the service of all humanity and for achieving common understanding and peaceful coexistence through the great human stock and commonality promoted by religions, cultures and civilizations.

Then, the Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the talks and consultations, made during the last days with leaders and officials of a number of countries and international organizations on the developments of events in the region and the world.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Economy and Planning and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Gosaibi said that the Cabinet was briefed on the results of the Arab foreign ministers' meeting in the extraordinary session held in Cairo which was devoted to the discussion of the developments of the situation between the International Criminal Court and Sudan in view of the accusations leveled against the President of Sudan Omar Hasan Albashir and the meeting's assertion of support for Sudan and the rejection of any attempts to politicize the principles of international justice and their use to infringe on the sovereignty of countries.

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

Having reviewed the Shoura Council decision No. (5/5) dated 22/03/1429H, the Cabinet approved the following:

1- The protocol of the protection of marine environment from land-based activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden signed in Jeddah on 25/09/2005.

2- The protocol of the maintenance of biodiversity and the establishment of a network of protected zones in the territory of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden signed in Jeddah on 12/12/2005.

Having reviewed the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Supreme Economic Council No. (27/29) dated 14/04/1429H., the Cabinet approved the following:

1- The National Gas and Industrialization Company shall continue distributing and marketing gas and its derivatives in the Kingdom for a period of five years as of 14/05/1429H. The Company shall provide service in all areas, including areas which are not commercially profitable. The Company shall also meet the existing commitments and future demands expected during this period.

2- 200 meters shall be a safety area for the currently existing gas sales-outlets in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Having reviewed the Shoura Council decision No. (60/42) dated 09/10/1428H, the Cabinet approved the following:

1- A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt regarding the amendment of Article (II) of the Agreement on the Establishment of Egyptian-Saudi Joint Committee.

2- An amendment to Paragraph (2) of Article (IV) of the said Agreement.

The amendment provides that the heads of both sides in the joint committee shall determine the persons leading the two delegations at the Preparatory Committee and shall determine its membership.

The Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria signed in Riyadh on 14/04/2007.

Having reviewed the decision of the Supreme Economic Council No. (8/27) dated 11/08/1427H, the Cabinet approve the rules and arrangements for the treatment of Saudi employees and workers in sectors targeted for privatization when transforming public sectors to private sectors.

The Cabinet approved the enforcement of the decision of the GCC Supreme Council adopted at its 28th session held in Doha on 3-4/12/2007, regarding the adoption of amended rules for practicing commercial activity in the areas of retail and wholesale trade.

The Cabinet reviewed a report submitted by the Ministry of Economy and Planning on the work progress in implementing projects of Technical and Vocational Training Corporation financed by the surplus budget income for the fiscal years 1424/1425H, 1425/1426H and 1426/1427H. The number of projects is 108 throughout the Kingdom. The Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques directed to expedite the implementation of these projects.

The cabinet has approved a number of appointments as follows:

1- Eng. Khalid bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Haij as Mayor of Tabuk Region at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

2- Eng. Nasser bin Rashid bin Samhan Al-Samhan as Deputy Director General of Water in Makkah Region at the Ministry of Water and Electricity.

3- Issam bin Hamad bin Ali Al-Mubark as Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz received the Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Anqari, accompanied by Rector of Imam Mohammad bin Saud Islamic University Dr. Sulaiman bin Abdullah Ab-Alkhail and senior officials of the University.

The Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques praised the efforts of the university in preparing qualified cadres and highlighted the role of the University in serving the community.

Prince Sultan also stressed the importance of carrying out the works entrusted for the University's students and associate colleges so that they could serve well their religion and the homeland in a beneficial manner.

For his part, Dr. Ab-Alkhail thanked the Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and described the reception with him as a motivation to exert greater efforts.

He praised the support and the attention of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for the citizens and the sphere of the higher education, especially the great attention to enable the University to develop its curricula and outputs according to the objectives for which it was established.

The Vice of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received memorial gifts provided by Dr. Ab-Alkhail.

The reception was attended by the Secretary General of the Council of Higher Education Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Alsalih.

The Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received at the Royal Court at Al-Salam Palace Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, Mufti of the Kingdom and Head of the Senior Scholars Commission, Religious Research Department and Ifta, Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammad Al-Luhaidan, Chief of the Higher Judicial Council, and a number of Ulema who came to greet him.

He also received at his office at the Royal Court at Al-Salam Palace Nepal's Ambassador to the Kingdom Hameed Ansari.

At the outset the audience, the Ambassador conveyed to the Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques the greetings and appreciation of Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. In turn, the Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques sent his greetings and appreciation to the Prime Minister.

During the audience, they exchanged cordial talks.

The audience was attended by senior government and protocol officials.

Meanwhile, Phase II of the annual contest of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Vice-Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for Memorizing the Holy Quran and Sunnah (Prophet Mohammed's sayings and deeds) for the member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) started in Jakarta with the participation of 85 contesters from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Cambodia and Burma.

The three-day event aims at encouraging Muslims in ASEAN countries to memorize the Holy Quran and Sunnah. It also aims at promoting the correct faith among Muslims in South East Asia, and therefore protecting them from temptation and extremism.

The first phase of the contest was held during the period 11-13/07/1429 for Indonesian universities, associations and institutes with 150 competitors taking part.

The contest is divided into five branches:

- The first branch: memorizing the whole Holy Quran. The first three winners will have the opportunity to perform pilgrimage in addition to SR 12000 for the first winner, SR 11500 for the runner-up and SR 11000 for the third place.

- The second branch: memorizing 20 chapters of the Holy Quran. The first three winners will have the opportunity to perform pilgrimage in addition to SR 9000, SR 8500 and SR 8000 for each of them respectively.

- The third branch: memorizing 15 chapters of the Holy Quran. The first three winners will have the opportunity to perform pilgrimage in addition to SR 6000, SR 5500 and SR 5000 for each of them respectively.

- The fourth branch: memorizing 10 chapters of the Holy Quran. The first three winners will have the opportunity to perform pilgrimage in addition to SR 3000, SR 2500 and SR 2000 for each of them respectively.

- The fifth branch: memorizing 500 of the prophet's sayings. The first three winners will have the opportunity to perform pilgrimage in addition to SR 10,000 for the first winner, SR 8000 for the runner-up SR 6000 for the third place.

Prince Khalid Alfaisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Makkah region, inaugurated in Taif, 11 developmental projects, which are estimated to cost more than SR 800 million.

Prince Khalid Alfaisal was briefed on the municipal projects and their implementation phases as well as their role in developing the municipal services for the citizens and the visitors.

In a speech ceremony on the occasion, the Director of Taif Municipality Eng. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said: "Taif province has witnessed under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and the Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the implementation of several development projects that had an impact on the development of the utility services and facilities for the citizens." He also lauded the support of Prince Miteb Bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

He pointed out to the "care and attention extended by the governor of the region to each project of interest to the citizens and to improve services provided to them".

The 11 projects include large supermarkets; a major street; building of premises of the municipality, and the expansion of the southern entrance of Taif.

In a statement to the press, Prince Khalid Alfaisal considered the inauguration of the projects as "a clear indication of the interest of the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for Taif province and its future".

He noted that Taif "will witness in the near future, a big leap forward At the level of services, projects and administrative performance, both in this province or in other provinces of Makkah region".

Presided over by its Chairman Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Homaid, the Shoura Council held its 41st ordinary session. The council emphasized the importance of the recommendations of the World Conference on Dialogue recently held in Madrid.

At the outset of the session, the Chairman highlighted the timing of conference, noting it was held amid political problems, some tensions in relations between the nations of the world, and outbreaks of violence and terrorism. By calling for the convening of the conference, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a clear and honest message to the entire world that Islam is the religion of humanity and tolerance and it calls for coexistence and respect for human rights.

Dr. Saleh bin Homaid expressed his thanks to the Muslim World League in organizing the conference.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Secretary General of the Shoura Council Dr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ghamdi said that the council discussed a draft bilateral convention on air transport services between the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Eritrea.

Then the council approved by majority a draft agreement between the Government of Saudi Arabia and Germany on avoiding double taxation for taxes on income and capital of air transport institutions.

The council also discussed a draft executive program between the Ministry of Higher Education of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Higher Education of Tunisia in the field of higher education, scientific research and technology. Voting on the bill will take place in a future session, said Dr. Al-Ghamdi.

Issues presented by the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent and Water, Utilities and Public Services committee were postponed for future session, he added.

In London, a total of 23 former heads of states and governments demanded to enlarge the G8 countries within efforts exerted to boost the international law throughout the world.

The former officials, who met recently in Sweden to discuss the latest political and economic developments in the world, consider enlarging the G8 should include China, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and an African state (Sudan) to represent all countries in the world.