Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques receives annual report of King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue

Second Deputy Premier Prince Naif speaks of profound strategy to bring misled persons back on the right way

Saudi Arabia calls for Palestine’s accession to UNESCO

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz received the annual report of King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue.

The report was delivered to the king by the head of the presidential committee of King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue Sheikh Salih bin Abdulrahman Alhosain; members of the presidential committee, Dr. Rashid Alrajih Alshireef, Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, Dr. Abdullah bin Salih Alobaid; Deputy Minister of Education and Secretary General of the center Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Moa'ammar and Deputy Secretary General of the center Dr. Fahd bin Sultan Alsultan during an audience.

During the audience, the king stressed the great importance attached by the society to the center in boosting national unity and spreading the values of love and fraternity among all groups of the society and in discussing the national issues in which citizens contribute responsible views and constructive proposals on the issues that concern all people of the country.

The king said the center is a channel for responsible expression and aims at fighting fanaticism and extremism through spreading the enlightened views and wise stands which can effectively contribute to achieving the desired results of discussing national issues introduced by the center between the citizens and officials.

The king stressed that this homeland and the loyal Saudi people do not accept other than moderation which rejects extremism as well as decadence.

The king said that the current period requires unified efforts to create a national strategy that enables the youth to recognize the right path toward work and development, enlightens their minds with the values of moderation, tolerance and fraternity preached by our religion, Islam, and protects them from following misleading intellectual trends which do not want good or stability for this homeland and try to control the minds of some youths to prevent them from carrying out the role hoped from them in the field of building and development.

During the audience, the king was briefed on the results of the preparation meetings held by the center for 8th national gathering. The king ordered holding the main gathering of the 8th national gathering under the title "The Health Services: a Dialogue between the Society and Health Institutions" in Najran.

The king also was briefed on the draft of the intellectual gathering which will be organized by the center soon on the "reality of the Saudi cultural discourse and its prospects."

The king praised the center's efforts in the field of dialogue training and propagation of dialogue culture.

The king was briefed on evaluation field study on the center prepared in cooperation with a group of researchers. The king praised the results of the study hoping they will boost the work of the center.

The king was also briefed on the documentary book prepared by the center on the imitative by the king on the dialogue among the followers of the divine religions and philosophies. The king was also briefed on the new engineering designs of the new headquarters of the center. The king ordered the speedy completion of the new headquarters of the center.

Alhosain delivered a speech in which he praised the king's efforts for the benefit of the homeland and citizens.

King Abdullah had received in Makkah on Wednesday former Lebanese premier Najeeb Miqati, General President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Salih bin Abdulrahman Alhosain, the Imams of the Grand Mosque, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Sheikh Salih bin Abdulaziz Al Alsheikh and the scholars who are guests of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs from various countries of the world.

During the audience, Chairman of the Muslim Scholars' Commission Sheikh Dr. Yosif Alqaradhawi delivered a speech in which he congratulated the king on the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan and thanked him for the audience.

Alqaradhawi praised the king's service to the two holy mosques and the Islamic ummah (nation) especially the expansion of the Masa'a between Alsafa and Almarwa in the Grand Mosque.

The audience was attended by a number of princes and senior officials who all had iftar (Ramadan breakfast) with the king.

Meanwhile, the Head of the International Union for Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Yosef bin Abdullah Al-Qaradhawi has commended King Abdullah for his meeting every year with Muslim scholars and officials from all over the world to discuss with them Islamic affairs for the interest of Islam and the Islamic nation.

Al-Qaradhawi, who was visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah rituals at the invitation of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance along with a number of Muslim scholars, has expressed his appreciation of the King for his great role in the service of the Holy Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah and the other holy places, noting that the Kingdom has been providing the best services to pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors of the Prophet's Mosque to perform their rituals easily and comfortably.

In Makkah, Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, received on Tuesday evening Qatari Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani and his accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, they exchanged fraternal talks and discussed a number of topics of common interest between the two countries, particularly issues concerning joint Gulf affairs and further enhancement of mutual services between the two countries in various fields.

On the Saudi side, the meeting was attended by Minister of State and Member of Cabinet Dr. Musaed Al-Eiban and a number of officials.

Sheikh Hamad had arrived in Jeddah on Tuesday evening.

At King Abdulaziz International Airport, he was received by Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Dr. Musaed Al-Eiban, and a number of officials.

Prince Naif, who doubles as Chairman of Supreme Hajj Committee, received in Makkah on Tuesday evening Minister of Hajj Dr. Fouad bin Abdulsalam Al-Farsi, under secretaries of Hajj ministry and heads of boards of Hajj Services Foundations and General Syndicate of Vehicles.

At the outset of the meeting, Dr. Al-Farsi briefed Prince Naif on the ministry's activities and measures undertaken this year to provide best facilities and services to pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors to the Prophet's Mosque.

On his part, Prince Naif praised the efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Hajj Services Foundations in the service of pilgrims and Umrah performers within the government's efforts aimed at facilitating all the ways and means for pilgrims to perform their rituals easily and comfortably.

Prince Naif urged workers at Hajj Services Foundations to exert more efforts to develop their services to meet the aspirations and to achieve the directives of the Saudi leadership to provide the best services to pilgrims and Umrah performers.

The Prince pointed to the exceptional situation of Umrah and Hajj seasons this year due to the emergence of the swine flu epidemic, stressing the keenness on implementation of precautionary measures to confront this epidemic and to prevent its spread in accordance with the plans.

The meeting was attended by Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Salem and Advisor to the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior and Secretary of Supreme Hajj Committee Dr. Saed Al-Orabi Al-Harthi.

Prince Naif also received in Makkah on Wednesday evening the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance Dr. Salih bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh along with a number of scholars and sheikhs from all over the world, who are currently visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as guests of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

During the meeting, the guests expressed their thanks to and appreciation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its great services to pilgrims and Umrah performers to perform their rituals easily, comfortably and safely.

On his part, Prince Naif said that the Kingdom considered its efforts and services provided to pilgrims as a duty and responsibility of its leadership and people, stressing that the Kingdom will spare no efforts in continuing work to achieve an atmosphere of peace and tranquility for pilgrims and Umrah performers.

"This action comes in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, who have been following up all matters related to Hajj and Umrah for the interest of Islam and Muslims," Prince Naif.

The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Dr. Saed Al-Orabi Al-Harthi.

King Abdullah had received a phone call from Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

During the call, the President extended his congratulations to the King on the Blessed Month of Ramadan. He also offered his well wishes on the coming Eid Al-Fitr occasion. The King thanked the president for his noble feelings.

In Paris, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has called on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to approve the request of Palestine to join the membership of the Organization.

The Kingdom's call came in a speech of Saudi Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Executive Board of UNESCO Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muammar at the Board's 182nd session currently in progress in Paris. The speech was read on his behalf by the Kingdom's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr. Ziad Al-Drees.

He noted that Palestine's request has been on the agenda of the Organization's Executive Board and General Conference for 20 years, but nothing has been done in this regard.