June 9, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES BRIEFS THE CABINET ON HIS MEETING WITH EGYPT'S PRESIDENT MUBARAK AND STRESSES THAT IT COMES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE KINGDOM'S CONTRIBUTION TO STABILITY AND PEACE ON THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARENAS. THE CABINET LAUDS THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE SAUDI-YEMENI COORDINATION COUNCIL. THE CABINET APPROVES AN AMENDMENT TO THE CALENDAR OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1427 - 1428 H. PRINCE KHALED IBN SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ, REPRESENTS THE CROWN PRINCE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE EXHIBITION ON "LAND DEFENSE" IN FRANCE. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz chaired the Cabinet's weekly session at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques briefed the Cabinet on the contents of contacts, consultations and talks held over the previous days with a number of leaders and envoys of countries which dealt with regional and international issues. In this regard, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques pointed out that his meeting with Egypt's President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak comes in the framework of the Kingdom's contribution to stability and peace at regional and international arenas. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques said that the meeting discussed overall situations and latest developments at Arab, Islamic and international arenas topped by the Palestinian cause and Iraq. Aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of their enhancement in all fields were also reviewed for the interest of the two brotherly peoples. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Ibn Amin Madani said that the Cabinet appreciated the steps taken by Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council recently co-chaired, in its 17 th session, by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz , Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General and Yemen's Prime Minister Abdul Qadir Bajamal. The procedures have demonstrated the relationship of fraternity and kinship between the two countries. The Cabinet stressed that the session's achievements come within the context of a continual process of partnership and prosperity led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Salih for the interest of the two brotherly countries and their peoples. Minister Madani said the Cabinet then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: The Cabinet approved a bilateral agreement on air transport services between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the local Government of Hong Kong District, an administrative affiliate of the Peoples Republic of China, which was signed in initials in Jeddah on November 20, 2005. According to this agreement, each party exempts, on reciprocal bases, the crafts of the other party's airlines from custom fees and taxes on supplies, fuel, oil and technical supplies. The Cabinet approved the system of depositing items in public stores as per recommendations of the Shoura Council. The system aims at regulating work at public stores, states the rights and commitments of the store and the depositor, and fixes the storing fees. Without contradicting rulings of other systems, the initial license of establishing a public store is issued by the governorate or municipality of the city hosting the store while licensing its activities is issued by the Minister of Commerce and Industry or his designate. Upon recommendations of the Minister of Education, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the calendar of the academic year 1427 - 1428 H. The timetable shows the beginning of the new academic year, first semester examinations, school vacation, final semester examinations and closing of the academic year, national holiday, Ramadan special schedule, and Eid Al-Fitr and Biram Feasts holidays. Upon a request by the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the Cabinet agreed that the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources replaces the General Establishment for Petroleum and Minerals (Petromin) as member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu. The Cabinet renewed the membership of the following on the Board of Directors of the Commission for Organizing Electricity and Dual Production for three years, retroactive from 28/1/1427 H. 1- Abdul Aziz Ibn Salih Al Sagheer 2- Dr. Abdul Aziz Ibn Sulaiman Al Tarbaq 3- Dr. Mohammed Salim IbnAbdullah Al Sabban. The Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr. Abdul Rahman Ahmed Al-Jaafari and Dr. Fahd Ibn Salih Al Sultan as members in the Board of Directors of the Commission for Organizing Electricity and Dual Production for three years, effective the date of enforcing this decision. The Cabinet also approved the appointment of Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Al Al Sheikh as Deputy Governor for Planning and Development at the Water Desalination General Corporation; Nassir Ibn Mohammed Ibn Nassir Al Rishaidan as Minister Plenipotentiary "Category A" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Awwad Ibn Owaid Ibn Homaid Alkhatabi as Director General for Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Health. On the other hand the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States, Prince Turki Al-Faisal received a number of American students who are enrolled in the Washington Center for Training and Academic Education. During the reception, Prince Turki Al-Faisal talked about the strong relations and cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US. He, then, answered the students' questions about Saudi Arabia and its stances on many issues such as terrorism and its role in bolstering stability and peace in the Middle East. On behalf of Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz , Deputy Prime Minister, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, Prince Khaled Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs starts a visit to France on Saturday to attend the opening ceremony of an Exhibition on "Land Defense" which will be attended by French Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Marie. Accompanied by a military delegation, Prince Khaled will meet during the visit a number of officials of the French Defense Ministry.