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December 1, 2006 |
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KING ABDULLAH REVIEWS BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF SINGAPORE AND STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE YEARLY MEETING OF GOVERNORS OF THE REGIONS . SAUDI ARABIA IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, received Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Saudi ambassadors abroad on the occasion of holding their periodical meeting in Riyadh. In a speech on the occasion, Prince Saud Al-Faisal said the ambassadors are honored to meet the monarch, listen to his instructions and confirm to him their loyalty and dedication to their king, religion and nation. He said the ambassadors are in the service of their leader who puts himself at the disposal of his God and people and reminds them of the heavy burden they are shouldering on behalf of the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ambassadors reflect the policy of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in his capacity as leader of the home of Muslims two holy places, particularly Makkah to which all adult Muslims should turn to five times a day from everywhere in the world, Prince Saud Al-Faisal said. In turn, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques thanked the Ambassadors for visiting him, wishing them every success in their sacred mission. He told them that they have to remain loyal in the service of their God, and people, advising them to take care of Saudi communities and individuals abroad and never slam doors in their faces. He also advised them to explain the Saudi policy to whoever is interested to know about Saudi Arabia. Your guide is the two holy mosques and that God Almighty has selected you to become servants of the two holy places because the service of the two holy mosques is not confined to myself but for all of the Saudi people, the king said, calling the Saudi people the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He advised the ambassadors to remain patient to answer any question about our systems and guides to foreigners who want to know more about our culture and society. Even Saudis who travel for the first time need your help to follow the regulations of the host country, the king told the ambassadors. The audience was attended by Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet and Chief of the Court of the Cabinet's Presidency; and Abdul Mohsen bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor to the King. The custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud received Prince Faisal bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the Chief of the Saudi Red Crescent Society, who came to greet the King and listen to his instructions. The Monarch congratulated Prince Faisal bin Abdullah on his new assignment, wishing him every success in his job. On his part, Prince Faisal thanked the King for the trust he bestowed on him. The audience was attended by a number of senior officials. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received a number of princes, senior officials and citizens who came to greet him. He also received sheikhs of Al Baha and Najran regions who expressed happiness for the King's inspection visit to all of the kingdom's regions. The King thanked them for the good feeling they expressed. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received at his palace in Riyadh Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Saudi ambassadors on the occasion of their periodical meeting in Riyadh. Speaking on the occasion, Prince Saud thanked Crown Prince Sultan for receiving the ambassadors who came to listen to his advice. He cast light on the mission of his ministry abroad, vowing that the ambassadors and other staff would honor the royal confidence bestowed on them. Speaking on behalf of the ambassadors, Dr. Nizar Bin Obeid Madani, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said after having listened to the advice of the custodian of the two holy mosques, the ambassadors need also to come at your audience for further encouragement. He said the ambassadors are keen to take the responsibility of representing the leadership, government and culture of the people while abroad. Addressing the Saudi diplomatic corps, Crown Prince Sultan paid tribute to the experience of Prince Saud Al-Faisal as long-serving leader of the Saudi diplomacy. Crown Prince Sultan also hailed the performance of Saudi ambassadors abroad, wishing them every success in their highly-prestigious mission. He reminded them that they represent the cradle of Islam and the religion's most sacred places, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. The audience was attended by Prince Dr. Turki Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; Prince Mohammed Bin Faisal Bin Turki, Director General of the European Union Administration at the Foreign Ministry; Prince Khalid Bin Saud Bin Khalid, Director General for Financial andAdministrative Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Prince Mohammed Bin Saud Bin Khalid, Director General of Information Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and senior protocol officials. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society. The Crown Prince congratulated Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah for the royal trust bestowed on him to assume the responsibility of the head of the Society and wished him success in his works. On his part, Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah thanked the Crown Prince for the trust in him and affirmed that he would do his best to follow directives of the Crown Prince for the benefit of the Society to serve humanity. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and governors of the regions on the occasion of the convention of their 13th annual meeting. The audience was attended by crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. The Governors listened to the directives of the king who urged them on working for citizens' comfort, pursuing their situations and sensing their needs to accomplish more prosperity for the homeland and citizens and to improve the standards of living and developmental services. The King affirmed that the annual meetings of the governors are considered a good opportunity to exchange opinions and to submit proposals in the interest of the country and its citizens, wishing them all success to achieve the desired aims. Prince Naif submitted a summary to the King on the topics discussed in the meeting pertaining to citizens' security and prosperity. On their part, the Governors expressed their appreciation of and thanks to the king for his directives that will be implemented. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received at Al-Yamamah palace in Riyadh visiting Singapore's Premier and Finance Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the accompanying delegation. At the outset of the reception, King Abdullah welcomed the premier, wishing him and the accompanying delegation a good stay in the kingdom. On his part, the premier thanked the king for warm reception and generous hospitality accorded to him and his delegation. Then King Abdullah and the Singaporean Premier discussed overall developments at the regional and international arenas, aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in all fields. On the Saudi side, the meeting was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince Dr. Bandar Bin Salman Bin Mohammed Al Saud, advisor to the King; Minister of Finance Dr. Ibrahim Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Assaf; Minister of Planning Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Qusaibi and a number of officials. On the Singaporean side, the meeting was attended by the delegation accompanying the premier and finance minister. On another development the Interior Ministry has announced the formation of a new crowd management force in order to prevent pilgrims, street vendors and all types of vehicles from squatting and stopping along streets leading to Jamrat in Mina. The force will operate during the peak days of Haj as part of efforts to prevent stampedes and ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims. The new force, ordered by Interior Minister Prince Naif who is chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, will be part of the Haj security arrangements. It is in addition to the emergency force deployed near Jamrat during the Haj season. The plan to set up a new force for preventing squatting and the selling of goods on roads leading to the Jamrat is significant as such negative practices have been blamed for stampedes that have occurred at Jamrat and which have killed many people. "The new force will prevent people from waiting on the roads leading to the Jamrat and standing near the pillars at which stones are thrown," one source said. It will also identify the routes of pilgrims and monitor overcrowding, the source added. Crowd management at Jamrat has been one of the major challenges facing Saudi Haj organizers as hundreds of thousands of the faithful move simultaneously to carry out the stoning ritual; this often results in overcrowding and stampedes leading to deaths. The new move emphasizes that the government will show no leniency toward those pilgrims who squat along the streets or street vendors who obstruct the smooth flow of pilgrims. The government has embarked on an SR4.2 billion high-tech project to facilitate the stoning ritual at Jamrat. The new Jamrat bridge project is being carried out by Saudi Binladin Group and the first phase will be completed before the coming Haj season. Haj Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said all government departments would work together to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims. "The success of organizing the movement of pilgrims at Jamrat depends on carrying out everything in a balanced manner," he said and urged pilgrims to adhere to the rules and regulations set by the government. Dr. Habeeb Zainul Abideen, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs, said two tunnels called Souk Al-Arab and Al-Jowhara have been completed and will be open for pilgrims this year. "We have also built a number of new tunnels to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic. This will also facilitate emergency operations such as taking sick and injured pilgrims to hospitals." "The primary objective of the project is to help facilitate the stoning ritual at Mina without stampedes and other accidents," the official said. Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, received at his office in Riyadh visiting Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed a number of issues of mutual concern to the two countries. The meeting was attended by senior officials. On another scale the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz will patronize in Riyadh on December 3, 2006 the closing ceremony of the second round of Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz prize for prophetic Sunnah (Sayings And Deeds Of Prophet Mohammed - Peace Be Upon Him) and contemporary Islamic studies. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Dr. Saed Al-Orabi Al-Harithi, Advisor to the Minister of Interior and Secretary General of the prize's panel, paid tribute to the patronage of King Abdullah of this prestigious event in which more than 120 dignitaries from outside the kingdom are expected to take part. He said 115 researches out of 306 have passed qualifying tests and were nominated for the final round where a selection of highly qualified scholars will be assigned to do the job of refereeing. On his part, Dr. Safar Bin Abdullah Al-Bishr, Executive Manager of the prize announced that females will take part in the prize's third and fourth rounds, describing the patronage of King Abdullah of the closing ceremony of the second round of the prize as part of the keenness of the Saudi leadership of the Islamic studies and traditions of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him. In New York the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized the necessity of combining and integrating all efforts to achieve the developmental goals of millennium before the deadline in 2015, stressing the importance of cooperation with the world community, giving great importance to development issues and supporting developmental efforts in developing nations. In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly session 61 on the partnership for achievement of millennium goals development, Prince Mishaal Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the Minister Plenipotentiary at the foreign ministry conveyed the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and his best wishes of all success for the meeting. He said the kingdom supports the statement of head of South Africa delegation on behalf of group 77 and China. The Prince said that the kingdom has prepared its first national report on the goals of millennium development in 2002 and second report in 2005 which indicates the kingdom's progress in achieving these goals at the levels of developmental integration and continual efforts to surpass the approved goals before deadlines. He briefed his listeners on the goals of the kingdom's eighth five-year plan, calling it a cornerstone of combining the national and international efforts for a peaceful, secure and developed world. Though limited, the poverty phenomenon receives much care from the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he said, adding that the issue was given top priority, citing the set up of a special fund for combating poverty in the kingdom and King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Foundation for His Parents for Developmental Housing endeavors to alleviate the phenomenon. In 2005, the foundation established five projects consisting of 1294 residential units benefiting 49,000 citizens, he said. He vowed that Saudi Arabia is planning to wipe out the phenomenon of destitute poverty by 2009. On the regional arena, Saudi Arabia has donated more than one billion US Dollars to the poverty problems treatment fund, initiated by the Islamic Development Bank. Although considered a developed country, Saudi Arabia was generous to provide financial support to needy countries everywhere, he said, adding that the total amount paid by Saudi Arabia as irretrievable assistance over the last three decades reached more than 84 billion US Dollars, representing 4 percent of the kingdom's gross national product. He said Saudi Arabia financed 369 developmental projects and economic programs worth $6615 million in 68 countries through multi-lateral international and regional institutions. He said the kingdom also provided material and moral support worth more than 24 billion u.s. dollars for more than 14 specialized financial institutions, including the World Bank, IMF, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Africa Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, OPEC Fund for International Development, International Development Corporation, and International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Prince said Saudi Arabia comes second after the united states in terms of expatriates transfers from its territories. He pointed to the kingdom's support for a number of specialized programs including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), United Nations Developmental Program , United Nations Fund for Industrial Development, Arab Gulf Program for The Support of UN Developmental Organizations, Arab Fund for Technical Assistance for African Countries, United Nations Fund for Childhood, World Food Program and the International Program for Combating River Blindness. The Kingdom's contribution to this last program alone totalled 46 million US Dollars, he said, adding that its aid for aids combating international fund amounted to $10 million. He concluded that the kingdom is among the first countries that rushed to the support of achieving the goals of the millennium development. In Geneva the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said it has taken all safety measures for the implementation of the agreement of prevention of usage of biological weapons. The remarks were made by Naif Al-Sudeiry, the advisor at the foreign ministry and head of the Saudi delegation to the sixth conference on the agreement of prevention of usage of biological weapons, at his speech before the conference. He noted that the kingdom has been exerting great efforts for fighting terrorism and surveillance usage of weapons of mass-destruction including the biological weapons in line with the resolution 1540, issued by the UN's Security Council. Al-Sudeiry pointed out that the implementation of the agreement will protect the mankind from the woes of biological weapons. He noted that kingdom has been giving utmost attention to fighting all forms of terrorism, and has been following up the activities of the disarmament conference. |
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