December 15, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES RECEIVES A MESSAGE FROM THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. KING ABDULLAH RECEIVES THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE 6TH MEETING OF THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE AND PRAISES SAUDIS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE NATION, RELIGION AND WORK. CROWN PRINCE SULTAN BIN ABDUL AZIZ CHAIRS THE 4TH MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION FOR CIVIL AVIATION. SAUDI ARABIA AND OMAN AGREE ON THE LOCATION OF THE BORDER OUTLET BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. MINISTERS OF THE INTERIOR OF THE TWO COUNTRIES REVIEW THE ORGANIZATION OF BORDERS ISSUES AND JOINT SECURITY. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received members of the presiding commission at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, led by General President for the Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Salih Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein, who is Chairman of the 6th national meeting for intellectual dialogue; Dr. Rashid Al-Rajih Al-Shareef; Dr. Abdullah Omer Naseef; Dr. Abdullah Bin Salih Al-Obeid, Minister of Education; Faisal Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Moa'mmar, Advisor at the Royal Court and Secretary General of King Abdul Aziz Center for national dialogue and male and female participants in the 6th national meeting of intellectual dialogue which was held in Al-Jouf, Saudi Arabia, from 28 - 30 November 2006 under the title "education: reality and ways of its development". The audience was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. Addressing the gathering, Sheikh Al-Hussein said upon directives of the monarch to hold dialogue among service institutions and the society to discuss the challenges facing the service concerned and anticipate expectations of the people, this series started with education. He pointed to the difference of challenges facing service institutions of today and those facing them in the past, noting that school was the single source of intellectual feeding in the past while its sources are numerous today, increasing the responsibility of school in rectifying wrong thoughts and teaching correct ideas. Following the collapse of communism, the other side has to have a new enemy, obviously looking for its historical enemy Islam which has been defamed and linked to terrorism and violence, Al-Hussein said. Sheikh Al-Hussein, president of the forum, said Islam promotes peaceful coexistence of different communities, allowing others to protect their values and cultural identity. Some 120 verses of the Qur'an condemn bloodletting, all types of wars and subversive activities. "It has allowed only one type of war that is morally justified, stands for justice and considers human values. It is jihad," he explained. Sheikh Al-Hussein presented a copy of the forum's recommendations to the king and Crown Prince Sultan. On his part, King Abdullah thanked the participants for their interest in national concerns, particularly their dedication to the religion and nation. He urged them to not hesitate in giving advice to him and other senior officials. The audience was attended by Prince Naif Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Rahman; Prince Homood Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz; Prince Dr. Khalid Bin Abdullah Bin Miqren Al Mashari Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Education for Girls Education Affairs; Prince Dr. Saud Bin Salman Bin Mohammed Al Saud; Prince Dr. Bandar Bin Salman Bin Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Anqari, Minister of Education; Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri, advisor to the king and a number of officials. In the presence of Crown Prince Sultan, King Abdullah addressed the participants in the meeting. He listened to their ideas and opinions on the issues discussed at the meeting, particularly concerning women in the kingdom. The King thanked them for their efforts in defense of their religion, nation and gender. The monarch also lauded the role played by women in the Saudi society and their participation in the renaissance of their nation. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah commended Saudi women for their active participation in the Kingdom's development. "Saudi women are playing a great role," said Abdullah. "They make fruitful contributions toward the country's comprehensive progress in various sectors," he added. King Abdullah made this comment while receiving women participants of the Sixth National Dialogue Forum at his palace in Riyadh separately. "During their meeting with the king, the women voiced their views on the forum's topic and other issues concerning them. They thanked the king for his efforts to empower women and strengthen their role in society," the Saudi Press Agency said. Earlier while speaking to both men and women participants, the king urged them to provide the government with necessary advice and guidance. "Those who do not work will not make any mistakes. Those who work will make mistakes, but one should try to avoid such mistakes," the king said about government officials. He praised Saudis for their commitment to the nation, religion and work. In her speech, Laila bint Abdul Kareem Al-Juhaiman, associate professor at King Saud University, said the three-day forum in Sakaka was successful in drafting a futuristic vision of education in the Kingdom. She praised King Abdullah's efforts to promote the Kingdom's educational standard by opening new universities and colleges across the country. On the other hand the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud received Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Baha Region; Prince Sattam bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz; Prince Homoud bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz; and Prince Dr. Hossam bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz who came to hand a copy of the pictorial book on the late King Saud bin Abdul Aziz to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The audience was attended by Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King; Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, Advisor to the King; and Abdul Mohsin bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri, Advisor to the King. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, received Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Baha Region; Prince Sattam bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz; Prince Homoud bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz; and Prince Dr. Hossam bin Saud bin Abdul Aziz who came to hand a copy of the pictorial book on the late King Saud bin Abdul Aziz to the Crown Prince. The audience was attended by Mohammed bin Salem Al-Marri, Special Advisor to the Crown Prince. The Minister of Higher Education, Dr.Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Anqari, signed a contract with Malaysian "Meteuor" Group worth SR. 47,514,500 for establishing the first phase of the National Center for E-Learning and Distance Learning. Dr. Al-Anqari noted that the broad lines of the operational plan for the project have been completed. "It is based on the national plan for communications and information technology and is carried out with joint coordination with the Ministry of Education and a number of governmental bodies." Dr. Al-Anqari stated that the contract was finalized following global bids in which establishments specialized in this field from Malaysia, Singapore and the United States had participated. He stressed that the general education and higher education in the Kingdom receive all care and support from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received a message from President George W. Bush. The message was delivered to the Monarch by the Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom James Oberwetter during an audience at the king's palace in Riyadh. During the audience, the ambassador conveyed to the King the greetings of President Bush. In turn, the King sent his greetings to the President. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud received the Mufti of Lebanon Dr. Mohammed Rashid Ragheb Qabbani. The audience was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, advisor to the King; and Prince Dr. Bandar bin Salman bin Mohammed Al Saud, advisor to the King. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz received at the royal court at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Higher Commission for Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud international prize for Prophet's Sunnah and contemporary Islamic studies, who was accompanied by Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, deputy chairman of the prize's commission, members of the commission and the prize's laureates. Also, he received the Secretary General of the permanent arbitration court in the Hague Chaco Van Den Haut. Addressing the gathering, Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz lauded the support of the monarch for the prize and his encouragement for scientific research in the field of Sunnah sciences and Islamic studies. On his part, King Abdullah lauded the idea of the prize, vowing his support for "this great deed". He also vowed to cooperate with whoever fights deviant groups, regretting that some of them belong to this country and people. Then Prince Naif decorated the king with the prize's certificate of merit for the service of Prophet's Sunnah and Islamic studies and the prize's shield. The audience was attended y Prince General Mit'eb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Deputy Commander of the National Guard for Military Affairs; 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; Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Saud Bin Naif; Prince Nawaf Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz; Dr. Salih Bin Homaid, Chairman of the Shoura Council; and Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri, advisor to the king. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, will patronize at the beginning of the month of Muharram the next International Conference on desalination of saline water in the Arab countries, which will be held over two days at the King Faisal conference Hall at the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh. The conference will discuss all developments in the techniques and methods of desalination, the activation of the exchange of experiences gained from the experiences of bodies and regional and global organizations in the various aspects of operational, economic and environmental issues in this area. The governor of the General Organization for Water Desalination Faheed bin Fahd al-Sharif said the conference would discuss a number of working papers and research related to the desalination of saline water including the development of designs and thermal desalination units and filters and integration between them, the experiences gained from the rebuilding of desalination plants, the experiences of operation, maintenance and management of desalination plants, in addition to the economics of desalination issues and the mechanism to reduce costs and the materials used. He pointed out that the conference will deal with a presentation of the scientific and practical experiences relating to the privatization of desalination projects in a number of countries, the investment opportunities of desalinated water, the manufacturing of spare parts and the design, operation and maintenance of water conveyance systems as well as examining the impact of desalination plants and electric power on the marine environment, air and the impact of fuel used in the desalination on the environment. Sharif said that Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of desalinated water in the world with 30 desalination stations on the East and West coasts. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister Of Defense And Aviation, Inspector General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, chaired the fourth meeting of the board of directors of the general authority of civil aviation. In a statement following the meeting, president of the general authority of civil aviation Abdullah Rahaimi said that following assessment reports by the authority to determine the two companies winning the licenses of air carrier for the headquarters of Riyadh and Dammam, the board decided to license the National Company For Air Services (NAS) as a national air carrier with Riyadh as its main headquarters. The Council also approved the extension of the assessment period before awarding the license of air carrier which has Dammam as its main headquarters for a period of 45 days after which the second license will be approved. Rahaimi added that the board also discussed and took decisions regarding other issues pertaining to the work of the authority. The International Commission for Memorization of the Holy Quran held an annual ceremony to honour persons who cooperated with the commission during the current year. Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary-General of the Commission, Dr Abdullah bin Ali Bi-Safar highlighted the support and attention given by the Saudi leadership to the book of Allah (the Holy Quran) and spreading its message around the world. He also referred to his meeting along with members of the Commission with Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. Dr Abdullah hailed the Crown Prince's directives and guidance in serving the holy book on a continual basis. The Commission Chief expressed thanks to all governmental bodies and institutions, which extended support to works of the Commission. He noted the achievements of the Commission during the past few years which have been appreciated by everyone. Dr Abdullah stressed the need for interaction with the community activities carried out by the Commission to serve the book of God. The Department of Religious Affairs of the Armed Forces held a meeting for a briefing on Prince Sultan International Prize for Quran memorization, which starts in the 21st of Rabei Al Awal 1428 H. The Director General of the Department of Religious Affairs in charge of the Armed Forces and the General Supervisor of the prize, Sheikh Abdullah bin Saleh bin Abdul Hamid Al Al-Sheikh, a speech in which he said that this is the fourth competition, held every two years under the supervision of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. Following the presentation of a documentary film on the Prince Sultan International Prize for the Holy Quran. Then, the President of the Organization and Director of the Department of Religious Affairs of the ground forces Brigadier Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Saadan said 29 countries have been invited to take part in the event. Dr Al Saadan said that the competition aims to contribute to the role of Saudi Arabia in the service of God's holy book and highlight the personality of the Saudi Armed Forces. Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, received the Secretary General of Muslim World League and Chairman of Board of Directors of the World Commission for Memorization of the Holy Quran Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki accompanied by the board's members Dr. Ahmed Bin Mohammed Ali, President of Islamic Development Bank; Sheikh Ghassan Abdul Qadir Bin Bakri Al-Bakri; Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Zainal; Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al-Zeid, the League's Assistant Secretary General for Mosques Affairs and Dr. Abdullah Bin Ali Basfar, the commission's Secretary General. The Crown Prince commended their efforts in teaching the Holy Quran to Muslims all over the world, stressing his continual support for the commission's activities and programs. The audience was attended by a number of officials. Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, will patronize the second Conference for Endowments next Saturday. The conference will be held under the title (Development Formulas and Future Development). The conference will be organized with the cooperation of the Um Al Qura University and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Gall and Guidance. On the other hand Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Higher Commission for Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud International Prize for Prophet's Sunnah (Prophet's sayings and deeds) and Contemporary Islamic Studies, held a dinner party in Riyadh in honor of the prize second version's guests. Addressing the gathering, Prince Naif welcomed the guests in their second country the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wishing them good stay. He said Islam's enemies were recently able to recruit some Muslim youth to work against their religion, putting great burden and responsibility on Muslim scholars to rectify the situation. He said the aim of the prize is to serve the Sunnah and obtain updated knowledge about it. The event was attended by Prince Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Chairman of the prize; Prince Mohammed Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs; Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz; and senior officials. Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, and the Minister of Interior of the Sultanate of Oman Saud Bin Ibrahim Al Busaidy held a round of talks in Riyadh in continuation to joint meetings between the two countries within the international border agreement signed between the two countries. At the outset of the meeting, Prince Naif welcomed the Omani guest and accompanying delegation, wishing them good stay in the kingdom. He underscored the deep-rooted relations and firm fraternal ties between the two countries' peoples. He also underscored the importance of the talks as security is now the world's priority, noting the importance of the United Nations Security Council in bringing about peace, security and stability to the world. He drew common lines between security and economy. Despite periodical terrorist attacks over the previous years in the kingdom, Saudi Arabia enjoys security, a condition for a flourishing economy. He lauded the Saudi security men and organizations working in the kingdom and fighting a fierce but diminishing phenomenon, thanks to the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the bravery of the country's security forces personnel. On his part, the Omani minister thanked the minister of interior of the kingdom for warm welcome and generous hospitality. He lauded the deep-rooted ties binding the two countries. Al Busaidy congratulated Prince Naif on the successes scored by the kingdom's security men against a wave of terrorism attacks. During the meeting, they reviewed the recommendations of meetings of joint border authorities and the field of cooperation and coordination in the border region between the two countries. The two sides agreed on the location of the border outlet between the kingdom and the sultanate. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the two sides. Oman's Minister of Interior Saud Bin Ibrahim Al Busaidy and a companying delegation arrived in Riyadh on a three-day visit to the kingdom during which he leads his country's delegation to the third high-level joint committee for border authorities between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the sultanate of Oman. At Riyadh airbase, he was received by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, minister of interior; Prince Mohammed Bin Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs; and senior officials. Sayyid Saud bin Ibrahim Al Busaidy, Minister of Interior, went on tour of various institutions, including King Fahd Security College and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. Sayyid Saud told reporters after the visits that Oman and Saudi Arabia agreed to set up a border checkpoint to be opened after two years. He said the project would be an important development that greatly serves travellers and boost economic relations between the two countries, thanks to their wise leaderships. The project links Oman's Ramlat Khaila with the Saudi section of Rub-el-Khali. Saudi Arabia and its southern GCC neighbor, the Sultanate of Oman, agreed to establish a border point in order to facilitate transportation and enhance trade relations between the two countries, it was announced yesterday. The new border point will be in operation within two years. A joint communiqué issued y after official talks between Interior Minister Prince Naif and his Omani counterpart Saud Al-Busaidy said that work on the border point had already started. It will be called Rub Al-Khali (Empty Quarter) entry point on the Saudi side and Ramlat Khaliya entry point on the Omani side, the communiqué added. "All measures have been taken by relevant agencies in both countries to establish the border point facilities, pave the roads and build other installations," the communiqué said, adding that the border point would help link roads in the two countries. Saudi Arabia occupies 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula and Oman occupies the south eastern corner of the peninsula. Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE border Oman on the west. During his meeting with Al-Busaidy, Prince Naif underscored the strong relations between the two countries. "We consider the security of Oman as part and parcel of the Kingdom's security," Prince Naif said and called for further strengthening their security cooperation. Prince Naif emphasized the significance of security in the life and development of a nation. "In spite of the terrorist attacks that occurred in the past years, Saudi Arabia enjoys security and this is evident from its growing economy and increasing foreign investment," he said. He praised Saudi security forces for their efforts to root out terrorism from the country.