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January 12, 2007 |
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THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SHOURA COUNDIL LAUDS THE EFFORTS EXERTED BY THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL HAJJ SEASON. ARAB AND ISLAMIC APPRAISAL FOR THE SUCCESS OF HAJJ. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has sent a cable to Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior, thanking him for the success of security plans executed during the just-concluded Hajj season. In his cable, King Abdullah said he saw the report provided by the ministry of interior on the measures taken to make this year's Hajj a complete success. The King praised the arrangements made to accommodate and transport, keep security and provide comfort to 2,540,436 pilgrims residing at one place. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah commended the role played by Saudi security forces in making this year's Hajj a resounding success. "We appreciate the efforts of security forces in ensuring the safety and security of more than 2.54 million pilgrims who performed Hajj this year," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying. King Abdullah made this comment while replying to a message from Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Naif, who had informed the king that 2,540,436 pilgrims performed Hajj this year. Security officers successfully carried out the Hajj plan despite the tense regional and international situations, he added. Prince Naif said the establishment of the new Jamrat Bridge, the dispatch of pilgrims in groups to Jamrat and the introduction of a new force to control pedestrian movement in the streets of the holy sites had contributed to the successful organization of Hajj. Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has sent a cable of reply to Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee on the occasion of the success of this year's Hajj season. Crown Prince Sultan thanked Prince Naif and the personnel of various sectors which had participated in the hajj season, and lauded the great services and facilities extended to the pilgrims in line with the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz. In his cable to Crown Prince Sultan, Prince Naif said 2,540,436 pilgrims performed their Hajj rituals in comfort and ease. He noted that the concerned authorities had done their best to ensure the comfort of the guests of god. 'Thanks to Almighty Allah, the concerned security authorities were capable of carrying out their plans successfully and accurately despite the tense regional and international circumstances', said Prince Naif. He pointed out that no traffic jams were witnessed at Makkah and the other holy places. The Chairman of the Shoura Council Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Bin Homaid congratulated the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Crown Prince and the Saudi people on the blessed Eid Al-Adha, wishing the Saudi leadership and Islamic countries many happy returns, blessing and prosperity. Following an ordinary session, the council's Secretary General Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Al Malik said Dr. Bin Homaid expressed his congratulations on the great achievements of organizational and security plans during this year's Hajj. He also expressed appreciation of the great efforts exerted by security and governmental bodies and distinguished services provided for pilgrims which enabled them to perform their Hajj rituals easily and comfortably. The chairman noted the quantum leap in Jamarat bridge and the great results of this project. He pointed out that the budget achieved record revenues last year. Dr. Bin Homaid also indicated that the council invited a number of world parliamentary councils to nominate some members to perform Jajj rituals this year, noting that the guests expressed their best thanks to the King, the Crown Prince and the council. Dr.Al-Malik added that the council discussed topics of local affairs on its agenda. The Shoura Council held an ordinary session under the chairmanship of its chairman Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Bin Homaid. The Council's Secretary General Dr. Salih Bin Abdullah Al Malik said the council approved a number of recommendations to improve the performance of the ministry of agriculture and King Fahd National Library. The council also discussed other issues and will complete their discussion in a future session, the secretary said. During its ordinary 63rd session, held under the chairmanship of its Chairman Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Homaid, the Shoura Council discussed the National Plan for Communications and Information Technology submitted by the Transport, Communications and Information Technology Committee. In a statement after the session, the Secretary General of Shoura Council Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Malik clarified that the Council discussed the general objective of the plan to convert the Saudi society into an information society. He also pointed out that the Committee's report contained a detailed explanation of the national plan as well as the current situation of communications and information technology in the Kingdom. Meanwhile the Kuwaiti cabinet expressed its appreciation of and thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Saudi government for the high level of services and facilities provided for pilgrims this year to enable them to perform their rituals easily and comfortably. In a statement following the cabinet's session, Dr. Ismael Al-Shatti, Deputy Premier and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs said that the cabinet lauded the services provided by the kingdom for pilgrims, the expansion of the two holy mosques and great projects in the holy places. The Bahraini cabinet congratulated the kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince on the services and facilities provided for pilgrims which have enabled them to perform their rituals easily and comfortably. In a statement following the cabinet's session, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Atiyyatullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Cabinet Affairs said that the cabinet also congratulated pilgrims on performing Hajj rituals and on safe return to their country. Algerian, Sudanese and Burundi ministers have hailed the efforts exerted by the Saudi authorities to ensure the comfort of the pilgrims during the Hajj season. Saeed Kebba, the Minister of Education and Culture in Burundi, said the excellent arrangements made by the kingdom had enabled the pilgrims to perform their rituals easily. He urged the Muslim scholars and thinkers as well as the cultural and social institutions to promote cooperation with the Muslim World League (MWL) for holding high the banner of Islam. Abu Jarrah Sultani, the Algerian Minister of State, lauded the kingdom's efforts in the service of Islam. On his part, Shakai Matet Nial, the Minister of the Presidency Affairs in Sudan, hailed the kingdom's role in the service of Islam and unifying the Muslim ranks. President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Sudan commended the efforts exerted by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz in the service of Islam and Muslims. In a statement to Saudi Al-Madinah newspaper President Al-Bashir, having performed Hajj rituals this year, expressed his thanks to the kingdom for the efforts exerted in the expansion of the two holy mosques and the provision of services and facilities to pilgrims to perform their Hajj rituals easily and comfortably. The Sudanese President described this year's Hajj as excellent, praising the great projects executed in the holy places particularly the new Jamarat bridge project. He lauded strong and deep-rooted relations between the two countries, noting that the kingdom has supported Sudan at political and international levels. In Jeddah the Ministry of Hajj held its annual reception in honor of heads and members of Hajj missions participating in this year's Hajj season and the ministry's guests having performed Hajj. The reception was attended by Minister of Hajj Dr. Fuad Bin Abdul Salam Al-Farsi. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion. Addressing the audience, Dr. Al-Farsi said that the government of the kingdom since the era of late founder King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman until the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince has spared no efforts to provide all means of development, modernization and expansion of the two holy mosques to enable pilgrims to perform their Hajj rituals easily and comfortably. He pointed to the latest project of Jamarat bridge whose costs amounted to SR 4.2 billion. In his speech on behalf of Hajj delegations, Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Zain, Minister at Malaysian Premier's office commended the kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince for the expansion of the two holy mosques, roads linking holy places, the establishment of Jamarat bridge project in a modern and developed way and great services and facilities provided for pilgrims to perform their hajj rituals easily and comfortably. Then they all had dinner given on this occasion. A number of pilgrims have expressed their appreciation of and thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz for receiving the king's gift including the Holy Quran, translation of its meanings in 25 languages and religious books. In press statements upon their departure for their countries at the kingdom's airports, seaports and land posts, the pilgrims said that the success of this year's Hajj reflects the efforts exerted by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in developing and expanding the holy places and in providing services and facilities for pilgrims which enabled them to perform their hajj rituals easily and comfortably. The Secretary General of Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) Dr Abdullah Al-Turki met a number of American pilgrims who performed Hajj rituals this year within the framework of the program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to host some pilgrims. The pilgrims expressed appreciation for the excellent arrangements made by the Saudi concerned authorities to enable the pilgrims perform their rituals in comfort and ease. Thomas Howard, a Lawyer, lauded the excellent management of Hajj affairs by the Saudi government. Dr Mohammed Hassan, a professor of economy at Nebraska university in the US, praised the efforts exerted by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in implementing the expansion projects at the two holy mosques and the holy places. He noted that the expansion projects would enable the pilgrims to perform their rituals in comfort and ease. |
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