March 2, 2007

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES BRIEFS THE CABINET ON HIS CONTACTS AND TALKS WITH LEADERS AND ENVOYS ON REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES. THE CABINET EXPRESSES ITS HOPES THAT THE TALKS HELD BY THE QUARTET WILL OPEN DOOR TO BREAKING THE BLOCKADE IMPOSED ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THE CABINET WELCOMES THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE ARAB SPANISH POLITICAL CONFERENCE AND THE OIC EXTRAORDINARY MEETING TO DISCUSS THE ISRAELI AGGRESSIONS AGAINST AL AQSA MOSQUE. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz chaired the Cabinet's session at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh. At the outset of the session, the King briefed the Cabinet on communications and consultations with state leaders and envoys he held over the previous days on bilateral relations and regional and international issues. The King commended his meeting with Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyib Erdogan and the bilateral relations binding the two brotherly countries in all fields. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session, the Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Bin Amin Madani said that the Cabinet reviewed the talks held in Berlin last week by the Quartet committee on the Middle East conflict. The Cabinet praised the decision of members for pointing out that the world's tendency is to assist the Palestinians and to support their national unity government. The Cabinet hoped that the door will be opened to breaking the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people and their legitimate institutions. The Cabinet also commended the expanded extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of the executive committee of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) dealing with Israeli aggressions against Al-Aqsa mosque and the major role that should be played by the Organization to preserve the historical nature of the holy Al Quds. The Minister of Culture and Information added that the Cabinet welcomed the deliberations of the Arab Spanish political conference held under the sponsorship of the king of Spain and organized by the Arab House Foundation in Madrid and the International Institute for Arab Studies and Muslim World in Cordoba, stressing that the establishment of the two institutions is considered an important step on the track of propagating science and knowledge among cultures and peoples. The Minister of Culture and Information said the Cabinet then reviewed the local items on its agenda and issued the following decisions: The Cabinet approved the appointment of the Chairman and members of the board of directors of Jeddah company for development and constructional promotion for three years, effective the date of the validation of this decision: Eng. Adel Bin Mohammed Faqih, Mayor of Jeddah province, as chairman and the following as members: 1- Dr. Sami Bin Yassin Berhemin 2- Abdul Aziz Bin Saad Al-Ghamdi, ministry of finance 3- Dr. Riyadh Bin Kamal Najm, ministry of culture and information 4- Hassan Bin Fadhl Aqeel, ministry of commerce and industry 5- Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al-Dahmash, ministry of municipal and rural affairs. The following five members from the private sector will also join the board: 1- Ibrahim Bin Mohammed Al-Isa. 2- Mohammed Bin Hasan Abu-Daood. 3- Musa Bin Omran Al-Omran. 4- Ahmed Bin Suleiman Banaja. 5- Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Telmisani. The Cabinet approved the draft arrangement on cooperation between the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of India in the field of youth and sports which was singed in New Delhi on January 25, 2006. Upon the request of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of a new Saudi Stock Company under the name of Ra'ed (Pioneering Investments Company). The company is wholly owned by the Pensions General Corporation. The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the human resources development fund for the fiscal year ending on 30 December 2005. The Cabinet reviewed a report submitted by the ministry of economy and planning on the progress of as many as 88 developmental projects financed by the surplus of the fiscal year 1424 - 1425 H. and the fiscal year 1425 - 1426 H. The projects cover all parts of the kingdom. The King instructed for the expedition of work on these projects. The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the General Corporation for Grain Silos And Flour Mills. The Cabinet approved the appointment of Mohammed Bin Mohammed Bin Bakr Al Bakr as Administrative Consultant at the Commission of Control and Investigation; Homoud Bin Ibrahim Fahd Al-Nuzha as Assistant Director General of the General Department for Annuities and Appanages at the Ministry of Finance and Eng. Fahd Bin Sultan Bin Abdullah Bin Huraib as energy expert at King Abdul Aziz City for Sciences and Technology.